Mountain Folk News
June '05

From the Desk of the President
By Brent Adamson

I was cutting a dead tree down last week (first time I touched a chain saw since back surgery), and I realized how hot it was even among the green grass that surrounded the tree outside our home.  I am sure the summer heat will make it all brown and we will wish we had our wet spring back to cool us down.  We talked in the annual meeting about out new water tank and how that gives us more storage; but it doesn't give us any more pumping capacity.  So once again, we need to remind ourselves about water conservation.  As a point of interest, I understand Wilderness Ranch spent in excess of a million dollars on a water quality treatment plant, just so they could drink their water.  So I look forward to any input you*all have about water issues, and ways to save money.  I like it that we are able to hold our costs down and save for the new well that is in our future. So watching our water consumption is a good thing for our wallets.

We also had some discussion about the gate at the annual meeting. We now have the circuits repaired and it is operational again.  And yes, we have had it broken again.  We still are looking at other gate options and costs, nothing to report at this time.  And if you see a gate breaker, give us a call-- we'll try to get a few bucks for repair from them.  And as always, go to our website www.duquettepines.com and drop one of us a note about your ideas, we are always interested in ideas for improvement to our community.

For you new folks to the neighborhood, welcome, I hope we can be a resource for any questions you might have.  And that reminds me of the sign I saw awhile back: 'If you live in the mountains, you're lucky enough.'    Have a safe summer.   -brent

Dust Abatement

At the June 7 meeting, the Board agreed to limit dust suppression methods on our roads to the use of magnesium chloride (that means no pine resin mix for this year). This decision was reached after researching the alternatives (the research is on going). Again, this year, as in the past, this is to be done at the individual owner's expense (if interested contact Jim White). When information is compiled, a survey will be done (to be mailed in the fall) to obtain the views of property owners regarding dust suppression and funding options.

E-Mail Addresses
Our records need some updating!  If you have changed your email address in the last year please send an email to the bookkeeper.  She will update your customer contact information @ DPHOABooks@yahoo.com.  We use this to keep you informed throughout the year.  Thank you for taking the time to keep your information current.
(For any questions or concerns regarding Duquette Pines please email or call a Board member. Thanks.)

BLM to Begin Thinning Along Elk Creek
by Bruce Reichert
An old forester once told me that Mother Nature grows more trees than she needs because she expects most of them to die, usually from fire or bugs. It's hard to argue with Mother Nature, unless, of course, you're part of a subdivision in among all those trees and aren't particularly fond of wildfire and bugs! Luckily there are things we humans can do, to limit both the bugs and the wildfires.

Several years ago the Board recognized a problem on our western flank, along Elk Creek, on land administered by the BLM.  Conditions seemed ripe for a massive wildfire.  We wrote to the BLM and asked them "to remove this dagger from our collective throat."  We probably could have been more subtle in our choice of words, but luckily a new BLM manager, Rosemary Thomas, agreed with us.  (If you attended our annual May Homeowners meeting, you met Rosemary and several other wildfire experts.)

I'm happy to report that, true to their word, the BLM will begin 'treating' the land adjacent to our subdivision this summer.  This is good news, since the prevailing winds blow from the west, and a fire that starts near Elk Creek has a good chance of damaging homes in Duquette Pines.  The BLM will contract with Forest Service crews to thin the small trees. Eventually, they will do some logging of the bigger trees and some prescribed burns, but will need to file an environmental impact statement first, since the area is so close to Elk Creek, the main water source for Idaho City.  So it  will be a multi-year project.

"Effective fire prevention in the wildland urban interface is like a chain," says BLM manager Thomas.  "It's only as strong as the weakest link.  Everyone has to do their part, and it's often easier to do it collectively than separately."  We thank BLM officials, particularly Rosemary Thomas and her crew, for recognizing the danger to our subdivision, and doing something about it!  What can we do on our own property?  Most foresters will tell you that ponderosa pine trees should be 20 to 40 feet apart, to limit devastating crown fires and bug kills.  And now that the summer is heating up, it's not a bad idea to eliminate the heavy growth of grasses and weeds around our homes.  To find out more, check out our website at www.duquettepines.com

Help Keep Bears Wild
They're big, they're on the move--and you don't want them to visit your house.  It's that time of year again when black bears have awakened from their winter slumber and are begining to forage.  Unfortunately, bears often find food in the wrong places - around homes and in neighborhoods.  Homeowners need to handle all discarded food and garbage in a mannger that doesn't attract bears.  When bears find easy sources of food in a neighborhood, they can damage property & might need  to be relocated or destroyed.  Bears are generally shy and avoid humans.  But their need for food and their keen sense of smell draws them to human residences where they may find bird feeders, barbecue grills, trash and pet food.  Following are tips to "bear proof" your property:
*  Keep garbage in airtight containers inside a     garage or storage area.
*  Place garbage for pickup outside just before collection, not the night before.
*  Do not place meat or sweet food scraps in a compost pile.
* Do not leave pet food or dirty dishes outdoors at night.
*  Clean outdoor grills after each use.
* Never intentially feed bears to attract them for viewing.
In summary 'a fed bear is a dead bear'.

Duquette Pines Homeowners Association 2005-2006

Income and Expense Estimates

	2004-2005 Actual to Date	2005-2006 Proposed Budget
Income:
Road Maintenance Div# 1, 2, & 3	35,980.00	39,240.00
Road Maintenance Div# 4	6,542.82	19,200.00
Water System Maintenance	14,812.32	17,280.00
Interest Earned	199.49	200.00
Total Income:	57,534.63	75,920.00
Expenses:
Advertising	68.64	0.00
Bank Charges	26.49	20.00
Computer Expenses: Hardware	0.00	0.00
Internet Service	241.86	275.00
Software	210.94	600.00
Insurance:  Liability	950.00	2,700.00
Vehicle	601.00	650.00
Workman’s Comp	300.00	300.00
Meeting Room Rental	50.00	350.00
Mileage	341.30	1,000.00
Office Supplies	281.78	700.00
Payroll Expenses	4,180.15	10,000.00
Postage and Box Rental	305.75	450.00
Printing and Copies	35.78	50.00
Professional Services: Accounting	750.00	1,000.00
Court Fees	263.00	400.00
Legal	944.00	4,000.00
Roads: Repair and Maintenance	3,201.98	700.00
Contract Labor	15,783.51	25,000.00
Taxes: Business	30.00	40.00
Property	20.48	30.00
Utilities: Electricity Gate	0.00	250.00
Electricity Water	1,349.27	2,000.00
Telephone	369.93	400.00
Water/Wells:  Repair and Maintenance	280.93	500.00
Drilling/New Water System	0.00	14,000.00
Testing/Lab Expenses	330.00	800.00
Fees and Permits/DEQ	367.00	420.00
Training Certification	0.00	85.00
Contract Labor	0.00	2,500.00
Total Expenses:	31,283.79	69,220.00

Reserve Account Balance 5/05/05:  $58,386.52