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CapitalPress.com
August 17, 2018
Oregon’s Douglas County withdraws rural housing zone
By MATEUSZ PERKOWSKI
Capital Press
Oregon’s Douglas County
has withdrawn its plan to allow
more rural housing on 22,500
acres of farm and forest land,
though it’s likely to be revived.
Earlier this year, the county
decided to allow 20-acre home
sites on properties deemed of
marginal value for agriculture
or forestry within two miles of
certain cities and communities.
The change was challenged
before Oregon’s Land Use
Board of Appeals by two state
agencies — the Department of
Land Conservation and Devel-
opment and the Department of
Fish and Wildlife — as well as
the 1,000 Friends of Oregon
conservation group.
Douglas County has now
notified LUBA that it’s with-
drawing the amendment to its
comprehensive land use plan
for reconsideration.
Joshua Shaklee, the county
planning manager, said there
were some “potential proce-
dural defects” in adopting the
change that may have con-
vinced LUBA to remand it.
The county expects to “take
another crack at it” after re-
solving any possible issues,
which are now being reviewed
by a law firm, but it’s unclear
how long the process will take,
he said.
“I’d describe it as a setback
but not anything definitive,”
Shaklee said.
Meriel Darzen, staff attor-
ney for 1,000 Friends of Or-
egon, said the organization is
hopeful the county will accept
more citizen involvement in
formulating a plan.
The final version of the
plan was adopted after the op-
portunity for public comments
had ended, which caused con-
cerns about residents being
able to weigh in on the change,
she said.
“We’re hoping the with-
drawal recognizes there needs
to be more public process with
this decision,” Darzen said.
The county has 90 days to
resubmit the decision or other-
wise report to LUBA, she said.
If it decides to restart the deci-
sion-making process altogeth-
er, the eventual plan can still
be appealed to LUBA.
According to the coun-
ty, only about 25 percent of
the acreage available for new
homes sites under the plan
would have actually been de-
veloped, resulting in about 375
housing parcels.
The acreage was scaled
down from 35,000 acres in the
original proposal, which repre-
sented about 1 percent of the
county’s farm and forest land.
However, critics said the
county set too high a standard
for commercially productive
land, effectively opening the
way for development of prop-
erty that could profitably be
used for grazing and logging.
The plan was also criti-
cized for potentially compli-
cating the expansion of “urban
grown boundaries” around
communities.
Area in
detail
Douglas Co.
withdraws
rezone of
22,500 acres
of farmland
and forestland.
Pacific Oce
an
Change would have opened 22,500 acres to rural home sites
101
LANE
5
Coos
Bay
138
COOS
Roseburg
42
62
JACKSON
N
JOSEPHINE
199
Medford
20 miles
Capital Press graphic
Washington county tallying
elk damage to its farmland
Losses could top
$1 million a year
By DON JENKINS
Capital Press
Brad Carlson/Capital Press
An elk herd encouraged to
grow by Washington wildlife
managers is inflicting signif-
icant damage to commercial
agriculture in eastern Skagit
County, according to the
county assessor’s office.
Farmers, responding to
a survey, report damages
ranging from a couple hun-
dred dollars to more than
$100,000. The survey is
only half done and includes
assumptions that could in-
fluence the numbers. When
it’s done, estimated losses to
income-producing farmland
could total roughly $1.4 mil-
lion annually, Assessor Dave
Thomas said Tuesday.
“It’s truly an estimate,”
he said. “Our concern is the
continuing viability of ag use
in that part of the county.”
The North Cascades elk
herd, also known as the
Nooksack elk herd, has been
revived in the past 15 years
by the Department of Fish
and Wildlife and nine Native
American tribes. Hunting
was curtailed and elk were
transported from around
Mount St. Helens. As the
population approximately
doubled in a decade, elk have
moved down from the hills to
valley farmland.
Farmers and ranchers say
the elk have become so com-
fortable in their fields that
hazing them back into the
hills or getting a permit from
the state to shoot one pro-
vides only temporary relief.
Corn in southeast Meridian, Idaho, Aug. 13. Local growing condi-
tions for corn have been mostly favorable this year.
Most of Idaho’s 2018
corn crop fares well
By BRAD CARLSON
Capital Press
Mike Goodson’s corn crop
looks good overall, and better
than it could have.
