FRIDAY, JANUARY 30, 2015
Business & Ag
SWCD holds annual banquet
By Todd Arriola
Todd@TheBakerCountyPress.com
About 90 people at-
tended Baker County Soil
and Water Conservation
District’s (BCSWCD)
2014/2015 Annual Dinner
and Awards event, held
at Best Western Sunridge
Inn, last Friday. This year’s
theme was “Conservation:
Pass it on Down.”
Social hour began at 5:30
p.m., and guests visited
while placing bids on the
silent auction items.
The proceeds help spon-
sor students to attend the
High Desert Youth Range
Camp, in its fifth yea , held
near Burns, Oregon, June
17-20. The auction items
included beef certificates
donated by Boone Sul-
livan, a large wooden star
donated by Nora Adamo,
a flute donated by Dave
Clemens, a 500-round box
of .22 ammunition donated
by York’s General Store,
a one year subscription to
The Baker County Press
donated by Kerry Mc-
Quisten, a rustic star do-
nated by Keating SWCD,
bull semen donated by
Myron Miles, home décor
and a mason jar donated by
Andrea Wilson, an Avon
gift basket donated by
Janet Wirth, a handmade
quilt donated by Eagle
Valley SWCD, and a book
titled “You Can’t Borrow
Yourself Rich: Warnock
Ranching History,” by
Dan Warnock, donated by
Deryl Leggett.
Dinner included prime
rib, roasted red potatoes,
broccoli and cauliflower
salads, with apple crisp for
dessert, and refreshments,
including bar service.
Appetizers included an
artichoke and spinach dip
with baguette slices.
Whitney Collins, BC-
SWCD District Manager,
welcomed the crowd to the
event, and led the group
Mining
Summit
Continued from Page 1
“Where are we in Or-
egon?” asked Andy Bentz,
owner of Bentz Solutions,
rhetorically, addressing the
status of natural resource
industries in this state.
“Oregon doesn’t have a
rural or a law problem. It’s
a problem of process and
perception. Mining left Or-
egon in the early 1990s. As
a state we send the wrong
message about mining.
The perception outside the
state is that Oregon isn’t
welcome to mining.”
Because of difficulties
in the mine permitting
process, often fraught with
delay and appeals, Bentz
explained difficulties
raising the needed capital
for investors to consider
mining in Oregon. The
problems with process
and perception led to very
little mineral exploration
occurring in the state, ac-
cording to Bentz and other
panelists.
Adding to the problem
is what Bentz referred
to as a “hypersensitive”
view prevalent among
some state legislators and
environmental preserva-
tion organizations. “This
hypersensitivity and litiga-
tion against federal agency
land managers has driven
the process to a crawl,”
Bentz said. “This has led
to a clearing in Oregon of
natural resource jobs.”
People like Dave Hun-
with the Pledge of Al-
legiance.
A video created by
Tara Wilson, BCSWCD
Administration/Education
Outreach, highlighting the
different SWCD accom-
plishments during 2014,
was shown, complete with
music and narration.
Parker Ussery, District
Conservationist for the
National Resources Con-
servation Service (NRCS)
in Baker City, thanked the
attendees for their efforts,
and then gave the floor to
Collins for presentation of
awards.
She said, “Each year, the
SWCD Directors select a
land owner within our dis-
trict boundaries, who is an
exceptional example as a
good steward of the land.”
This year, the Defrees
Family Ranch received the
Conservationist of the Year
award, accepted by Dean
Defrees. “The Defrees
Ranch has implemented
countless conservation
measures, as well as being
on the cutting edge of con-
servation,” Collins said.
Collins then called to
the podium Arnie Gram-
mon of the Baker County
Weed Department, who
explained that about four
years ago, Bruce and Carol
Hummel moved to the
local area, and their focus,
from a conservation stand-
point was medusahead.
Grammon said, “They
were very serious about
their land ethic and how
they approached the land,
and we could not have bet-
ter representatives for the
Weed Warrior award for
2014/2015.” The couple
was presented the award
by Grammon.
