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Friday, April 22, 2022 CapitalPress.com 3 Oregon farmers urge against city9s trail proposal By MATEUSZ PERKOWSKI Capital Press CANBY, Ore. 4 Farmers and landowners in Oregon9s Clacka- mas County say they oppose the development of a recreational trail they fear will increase crime and disrupt agriculture. 2൶FLDOVIURPWKHFLW\RI&DQE\ heard April 12 from property own- ers adjacent to the 3.4-mile portion RIDQROGORJJLQJWUDLOWKDWPD\EH converted into a pedestrian and ELF\FOHWUDLO &LW\ R൶FLDOV DQG WUDLO SURSR- nents reassured landowners that &DQE\LVVWLOOGHFLGLQJZKHWKHUWR LQYHVWLQWKHSURMHFWEXWKDVQ¶W\HW committed to development. <I understand the importance of having full access to your property and your agricultural practices,= said Mindy Montecucco, chair RI &DQE\¶V ELF\FOH DQG SHGHV- trian committee, who grew up on QHDUE\0RQWHFXFFR)DUPV ³:LWK \RXU KHOS LW EHFDPH clear there9s a need for a lot more planning,= she said. The idea of reworking a lon- ger 22-mile stretch of the logging URDG OLQNLQJ WKH FLWLHV RI &DQE\ and Molalla with a recreational trail, was hatched nearly three decades ago. However, a landowner9s deci- sion in 2017 to donate three miles RI WKH URDG WR &DQE\ ZKHUH LW would join with an existing trail, has reinvigorated the proposal. The city has enlisted technical assistance from the National Park Service to advise on the trail9s development. <If you have farming concerns, we want to hear ideas on how to make those work,= said Dan Miller, community planner with the National Park Service. The city is in the process of Mateusz Perkowski/Capital Press Mindy Montecucco, chair of Canby’s bicycle and pedestrian com- mittee, speaks to farmers and landowners about a proposed rural trail that’s raised crime and farm disruption concerns. deciding whether to spend con- VLGHUDEOH UHVRXUFHV RQ WXUQLQJ the road into a trail and park, said Scott Parker, the city administra- WRU 1R GHFLVLRQV KDYH \HW EHHQ PDGHE\WKHFLW\FRXQFLO <All that9s happened is an aspi- UDWLRQDO SODQ KDV EHHQ H[SORUHG´ KH VDLG ³7KH IXWXUH LV \HW WR EH determined.= Farmers and other landown- ers next to the proposed trail have REMHFWHG WR WKH FRQFHSW DUJX- LQJ WKDW LQYLWLQJ WKH SXEOLF RQWR the logging road would impede or prevent the movement of farm machinery. Trail users and their pets could contaminate hazelnuts growing along the route, since the crop is harvested from the ground, accord- ing to critics. Pesticide spraying near the trail could also create regulatory con- FHUQVLISHRSOHDUHR൶FLDOO\LQYLWHG onto the route, opponents say. The city hopes to learn how many landowners use pesticides near the trail, said Joseph Lindsay, &DQE\¶VFLW\DWWRUQH\ <This is information-gathering for us as well,= he said. The road runs adjacent to the 6QDNH5LYHUKHDGZDWHU UHVHUYRLUVRQWUDFNIRU ORZOHYHOVWKLVIDOO By BRAD CARLSON Capital Press The Snake River9s three headwater reservoirs could EH GUDZQ GRZQ WR QHDU \HDUORZVE\WKLVIDOOD U.S. Bureau of Reclama- tion water manager says. The amount of water left in the reservoirs after last year9s irrigation season was much lower than the previous year, and the fore- FDVWIRUVQRZUXQR൵LVZHOO EHORZDYHUDJH Palisades Reservoir in Idaho and Jackson Lake in Wyoming are projected to QRW ¿OO WKLV \HDU VDLG -HU- emy Dalling, Reclama- tion9s Upper Snake reser- voir operations lead. On the Henry9s Fork of the Snake River in Idaho, Island Park Reservoir is H[SHFWHGWR¿OO <At this time, it is