FR IDAY , JANUARY 16 , 2015 Business & Ag SRS fund ing cu t se t to impac t Oregon , loca l schoo ls By B r ian Add ison B r ian@TheBa ke rCoun t yP re s s . com Th e end o f fund ing th rough th e S e cu r e Ru r a l S choo l s and Commun i ty S e l f -D e t e rm in a t ion A c t (SRS ) and f a i lu r e to p a s s an ex t en s ion o f th e l eg i s l a - t ion w i l l co s t O r egon hun - d r ed s o f m i l l ion s o f do l - l a r s , a c co rd ing to O r egon S t a t e Un iv e r s i ty r epo r t s . B ak e r Coun ty a lon e s t and s to lo s e c lo s e to a m i l l ion do l l a r s p e r y e a r w i th th e t e rm in a t ion o f th e SRS fund ing . SRS fund ing o r ig in a t ed w i th th e p a s s ag e o f th e Omn ibu s Budg e t R e c - on c i l i a t ion A c t o f 1993 . A t th a t t im e , a fund ing p a ck ag e w a s d ev e lop ed by Cong r e s s to comp en - s a t e commun i t i e s r e l i an t upon th e t imb e r indu s t ry fo r e conom i c su rv iv a l a f t e r f ed e r a l env i ron - m en t a l r egu l a t ion s pu t an end to l a r g e - s c a l e t imb e r s a l e s on f ed e r a l ly own ed l and s w i th in th e s t a t e s o f O r egon , W a sh ing ton , and C a l i fo rn i a . Th e o r ig in a l l eg i s l a - t ion p rov id ing th e l i f e l in e fund ing p a ck ag e exp i r ed in 2006 bu t w a s r e au tho r i z ed th rough th e y e a r 2013 . Th e r e au tho r i z a t ion w a s sp e a rh e ad ed by S en a to r s L a r ry C r a ig (R - ID ) , Ron W yd en (D -OR ) , and D i - ann e F e in s t e in (D -CA ) . Th e r e au tho r i z a t ion o f th e SRS A c t exp i r ed in 2013 and th e r e h a s y e t to b e a fu r th e r r e au tho r i z a - t ion ex t end ing fu r th e r th e fund ing , and lo c a l commu - n i t i e s a r e b r a c ing fo r th e e conom i c imp a c t . In 2013 , B ak e r Coun ty r e c e iv ed c lo s e to $800 ,000 fo r ro ad d ep a r tm en t fund - ing and ano th e r app rox i - m a t e ly $100 ,000 in T i t l e I I fund ing . Th e end o f th e SRS fund - ing cou ld h av e a s ign i f i c an t e conom i c imp a c t a c ro s s th e s t a t e o f O r egon . “Th e S e cu r e Ru r a l S choo l s and S e l f -D e t e r - m in a t ion A c t p rov id e s fund ing to O r egon coun ty gov e rnm en t th a t d i r e c t ly o r ind i r e c t ly suppo r t s 3 ,500 job s , ” a c co rd ing to a s tudy condu c t ed by O r egon S t a t e Un iv e r s i ty . In add i t ion to th e lo s s o f 3 ,500 job s , O r egon cou ld exp e r i en c e a to t a l ou tpu t lo s s o f $350 m i l l ion , and a v a lu e add ed cu t equ a l ing $230 m i l l ion , a c co rd ing to th e r epo r t . US R ep r e s en t a t iv e G r eg W a ld en (R -OR ) , on D e - c emb e r 9 , 2014 , r e l e a s ed a s t a t em en t add r e s s ing th e f a i lu r e o f Cong r e s s to a c t on l eg i s l a t ion to en su r e e conom i c s t ab i l i ty to th e on c e t imb e r - r e l i an t com - mun i t i e s . “ I h av e wo rk ed h a rd w i th R ep s . P e t e r D eF a z io and Ku r t S ch r ad e r on a b ip a r t i s an b i l l to r e fo rm f ed e r a l fo r e s t po l i cy . Th e Hou s e h a s tw i c e p a s s ed th e R e s to r ing H e a l thy Fo r e s t s fo r H e a l thy Com - mun i t i e s A c t (HR 1526 ) , a b ip a r t i s an p l an to g row job s in th e wood s , imp rov e fo r e s t h e a l th , and p rov id e fund ing fo r impo r t an t lo c a l s e rv i c e s l ik e s choo l s and ro ad s . I t ’ s un fo r tun a t e th a t S en a t e D emo c r a t i c l e ad e r s f a i l ed to a c t on th i s b i l l o r any m e an ing fu l r e fo rm s to fo r e s t po l i cy th a t wou ld h