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
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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.
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COLLEGE OF INDUSTRIES & ARTS, LLC
PATRONS, DONORS, AND
VOLUNTEERS OF THE
UNITED METHODIST THRIFT SHOP
<RXUJHQHURVLW\DQGGHGLFDWLRQKDVHQDEOHG
WKH7KULIW6KRSWRSURYLGHDVVLVWDQFHWRWKH
IROORZLQJLQGLYLGXDOVDQGJURXSVLQ
• Mt. Vernon Fire
Department’s community
Christmas baskets
• Prairie City Fire
Department’s community
Christmas baskets
• Books for Prairie City
schools SMART Reading
Program
• Department of Human
Services: clothing and
merchandise to
individuals; Christmas
gift certificates for food
Nominate Your
Educational Hero
Educators play an extremely important role
in our community and are often underappreciated.
This year, Doug’s Motor Vehicle Repair is saying
“Thank you, educators” by honoring an
“Educator of the Month.”
Each month one local educator will be highlighted in
the Blue Mountain Eagle and will receive a $50 gift
certificate from Doug’s Repair. Educator of the Year will
receive $1,000 to be donated to school of their choice.
Prairie City, and United
Methodist Church
• Senior Centers in John
Day and Prairie City
Nominate your Local Hero by picking up a nomination form at the
Blue Mountain Eagle or Doug’s Repair, or download a copy from the
Blue Mountain Eagle’s website –www.bluemountaineagle.com.
• CAM Clinic & School in
Nicaragua
• Items for Christmas Shoe
Boxes
47
• Clothing for Grant County
Probation Department
• Valley View Assisted
Living Facility: Christmas
bears and decorations
• Families First
• Grant county fire victims
• Heart of Grant County
• One college scholarship
• Red Cross
• Surpluses were passed on
to St. Vincent’s in
Prineville for their Asian
ministry.
• Food Banks; Grant
County, Monument,
541-575-0700
743 W Main St • John Day, OR 97845
administrator@eocia.net
8
47
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