rea- VRQDEO\OLNHO\DOOWKUHHUHV- HUYRLUVDUHJRLQJWRREVHUYH some of the lowest levels we have seen in 40 years,= Dalling said. Actual reservoir lev- els this fall will depend on demand and whether con- ditions are drier or wetter than expected, he said. ³$OO DUH JRLQJ WR EH down very low in the fall,= he said. They are expected WR JHW RI DYHUDJH UXQR൵ ,UULJDWLRQ ZDWHU ¿UVW FRPHV IURP VWUHDPÀRZ and then from reservoir storage. Dalling said most of the stored water likely will EH QHHGHG IRU LUULJDWLRQ and <consequently, the expected demand on the reservoirs will also impact UHFUHDWLRQ SRVVLEO\ OLP- iting access and lowering reservoir levels.= Island Park storage is DERYHDYHUDJH$ZDWHUVDY- ing project and a period of reduced demand last year helped, he said. Rains came when harvested hay was on the ground for curing and EDOLQJ ZKLFK WRRN ORQJHU and delayed resumption of regular irrigation demand. Storage in Palisades and Jackson reservoirs is ZHOO EHORZ DYHUDJH DQG year-earlier levels, Dalling said. The reservoirs con- WDLQ DERXW DFUH IHHWFRPELQHGGRZQIURP around 1.7 million acre- feet a year ago. -DFNVRQ ZDV IXOO at the end of the day April ZKLFKLVRIDYHU- age for that date, he said. 3DOLVDGHVZDVIXOO ZKLFKLVRIDYHUDJH ,VODQG 3DUN ZDV IXOO ZKLFK LV RI average. On April 17, 2021, -DFNVRQZDVIXOO3DO- LVDGHV ZDV IXOO DQG ,VODQG3DUNZDVIXOO Molalla River and was once a pop- ular spot for underage drinking and SDUW\LQJ EHIRUH D EDUULFDGH ZDV LQVWDOOHGQHLJKERUVVD\ 7KH\ IHDU WKH SUREOHPV ZLOO resume if the trail is opened to the SXEOLFDORQJZLWKLOOHJDOGXPSLQJ shooting, camping and trespass. Already the logging road LV EHLQJ VWUHZQ ZLWK WUDVK DQG DFFHVVHG E\ KRPHOHVV SHRSOH according to landowners at the meeting. Dogs have chased livestock DQG YLVLWRUV KDYH OLW FDPS¿UHV LQ the height of summer, landowners complained. <This is city property and QRERG\LVSDWUROOLQJLW´RQHODQG- owner said. <I don9t trust you all to GRDJRRGMRE´ Another landowner said that QHLJKERUV PXVW DOUHDG\ GHDO ZLWK theft and even prostitution along the trail. <I don9t care what you say, it9s going to make my life more hell,= she said. Under a development plan that &DQE\ FRPPLVVLRQHG WKH WUDLO ZRXOGEHXSJUDGHGLQWZRSKDVHV EHJLQQLQJZLWKDPLOHVHJPHQW that would extend the city9s exist- ing recreational trail. The city is currently focused RQ ZKHWKHU WR EHJLQ FRQVWUXFWLRQ RI WKDW ¿UVW VHJPHQW RI WKH WUDLO which is estimated to cost $2.8 million. 7KH VHFRQG SKDVH ZRXOG EH more complicated, as it would LQYROYH UHEXLOGLQJ D SRUWLRQ RI URDGZD\ WKDW ZDV ZDVKHG RXW E\ ÀRRGLQJ DQG KDV EHFRPH RYHU- grown with vegetation. This reconstruction could involve acquiring easements on XSODQG SURSHUW\ RU VXEVWDQWLDO LQ¿OO DQG VWUXFWXUDO VXSSRUW DORQJ the original, washed-out route. The development plan antici- SDWHVWKDWERWKSKDVHVZRXOGFRVW DERXW PLOOLRQ ZKLFK PD\ involve federal funding or permits and the associated environmental reviews. <The city council needs to decide what they9re going to do and how they9re going to do it,= said Miller of the National Park Service. 