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Welcome
Welcome to the home page of the Oregon Society of Soil Scientists (OSSS). It is our goal to introduce ourselves, and to share general information and local issues related to soils. Your comments and questions are welcome. Write to us at osss@peak.org or for a more timely response to a question please send emails to the appropriate board member listed below under "2007 Officers".
The OSSS flyer introduces our organization, and is available as a glossy brochure free to anyone interested. To view its contents click here: OSSS Flyer . To request copies send email to osss@peak.org
For your viewing pleasure, here is a very colorful General Soil Map of Oregon A small copy of this map is printed in the OSSS flyer.
OSSS has a companion web page at Microsoft's MSN groups site. This page provides clubs with abilities such as chat, pictures, calendar, message board, etc. It is filled with interesting soils related web links. See it at:
http://groups.msn.com/OregonSocietyofSoilScientists/home.htm
Current News
Dig It! The Secrets of Soil
Smithsonian Exhibit - Opening to the public on July 19, 2008
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2008 Winter Meeting Scheduled on the coast at Newport, Oregon February 28th and 29th!
We are heading to Newport! The venue is the Agate Beach Best Western. The theme is ‘the RURAL/URBAN Interface’. Register by January 28th to ensure you get the room special rate. Be sure to tell them that you are with the Oregon Society of Soil Scientists. You will have a choice of the hill view room for $89 (single or double) or the ocean view room for $109 (single or double). As a courtesy to our student members the OSSS board has authorized the reservation of 2 student rooms. We will reserve one room for our female students and one room for male students for Thursday night. No more than 4 students per room.
Our Banquet speaker is Doug Wilson. The title of his presentation is 'Station Camp: Archeology of a Chinook Fur Trade Site at the Mouth of the Columbia'. I am working with the catering people at the Best Western. We are close to an agreement of your choice of fresh tuna steak or prime rib as the entrée.
We hope to have nice enough weather for a beach fire/cookout down on Agate Beach State Park on Wednesday. We will plan for the beach fire but if weather fails we can meet at the Starfish Grill Sport Pub at the Best Western.
2008 Winter Meeting Registration
OSSS 2008 Winter Meeting February 28-29 Agate Beach Best Western, Newport, Oregon AGENDA of Events and Speakers Wednesday, February 27 Time Event 5:30 - 7:30 pm Weather permitting, beach fire at agate Beach walk down the back driveway from the BW hotel. Bad weather option, the Starfish Grill and Sports Bar in the BW hotel Thursday, February 28 8:00- 8:45 am Registration 8:45 – 9:00 Opening Remarks; Will Austin 9:00 - 9:30 Fungai; 'Soil Water Movement in Fragipan Soils and Fertilizer Transport' 9:30 - 10:00 Mike Logan; 'Water Quality of the Upper Deschutes River' 10:00 - 10:30 Steve Deghetto; 'Parks, Prairies, and Pets’ 10:30 - 10:45 BREAK 10:45 - 11:30 Daniel Moreno; 'Soils, People, Sewage: An overview of the Oregon DEQ Onsite Wastewater Program' 11:30 - 12:15 pm Mark Havel; 'Sustainability in Oregon's Forests: management and expectations from a citizen's viewpoint' 12:15 - 1:30 LUNCH 1:30 - 2:30 Erin Shroll; 'Introduction to Green Roofs: and the role of the substrate' 2:30 - 3:30 Renee Stoops; 'Urban Applications for Ecological Horticulture: considerations for the soil/water interface' 3:30 - 4:30 Ralph Bloemers; 'History and Educational Opportunities of Measure 37 and 49 in Oregon' 4:30 - 4:45 BREAK 4:45 - 6:00 OSSS Business Meeting 7:00 - 9:00 Banquet Speaker: Doug Wilson; ' Station Camp: Archeology of a Chinook Fur Trade Site at the Mouth of the Columbia'
Banquet entertainment, Violin; David Rand
Friday, February 29 8:00 - 9:00 am Registration 9:00 - 10:00 Ron Reuter; 'Using GPR to Clarify Contamination Issues in Soils and Groundwater in the Upper Deschutes Basin' 10:00 - 11:00 Markus Kleber; 'Organic Carbon Speciation on Mineral Surfaces; Interference from STXM and NEXAFAS Spectroscopy' 11:00 - 11:30 Mark Johnson; 'Carbon Storage in the Willamette Basin' 11:30 - 12:00 pm Melanie Malone; 'Digital Soil Mapping in the Fremont National Forest of South-Central Oregon' 12:00 - 1:00 LUNCH 1:00 - 4:30 Field Trip; James Cassidy tour leader Continuing Special Program Both Days Jay Noller; Acrylic and soil material artwork. Interactive painting. Jay will suggest a theme. Members will create a painting by using natural soil materials on a canvas.