Ussery called Tim Kerns,
Jr., Baker Valley SWCD
Chair, Zone 3, up to pres-
ent the next awards. He
was accompanied by Dick
D’Ewart, Burnt River
SWCD Director, Zone 1.
nicutt, Executive Director
of Oregonians in Action
and Rich Angstrom, Ex-
ecutive Director of Oregon
Concrete and Aggregate
Producers Association are
working to reverse the
problems with the mining
permitting process and
perception in Oregon. Both
work as lobbyists in Salem
on behalf of the mining
and aggregate industries.
“I spend a lot of time
lurking the marble nut-
house in Salem,” Hunnicutt
said jokingly referring to
his work with Oregon state
legislators. “The best way
to make change is through
the legislative process.”
Hunnicutt explained the
lack of growth in Oregon’s
rural, natural resource
rich counties and placed
blame for that on Oregon’s
land planning laws. He
provided numbers using
a comparison between
Oregon’s Harney County
and Humbolt County in
California. Both coun-
ties have similarities in
land, distance from major
metropolitan areas, and in
natural resources yet one
county struggles economic
while the other prospers.
Hunnicutt cited a
12-percent unemployment
rate in Harney County
and a four-percent unem-
ployment rate in Hum-
bolt County. The median
income in Harney County
runs $35,000 a year while
the median in Humbolt
County runs $55,000
per year. Hunnicutt said
20-percent of residents in
Harney County live below
poverty level while only
10-percent live at that level
THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 3
— Weekly Hay Report —
Friday, January 23, 2015 — Eastern Oregon
Prices trended mixed compared to the same quality
last week. Trade activity was moderate and demand
was good after the holidays compared to last week.
Several producers have sold all that they plan to sell
for this season.
No new eastern Oregon sales reported.
USDA Market News Service—AMS.USDA.gov
— Sheep Report —
Friday, January 23, 2015 — Western U.S.
Todd Arriola / The Baker County Press
An Outgoing Director Award was given to Ross
Shumway in recognition of his years of service.
D’Ewart called up Ross
Shumway, and said, “Ross
has been a Director for
39 years, and every time
we had someone to send
to a meeting, it generally
was Ross, and he has done
a great job for us. Ross,
we sure thank you.” The
Outgoing Director award
was given to Shumway in
recognition of his years
of service with the Burnt
River SWCD.
Shumway said, “Well, I
certainly appreciate this.
It’s been a long, long haul,
but it came time to quit. I
certainly enjoyed being on
the Board.” Kent Nelson,
who was unable to attend
the event, also received an
Outgoing Director award
for his 39 years of ser-
vice with the Burnt River
SWCD.
Ussery said, “We’d now
like to turn the time over
to (Baker County) Com-
missioner (Tim) Kerns,
for an Oath of Office.”
The elected Directors for
the Burnt River, Baker
Valley, and Keating SWCD
districts were called up to
take the Oath. These were
Boone Sullivan, Jared
Smull and Will Vaughan
(Vaughan was not present)
for Burnt River, Myron
Miles and Time Kerns, Jr.
for Baker Valley, and Walt
Jury for Keating.
After the Oath was
given, While Kerns was
at the podium, he asked
Collins about the total of
the conservation grants
received through Baker
County SWCDs in 2014,
and she replied that it
was $3.6 million, to the
astonishment of the crowd,
followed by applause.
Ussery announced the
winners of the silent
auction items after that,
followed by a presentation
of a gift certificate made
to Whitney Collins from
Time Kerns, Jr. and Holly
McKim, Keating SWCD
Director, in recognition of
her efforts with the din-
ner event and in general
throughout the year.
In conclusion, Ussery
said, “We appreciate
everybody coming out
tonight. We appreciate the
efforts of everybody, and
we welcome those new
Board members, and we
congratulate those who,
throughout the year, have
done a phenomenal job,
and we look forward to
seeing you all again next
year. Thank you for being
here, and more impor-
tantly, thank you for your
efforts in conservation.”
in Humbolt County.