7KH GHFLVLRQ ZLOO EH PDGH ZLWKLQ WKH FRQWH[W RI D EURDGHU master plan for investing in Can- E\¶V SDUNV DQG ZKLFK SURMHFWV VKRXOGEHSULRULWL]HGVDLG/LQGVD\ the city attorney. ³0D\EH WKHUH¶V RWKHU RQHV WKDW JHWPDGH¿UVW´KHVDLG &DQE\ FRXOG FRQWUDFW ZLWK ODZ enforcement from Clackamas County to patrol the trail and rely RQYROXQWHHUVWRGHWHUXQGHVLUDEOH EHKDYLRU DFFRUGLQJ WR WKH GHYHO- opment plan. The trail would also incorporate principles of <crime prevention through environmental design,= VXFK DV FOHDULQJ EUXVK WR SURYLGH <eyes on the trail= and installing IHQFLQJDQGVLJQVWRVHWERXQGDULHV for private property, the plan said. Landowners at the meeting were skeptical that signage and IHQFHVZRXOGEHH൵HFWLYHLQOLJKW RISUREOHPVWKDWDUHDOUHDG\RFFXU- ULQJ EHIRUH WKH WUDLO LV R൶FLDOO\ opened. People are already poaching deer and cutting holes in fences, said Tim Samuels, whose family RZQV WKH DGMDFHQW 2UHJRQ 3DFL¿F Railroad Co. ³, FDQ¶W LPDJLQH ZKDW LW¶G EH like if there was an actual trail out there,= he said. Similar controversies derailed a proposal for a similar 3-mile WUDLO EHWZHHQ WKH WRZQV RI <DP- hill and Carlton, with Oregon9s Land Use Board of Appeals twice UXOLQJ WKDW LW KDG EHHQ DSSURYHG ZLWKRXWVX൶FLHQWDQDO\VLVRIIDUP impacts. <DPKLOO&RXQW\¶VERDUGRIFRP- missioners ultimately decided last year to withdraw the project, which ZRXOG KDYH FRQYHUWHG DQ DEDQ- doned railroad into a trail, rather WKDQFRQWLQXHZLWKWKHOHJDOEDWWOH &DQE\ FLW\ R൶FLDOV ZDQW WR prove to landowners that it values their input, said Jamie Stickel, its economic development director. <This is our opportunity to start WKH FRQYHUVDWLRQ EXW LW¶V QRW WKH only opportunity to have the con- versation,= she said. The logging road9s closure for KDXOLQJZDVRQHRIWKHEHVWWKLQJV WKDWKDSSHQHGWRQHDUE\ODQGRZQ- ers, who had long endured danger- RXVEHKDYLRURQWKHURXWHVDLGRQH landowner. <I don9t see how human nature KDVFKDQJHGDORWLQ\HDUV´KH said. <Human nature is depraved.= Miller of the National Park Ser- vice urged landowners to provide the city with advice on solving SUREOHPVZLWKWKHSURSHUW\HYHQLI they oppose the trail. <Whether the city develops this trail or not, they own that land,= he said. (DVWHUGD\VHWWOHPHQW¿OHGLQEDQNUXSWF\FRXUW By DON JENKINS Capital Press A tentative settlement KDV EHHQ UHDFKHG WR DOOR- cate money from the fraud- GULYHQ EDQNUXSWF\ VDOH RI Cody Easterday9s farms in Eastern Washington. 7KH DJUHHPHQW EHWZHHQ the Easterday family and creditor committees was ¿OHG ODWH $SULO LQ 86 Bankruptcy Court. During D EULHI FRQIHUHQFH )ULGD\ Judge Whitman Holt in Yakima set a hearing on the settlement for Tuesday. ³, WKLQN LW¶V WHUUL¿F QHZV WKDWWKHUHDSSHDUVWREHSHDFH in the valley,= Holt said. (DVWHUGD\¿OHGIRUEDQN- ruptcy more than a year DJR VKRUWO\ EHIRUH SOHDGLQJ guilty to defrauding Tyson Fresh Meats out of $233 million. He supplied cattle WR7\VRQEXWELOOHGWKHFRP- pany for more cattle than he delivered. (DVWHUGD\LVVHWWREHVHQ- tenced June 13 in U.S. Dis- trict Court for wire fraud. He faces up to 20 years in prison, according to federal prosecutors. 7KH EDQNUXSWF\ VHWWOH- ment provides a framework IRU GLVWULEXWLQJ SURFHHGV from the liquidation of East- erday Farms and Easterday Ranches. Both companies ZHUHRZQHGDQGGLUHFWHGE\ Cody Easterday and his wife and mother. The agreement <paves WKHZD\IRUDUHFRYHU\ to general unsecured credi- tors of Farms and a material Cody Easterday recovery to general unse- cured creditors of Ranches,= DFFRUGLQJWRWKH¿OLQJ The Easterdays9 hold- LQJV LQFOXGHG DFUHV RIIDUPODQGLQWKH&ROXPELD Basin. Farmland Reserve ,QFERXJKWWKHODQGVWUHWFK- ing over several farms in Benton County, for $209 million in July. Under the settlement, (DVWHUGD\ IDPLO\ PHPEHUV won9t net any money from WKHVDOHEXWZLOONHHSRWKHU property, including an onion storage shed in Pasco and land in Idaho appraised at $9.2 million. The agreement would shield Cody Easterday9s wife and mother from KDYH EHHQ LQ DQ H[SHQVLYH EDWWOH RYHU