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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, Constitution and Bylaws, 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 "2008 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
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Good time at the 2009 OSSS Winter Meeting - held February 19-21 2009, in Portland Oregon!
One of the highlights of our Winter Meeting was the field tour of Lone Fir Historic Cemetery.
James wanted you to know that Friends of the Lone Fir Cemetery exist entirely on donations and if you enjoyed the tour would you please consider a small donation. Please make donations to:
Friends of the Lone Fir Cemetery
P.O. Box 14214
Portland OR 97293
Your Former Humble President "James Cassidy" Thanks You!
Please read about the Winter Meeting in the 2009 Spring Sharpshooter
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Message From Your New Humble President "Daniel Moreno"
It is an honor for me to be part of such diverse group of individuals with a common interest—the love for soil. I am excited to share with you my passion for soil, and to act as your guide in exploring a new set of human-soil interactions for my upcoming 2009-2010 presidential term.
To start out, let me take this opportunity to invite you to our upcoming Summer/Winter meeting series.
The “Soil-Waste Interface” series will be a story of the battle between human waste production and soil waste salvation. During our upcoming 2009 summer tour, we will be looking at the human waste stream and all its associated problems by touring waste production sites at all scales, from the largest landfill in Oregon, to wastewater treatment plants, to pesticide production and others. It will allow you firsthand to see the mass production of our own waste. But the story will have a happy ending with a hope to fix the world. For our 2010 winter meeting, I will bring the best people from around the nation to talk about current ways to mitigate the waste dilemma. The theme is “Soil-Waste Interface Solutions”. We plan to cover the major alternatives today from latest treatment technology to natural treatment alternatives such as phytoremediation, water reuse, treatment wetlands, groundwater recharge etc. We will see how humans have evolved over time to find out that the old natural systems appear to be the most cost effective of overcoming the waste conundrum.
Do not miss either of these two meetings! They are based on a true story between human policy, science, engineering, and human nature. I have tentatively planned the summer tour for the week of August 17th, 2009. More information will follow. I am looking forward to meeting you all at our upcoming events. Please set aside the dates and plan to join us!
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Dates to Remember
July 23rd-25th, 2009: Washington Society of Professional Soil Scientists Summer Tour, Hydric Soil Session, Olympia, WA. For more information: http://www.ieway.com/wspss/wspss_events.html
August 16th–22nd 2009: Tentative Dates - Oregon Society of Soil Scientists Summer Tour “Soil-Waste Interface” for more information: http://osss.peak.org/
Nov 1-5, 2009: ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Annual Meetings, "Footprints in the Landscape - Sustainability through Plant and Soil Sciences", Pittsburgh, PA for more information: https://www.soils.org/meetings
July 19, 2008 – January 3, 2010: Smithsonian Soil Exhibit is Open, Washington, DC. Information available at
http://forces.si.edu/soils/***********
Soils Exhibition Débuts at the Smithsonian July 19, 2008
Message from Sara Uttech, Communications Manager, Soil Science Society of America.
Get the "dirt" on soil at an exciting new exhibition called "Dig It! The Secrets of Soil" at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) in Washington, D.C., opening July 19, 2008.
This 5,000-square-foot exhibition will focus on how soil impacts all life on earth. Visitors will use interactive displays to look at the science of soil, from agriculture to its role as "secret ingredient" in medicines, food, wine, textiles, paint, cosmetics, and pottery, as well as in supporting life and death. Hands-on models will demonstrate the roles of soil around the house and in public spaces like dams, playing fields, and roads.
This major new exhibition will explain differences among soil types, featuring soil samples from all U.S. states and territories and features a world map of soils. The exhibition will be housed at the NMNH through January 2010, then travel to museums around the country through September 2013.
For visuals and more information about the exhibition, visit the NMNH site at http://forces.si.edu/soils and the Soil Science Society of America’s site at http://www.soils.org/smithsonian. High-resolution photos are available online at http://newsdesk.si.edu/photos/nmnh_dig_it.htm.
On behalf of the Soil Science Society of America, Madison, WI,
Very best regards,
Sara
Sara Uttech, Communications Manager
Soil Science Society of America
677 South Segoe Road, Madison, WI 53711
608-268-4948, suttech@soils.org
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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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2009 OSSS Officers and Staff
President: Daniel Moreno - daniel.moreno@oregonstate.edu
Past President: James Cassidy - james.cassidy@oregonstate.edu
Vice President: Cory Owens - cory.owens@or.usda.gov
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/James Cassidy - e2horn@gmail.com and james.cassidy@oregonstate.edu
Membership Director: Kurt Moffitt - Contact Information Update
Publications Administrator: Tracy Mitzel - tracy.mitzel@oregonstate.edu
Student Liaisons: Stacy - stacy@bendbroadband.com
Judy Collins - collinju@onid.orst.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 "2009 Officers".
Last updated April 11, 2009