Sixth Grade Forestry Tour another success

JULY 15, 2010

Allen Heywood and Gabe Turner get ready to pan for gold as Hunter Cobbs looks on.

The Clearwater County Sixth Grade Forestry Tour held July 6-8 was once again a big success and a great experience for the local sixth grade students.

This year’s tour marked the 49^th year that the event has been provided to Clearwater County youth.

The Headquarters C-PTPA camp is the hub of the tour, with meals and many activities facilitated there. Great appreciation goes out to C-PTPA for their generosity over the years. This year’s tour was in memory of Charles ‘Red’ McCollister, who was a great supporter of the Sixth Grade Forestry Tour in its early years.

The tour consisted of three days and two nights of activities designed to create a greater appreciation and understanding of natural resources: what they are, their importance to our community economy and vitality, and how we manage them.

Forest resource career opportunities, fish hatchery management, wetland development, soil, wildlife and range management practices, mineral and geological resources, and tree identification are just a few of the topics covered, as well as hands-on demonstrations of fire suppression and other aspects of forestry.

A parachute drop display was performed by Johnny Stewart, in the “Eye in the Sky” plane, for the students, who also enjoyed a visit from the C-PTPA helicopter and crew performing a water bucket drop.

Among the highlights of the tour was the gold panning activity that introduced the mineral and gem resources and opportunities that Clearwater County offers. The tour concluded with a visit to a DEBCO Logging operation and a trip to the top of Bertha Hill Lookout Tower.

Fifty-one students, 10 teen counselors, seven adult chaperones and a host of terrific volunteers from all areas of life composed the tour this year.

The tour is an annual event sponsored by a broad base of local businesses, civic groups, agencies and individuals. Sponsors furnish cash funds, in kind materials and personnel in order to provide the event so that every sixth grade student is invited and able to attend for free.

The University of Idaho Clearwater County Extension Office, the Sixth Grade Forestry Tour Committee and the 2010 sixth grade glass would like to express sincere appreciation to the many sponsors and volunteers who helped make this year’s tour possible. Without the support of the wonderful people of Clearwater County, the tour simply would not be possible. The local generosity and volunteer support is just one of the many things that make Clearwater County a wonderful place to live.

Organizations businesses that helped to make the 2010 tour possible are: Rotary Club of Orofino, Northwest Gold Prospectors Association, Silvicultural Enterprises, USDA Farm Service Agency, Clearwater County Farm Bureau, Glenwood Pharmacy, Clearwater Realty, Mark Deyo Slash, Wells Fargo Bank, Cedar Inn /Miner’s Shanty, Empire Lumber Co. Weippe, VFW Ladies Auxiliary, Valley Motor Parts, M. John Larson Logging, McLaughlin Logging, Atkinson Distributing Inc., Peck Community Club, DEBCO Construction, Orofino Builders Supply, Avista Corp., Maki Manufacturing, J. Douglas Gray, DDS, Walrath Insurance Agency, Ken Miller Logging.

Also, Ray Timber Harvesting, Whipple’s Feed, Kiwanis Club of Orofino, Creative Gifts, Finke Logging, A&A Septic Service, Cloninger’s Harvest Foods, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Clearwater-Potlatch Timber Protective Assoc., Idaho Department of Lands, United States Forest Service, Potlatch Corporation, Dworshak National Fish Hatchery, Clearwater Fish Hatchery, Nez Perce Tribal Fisheries, Idaho Dept. of Fish & Game, Clearwater County Sheriff’s Dept., Joint School District # 171 Bus Garage, Clearwater County Search and Rescue, Pierce Museum, Forestry Consultants, Weippe Rodeo Grounds Committee, U of I Nezperce County Extension, Ernie & Dianne Tuning, Clearwater County Commissioners, Rob & Pat Pabst, U of I Clearwater County Extension, John and Janice Taft, and Pierce Community Center and Pool.