WKH EDQNUXSWF\ proceeds. /DZ\HUV DQG ¿QDQFLDO advisers representing credi- tor committees have racked XSDERXWPLOOLRQLQIHHV EHWZHHQ ODWH -XO\ DQG -DQ- uary, according to an East- erday family attorney. The money was paid from the EDQNUXSWF\VDOHSURFHHGV An Easterday family VWDWHPHQW DOVR ¿OHG 7KXUV- day with the court, says that George Plaven/Capital Press File Cody Easterday <self-re- ported to Tyson manage- ment= on Nov. 30, 2020, and EHLQJ KHOG UHVSRQVLEOH IRU UHVROYHGWRWDNHUHVSRQVLELO- allegedly failing to detect or ity for his actions and work to repay Tyson. stop the fraud. By the end of Decem- Tyson supports the set- WOHPHQW DQG LV QRW SURKLE- EHU LW ZDV FOHDU (DVWHU- ited from continuing to seek day Ranches, which had 76 restitution from Easterday, employees, would fold. By according to the agreement. January, it was clear that Tyson declined to comment Easterday Farms, which had 124 employees, was also in further Friday. The Department of Jus- jeopardy, according to the tice must agree to the settle- statement. Easterday advised the ment. Assistant U.S. Trustee Gary Dyer told Holt that he creditor committees to plant had not seen the agreement wheat rather than onions and potatoes. Wheat would XQWLOLWZDV¿OHG ,Q WKH ¿OLQJ ODZ\HUV WDNH OHVV ODERU ZDWHU DQG called the settlement a <piv- equipment and in May and otal moment= and a <tri- -XQH ZRXOG EH ³DHVWKHWL- umph= of hard negotiations. cally pleasing= to potential Easterday family mem- IDUP EX\HUV DFFRUGLQJ WR EHUV DQG RSSRVLQJ ODZ\HUV the statement. *UHHQPDQDSSRLQWHGQHZ2UHJRQ VWDWHGLUHFWRURI)DUP6HUYLFH$JHQF\ change,= according to the White TUALATIN, Ore. 4 House state- ment. <They President Joe Biden is EULQJ GHHS appointing Gail Greenman as expertise in Oregon state director for the Gail their issue USDA Farm Service Agency. Greenman replaces Josh Greenman areas as well as critical Hanning, who was the agen- cy9s acting state director. relationships with federal, Her appointment came in WULEDODQGORFDOOHDGHUV´ an announcement from the The Farm Service Agency White House on April 14 administers USDA pro- naming several new leaders grams through a national within the USDA and Small network of state and county R൶FHV7KHVHLQFOXGHLVVXLQJ Business Administration. <These regional appoin- farm loans, as well as fund- WHHV ZLOO EH FULWLFDO WR WKH ing for conservation, disas- 3UHVLGHQW¶V H൵RUWV WR UHEXLOG ter assistance, outreach and communities most impacted education. 2UHJRQ¶VVWDWH)6$R൶FH E\ WKH SDQGHPLF WKH HFR- nomic recovery and climate is in Tualatin, 10 miles south By GEORGE PLAVEN Capital Press of Portland. Most recently, Greenman was executive director of the Westside Economic Alliance, DQRQSUR¿WWKDWDGYRFDWHVIRU improving transportation, workforce development, D൵RUGDEOHKRXVLQJDQGRWKHU infrastructure issues in the Portland metro area. Greenman was also direc- WRURIQDWLRQDOD൵DLUVIRUWKH Oregon Farm Bureau, where VKHOREELHGIRUQDWLRQDOSROL- FLHVWREHQH¿WWKHVWDWH¶VDJUL- cultural producers. U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, praised the appointment in a tweet, saying Greenman has the knowledge, relation- ships and leadership skills to deliver for farmers facing challenges such as drought. WE SPECIALIZE IN BULK BAGS! BAGS: • Seed Bags • Fertilizer Bags • Feed Bags • Potato Bags • Printed Bags • Plain Bags • Bulk Bags • Totes • Woven Polypropylene • Bopp • Polyethylene • Pocket Bags • Roll Stock & More! 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