av e op en ed up d i s cu s - s ion s fo r a comp rom i s e . “Sp e ak e r Bo ehn e r h a s p l edg ed th a t th e Hou s e w i l l wo rk w i th th e n ew R epub l i c an m a jo r i ty in th e S en a t e n ex t y e a r (2015 ) to s end th e p r e s id en t a long - t e rm so lu t ion to p rov id e c e r t a in ty fo r ru r a l fo r - e s t ed commun i t i e s and th e p eop l e who l iv e th e r e . Th e Sp e ak e r h a s a l so p l edg ed th a t th e Hou s e w i l l a c t to p rov id e an ex t en s ion to th e S e cu r e Ru r a l S choo l s p rog r am in th e f i r s t qu a r t e r o f n ex t y e a r (2015 ) . “ I f th e S en a t e wou ld h av e a c t ed on f ed e r a l fo r - e s t po l i cy r e fo rm , i t wou ld h av e gon e a long w ay tow a rd s p rov id ing a long - t e rm so lu t ion to a c t iv e ly m an ag ing ou r fo r e s t s to g row job s and r ev enu e . Bu t I r em a in s t rong ly sup - po r t iv e o f g e t t ing th e job don e w i th a v i ab l e p ay - fo r on c e and fo r a l l w i thou t po l i t i c a l g imm i ck ry . I w i l l wo rk w i th th e r e l ev an t comm i t t e e s on th i s so lu - t ion , and I ’m con f id en t w e ’ l l a ch i ev e a b e t t e r and l a s t ing so lu t ion und e r R e - pub l i c an l e ad e r sh ip in th e Hou s e and S en a t e , ” s t a t e s W a ld en . Wh i l e th e r e app e a r s to b e no qu i ck f ix to th e lo s s o f th e SRS fund ing , W a ld en announ c ed th a t ano th e r fund ing sou r c e d ed i c a t ed to th e fo r e s t ed commun i - t i e s , P aym en t in L i eu o f T ax e s , h a s r e c e iv ed fu l l fund ing th i s y e a r . “Fund ing fo r th e P ILT p rog r am i s con t a in ed in th i s y e a r ’ s gov e rnm en t fund ing ag r e em en t . Com - b in ed w i th fund ing in th e N a t ion a l D e f en s e Au tho- r i z a t ion A c t p a s s ed by th e Hou s e l a s t w e ek , P ILT w i l l b e fu l ly fund ed th i s y e a r a t $442 m i l l ion , a s l igh t in c r e a s e f rom l a s t y e a r . “ A l though O r egon ’ s ex a c t sh a r e i s y e t to b e d e - t e rm in ed , l a s t y e a r O r egon coun t i e s r e c e iv ed $17 .6 m i l l ion fo r e s s en t i a l lo c a l s e rv i c e s , ” s a id W a ld en . B lue Mounta in Forest P lan Rev is ion Con t inu ed f rom Pag e 1 “Th e Fo r e s t S e rv i c e i s op en to sugg e s t ion s f rom s t ak eho ld e r s , ” s a id S t ad l e r . John C r e igh ton o f B ak e r C i ty and m emb e r o f th e fo r e s t a c c e s s advo c a cy g roup Fo r e s t A c c e s s fo r A l l a t t end ed th e m e e t ing . “Th e Fo r e s t S e rv i c e r e c e iv ed mo r e th an 1 ,000 comm en t s and 95 -p e r c en t w e r e n eg a t iv e . Th ey ( th e Fo r e s t S e rv i c e ) w an t ed to add r e s s th a t a t th e m e e t ing and w an t ed to t a lk abou t how to g e t p eop l e in - vo lv ed , ” C r e igh ton s a id . “A m a jo r i ty o f th e p eop l e f e l t c au t iou s ly op t im i s t i c . N ex t , th e Fo r - e s t S e rv i c e p l an s to go th rough th e no t e s th ey took f rom th e m e e t ing and to fo rmu l a t e a con c ep t fo r fu r th e r eng ag em en t w i th th e pub l i c , ” h e add ed . B i l l H a rv ey , n ew ly swo rn in a s ch a i rm an o f th e B ak e r Coun ty Bo a rd o f Comm i s s ion e r s a t t end ed and h ad th e oppo r tun i ty to b e com e a cqu a in t ed w i th f e l low comm i s s ion e r s f rom n e ighbo r ing coun t i e s . “Th e r e w a s no d i s cu s - s ion on sp e c i f i c top i c s , ” s a id H a rv ey . “ I t w a s mo r e to t a lk w i th tho s e w e d i s ag r e e w i th and to sh a r e oppo s ing id e a s . ” H a rv ey s a id th a t th e r e w e r e s ev e r a l op in ion s sh a r ed r ang ing f rom h av - ing th e Fo r e s t S e rv i c e t ak ing mo r e pub l i c inpu t in fo rmu l a t ing th e f in a l fo r e s t p l an r ev i s ion to tho s e who b e l i ev e th e d r a f t o f th e p l an i s f a t a l ly f l aw ed and shou ld b e s c r app ed a l tog e th e r . T e r ry D r ev e r -G e e a t t end ed th e m e e t ing r ep r e - s en t ing m in ing in t e r e s t s a s a m emb e r o f th e John D ay - Sn ak e R e sou r c e Adv i so ry Comm i t t e e . Th e r e sou r c e adv i so ry comm i t t e e wo rk s to p ro - v id e inpu t and to gu id an c e on l and m an ag ed by th e Hunt ington man sentenced to 30 months in pr ison J e r emy M c l e an , ag e 44 , o f 590 2nd Ro ad in Hun t ing ton w a s s en t en c ed T u e sd ay to 30 mon th s w i th th e O r egon D ep a r tm en t o f Co r r e c t ion s . M c l e an w a s s en t en c ed by C i r cu i t Cou r t Judg e G r eg B ax t e r . M c l e an p l ed gu i l ty to on e coun t o f un l aw - fu l d e l iv e ry o f m e th am - ph e t am in e . H e w a s a l so s en t en c ed l a s t D e c emb e r in G r an t Coun ty to 30 mon th s on a ch a r g e o f d e l iv e ry o f m e th . Th e G r an t Coun ty and B ak e r Coun ty s en t en c e s w i l l run con s e cu t iv e ly fo r a to t a l o f 60 mon th s in p r i son fo r M c l e an . Th e c a s e w a s inv e s t i - g a t ed by th e B ak e r Coun ty N a r co t i c s t e am , wh i ch w a s ab l e to u t i l i z e an und e r cov - e r o f f i c e , who pu r ch a s ed m e th f rom M c l e an in bo th coun t i e s . M c l e an w a s fu r th e r s en - t en c ed to th r e e y e a r s po s t - p r i son sup e rv i s ion , wh i ch w i l l o c cu r fo l low ing h i s f iv e -y e a r p r i son s en t en c e M c l e an mu s t a l so p ay a $500 f in e and comp l e t e a d rug and a l coho l p rog r am a s p a r t o f th a t po s t -p r i son sup e rv i s ion . D i s t r i c t A t to rn ey M a t t Sh i r t c l i f f p r a i s ed th e N a r co t i c s T e am fo r th e i r invo lv em en t in th e c a s e . Bu r e au o f L and . M an ag e - m en t . D r ev e r -G e e , a 20 -y e a r m emb e r o f th e John D ay - Sn ak e RAC spok e w i th op t im i sm abou t th e USFS fo r e s t p l an r ev i s ion p ro c e s s vo i c ing h igh r eg a rd fo r T om Mon toy a who w a s r e - c en t ly appo in t ed W a l low a - Wh i tm an N a t ion a l Fo r e s t sup e rv i so r . “Th i s i s th e f i r s t t im e s in c e I ’v e l iv ed h e r e th a t th e Fo r e s t S e rv i c e sup e r - v i so r h a s b e en p romo t ed f rom w i th in th e lo c a l o f - f i c e , ” sh e s a id . “H e w a s so w e l l r e sp e c t ed in th i s a r e a th a t h e w a s p romo t ed . ” D r ev e r -G e e m en t ion ed th r e e m a in a r e a s o f in t e r e s t em e r g ing f rom th e m e e t ing w i th fo r e s t h e a l th , e conom - i c v i ab i l i ty , and a c c e s s . “W e b rok e in to sm a l l e r g roup s du r ing th e m e e t - ing and t a lk ed abou t how to p ro c e ed and wh a t th e p ro c e s s w i l l b e to eng ag e mo r e m emb e r s o f th e pub - l i c . In th e sm a l l g roup s w e p i ck ed a th em e and t r i ed to f igu r e ou t how to g e t th e in fo rm a t ion ou t to mo r e p eop l e . On e o f th e m e s s ag - e s w e d e l iv e r ed w a s th a t th e Fo r e s t S e rv i c e n e ed s to b e mo r e t r an sp a r en t and to bu i ld t ru s t , ” sh e s a id . “Wh en w e go t th e r e w e w e r e sk ep t i c a l . Wh en w e l e f t w e w e r e hop e fu l bu t s t i l l som ewh a t sk ep t i - c a l . Th