Moon Tree replanting requested
From our weekly issue dated February 20, 2008
cJosephine County commissioners are being asked for permission to plant a new Moon Tree at Illinois Valley Airport to help bring the county positive publicity and involve the valley community.
Cave Junction resident Roger Brandt, an advocate for a smokejumper museum at the airport, sent a letter to Commissioners Dave Toler, Dwight Ellis and Jim Raffenburg, with a copy to Alex Grossi, airports manager.
The original Moon Tree died some 22 years ago. The new tree would be planted in early April to coincide with Arbor Day. A reply is sought by Saturday, Feb. 23.
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Brandt wrote, “I talked with Becky Soules, the high school student in Coos Bay who wants to donate a Moon Tree, a Douglas fir, and have it planted where the Moon Tree story began, the Siskiyou Smokejumper Base.
“She still wants to have her tree planted at the base.
“I told her I would find out if it is going to be possible to obtain permission from the county to plant the tree at the location where the original tree was planted in 1976 by Stuart Roosa, the former smokejumper who became an astronaut and carried the tree seeds with him to the moon on Apollo 14.
“This location is behind the historic administration building.
“There is a small pine tree growing in this location. We may need to remove it and dig a small hole for planting the Moon Tree. There may also be a need to build a small, temporary structure to provide shade. This temporary structure would be removed in 2009 or 2010 once it has been determined the tree is adequately rooted and acclimated.”
If permission is not received, said Brandt, Soules will give the tree to the city of Coos Bay, Roosa’s adopted home town.
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“It is very unlikely we will have an opportunity like this again,” Brandt continued. “Becky has an extraordinary connection to the Moon Tree story. She won a national NASA writing contest with the Moon Tree story, and she was instrumental in getting the tree at the capitol listed as an Oregon Heritage Tree.
“It was her connection to the Moon Tree story that made it possible to get special educational programs through NASA and the Pine Mountain Observatory at our schools in Illinois Valley. We could attract more of these programs if we are able to retain the Moon Tree story in Josephine County. It would be unwise to let this opportunity slip through our fingers.”
Brandt added that he does not believe the hoped-for planting “will result in generating a large, nationally significant event as previously planned to include astronauts, dignitaries, and aviation displays; the potential for that has been lost.
“However,” he said, “I feel there is still an opportunity to obtain an element of positive publicity for Josephine County with the planting and dedication of the tree as an Arbor Day event.
“It is a chance for Josephine County to enjoy something positive and upbeat.”
On another note, Brandt said, “It is likely that FAA regulations will be called into play, and it would be unwise to suppress this opportunity without acknowledging that a new Airport Master Plan for the Illinois Valley Airport is about to be written.
“I have spent the past two months researching the history of the airport from 1986 through 2001, and I can say with great confidence that continuing in the direction established by the 1992 Master Plan is going to result in another 15 years of stalled airport development.
“This misdirection was not the fault of the plan’s authors, but rather appears to be the result of pressure from a small group of community leaders unilaterally pushing their ideas for airport development since 1982, all of which was done with very little, if any, public input. This might help to explain the wildly speculative and unachievable nature of the plan. There is no wisdom in continuing down this course.
“We used to have fun at our airport with fly-ins, air shows, Moon Tree runs and other events,” Brandt said. “Some of these events were attended by as many as 4,000 people. The recent management of the airport has put the community in a position that we no longer have fun at our airport. This is doing nothing positive for the community’s economy or productivity.
“Residents want to have fun with their airport again; and you can help us move toward this goal by doing the following:
“Restore parking for vehicles and airplanes as a minimum accommodation for visitors who come to the Moon Tree dedication.
“Re-establish traditional overflow parking areas for special events.
“Authorize planting the Moon Tree and include approval for providing cover during acclimation to its new surroundings.
“Authorize the community to care for the tree for as long as it takes to become established and survive on its own,” Brandt concluded.