“For all the heat we had,
I’m actually kind of sur-
prised,” the Parma, Idaho,
farmer said. “I haven’t seen
as much stress as I thought I
would see in it. We must have
had cool-enough nights to let
it pollinate, so overall it looks
good.”
Most Idaho cornfields look
good headed into harvest
thanks to ample supplies of
irrigation water and mostly
good weather. Results for the
wind-pollinated crop have
varied by type and location.
Corn is important in Ida-
ho because its total acreage
can approach or even exceed
that of potatoes in a given
year, and because it is part of
southwest Idaho’s major seed
industry.
“This year, we had a little
problem in the spring with
dryness but we did not have
early heat in June,” Goodson
said. Early June’s moderate
temperatures helped get the
crop up and going, he said.
Forty miles to the south-
east, Melba, Idaho, farmer
Brent Zeyer sees “great-look-
ing” field corn and more slow-
ly progressing sweet corn seed.
In his sweet corn seed
fields, “it seems to me the
heat or wind or pollination
did not quite set up right, so
the ears are not full,” he said.
Kernels aren’t setting on cobs
as well as he would like, pos-
sibly due to recently tougher
pollinating conditions and
high heat.
“Some varieties I have seen
are OK, but most I have seen
are having a hard time,” Zey-
Don Jenkins/Capital Press
Elk graze in a valley in eastern Skagit County, Wash. The county assessor’s office is tallying the
damage elk do to farmland in the area.
So far, 48 of 57 farmers in
eastern Skagit County who
have responded to the survey
report elk damage.
Thirty-six estimated loss-
es totaling $532,122. Twelve
farmers reported damage, but
did not provide an estimate.
Chief Deputy Assessor
Annette DeVoe told county
commissioners Aug. 7 that
some east county landowners
like elk, but full-time farm-
ers have been hit particularly
hard.
“For big farmers, they
(the elk) are eating crops and
causing significant damage,”
she said. “It’s been interest-
ing and eye-opening as far as
how it’s affecting the actual
market value of properties.”
Farmers can apply for
compensation for elk dam-
age by submitting tax, prop-
LEGAL
Applications sought for the Oregon Forest Resources Institute
(OFRI) Board of Directors.
Pursuant to OAR 629-065-0400, the purpose of this notice is to
solicit applications for the Oregon Forest Resources Institute
(OFRI) Board of Directors. Applicants meeting all the
qualifications will be maintained on a list to be used by the State
Forester for filling existing vacancies and to fill vacancies caused
by expiration of an existing member’s term. Each applicant must
certify in the application that he/she meets the qualifications for
the position.
Each “producer” applicant for the board of directors shall have
the following qualifications: 1) be a citizen of the United States;
2) be a bona fide resident of this state; 3) be a “producer” in this
state, an employee of such a producer or own between 100 and
2,000 acres of forestland in this state on which harvest taxes are
paid, but have no direct financial interest in any forest products
processing activity; 4) have been actively engaged in producing
forest products for a period of at least five years; 5) derive a
substantial portion of income from the production of forest
products (“substantial portion of income” means that 50 percent
or more of the gross income of a member of the board of
directors is derived from timber or timber products ownership or
affiliation); 6) have demonstrated, through membership in
producers’ organizations or organizations representing
landowners who meet the requirements of ORS 526.610(4), a
profound interest in the development of Oregon’s forest
products industry; 7) is available to fulfill the duties and
responsibilities of the OFRI Board of Directors; and 8) meets the
producer class eligibility requirements for the position to which
nominated. Each “employee” applicant shall be: 1) a citizen of
the United States; 2) a bona fide resident of this state; and 3) an
hourly wage employee of a producer or a person who represents
such employees.
The “producer” class eligibility requirements are:
Class 1 Producers having paid forest products harvest tax on 20
million board feet or less per year in the most recent year
preceding the appointment.
Class 2 Producers having paid forest products harvest tax on
more than 20 million board feet but less than 100 million board
feet per year in the most recent year preceding the
appointment.
Class 3 Producers having paid forest products harvest tax on 100
million board feet or more per year in the most recent year
preceding the appointment.
erty and insurance records,
an adjuster’s report and a list
of measures they took to try
to prevent the damage.
The department received
two claims last year for elk
damage in the Skagit Valley.