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OSSS Wined and Dined at the 2007 Summer Tour
The summer Vineyard Tour was attended by 47 members and guests. The pre-tour meeting began at the Evergreen Aviation Museum with a tour of aircraft, then moved on to Erratic Rock State Park for a brief geomorphic overview of the central Willamette valley, and finished with a dinner at the Oregon Hotel in McMinnville.
The summer vineyard tour departed Western Oregon University after we received two very good presentations on the Effect of Climate Change and Vineyards in Oregon given by Dr. Patty Skinkis and the Subsurface Geology of an Ankeny and Willamette Vineyard Transect given by Dr. George Moore. We visited the Ankeny and Airlie vineyards and had stops at the Breyman blueberry farm, Ankeny wildlife refuge, and the Kennel Family truffle and non-soil strawberry farms. Along the tour route we explored soil geomorphic surfaces above and below the maximum elevation of the historic Missoula flood deposits. Many thanks to Judy Haney for facilitating a very enjoyable lunch on the deck at Ankeny vineyard! Also many big thanks to Joe Olexa at Ankeny Vineyard and Mary Olson at Airlie vineyard for being our hosts!
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Jory Soil Bill Bites the Dust!
If you have been wondering what happened to our efforts below, please read the Statesmen Journal article Statesman Journal - The jury's in, and Jory's out
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Jory Soil Bill Introduced!
House Joint Resolution "HJR 48" has been introduced and referred to the Committee on Agriculture in the Oregon State House of Representatives. It is being sponsored by Representatives Kevin Cameron (District 19) and Mitch Greenlick (District 33). The Jory Soil committee hearing will be held Tuesday, March 27th, 2007.
This is as close as we have gotten yet to getting Jory declared as our Oregon State Soil. What is a State Soil? A state soil is represented by a soil series that has special significance to a particular state. Each state in the United States has selected a state soil, fifteen of which have been legislatively established. These "Official State Soils" share the same level of distinction as official state flowers and birds. The importance of the Jory soil here in Oregon is highlighted by the success of the Vineyards and Wine and Christmas Tree Growing industries of our state. While Jory is one of many important and productive soils of Oregon, it represents so well the importance of soil in our lives, our economy and our recreational pursuits.
Thanks,
Will Austin - Past President Oregon Society of Soil Scientists
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2008 OSSS Officers and Staff
President: James Cassidy - james.cassidy@oregonstate.edu
Past President: Will Austin - will.austin@oregonstate.edu
Vice President: Daniel Moreno - daniel.moreno@oregonstate.edu
Secretary: Kurt Moffitt - kurt.moffitt@or.usda.gov
Treasurer: Ron Reuter - ron.reuter@oregonstate.edu
Westside Director: Steve Campbell - steve.campbell@or.usda.gov
Eastside Director: Jenni Moffitt - jennifer_moffitt@blm.gov
News Letter Editor: Ed Horn - ehorn@aaahawk.com
Membership Director: Will Austin - Contact Information Update
Publications Administrator: Tracy Mitzel -tracy.mitzel@oregonstate.edu
Sponsor This Site
In exchange for the free use of this ISP's computers, the OSSS must agree to allow sponsorship buttons on it's web pages. If you are interested in sponsoring this site in exchange for your soil's related advertising button placed on this page, contact us at osss@peak.org
FOR MORE INFORMATION
To learn more about soils, OSSS services, consultants, or membership, contact:
Oregon Society of Soil Scientists
P O. Box 2382
Corvallis, OR 97339
or send e-mail to the appropriate board member listed above under "2008 Officers".
Last updated April 20, 2008