WINTER
2015
P.O. Box 581, Lake Oswego, OR 97034 [email protected]
M HFHA
BOARD
President
Paula Hoiland
Vice President
Scott MacCaskill
Treasurer
Michael Halligan
Secretary
Carolyn Raz
Board Members
Mark Beckius
Ken Hoiland
Jeff Mayhew
Amelia Wilcox
Joel Grayson
Daryl Phillippi
Tom Reynolds
www.mhfha.com
CABIN FEE ACT PASSED DEC. 12, 2014!
With the passage of the Cabin Fee Act
(CFA) we all can celebrate the reality that
Recreation Residences no longer face appraisal valuations . Though in the short
run most CFA fees remain fairly close to
their CUFFA determined fee, we no longer
live under the threat of future appraisals
pricing us out of our cabins. Lot appraisals
end forever and future fees increase only
with general inflation. Second, outrageously high fees are reduced to general affordability that allow market sales if the current
permittee chooses to sell. Third, the Forest
Service saves on appraisal costs and appraisal headaches are eliminated for everyone. Fourth, ‘Fee Retention’ gives the
Forest Service another sound reason to
support the cabin program.
How does the CFA impact the 2015 permit
fee for Mt Hood cabin owners? It does
not. The CFA Bill gives the Forest Service
up to 1 year to complete the current appraisal cycle and to develop and write the
regulations for administering CFA. There is
a group of appraisal cycles in Region 5
(California) which need to be completed
before each cabin is slotted into the appropriate tier.
The Mt Hood permit fees for 2015 should
be paid in full as under the CFA they
shouldn’t change drastically.
What tier will your permit be assigned to? It’s too early to provide a definite answer. The CFA specifies 11 fee
tiers from $650 to $5650 in $500 increments. The assignment of permits to CFA fee Tiers is a one time event
that is expected to take place in late 2015 which will be reflected in 2016 permit bills. For most Mt Hood
cabin permit fees will “probably” fall into tiers 4-5-6.
What is the transfer fee and how will it be enacted? The CFA
specifies a $1200 fee will be paid when a new permit is issued due
to a change of cabin ownership.
The intent is that the transfer fee will apply to A) a cabin sale between unrelated parties; B) a sale between related parties, or C)
the transfer of a cabin through gift or inheritance. The USFS will
develop the regulation for the specific criteria to be used for defining a transfer, and that rulemaking will be open for review and
comment. The C2 committee is now called the CFA Implementation Task Force and includes all the familiar NFH and C2 people.
The remaining tasks are to monitor the development of the Rules and Regulations that will implement the CFA
and to ensure the accuracy of the assignment to fee tiers.
PAGE
President’s Message
2
YOUR MEMBERSHIP AND
INVOLVEMENT
MATTERS!
This is an exciting time for USFS
cabin owners. The Cabin Fee Act
LOCAL Cabin Association
passed in December and now we are
celebrating 100 years of the cabin
program. In 1915 the permit fees
were $10 per year. While the current
Mt Hood Forest Homeowners Assoc permit fees today are considerably
higher than an inflated 1915 $10 but
www.mhfha.com
with the CFA passage we are least
guaranteed fee stability. It has been
Annual Meeting
such a grave concern for cabin ownJune 27, 2015
ers not knowing what the next 10
Welches Middle School
year appraisal cycle would bring.
Once the cabins are slotted into the
<<<>>>
fee tier table as described on the
STATE Cabin Association
front page and more information can
be found at
www.nationalforestowners.org
We will stay in that tier with only cost
of living (inflation) added each year.
This should make budgeting a bit easOregon Forest Homeowners Assoc
www.oregonforesthomeowners.org ier and if you choose to sell, we
would expect an easier time with the
OFHA 2015 Annual Meeting consistency in the permit fee.
Date: March 21, 2015
Marriott Courtyard Airport,
This wonderful 100 year old program
Medford OR
will continue to face issues. The Cab<<<>>>
NATIONAL Cabin Association
by Paula Hoiland
2006 there were 559. Today there
are 552. That may not seem to be a
big difference but if every tract in the
country (there are 800 across the US
and Puerto Rico) lost 1% a decade the
number of cabins in the program
would continue to dwindle. I love my
cabin and want the cabin program to
be around for another 100 years for
my children, grandchildren etc to enjoy.
Therefore we must stay active, involved and remain engaged in the
cabin program viability.
YOUR MEMBERSHIP MATTERS!
Please continue supporting Mt Hood
Forest Homeowners Association
(MHFHA); Oregon Forest Homeowners Association (OFHA) and National
Forest Homeowners (NFH). The total
cost to remain active members in
these 3 important organizations is
$85 per year. That is a price I am
happy to pay to keep the beloved
cabin program thriving.
in Fee Act is not the only issue we as
cabin owners face. There are several
issues to keep our eyes on.
