 July 15, 2016 CapitalPress.com 5 State urges dismissal of county’s timber management lawsuit Lawsuit says state’s management has cost counties $1.4 billion By MATEUSZ PERKOWSKI Capital Press ALBANY, Ore. — The State of Oregon is urging the dismissal of a lawsuit that al- leges state forest management prioritizes environmental con- cerns to the detriment of log- ging. Earlier this year, Linn County filed a complaint against Oregon for allegedly depriving multiple counties of more than $1.4 billion due to a forestry rule that empha- sizes wildlife, water quality and recreation over timber harvest. During oral arguments July 11 in Albany, attorneys for Or- egon said the case should be thrown out because the forests are meant to be managed for the greatest permanent value to the state, not to the counties. This “greatest permanent value” is allowed to include many factors beyond timber production under laws that al- lowed counties to donate their burned and logged forests to the state government, said Sar- ah Weston, an attorney for the state. “The statute does not re- quire revenue maximization,” she said. “The statutes have always provided for multiple values and multiple uses.” Counties acquired these forest lands by foreclosing on property tax liens during the Great Depression but turned them over to state ownership in exchange for a portion of future logging revenues. Oregon’s attorneys claim that Linn County cannot sue the state to receive compensa- tion for breach of contract, and that the county’s challenge to the “greatest permanent value” rule can only be heard by the Oregon Court of Appeals, rath- er than in a county court. Because the lawsuit seeks to recover damages for insuf- ficient logging in the future, it clearly intends to alter the meaning of “greatest perma- nent value,” said Scott Ka- plan, another attorney for the state. Either the state changes its definition or it’s potentially lia- ble for hundreds of millions of dollars, he said. “This is absolutely a chal- lenge of state policies of forest management,” Kaplan said. Linn County argued that contracts between the counties and the state government are enforceable. “The counties gave up as- sets in exchange for promis- es,” said John DiLorenzo, at- torney for Linn County. Counties would not have donated vast tracts of land if they’d known the state would change the terms of the deal at will, he said. “We believe that’s precise- ly what the state has done in this case,” DiLorenzo said. “Counties must have a way to enforce their bargains.” More than 650,000 acres in Benton, Clackamas, Clat- sop, Columbia, Coos, Doug- las, Josephine, Klamath, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Marion, Polk, Tillamook, and Washington counties were given to Oregon based on “promises and assur- ances” on which the state gov- ernment has since fallen short, the lawsuit claims. The law that lays out Ore- gon’s forest management obli- gations was written when the United States was preparing to enter World War II and must be understood in that context, DiLorenzo said. At the time, the greatest value of the land was to pro- duce a large amount of timber for the war effort, rather than to preserve wildlife habitat or aesthetic beauty, DiLorenzo said. Legal precedents also indi- cate that Oregon was obligat- ed to maximize revenue from those lands, he said. Several environmental and fishing organizations claim this interpretation is erroneous. The optimum management of state forests was bound to be contentious and so that ques- tion was left to the discretion of the Oregon Department of Forestry, said Ralph Bloemers, an attorney representing the groups. “It’s not up to the county, or the timber industry, or the conservation community, what that should be,” he said. There’s also nothing in the law stating that revenues take priority over other uses, Bloemers said. “It continues to be a huge gaping hole in their complaint.” Linn County also argues the lawsuit should be certified as a class action, which would allow other counties to partici- pate in the litigation. There are numerous poten- tial plaintiffs with common legal arguments that would be more efficiently resolved as part of a single case, Linn County claims. The issue of class certifica- tion will be heard at another hearing that’s scheduled for Aug. 17 in Albany. Giant steer looms large at Boise Airport By SEAN ELLIS Capital Press Eric Mortenson/Capital Press Falconer Kort Clayton holds Copper after a demonstration flight July 6 during the Blueberry Field Day at Oregon State University’s North Willamette Research and Extension Center. Trained falcons scare pest birds out of berry fields, vineyards and orchards. At OSU blueberry field day, a falcon steals the show By ERIC MORTENSON Capital Press AURORA, Ore. — Blue- berry Field Day at Oregon State University’s North Willamette Research and Ex- tension Center included the expected technical discus- sions of fertilizers, pesticides and cultivars, but then a bird swooped in and stole the show. That would be Copper, a fierce-eyed falcon trained to scare the bejeebers out of pest birds that damage blueberries, wine grapes or orchard crops. Falconer Kort Clayton, own- er of Integrated Avian Solu- tions, let Copper loose for a demonstration flight during a field day presentation on bird control options. Compared to Copper’s buzz bomb perfor- mance, discussions of humic acid and boron applications barely stood a chance. Copper, a 4-year-old Red- naped Shaheen, is one of Clayton’s five falcons and usually accompanies him to field demonstrations. “He’s super reliable,” Clayton said. “He’s a flashy flier, he’s not really bothered by crowds.” There was more to Cop- per’s appearance than show, because bird damage is a ma- jor problem for fruit and berry producers. Growers across the country use chemical