i s i s to t a l ly a n ew p ro c e s s fo r th em (Fo r - e s t S e rv i c e )— a n ew t r a i l th ey a r e b l a z ing th a t th ey don ’ t w an t to do th e p l an r ev i s ion by th em s e lv e s , ” D r ev e r -G e e s a id . “Th e p eop l e f rom th e Fo r e s t S e rv i c e s e em ed to b e l i s t en ing , ” sh e add ed . F i e ld r ep r e s en t a t iv e K i r - by G a r r e t t , f rom US R ep - r e s en t a t iv e G r eg W a ld en ’ s (R -OR ) L a G r and e o f f i c e a t t end ed th e m e e t ing bu t d e c l in ed comm en t . Find us on Facebook! www.facebook.com/theBCPress THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 3 — Weekly Hay Report — F r ida y , Janua r y 9 , 2015 — Ea s t e rn O r egon P r i c e s t r end ed g en e r a l ly s t e ady comp a r ed to th e s am e qu a l i ty l a s t r epo r t w i th in c r e a s ed d em and f rom th e d a i r i e s and con t inu ed l igh t d em and f rom th e expo r t m a rk e t wh i ch con t inu e s to s e e v e ry l i t t l e t r ad ing w i th mo r e s t r ing en t r egu l a t ion s com ing f rom Ch in a . T r ad e a c t iv i ty w a s mod e r a t e w i th th e ho l id ay s ju s t end ing , and in c l em en t w e a th e r h ind e r - ing som e t r ad e . S ev e r a l p rodu c e r s h av e so ld a l l th a t th ey p l an to s e l l fo r th i s s e a son . (T on s /P r i c e r ang e /A vg . ) A l fa l fa , La rg e Squa r e / good 400 180 .00 -180 .00 180 .00 A l fa l fa /O r cha rd M ix , Sma l l Squa r e / good 20 220 .00 -220 .00 220 .00 USDA Ma rk e t N ew s S e r v i c e—AMS .USDA .go v — Cattle Market Report — W edn e sda y , Janua r y 7 , 2015 V a l e , O r egon C a t t l e so ld th rough th e au c t ion : 575 S t e e r Ca lv e s 300 -400# Bu lk 292 .00 - 364 .00 T op 386 .00 400 -500# Bu lk 283 .00 - 329 .00 T op 345 .00 500 -600# Bu lk 243 .00 - 298 .00 T op 301 .00 H e i f e r Ca lv e s 300 -400# Bu lk 263 .00 - 314 .00 T op 332 .00 400 -500# Bu lk 257 .00 - 295 .00 T op 297 .00 500 -600# Bu lk 254 .00 - 271 .00 T op 273 .00 Y ea r l ing S t e e r s 600 -700# Bu lk 232 .00 - 245 .00 T op 246 .00 700 -800# Bu lk 203 .00 - 225 .00 T op 228 .00 800 -900# Bu lk 179 .00 - 198 .00 T op 199 .00 900 -1 ,000# Bu lk N /A T op N /A Y ea r l ing H e i f e r s 600 -700# Bu lk 219 .00 - 232 .00 T op 234 .00 700 -800# Bu lk 197 .00 - 200 .00 T op 203 .00 800 -900# Bu lk N /A T op N /A 900 -1 ,000# Bu lk N /A T op N /A Th in Sh e l ly Cow s 57 .00 - 79 .00 Bu t ch e r Cow s 93 .00 - 105 .00 Bu t ch e r Bu l l s 105 .00 - 122 .00 S to ck Cow s 1575 .00 - 1800 .00 P rodu c e r sL i v e s to ck . com — Log Price Report — P r i c e p e r 1 ,000 boa rd f e e t : No r th ea s t O r egon D e l iv e r ed to E lg in Doug F i r / L a r ch 6 ”+ $370 /m Wh i t e F i r /Sp 6 ”+ $380 /m LPP 6 ”+ $350 /m D e l iv e r ed to La G rand e P . P in e 6 -1 1 ” $290 /m 12 -17 ” $340 /m 18 -23 ” $390 /m 24 ’+ $420 /m D e l iv e r ed to P i lo t Ro ck 12 -17 ” $390 /m 18 -23 ” $440 /m 24 ’+ $480 /m D e l iv e r ed pu lp $28 / ton to E lg in $28 / ton to L a G r and e Cou r t e s y o f A r v id And e r s en , And e r s en Fo r e s t r y Con su l t ing — Precious Metals Report — P r i c e p e r oun c e , USD Go ld : $1 ,231 .40 S i lv e r : $17 .02 P la t inum : $1 ,239 .50 Pa l lad ium : $815 .75 B loomb e rg . com — Ag Commodities — Co rn : $385 .75 /bu /USD Wh ea t : $584 .00 /bu /USD Soyb ean s : $1004 .25 /bu /USD Oa t s : $293 .25 /bu /USD Rough R i c e : $1 1 .45 / cw t /USD Cano la : $450 .30 CAD /mw t L iv e Ca t t l e : $157 .45 / lb . /USD F e ed e r Ca t t l e : $210 .53 / lb . /USD L ean Hog s : $75 .20 / lb . /USD B loomb e rg . com