JOIN ME! See the left side bar for
In doing some research on the history how to join these important organiof the 10 cabin tracts here on Mt
zations.
Hood I found that the number of lots
were higher than they are now. In
National Forest Homeowners
www.nationalforesthomeowners.org
2015 Annual Conference
May 1-2, 2015
Heathman Lodge
Vancouver, WA
Your local, state and national cabin
associations need your support!
The Mt Hood Forest Homeowners Associations Board of Directors will be bringing
some suggested changes to our Bylaws which will be voted on by the membership
at the annual meeting set for Saturday, June 27, 2015. Registration begins at
11:30 with a barbeque picnic from 12:00-12:45 and the business meeting from
12:45-2:15. Please plan on attending this important meeting. A copy of the bylaws will be posted on the website 21 days prior to the annual meeting.
If you are interested in joining the MHFHA Board of Directors please contact us at
[email protected] or [email protected]
THANK YOU!
WINTER
2015
PAGE
MHFHA MEMBERSHIP CHANGES
Beginning this year the cabin owner membership in Mt Hood Forest Homeowners Association will be a calendar year: Jan 1—Dec 31. Your MEMBERSHIP COUNTS. Without your participation we could not afford to provide the communication services and
projects. We have exciting things in place
including a new interactive private website. Your MHFHA Board has decided to
go to a private website for members only
as our current website is vulnerable to
outside spam and unwanted content because it has an open format.
Thank you in advance for your membership—it truly does matter. Want to get
This 2015 membership card will be mailed to you once
your dues are received. Place it in a prominent window of
your cabin to show others you are a member and it explains the $1500 reward for security breaches.
involved? Contact us today!
The Mt Hood Safety Project will resume on April 15, 2015 according to ODOT. Work will include placing a concrete barrier between the east and westbound lanes of US 26; cutting back the rock slope from the highway and
building retaining walls to protect historic trails and repave nearly eight miles of US 26 from east of Rhododendron
to OR 35.
Intermittent traffic stops lasting 20 minutes anytime the contractor is working is to be expected. One lane will be
closed between Kiwanis Camp Rd and Mirror Lake around the clock for rockfall and retaining wall work. This
means only one lane will remain open in each direction.
Increased truck traffic on US 26 and on roads leading to disposal sites including Lolo Pass Road, Trillium Lake
Road and Laurel Road. Construction work will not occur on holidays and Sundays.
BE VISIBLE if you are walking, jogging or riding a bike and wear reflective clothing. LISTEN for oncoming trucks
and do not use head phones that could block the sound of trucks approaching. When riding a bike, ride with traffic and in the middle of the travel lane so you do not end up in a trucks blind spot. PULL OUT SAFELY when
driving out of your cabin roads onto hwy 26. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2016.
3
WINTER
PAGE
2015
SAVE THE DATE!
HIGHWAY CLEAN UP
MAY 23, 2015
ANNUAL CABIN OWNERS MEETING
June 27, 2015
Welches Middle School





Meet at Toll Gate Campground
Email Paula Hoiland for more information
email [email protected]
NFH Annual Cabin Conference

CFA –How does it affect YOU
How to restore your historic cabin
100 years of cabin program
Q/A with Zigzag USFS
Fellowship with your cabin friends
Great food!
visit www.mhfha.com for more details
May 1-2, 2015
Vancouver, WA
www.nationalforesthomeowners.org
The NFH conference this year will be “Looking Back, Looking Forward” as we approach the next 100
years of the cabin program. Problems exist with how to restore these older cabins so Mt Hood USFS as
well as Oregon SHPO (State Historic Preservation Office) representatives will be presenting. Washington
DC USFS staff will be speaking on the implementation of CFA– this is not a conference to miss! For more
information please go to the NFH website listed above. Hope to see you there.
Window cling on decals are available to all current MHFHA members.
We will have a supply at the annual meeting on June 27th or you can
email [email protected] and one will be mailed to you.
The forest watch program is working as more cabin owners are calling
in suspicious activity to Clackamas County Sheriff Office.
Have You Recently Moved or Changed Your E-mail Address?
Please don’t forget to keep us informed of any changes. You can email us at [email protected] or
4
Still Creek Bridge Graffiti
JJ Heldman, a Mt Hood
cabin owner and
MHFHA member for many years, would stand
on her property looking into the beautiful Mt
Hood National Forest and would stop cold
when she looked across the river and was
stopped by the unsightly graffiti painted under the Still Creek Bridge where FS Road 12
meets FS Roads 13/14.
They followed up with painting over the
graffiti the week of Feb. 16th. The foul and
profane graffiti has been covered over
with Clackamas County approved gray
paint.
Ron is concerned about the proliferation
of graffiti and the particular tags and is
JJ and her family, like most of us, go to
their cabin to escape the hub of city
life and soak in the beauty of the forest, instead her eyes would settle on
the spray paint graffiti that covered
both sides of the bridge.