repel- lents, netting, noisemakers Bird damage in fruit production by state and crop, 2011 * (Damage per acre/U.S. dollars) State Blueberry Winegrape California Michigan New York Oregon Washington $835 757 651 1,850 989 100 174 93 232 383 Honeycrisp apple Sweet cherry Tart cherry — 763 1,575 121 2,941 457 302 2,103 302 978 — 91 174 42 1,231 BOISE — A 15-foot-tall, inflatable steer named “Bub- ba” will loom over Boise Air- port visitors this summer. The animal, part of a dis- play that touts the benefits of beef and Idaho’s cattle indus- try, commands a large pres- ence in the airport’s baggage claim area and is a head-turner. “It automatically draws your attention, which is what we want to do,” said Traci Bracco, executive director of the Idaho Beef Council, which created it. “You can’t miss him.” Bracco said the council was “looking for a fun, innovative campaign to create some buzz” about Idaho beef and the state’s ranching industry. “It’s a fun, interactive way to connect with consumers and attract attention to Idaho’s beef industry.” The display, which includes a backdrop picture of Idaho ranches to give the appear- ance that Bubba is roaming the range, made its appearance at the airport in late June and will Sean Ellis/Capital Press A visitor at the Boise Airport takes a picture of “Bubba,” a 15-foot- tall, inflatable steer that looms over the baggage claim area on July 5. The Idaho Beef Council display will be at the airport through early September. be there through early Septem- ber. Including friends and fam- ily members, about 3 million people pass through the Boise Airport each year. IBC board member Morgan Evans, a Downey area ranch- er, said the council tries to use its producer checkoff funds as wisely as possible to achieve the greatest impact and the Bubba display is an example of that. Morgan said airports are a great way to share the coun- cil’s message about the bene- fits of beef and ranching with consumers. The IBC has had beef-related banners in the Boi- se and Idaho Falls airports for several years and will include the Lewiston and Pocatello airports this year, he said. *Based on results of 2,353 respondents that represent 31.7 percent of all growers targeted in the survey. Source: USDA APHIS and pulsating lasers to keep birds out of fields, with mixed results. Cornell University esti- mated that 10 percent of the U.S. blueberry crop is lost to bird damage. In Oregon’s blueberries, a crop worth $102 million annually, the loss can be significant. A 2013 USDA study esti- mated birds cause $189 mil- lion damage annually to Hon- eycrisp apples, wine grapes, blueberries and tart and sweet cherries in just five states: Or- egon, Washington, California, Michigan and New York. The USDA study also said bird damage costs per hect- are (2.47 acres) ranged from $104 in Oregon tart cherries to $7,267 in Washington Hon- eycrisp apples. To scare or discourage birds, growers use such things Capital Press graphic as propane cannons, flagging or netting. During the field day bird abatement presen- tation, company represen- tative Rick Willis described the Bird Gard system, which is in place at the OSU re- search plots. The system’s microprocessor, which can be powered by a solar pan- el, plays robin and starling distress calls, and the call of predatory red-tailed hawks — all of which unnerve pest birds. Another presenter, Marc Gaffrey of Bird Control U.S., explained how the compa- ny’s Agrilaser scares birds by shooting harmless laser beams across fields. The system, mounted on a swiveling tripod, can be moved from place to place, and a hand-held model is available. By TIM HEARDEN Capital Press SACRAMENTO — The incoming president of the Pa- cific Legal Foundation wants to expand the property-rights organization’s national pres- ence. “I want PLF to be bold and brave and to be creative and innovative,” Steven Ander- son, who will take the reins on Sept. 1, told the Capital Press. “I’m optimistic about where we’re headed and how we’re going to get there.” The foundation’s board last week announced the hir- ing of Anderson, currently the executive vice president and chief financial officer of the Arlington, Va.-based Institute for Justice, to succeed Robin L. Rivett, who retired in May after a decade as president and 41 years at the PLF. Anderson comes aboard as the PLF’s mission is gain- ing momentum, with the U.S. Supreme Court accepting two of its cases in the past year. In U.S. Army Corp of En- gineers v. Hawkes, justices unanimously ruled in May that landowners can challenge a federal determination that their property is subject to Clean Water Act restrictions. Another PLF case alleging an unconstitutional taking, Marr v. State of Wisconsin, is set to be heard by the high court in October. The Sacra- mento-based PLF has won its last eight cases before the Su- preme Court. Established by senior offi- cials from then-Gov. Ronald Reagan’s administration in 1973, the PLF also provides speakers for events and offers a Liberty Clinic program for law students at Chapman Uni- versity in Orange, Calif. Among Anderson’s goals is to build on the organiza- tion’s recent success before the high court and expand its fundraising efforts, he said. “Generally speaking, if we want to do more, we’ll have to call on more people to pro- vide support for Pacific Legal Foundation,” he said. “It’s something I do in my current role. … I think the product that PLF provides, a lot of people want to buy. I look forward to talking with those people who allow the great work of PLF to happen.” For the Institute of Jus- tice, a similar free-enterprise legal organization, Anderson handled such day-to-day op- erations as litigation, activ- ism and outreach, legislative affairs and financial manage- ment, according to a news release. 29-7/#6 PLF’s new president wants to extend reach