News Blue Mountain Eagle MNF Continued from Page A1 The proposed vegeta- tion work is dominated by commercial and pre- commercial thinning to restore stand resilience. The proposed activi- ties include: • Commercial har- vest of some 24 million board feet of timber over 8,600 acres. • Pre-commercial thinning, including bio- mass and post and pole removal as feasible, over 5,500 acres. • Prescribed burning on eight blocks to cre- ate a mosaic vegetation pattern, conducted in an area of 24,800 acres. • Aspen restoration over 25 acres. • Riparian enhance- ment thinning on 22 reaches and sites. • An interpretive site, featuring information about the area’s mining history, southeast of Ga- lena. • Road changes: building 1 mile of new road, decommissioning 9.5 miles of road, open- ing 7.5 miles of road that’s currently closed, and closing 2.9 miles of road that’s open now. Halemeier said the agency had as many as 14 alternatives to con- sider at the outset, but has narrowed the field to two: “no action” and a recommended alter- native that he described as logical and sci- ence-based. Acknowledging there will be differing opinions, he noted the process so far has included meetings with the Blue Mountains Forest Partners collabora- tive group and public out- reach including an open house at the airport. Forest Supervisor Steve Beverlin said the agency also presented a packet of information to Sheriff Glenn Palm- er and invited him to a meeting with the inter- disciplinary team for the project. Public comments last week focused on road closures. Asked if the agency would reconsider any of the road decisions, Halemeier noted that a lot of time already was been spent walking the roads and discussing them, but he would be willing to look at specif- ic roads again. The Deep Creek road, proposed for decommis- sioning, drew concern from Billie Jo George. She said people in the Galena area want that road open because it has access to cell phone ser- vice for emergencies. Jim Sproul, chair of the county’s public ac- cess advisory board, questioned whether cer- tain roads were closed by an existing order with specific environ- mental reviews. Halemeier said that’s being reviewed, but Beverlin cautioned that the same people needed to get the project going are the ones who must do such reviews. The Big Mosquito discussion followed a similar presentation at the Court’s Feb. 11 meet- ing on the Wolf Project, proposed for the south end of the forest. Road advocates have asked for an extension of the March 6 deadline to comment on that project, noting the Forest Service outreach focused on Har- ney County. Details on the proj- ects are available on the Malheur National Forest website. Wednesday, February 25, 2015 A9 Oregonians could see a $349M tax ‘kicker’ By Peter Wong Capital Bureau SALEM – Oregon taxpay- ers could see up to $349 million credited against their 2015 tax- es next year under an economic and revenue forecast released last Thursday. But despite the amount of the projected “kicker,” state economists say future econom- ic growth they forecast may cushion most of its effects on the next two-year state budget. “These are the salad days for Oregon’s econo- my,” state economist Mark McMullen told lawmakers on the House and Senate revenue committees. The net effect could be a reduction of just $21 million, once a higher ending balance from the current 2013-15 bud- get and projected increases in income taxes for the 2015-17 cycle are taken into account. The budget framework proposed by the Legislature’s chief budget writers is at $18.5 billion in spending from the tax-supported general fund and lottery proceeds. Those are the PRVWÀH[LEOHVRXUFHVDYDLODEOH to lawmakers. Under a law that dates back to 1979, taxpayers receive ex- cess amounts – known as the “kicker” – when actual collec- tions exceed projections by 2 percent or more for the budget period. The most recent kicker was in 2007, when the state rebated $1.1 billion to individual tax- payers. Another $340 million scheduled to go back to busi- nesses went into the creation of a general reserve fund. There are two more fore- casts scheduled before a kicker LV¿QDOO\GHWHUPLQHGIRU 15 – the May 14 forecast, on ZKLFK ODZPDNHUV ZLOO EDVH ¿ nal decisions on the next two- year budget, and a Sept. 1 fore- cast that will be released in late August. McMullen said there still committee chairman, says vot- ers would have to be involved at some point, because voters approved a ballot measure in 2000 to put the kicker into the Oregon Constitution. “It’s hard for legislators to explain how the current system works,” he said. The economists also project excess corporate income tax collections, but under a 2012 ballot measure, that money will go into the state school fund and will not be rebated. — The Capital Bureau is a collaboration between EO Me- dia Group and Pamplin Media Group. See more articles online at www.MyEagleNews.com could be a 50 percent chance that a kicker will occur, given that the projection is just $59 million above the threshold to trigger a kicker. If there is one, taxpayers will no longer get checks as a result of a 2011 change. Law- makers reverted to the refund method used before 1995, and credits against the following year’s taxes will save an esti- mated $1 million on printing and mailing checks. The Senate Finance & Rev- enue Committee has begun hearings on a proposal to retain some excess personal income taxes for a state reserve. Sen. Mark Hass, D-Beaverton, the Mild winter