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THURSDAY • February 11, 2021 • $1.50
Good day to our valued subscriber Robert Kelly of La Grande
12 counties
will see
COVID-19
restrictions
loosened
Union County remains
at ‘extreme risk’ level in
line with state metrics
By GARY A. WARNER
Oregon Capital Bureau
SALEM — Twelve counties
will see fewer COVID-19 restric-
tions on businesses and activities
beginning Friday, Feb. 12, as the
state dropped risk level ratings for
counties due to a decline in new
infections.
Ten counties moved out of the
extreme risk category, some for
the fi rst time since November.
That list include Deschutes,
Clatsop, Columbia, Lincoln,
and Linn, which all moved from
extreme risk to high risk.
Union County, however,
remains in the extreme risk cat-
egory. Umatilla, Crook and Jef-
ferson also remain at extreme
risk.
Baker County fell two spots,
moving from high to lower risk.
Morrow County made a two-tier
drop from extreme to moderate
risk. Grant County went from
moderate to lower risk.
The biggest news statewide
was the move of the Portland tri-
county metro area of Multnomah,
Clackamas and Washington coun-
ties, also going from extreme to
high risk.
“This is welcome news, as
we’ll start to see more businesses
open up and Oregonians being
able to get out a bit more,” Gov.
Kate Brown said Tuesday, Feb. 9,
in announcing the updated risk
levels.
The announcement ends a
streak of sustained extreme risk
levels for most of the populous
areas in the state, going back to
November.
Through Monday, Oregon
has reported 147,219 COVID-19
infections and 2,024 deaths. After
peaking at over 1,500 cases per
day over a one-week average in
early December, the infection
trend wobbled through the holiday
season before beginning a steady
drop at the beginning of 2021.
The current seven-day average
is just above 584 new cases per
day, according to the Oregon
Health Authority.
OHA data also show Union
County’s total number of cases as
of Tuesday stood at 1,222, and the
county’s death toll from the virus
is 18.
The risk level moves means
that beginning Friday, counties
can loosen restrictions on indoor
See, Risk/Page 5A
Ellen Morris Bishop/For The Observer
The Grande Ronde River fl ows here below Troy. A bill from Oregon U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley would expand the National
Wild and Scenic Rivers System, designating about 42 miles of the Grande Ronde River as Wild where it runs through the Umatilla and/or
Wallowa Whitman national forests.
SAVING STREAMS
Bill from Oregon’s U.S. senators adds wildfire planning, protection to newly designated rivers
By ELLEN MORRIS BISHOP
For The Observer
ENTERPRISE — Northeast Oregon is
wild, scenic and recreational. If a new bill
in the U.S. Senate becomes law, more local
streams will offi cially become Wild, Scenic
or Recreational, too.
Oregon’s U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff
Merkley, both Democrats, cosponsored the
River Democracy Act of 2021, which would
add nearly 4,700 miles of rivers and streams
in Oregon to the National Wild and Scenic
Rivers system, bringing the total length of
protected rivers in Oregon to almost 6,900
miles, or 6.2% of the state’s 110,994 miles of
streams.
That includes more than 700 miles in
Wallowa, Union, Baker and Grant counties.
The new designations include many tribu-
taries important to fi sh, as well as portions
of main stem rivers here and across Oregon.
“Rivers and streams are Oregon’s life-
blood,” Wyden said. “More protected rivers
and clear management objectives means
more jobs, improved wildfi re resiliency and
a guarantee for the livability of Oregon.”
Union County Commissioner Donna
Beverage expressed concerns about dupli-
cating protection for endangered species and
increasing wildfi re threats.
“This proposed act has the potential
to restrict customary use, limit economic
opportunity and erode the multiple use char-
acter of Union County,” she said. “It will not
provide any economic benefi t and will have
negative impacts on legal water users.”
Wallowa County Commissioner John
Hillock was cautious about the proposed
designation, especially on private lands.
“It looks as though there will be some
See, Rivers/Page 3A
Ellen Morris Bishop
The Imnaha River fl ows here through private lands 10 miles upstream from the town of
Imnaha. The River Democracy Act of 2021, which Oregon U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff
Merkley cosponsored, would redesignate 58 miles of the river from Indian Crossing to Cow
Creek, including this area, as a Recreational River, and label 4 miles of the river, from Cow
Creek to the mouth of the confl uence with the Snake River, as Scenic.
ABOUT WILD, SCENIC AND RECREATIONAL RIVERS
• Congress created the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System in 1968 to preserve certain rivers with
outstandingly remarkable natural, cultural and recreational values in a free-fl owing condition for the
enjoyment of present and future generations. The original act covered 27 rivers. Read it online at www.
nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/anps/anps_6f.htm.
• The 2021 River Democracy Act from Oregon’s U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley would
expand the federal law. The text of the proposal is here: www.wyden.senate.gov/download/
river-democracy-act-of-2021-bill-text.
Censures and security top agendas in Salem, D.C.
By GARY A. WARNER
Oregon Capital Bureau
With January’s ceremonial
start of the year out of the way,
both Congress and the Oregon
Legislature have moved on to
sometimes turbulent issues,
including disciplinary action
against their own members.
Bentz backs Cheney
on secret vote
U.S. Rep. Cliff Bentz, R-On-
tario, has confi rmed he backed
U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo-
ming, in a secret GOP vote on
INDEX
Business ....... 1B
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Comics .......... 7B
Crossword .... 3B
Dear Abby .... 8B
Horoscope .... 4B
Letters ........... 4A
Lottery........... 3A
SATURDAY
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Spiritual ........ 6A
Sports ........... 8A
Feb. 4 to decide if
she should retain
her position as
House Republican
Conference Chair.
Cheney was one
Bentz
of just 10 House
Republicans to
vote Jan. 13 for impeachment of
then-President Donald Trump
on the charge of “incitement
of insurrection” for agitating a
mob that attacked the U.S. Cap-
itol on Jan. 6, resulting in fi ve
deaths and injuring over 140
police offi cers.
The impeachment, the equiv-
WEATHER
alent of an indictment, passed
232-197. The trial of Trump,
now out of offi ce, begins this
week.
Angry Trump loyal-
ists wanted Cheney removed
from the No. 3 post in House
GOP leadership. But she won
the conference vote 145-61.
Cheney, the eldest daughter
of former Vice President Dick
Cheney, did not back down
from her vote.
Asked about the conference
challenge, Cheney said
on Fox News Sunday she
had no apologies.
Full forecast on the back of B section
Tonight
Friday
16 LOW
25/22
Snow, 3-6”; cold
Snow, up to 1”
SCHOOL ENROLLMENT DOWN
“The oath that I took to the
Constitution compelled me to
vote for impeachment and it
doesn’t bend to partisanship, it
doesn’t bend to political pres-
sure,” she said. “It’s the most
important oath that we take.”
During a break in the debate,
House Minority Leader Kevin
McCarthy, R-Calif., had sig-
naled that he backed Cheney.
“Liz has the right to vote
her conscience,” McCarthy
said. “At the end of the day,
we’ll get united.”
See, Politics/Page 5A
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Issue 18
3 sections, 24 pages
La Grande, Oregon
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