One farmer didn’t qualify,
and one didn’t complete the
paperwork. Fish and Wildlife
Regional Director Amy Win-
drope said the department is
willing to discuss revising
the compensation system
with farmers. “If they’re
identifying barriers, let’s fix
them,” she said.
To get elk off farmland,
the department has increased
hunting, issued kill permits
and installed fences. “I don’t
disagree with the analysis
that more needs to happen,”
Windrope said. “I really feel
like we’re taking the steps
that are going to give us a
long-term solution.” Swin-
omish tribe hunting and gath-
ering program manager Tino
Villaluz said elk damage is a
problem.
“We have some serious
issues we have to deal with,”
he said. “It’s not falling on
deaf ears.”
Randy Good, vice pres-
ident of the Skagit County
Cattlemen’s
Association,
said the number of elk on his
land is growing, and some
are limping with hoof rot,
another concern for cattle-
men.
Good said the depart-
ment should allow hunting
year-round on land where
the owner gives permission.
The assessor’s survey should
draw attention to the eco-
nomic costs of not doing it,
he said.
“Putting that information
out there puts a new twist on
it,” he said.
Thomas, the county asses-
sor, sent a letter this month to
Fish and Wildlife Director
Kelly Susewind reporting
that several landowners who
responded to the survey said
they stopped farming, ranch-
ing or leasing land because
of elk damage.
In one case, landowners
twice tried to start a Christ-
mas tree farm, but elk ate
the young trees, according
to the assessor’s office. The
35 acres were redesignated
from farmland to conserva-
tion land.
The Skagit elk came up
briefly at the Fish and Wild-
life Commission meeting
Aug. 10 in Olympia. Com-
missioner Larry Carpenter, a
Skagit County resident, said
he’s heard a lot about the elk.
“I think the situation is out of
hand,” he said.
Services & Supplies
Special Section
October 5 th , 2018
SAGE Fact #147
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Ag Community?
Capital Press Ag Weekly readers will find labor
& money saving tips in the 2016 Winter
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Services & Supplies Special Section.
Place an ad in this Special Section & reach
Capital Press readers online and in the
newspaper with your services & supplies!
Content Will Include:
• Online Agribusiness • Equipment
• Maintenance • New Products • Consulting
& Planning Services • Plus Much More!
Persons wanting to apply for the OFRI Board of Directors must
request application materials from Kathy Storm at OFRI,
storm@ofri.org or 971-673-2953. Send completed application
packets to the State Forester: Oregon Forestry Department,
Attention Whitney Lanham, 2600 State Street, Bldg. B, Salem,
Oregon 97310, or via email at Whitney.Lanham@oregon.gov.
Applications must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. on
September 14, 2018.
Ad Space Deadline: September 7th
33-3-3/HOU
Small Woodland Owner An owner of between 100 and 2,000
acres of forestland in this state on which harvest taxes were paid
in at least one of the five years preceding the appointment, and
who has no direct financial interest in any forest products
processing activity.
33-3/999
er said, referring to sweet corn
seed.
He has seen some insect
damage in sweet corn seed
fields around the Boise area,
and some growers are spraying
fields to get the insect count
down, he said. He sprayed ear-
ly in the growing season, “and
hopefully it lasts long enough.”
As for his field corn, “ears
are filled clear to the ends” and
no insect pressure was apparent
as of Aug. 13, Zeyer said. Corn
ears are filling out better than
they did last year.
Irrigation water supplies
have been good, and most corn
was planted in time to avoid
stress from the pronounced heat
of midsummer, he said.
“With the warm weather,
and the moisture we’re able to
put on this corn, I think all field
corn looks pretty good from
what I’ve seen around the Mel-
ba area,” Zeyer said.
“For the most part, field
corn is tall, looks good and sur-
vived the heat OK,” he said. He
plans to start harvest in early
to mid-September, roughly the
same schedule as 2017.
Zeyer believes southwest
Idaho this spring saw few-
er acres of field corn planted
because prices for grain corn
at the time were fairly low —
prompting more farmers to
instead plant wheat or another
crop requiring less water, fertil-
izer and labor.
Goodson said last year’s
season — following a heavy
winter — got off to a later start
and featured a hot June, “which
kind of just put it back a little
further.
“We basically had to have
a frost to bring the moisture
down (out of the plant) to a
harvestable level,” he said.
That frost came around early
October 2017.
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33-3/101