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About Wallowa County chieftain. (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Or.) 1943-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 25, 2017)
Wallowa County Chieftain wallowa.com Local News January 25, 2017 A7 Soil Grant to aid county ag, economy Programs will help reduce water use, improve soil and increase productivity By Steve Tool Wallowa County Chieftain A $3.2 million grant from the Natural Resources Con- servation Service to local land resource agencies could add more than $6 million with matching funds to the county’s economy over the next few years while improv- ing soil health and farm pro- ductivity. The grant funds go to The Nature Conservancy, Wal- lowa Land Trust and Wal- lowa Resources, The Nature Conservancy is the leading partner on the project. TNC project director Jeff Fields said that the grant will mainly focus on two is- sues of soil enhancement: For on-farm improvements and irrigation efficiency for soil health. The other is for land conservation easements. The combination is intend- ed to improve a broad cross section of farm land concerns such as soil health, wildlife habitat, climate change re- silience and water quality/ quantity. “We’re all bringing our expertise to the table,” said WLT director Kathleen Ack- ley. To that end, Wallowa Resources will concentrate their expertise on irrigation/ soil related enhancements, while the trust and conser- vancy concentrate on land conservation easements with the conservancy concentrat- ing on Zumwalt Prairie and the land trust on the lower portions of the valley. The irrigation facet, under the auspices of the Environ- mental Quality Incentives Program, will begin in 2018 with concern centered on system improvements. Farm- ers will improve soil through layers of applications, which will result in a reduction of water, fertilizer and pesti- cide/herbicide use as well as improved crop production. Fields said that an increas- ing amount of farmers are di- versifying their crops. “One of the things we’ve heard from farmers is that in order to diversify, they need to effectively control their water supply and flood irri- gation is not always the an- swer,” Fields said. Helping farmers transition either to sprinklers or pivot lines and possibly starting micro-hydro projects in irri- gation ditches to help supply electricity for the participat- ing farm are just a two of the possible improvements under consideration . Another water-centered improvement includes the application of Biochar, a soil enhancing product that utiliz- es processed charcoal to help soils retain nutrients and wa- ter while adding other bene- fits. The program is intended to cover nearly all the irri- gated farmland in the county. “The purpose is to support landowners to maintain and enhance their farm operations and to maintain habitat for all the critters we share this place with,” Fields said. The conservation ease- ments are part of the NRCS’ Agricultural Land Easement program and begins in 2018. ALE partners with farmers to help conserve agricultural lands through financial and technical assistance. “By giving farmers added value to their land through buying conservation ease- ments, we can help keep farms from being sub-divided into smaller parcels, and we can maintain the rural nature of the county,” Ackley said. Although the land trust and conservancy are land- owners, they will not partic- ipate in the program. “We are using these funds to help other landowners reach their goals,” Fields said. “We’ve got great partners to make this happen, We’ve got the private landowners who have already showed interest along with the land trust and Wallowa Resources.” All the organizations are working on the matching grants for future projects. Those funds will mostly come from private donations, a limited amount from the state and from private foun- dations. Fields and Ackley said their respective organizations applied for the grant after en- suring enough local farmland owners expressed interest in the program to make it feasi- ble. Other farmers interested in participating can call any of the three involved agen- cies for more information — The Nature Conservan- cy: 541-426-3458, Wallowa Land Trust: 541-426-2042, Wallowa Resources: 541- 426-8053. To catch a thief Soroptimists seek applicants for award By Steve Tool Wallowa County Chieftain Earlier this month a 27-year-old man pleaded guilty to charges stemming from a November incident in which he broke into a local retail store and made off with more than a half-dozen firearms. After the theft, police were left with a clear trail to follow to find the thief and the stolen goods. At 4:55 a.m. on Nov. 28, Enterprise Police Department received a call about a break- in at Wallowa County Grain Growers. EPD arrived at the scene minutes later. Snow had fallen that night. “I saw the bro- ken window, and I could see the tracks going to the door and leading away from the door,” EPD Chief Joel Fish said. The responding officers followed the tracks down to a trailer court located at 600 W. Green- wood St. lot 31 in Enterprise, where they caught up with Bri- an Scott Straub, 27. “He walked across town and crossed two fences, he was try- ing to keep someone from find- ing him,” Fish said. Straub, a previously con- victed felon, was found with eight pistols he had stolen from the store. Straub was arrest- ed and charged with multiple counts of felon in possession of a firearm, parole violations, multiple burglary counts and perhaps not surprisingly, heroin possession. At a Jan. 11 court appear- ance, Straub pleaded guilty to 1st degree burglary, for which he received a 28-month Depart- ment of Corrections sentence. Straub also received 30 days in the county jail for heroin possession and an additional 16 months sentence for being a felon in possession of a fire- arm, to be served concurrently (the same time as) with the bur- glary charge. Straub was also required to pay restitution to Grain Growers in the amount of $6,622.85 and serve three years of post-prison supervision. The Soroptimist club will provide a cash grant of $2,000 to the recipient of its Fellow- ship Award, and applications are now being accepted. The Fellowship Award will be paid in its entirety to the col- lege or university the recipient attends. The Fellowship Award is presented to a woman who is continuing her education with in a master’s or doctorate de- gree program. Applications are available at: Bookloft in Enterprise, Wal- lowa Public Library, beecrow- bee in Joseph, Thrift Shop or by contacting Amy Stubble- field, 541-398-1068. Completed applications must be returned by March 1, 2017. Mail applications to So- roptimist, P.O. Box 127, Enter- prise, OR 97828 or return to the Thrift Shop The Fellowship Award will be awarded to any woman who: 1) resides in the North- western Region of Soroptimist International of the Americas; Confused about Medicare Supplement Coverage? 2) established in business or a profession; 3) holds a bache- lor’s or master’s degree from an accredited college or univer- sity; and 4) presents a plan of worthwhile post-graduate study at an accredited college or uni- versity leading to an advanced degree or to enhance standing or competence in her business or profession. Soroptimist was founded Oct.3, 1921, in Oakland, Cal- ifornia, and is now an Interna- tional Organization with more than 100,000 members who are working through service proj- ects to advance human rights and the status of women. The Northwestern Region of Soroptimist International of the Americas encompasses the states of Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Montana and the Ida- ho Panhandle. For more information about how Soroptimist improves the lives of women and girls, call Ann Browder, 541-426- 3204. Thank You to the wonderful staff at both Wallowa Memorial Hospital & Wallowa Senior Living. Your tender care, support & guidance was invaluable! Sincerely, The Family of Penny Stein YOU HAVE CHOICES! If you have a Medicare Supplement Plan, you have 30 days after your birthday to compare & apply for a new Supplement Plan. Call Kathleen today to discuss your options and see if you qualify for a lower premium. 541-426-4208 Locally owned & operated 616 W. North Street Enterprise