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Show tDg Page B12 Thursday, November 4, 2004 ZEtmes-Inheperthe- rtt Moab Marine wounded Oct. 27 in Iraq action .f Iwi-t-H- U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sargeant, Matthew Fouss, son of Pamela Hartsen and Jon Sering of Moab, was wounded in action on October 27 in Iraq. Sgt. Fouss Humvee, while providing protection for a convoy, was the target of an IED f 7 4 i 'S i4- - 4?r? At 'GM T i-Z- ?7' - c-M, S' f (improvised explosive device). R m . 7c.- rr.' Before Notice the cottonwoods - almost invisible in the tangle of non native trees olives, Siberian elms and catalpas are felled. in 'Yr&fter the before phot- o- have room to breathe after the Russian Cottonwoods and Russian Olives: what is going on along Mill Creek with restoration project It would be difficult to walk along Moabs Mill Creek parkway and not notice the lofty canopy of the huge cottonwoods that shade the creek and pathway. The thick, stately trunks and extensive branches demand attention from even the most casual viewer. Yet, these native cottonwoods that once dominated the floodplain of Mill Creek are on the decline. In many areas they have been crowded by an onslaught of exotic invasive weed tree species. To germinate, cottonwood seeds require sunlight, which is shaded out by non native Russian olive, Siberian elm, mulberry and tamarisk that now rule the undergrowth along the creek. Without intervention, the large cottonwoods remaining along the parkway will be the last. A project aimed to counteract the demise of the cottonwood forest along Mill creek has started on high school district land adjacent to the Youth Garden Project (YGP), along other stretches of Mill Creek in town, and upstream beyond the powerdam. This effort has been initiated by Rim to Rim Restoration (RRR) partnering with the City of Moab, Wildland Scapes, and the local BLM office. Funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation through a grant administered by the Tamarisk Coalition in Grand Junction is supporting this work. On the ground assistance from the Grand County School District, YGP students, local residents, the City of Moab has resulted in the removal of invasive weed trees and the planting of young native cottonwoods and box elder. Most recently (and most notably), near the High School the removal of the invasive weed trees has opened the area considerably and has already contributed to the feel of the native cottonwood forest that once dominated the Mill creek floodplain. Establishment of young native trees and maintenance to keep out the invasive exotic trees will help recreate a cottonwood forest much like what occurred before the reduced flows in Mill Creek caused by the irrigation draws at Kens Lake and in town, and the introduction of exotic weed trees altered the natural system. In addition to providing better habitat for local birds and ani- - HKH 0C3D est? Chainsaws and wood chippers help a lot, after that it is pretty much good old fashioned hard work. At the High School site, three Rim to Rim Restoration and Wildland Scapes employees were responsible for felling all of the invasive trees, cutting them into manageable size, treating the stumps with herbicide to deter resprouting and assisting the brush chipping effort. Three School district employees were involved in running the wood chipper (provided by the school district). They hauled brush and fed it into the machine, which quite efficiently converts branches into mulch. Larger diameter material was cut into firewood lengths and will be donated to the YGP for firewood sale fund-raiser- s. bris to catch in flood events. Another impact russian olives are having on Mill Creek through town is a reduction of the available flood flow channel. The extremely low summer flows in the past few years have created conditions that are encouraging olives to germinate in the active flood channel. One of the project goals in the coming year is to clear out these small 8 foot tall trees before they become harder to handle and constrict the narrow flood channel even more. Native coyote willow bundles may be planted along the banks to protect them in flood events. The native willows bend with the flood flows, and protect the bank rather than standing in the flow as russian olive trees that catch floating debris narrowing the channel further. Other smaller areas have been cleared of invasive exotics along the Mill Creek Parkway. Work will continue at various locations along the bike path in the coming year. For more information about the project, or to lend a hand, Restoracontact tion at Rim-to-Ri- 259-667- native trees have already been planted into the under story by high school students involved with the YGP. An additional thirty trees will be planted by students this fall. There are plans to plant more trees, grasses, shrubs and forbs in following years. Although this is a small section of forest and perhaps a drop in the bucket when considering the extent of the invasive weed tree problem in 0. Learning Disabilities is being offered at H.M.K. School on Monday, November 8 from 6 to 8 p.m.- - Instructor Les Harris, regional training manager for the Utah Foster Care Foundation, will speak about different types of learning disabilities, how to identify them, educational options and what families can do at home. The instructor has a Masters degree in social science and social work, and previously worked for the Division of Child and Family Services. The Utah Foster Care Foundation is sponsoring the seminar. It is free and open to the public. blast. The gunner was flown out of Iraq with damage to both ears. Sgt. Fouss received first and second degree bums to his face, ear damage, blurring in his right eye, and extensive bruising. The Humvee was destroyed. Fortunately, they were in a fully armored Humvee and no ambush followed the bomb detonation. Even while wounded, Staff Sgt. Fouss continued to give orders to his men to protect his wounded gunner and the remainder of the convoy. Sgt. Fouss is hoping to return to his unit in the next few days. The IED was placed in the roadway by digging a hole, paved back over, then exploded by an observer with a detonator. have items or pictures you would like published? Do you Bring them in by Monday, 5 p.m. THE TIMES-INDEPENDE- NT 35 E. CENTER THANK YOU FOR YOUR VOTES and thanks to all who devoted time, effort, and financial support to the k GRAHAM for GRAND campaign. Let's go into the future with our eyes wide open and our expectations high! - m Paid for by GRAHAM for GRAND Audrey Graham Twenty-tw- o Get the Hu Shot, Not the Hu. our area, it demonstrates what a few people with a Ski FREE Dec. 9-Buy 4 days, ski 5th day FREE couple chainsaws and a chipper can accomplish in a weeks 15 V:T mals, the open area is far less conducive to fires than the tangle of thorny russian olives and other non native trees. High School students may not appreciate the openness however, since they cannot duck out of view from the school as easily as before. So, how does one go about reclaiming a cottonwood for- Seminar on learning disabilities here planned A free seminar on Staff Sgt. Fouss and his gun- ner were wounded by the time. Downstream participants in the Four Corners Behavioral Health Summer Work Project helped cut russian olives, elms and tamarisk out of X-' a cottonwood grove just upstream of the Main Street Bridge. Not only has the bank been opened visually, but there is more space for flood flows and fewer places for Child care provider info in Moab class Save $7 on lift tickets, everyday, at the window all season long Holidays Adult $38 $28 Young Adult $31 $21 Student Senior $28 $18 $18 $28 4 New Trails! West End open every day! POWEERHORN a peps 970-268-57- 00 RESORT de- - F r MEBtaalcE? Information about setting child-car- e busian up ness is being offered during a free child care orientation class on Thursday, November 4 in Price. The child Care Resource and Referral College of Eastern Utah says there are up to in-ho- $500 in start-u- p grants available to those interested in becoming child care providers. To reserve a spot in the class call 435.636.2355. Grand Junction Oral Surgery Associates PC Oral Surgery Specialty Care Kenneth E. Perino, LDS Wisdom Teeth Removal Impacted Teeth Dental Implants Orthodontic Surgery Facial Trauma TMJ (Jaw Joint) Problems General Anesthesia & IV Sedation 2532 Patterson Road, Suite 10, Grand Junction, CO Call toll free Medicare Part B pays for flu shots. Best Time: September - November Not Too Late: December, January, or February For information, call www.medicare.gov or visit Qpq |