ushers in early prescribed burns Fire managers are evaluat- ing conditions, with burning JOHN DAY – Malheur Na- planned in several units. WLRQDO )RUHVW RI¿FLDOV VD\ WKH The Blue Mountain Rang- mild winter may allow an ear- er District is continuing its ly prescribed burn season this hazardous fuels reduction pro- year. gram with pile burning and Blue Mountain Eagle LAND +RZHYHUFODVVL¿FDWLRQ changes since then moved substantial acreage into the higher-revenue grazing brack- Continued from Page A1 et, reducing Zone 1 to the cur- John Day rancher Ken rent 236,000 acres. Holliday notes Grant County The zone was established likely signed on for the Zone by a 1944 memorandum of FDWHJRU\ EHFDXVH RI¿FLDOV agreement (MOA) between recognized the need to protect the state and the county that the rich timberlands within also set the assessment at no the county’s boundaries, a more than 5 cents per acre. PXFK PRUH VLJQL¿FDQW DVVHW The agreement was consid- than in other nearby counties. ered renewed each year un- However, Grant was the less canceled by either party only county to adopt the zone, in advance. he said. A few years later the Holliday said the county state dropped the Zone 1 ap- should consider that MOA proach, but the special zone still in effect. remained in place for a large Webb said the rate set by swath of Grant County. the MOA – 5 cents per acre Zone 1 has covered as – has been increased over the much as 499,000 acres in the years at the request of ODF FRXQW\WKDW¿JXUHUHFRUGHGLQ and with the consent of past PLAN Continued from Page A1 criticism from a range of stakeholders – for a range of reasons. Given the volume of con- cerns, the Forest Service has been meeting with county of- ¿FLDOV LQ WKH UHJLRQ LQ UHFHQW months to try to chart a course to move the plan revision for- ward. In Grant and Harney coun- ties, critics worry a broad three-forest plan will roll back advances under way through collaboration on the Malheur National Forest. The Mal- heur’s 10-year stewardship contract is underway, helping to boost the timber harvest to 65 million board feet last year, with another increase planned for this year. “We need, in my opinion, our own plan,” Britton said. His proposal calls for the collaboratives to come up with new language primarily concerning vegetation man- agement issues, as well as “an appropriate percentage of grazing and access issues.” The rest of the Court gave Britton the go-ahead to for- ward the proposal to the For- est Partners at their next meet- ing. The Forest Partners, mean- while, have already been dis- cussing whether and how to get involved with the forest plan revision. In their Feb. 19 meeting, the group didn’t address the VSHFL¿FV RI %ULWWRQ¶V SURSRV al, but did discuss the Forest Service’s willingness to do additional analysis and cre- ate a new alternative for the revision. Some members cau- tioned that they should stick to what they know best, namely spring landscape prescribed burns in various areas. The pile burning may take place over the next few months on these units: County Road 18, Canyon Creek, Damon and Crawford. Landscape burning this spring may include these units: Dairy on the Emigrant Creek Ranger District; Knox and Pine Creek, Prairie City Ranger District; and Crawford Creek, Balance, Damon, Starr and Canyon Creek, all on the Blue Mountain district. The burning is done based RQ VSHFL¿F ZHDWKHU DQG YHJH tative conditions. The intent is to reduce the risk of catastroph- LF ZLOG¿UHV DQG UHVWRUH IRUHVW health. county courts. He conceded that happened during his own tenure with the Court, noting he wasn’t aware at the time that the MOA limited the rate to a nickel. However, the money isn’t the only issue for the local ranchers, who say the agen- F\¶VKLVWRULFHPSKDVLVRQ¿UH suppression has fostered con- ditions that ensure large wild- ¿UHV 7KH\ VD\ 2') VKRXOG take a different approach, as the federal agencies are do- ing, and embrace prescribing burning and other proactive PHDQVWRSUHYHQW¿UHV Webb and John Day ranch- er Allan Mullin pointed to air tanker drops during the 2013 ¿UHVHDVRQWKDWGLGQ¶WVWRSWKH spread of blazes on their land but were costly. They also say some Zone 1 lands may EH HQKDQFHG E\ ¿UH ZKLFK burns out unwanted juniper and brush. Webb said the Legislature allocated some $3 million to ODF to spend with the For- HVW 6HUYLFH RQ UHGXFLQJ ¿UH risk to the federal forests, an amount that would double if the governor’s proposed bud- get for 2015-17 is approved. The landowners question the push to raise their assess- ments when ODF has that amount of money available. They asked the Court to VWDQG¿UPRQDQ\=RQHLQ crease, but also to have a say in how that money could be used to manage the lands for ¿UHUHVLOLHQFH The Court is in a position “to motivate” ODF to take a different approach, Webb said. The state agency, he add- ed, shouldn’t just assume it deserves an increase because it spent the money the prior year. Holliday agreed, saying “When they build their bud- get each year, they don’t go for what they need, they go for what they want.” vegetation management, while others saw a golden opportu- nity to provide solid proposals for the plan revision. The Partners made no de- cision on a role in the process, but decided to form a subcom- mittee to consider the possibil- ities and look at next steps. Are You Ready for a New Career? Sign-up now for courses in Hair Design, Nail Technology, or Esthetics! We teach you the technique... 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