As OSU Extension Service officials described ways to incorporate displaced Josephine County 4-H members into local programs, Jackson County commissioners voiced a preference for walling-off programs only Jackson residents are paying for.

Officials with the Southern Oregon Research and Extension Center told the Jackson County Board of Commissioners Tuesday of unfortunate circumstances for longtime Jackson County volunteers based in Josephine County, and ways they could be a benefit for Jackson County. 

As one example, Sky Loos, Jackson County’s 4-H Coordinator with the OSU Extension, told commissioners of two longtime members who grew up in the program as kids in Jackson County but moved across county lines before Josephine County commissioners pulled the county’s funding in June.

“They literally moved to Josephine County like three months ago when all of this happened,” Loos said. 

Those two 4-H volunteers and others from Josephine County are now engaged in statewide programs, Loos told commissioners at a Tuesday work session on 4-H participation.

Josephine County commissioners in June decided to stop funding OSU Extension services that included 4-H and agriculture programs — forcing the Extension Service to close an office and dramatically limit its programs in the county, according to Jamie Davis, the extension’s outreach and engagement regional director. 

Davis told commissioners that the Extension traditionally does enrollment by county of residence, and it tracks demographic information. However, she described participants as different from a volunteer who’s aiding the Extension.

“So there is not necessarily a process or system put in,” Davis said.

No directives were made at the meeting, but the three Jackson County commissioners each voiced a preference for excluding Josephine County residents on programs funded solely by Jackson County residents.

Commissioner Rick Dyer said he is sympathetic to affected Josephine County residents as someone who grew up there, but highlighted that he is focused on the needs of Jackson County residents as his “guiding principle.”

“I think it dilutes what we have, what we operate here,” Dyer said.

Joel Benton, county counsel and deputy county administrator, asked Davis about costs and benefits.

“Why would our citizens tax themselves to pay to benefit other citizens who aren’t paying reciprocal taxes?” Benton asked.

Davis said Master Gardeners from Josephine County with horticultural knowledge can help locals through the plant clinic at the SORC office in Central Point, as well as in other educational programs.

“There are about 15 trained Master Gardeners in Josephine County that have expressed interest in continuing their service as volunteers in Jackson County,” Davis said. “Since speaking with the Master Gardener coordinator, they believe that that’s a value-add to their program.”

The Josephine County residents are trained volunteers but “need to meet certain benchmarks in volunteer service” in order to keep their status as a Master Gardener volunteer, according to Davis. She also described “a small cohort of Master Food Preservers” who may be willing to participate.

“The benefit would be that their service would be to Jackson County residents and Jackson County programs,” Davis said.

Commissioner Dave Dotterrer asked Davis about newcomers from Josephine County interested in Master Gardener classes. Davis said Master Gardener programs “hit max capacity” every year with Jackson County residents, and allowing participants from outside the county “has not been our practice.”

County Administrator Danny Jordan voiced concern that the problem could “potentially be a short-term issue” because OSU plans to persuade Josephine County commissioners to reinstate the imposition of its voter-passed tax levy.

“And then we’re sitting here with that built-up program with no people to support it,” Jordan said.

Jordan separately asked OSU Extension if it had considered appealing directly to Josephine County residents and providing a dollar amount that would reopen the Josephine County Extension facility.

“What we were providing is what we hope to return with,” Davis said. “And so at that point in time, our annual budget was around $500,000.”

Jordan pressed Davis multiple times on pared-down proposals or other alternatives on the table. Davis described efforts to reach out to the Josephine County commissioners “to see about a pathway forward there.”

“But I guess if they don’t agree to that, there’s no alternative in place or being proposed or considered?” Jordan asked.

“Not at this time,” Davis said.

Davis and Loos separately highlighted 4-H programs with no alternatives for youths in Josephine County such as sewing, cooking, foods and nutrition. Many Josephine County families left 4-H to join Youth in Ag, according to an earlier news report, reportedly because the families were unhappy with Extension policies related to religion.

Loos told commissioners the interest in more closely collaborating with Josephine County began with 4-H lead volunteers in Josephine County’s shooting sports program seeking to merge under the umbrella of Jackson County. 

Loos said she was mindful of the additional cost to taxpayers but also understood that nothing else offered those kids shooting sports, horse and canine programs. She described having each kid from Josephine County pay an added $20 atop the $45 they pay to participate in 4-H for the year. The extra funding would help support the additional administrative work involved in accommodating a “very small handful of kids” added to the program.

“I had hoped that we could just grandfather them in,” Loos said.

She said it would be “wonderful” if the county could find a way to accommodate those kids and have them grow in the program. Jackson County has more than 500 kids enrolled locally and “200-plus volunteers” commissioners.

“Jackson County — they love 4-H, it’s really been quite a thing to see everybody step up and participate and support the program,” Loos said.