| INMATE CAMP CELEBRATES 50 YEARS |
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Inmate Camp Celebrates 50 Years of Changing Forests and Lives
October 8, 2001
Gordon Dana, ODF, 503-842-7183
Perrin Damon, DOC, 503-945-0925
Being "locked up" takes on new meaning for South Fork Forest Camp inmates who spend their days trudging up and down steep mountain slopes.
They’re outdoors – that’s the upside. They’re also doing some of the most strenuous work around – that’s the downside.
It’s not for everyone, but for those inmates who do come through the work camp – and there have been about 7,000 of them over the past 50 years – they have had an opportunity to change the forest. Many have used the experience to also change their lives.
This win-win relationship between the Oregon Department of Forestry and the Department of Corrections that spans five decades is being celebrated this year. A program is planned Oct. 11, from 2 to 4 p.m., at the facility nestled in the Coast Range about 25 miles west of Forest Grove off Highway 6. The theme is "Fifty Years of Changing Lives while Changing the Forest."
In a typical year, the inmate camp crews plant seedlings and thin trees, make signs and complete maintenance projects, accomplish seedling production and cone collection, and assist with stream restoration work and fire suppression. This year, for example, more than 775,000 trees were planted by inmate crews and more than 21,000 feet of hiking trails were built or improved. Primary summer work is related to fire suppression, and crews this year assisted with fire suppression efforts on 16 different fires.
South Fork Camp was established with the signing of a bill by Governor McKay in 1951, which authorized the Oregon State Board of Control and the Board of Forestry to establish and operate forest work camps to support the rehabilitation efforts of the Tillamook burn. To this day, both ODF and DOC enjoy a successful working relationship in support of the missions of both agencies.
The 50-year celebration recognizes the efforts of the Oregon Department of Forestry and the Department of Correction employees, as well as the efforts of the offenders for their contributions to successful camp operations for the last fifty years.
Persons interested in attending the Oct. 11 celebration should contact Gordon Dana, Camp Manager, at 503.842.7213. The department heads of both agencies are slated to attend the ceremony. The Governor has also been invited.
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