Graffiti is a problem long associated
with big cities, where gangs claim turf
with their spray-painted symbols and
colors, and it is also creeping into
some of the state's beautiful destinations. A graffiti writer's tag is his or
her personalized signature. Tagging is
often the example given when opponents of graffiti refer to any acts of
handstyle graffiti writing (it is by far
the most common form of graffiti).
PAGE
5
LCWS NEWS
All members of
Lady Creek Water System are cordially invited to the Annual Member Meeting to be held:
Mon, Apr. 20, 2015
7:00 pm
Denny’s Restaurant
15815 SE 82nd Drive
Clackamas, OR 97015
****************
“I looked up to behold the exquisiteness of a
young soaring eagle…..”
Photo taken Feb 22, 2015
asking all cabin owners to be on the look
out for any suspicious activity. There are
Enough was enough. JJ reached out to
MHFHA and together they got in touch with signs in the graffiti that may point to some
locals. Please be on the look out for perClackamas County as they ‘own’ the bridge.
sons loitering around the bridges and perThe spokesman, Mr. Ron Buck heard the
haps may have a backpack to hold their
complaints and went into action.
spray paint. He encourages us to take a
picture and send it to the Clackamas CounRon sent a crew up in early January, they
pressure washed under the bridge in prepara- ty Sheriff. We must all keep a vigil eye to
tion for painting. He said they also cleaned off protect our forests.
what they could from the pedestrian bridge,
Contact: Ron Buck, Clackamas County
but some remains on the old footings beIVM Coordinator
cause they aren't structurally sound and it
isn't safe for them to get in there and do the 503-650-3227 or
work.
Email: [email protected]
Lady Creek Water System is seeking nominations for open positions
on its Board of Directors. All members of
Lady Creek Water System in good standing
are eligible for the
Board. Interested
members please contact Mark Allred, Board
President, at 503-6534674
****************
New green fiberglass
markers have recently
been placed in 95%. of
the known meter locations and this summer
proper stickers will be
added which say
“Water Valve”. This
will make it easier for
our water master, David Jacob to find the
meters.
www.lcws.mthood.info
Our website www.mhfha.com contains a list of local service providers such as
electricians, plumbers, contractors, chimney cleaners etc. Please keep us updated with
reviews from your own experiences. This keeps the list up to date. MHFHA does not endorse any service provider. We only pass along useful information from fellow cabin owners.
Check it out under “Cabin Owner Information” tab.
PAGE
6
100 year history of Mt Hood Cabins
The Occupancy Permits Act was passed on March 4, 1915 by the 63rd United States
Congress. It allowed the U.S. Forest Service to issue cabin permits for 30 years at the rate of
$10 per year.
The first cabins built on the Mt Hood National Forest have been recorded in 1915 on Rd 14.
This is truly a wonderful thing to be part of this national history. I know it comes with some
issues and difficulties. Having historic designation means it’s harder to restore your cabin but
let’s not focus on the difficulties and let’s focus on the positive and historic aspects of being involved in such a wonderful program as the USFS Recreational Resident program.
The cabin program is rich in history. Every cabin has its own history and interesting stories either about its current owners or if
lucky, knowing the history of the original builder of your cabin. I
encourage you to write it all out for the next generations to enjoy
cabin time. There will be a panel at the NFH Conference in Vancouver, WA May 1-2 on how to preserve and record your cabin
and cabin tract history. The 100 year birthday of the cabin program will be celebrated. For more information on the annual Original outbuilding Rd 14 circa 1915
Conference go to www.nationalforesthomeowners.org
We all know the rich history of Timberline Lodge—many of our Mt Hood cabins—in fact the
majority of the Mt Hood cabins are actually older than Timberline Lodge.
Here is the history of the 10 Mt Hood Cabin Tracts and the recorded year of Road
construction, number of cabin lots built and basic roads that encompass the tract:
Still Creek Tract
Zigzag Tract
MileBridge Tract
Vine Maple Tract
ZigZag Ski Club Tr
Tollgate Tract
Camp Creek Tract
Old Oregon Trail Tr
Flag Mountain Tr
Cool Creek Track
1915
1919
1920
1920
1923
1923
1924
1931
1948
1957
56 cabins
7 cabins
158 cabins
85 cabins
7 cabins
20 cabins
138 cabins
17 cabins
40 cabins
25 cabins
Rds 9,10,12,12A,13,14,15 &some hwy 26
Rds 3 and 9
Rds 27,28,28A,29,31,35,35A,35B, & some hwy26
Rds 12, 20,20C,20D
Rd 27
Rds 24,26
Rds 28, 30, 30A. 30B, 30C
Rd 19
Rd 20, 20C, 20D, 20E
Rd 12, Still Creek Rd
If you have a family cabin story to share about the history of your cabin please
submit it along with a photo to [email protected]