Activist Alert 5-29-2014

• Oregon author and fish biologist Jim Lichatowich will speak at 6 pm Thursday, May 29, at Cozmic, 199 W. 8th Ave. He will read from and discuss his new book Salmon, People, and Place: A Biologist’s Search for Salmon Recovery. This event is free and sponsored by the Western Environmental Law Center. Call 255-0209.

• The Spring Bee-Fest community celebration will be from 1 to 3 pm Saturday, May 31, at Washington Park Community Center. The free, family-friendly event honors the city’s February resolution banning the use of bee-killing pesticides on city-owned property and the expansion of the Pesticide-Free Parks Program. Sponsored by Smith Family Bookstore, Coconut Bliss and others. 

Festival Latino will be held from 4 to 11 pm Saturday, May 31, at Sprout! Food Hub, 418 A St. in Springfield. $5 suggested donation, kids 12 and under free. Organized by Huerto and the UO Association of Fundraising Professionals. Mayors of both Eugene and Springfield are expected to speak, along with Latino community leaders. Activities include salsa tasting, live music, salsa dancing, local food and drinks and a silent auction. See huertodelafamilia.org.

• Journalist McKenzie Funk of Eugene will talk about his new book Windfall: The Booming Business of Global Warming at 6 pm Thursday, June 5, at the Eugene Public Library. His book explores the climate change crisis through the eyes of those who see it as a business opportunity. Funk has been published in Harper’s, National Geographic, Rolling Stone, GQ, Outside and elsewhere. His book is based on his six years traveling the world to profile entrepreneurs who see profits to be made form glacial melting, drought and deluge. See book review this issue.

• The Cottage Grove Ranger District is inviting the public to join a field trip from 9 am to 3:30 pm Friday, June 6, to the Sharps Creek Watershed to look at proposed projects in the area. Management activities would include timber harvesting, fire fuel reduction work, meadow restoration and aquatic restoration. RSVP by Monday, June 2, by calling 767-5000 or email cgrdinfo@fs.fed.us. See also forestweb-cg.org. 

• The Oregon Fish & Wildlife Commission is expected to adopt the Coastal Management Plan for salmon and steelhead at its meeting June 6 at 4034 Fairview Industrial Drive in Salem. Time of the meeting to be announced. See directions at wkly.ws/1rf. “Although it’s not included in the CMP, we expect a large vocal contingent to attend requesting the plan be amended to include harvest of wild winter steelhead,” reads a statement from the Steamboaters fishing and conservation club. “Given the budgetary problems ODFW is facing, they cannot identify the current state of wild steelhead or adequately monitor impacts from harvest combined with these other factors. This isn’t the time to increase pressure on the best wild run in the U.S.” See steamboaters.org.