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.
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heard April 12 from property own-
ers adjacent to the 3.4-mile portion
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converted into a pedestrian and
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nents reassured landowners that
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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
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clear there9s a need for a lot more
planning,= she said.
The idea of reworking a lon-
ger 22-mile stretch of the logging
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and Molalla with a recreational
trail, was hatched nearly three
decades ago.
However, a landowner9s deci-
sion in 2017 to donate three miles
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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-
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the road into a trail and park, said
Scott Parker, the city administra-
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PDGHE\WKHFLW\FRXQFLO
<All that9s happened is an aspi-
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determined.=
Farmers and other landown-
ers next to the proposed trail have
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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
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ORZOHYHOVWKLVIDOO
By BRAD CARLSON
Capital Press
The Snake River9s three
headwater reservoirs could
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\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-
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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
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<At this time, it is rea-
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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.
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down very low in the fall,=
he said. They are expected
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and then from reservoir
storage.
Dalling said most of
the stored water likely will
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and <consequently, the
expected demand on the
reservoirs will also impact
UHFUHDWLRQ SRVVLEO\ OLP-
iting access and lowering
reservoir levels.=
Island Park storage is
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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
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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-
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IHHWFRPELQHGGRZQIURP
around 1.7 million acre-
feet a year ago.
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at the end of the day April
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age for that date, he said.
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average.
On April 17, 2021,
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LVDGHV ZDV IXOO DQG
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Molalla River and was once a pop-
ular spot for underage drinking and
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7KH\ IHDU WKH SUREOHPV ZLOO
resume if the trail is opened to the
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shooting, camping and trespass.
Already the logging road
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according to landowners at the
meeting.
Dogs have chased livestock
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the height of summer, landowners
complained.
<This is city property and
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owner said. <I don9t trust you all to
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Another landowner said that
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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
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that would extend the city9s exist-
ing recreational trail.
The city is currently focused
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which is estimated to cost $2.8
million.
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more complicated, as it would
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grown with vegetation.
This reconstruction could
involve acquiring easements on
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LQ¿OO DQG VWUXFWXUDO VXSSRUW DORQJ
the original, washed-out route.
The development plan antici-
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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.
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master plan for investing in Can-
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the city attorney.
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enforcement from Clackamas
County to patrol the trail and rely
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EHKDYLRU DFFRUGLQJ WR WKH GHYHO-
opment plan.
The trail would also incorporate
principles of <crime prevention
through environmental design,=
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<eyes on the trail= and installing
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for private property, the plan said.
Landowners at the meeting
were skeptical that signage and
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ULQJ EHIRUH WKH WUDLO LV R൶FLDOO\
opened.
People are already poaching
deer and cutting holes in fences,
said Tim Samuels, whose family
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Railroad Co.
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like if there was an actual trail out
there,= he said.
Similar controversies derailed
a proposal for a similar 3-mile
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hill and Carlton, with Oregon9s
Land Use Board of Appeals twice
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impacts.
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missioners ultimately decided last
year to withdraw the project, which
ZRXOG KDYH FRQYHUWHG DQ DEDQ-
doned railroad into a trail, rather
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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
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WKDWKDSSHQHGWRQHDUE\ODQGRZQ-
ers, who had long endured danger-
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landowner.
<I don9t see how human nature
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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.
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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-
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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.
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