Hunnicutt believes the
difference in economic
prosperity lies in the land
use laws in Oregon that
have been in place since
1973 through Oregon’s
Land Conservation and
Development Commission
(LCDC), a seven-member
commission appointed by
the governor.
Local land planning
and use in Oregon goes
through a comprehensive
planning process dictated
by the LCDC.
“In Humbolt County
there is mining and a dif-
ferent land use system in
that state while Harney
County has been locked
into the same land use
planning system since
1973,” he said.
Despite the huge dif-
ferences in demographics
between rural and urban
Oregon the entire state has
operated, for more than
four decades, under the
same statewide land use
planning regulations.
“In the other 49 states
it’s done at the local level,”
said Hunnicutt.
Hunnicutt explained
land use planning and
application in Oregon has
created problems for the
rural communities leading
to economic stagnation
and loss of population in
many eastern and northern
Oregon counties.
“We have processed
ourselves to death in this
state,” he said.
Hunnicutt pointed to
Washington state and the
recent legislative decision
to allow rural counties
to opt out of the land use
regulations that work to
control growth and sprawl
in urban land use areas.
There is a similar bill
proposed in Oregon, Sen-
ate Bill 25, that would
allow eight small, non-
growing rural counties,
including Baker, Wallowa,
Harney, and Malheur
Counties, to opt out of
land use planning restric-
tions. The bill could lead to
more utilization of natural
resources in rural counties,
according to Hunnicutt.
He explained that the
eight rural counties cov-
ered under the proposed
SB 25 have a combined
population of about 72,000
residents over a land mass
of about 32,000 square
miles. He compared that
with the population of
Medford with 72,000
residents sharing an area
of 25 square miles. He also
pointed out that growth in
these eight rural coun-
ties has been about 3,000
residents during the past 60
years. “Which is equal to
what Portland grows in one
month,” Hunnicutt said.
Joining the industry lob-
byists and eastern Oregon
political representatives are
a handful of vocal, local
small-scale miners speak-
ing out to reverse the nega-
tive perceptions hanging
over the mining industries.
Local mining engineer
Ken Anderson leads the
charge and addressed the
audience and State Rep.
Cliff Bentz (during the
mining summit with what
has become his mantra,
“No industry exists without
extracting minerals from
the earth.”
Compared to last week: Feeder Lambs and Slaughter
Ewes had no recent comparison. Imperial Valley old
crop lambs will begin moving back to the feedlots in
early February. Colorado lamb feeders are struggling to
keep pens dry with the recent warmer weather. Lambs
are carrying increased amounts of mud as they head to
slaughter. Most feeders are spreading corn stalks or
straw to try and combat the issue. Harvest weights are
steadily increasing in Colorado and the Mid-west. Con-
sumer demand is struggling and packers are continuing
to decrease bids.
USDA Market News Service—AMS.USDA.gov
— Cattle Market Report —
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
Vale, Oregon
Cattle sold through the auction: 969
Steer Calves
300-400# Bulk 332.00 - 378.00 Top 390.00
400-500# Bulk 275.00 - 348.00 Top 350.00
500-600# Bulk 234.00 - 291.00 Top 300.00
Heifer Calves
300-400# Bulk 238.00 - 282.00 Top 302.50
400-500# Bulk 233.00 - 289.00 Top 292.50
500-600# Bulk 218.00 - 251.00 Top 255.00
Yearling Steers
600-700# Bulk 207.00 - 231.00 Top 235.50
700-800# Bulk 192.00 - 212.00 Top 213.00
800-900# Bulk 191.00 - 198.00 Top 199.00
900-1,000# Bulk N/A Top N/A
Yearling Heifers
600-700# Bulk 194.00 - 231.00 Top 231.75
700-800# Bulk 172.00 - 195.00 Top 196.00
800-900# Bulk 168.00 - 188.00 Top 194.00
900-1,000# Bulk N/A Top N/A
Thin Shelly Cows 86.00 - 96.00
Butcher Cows 94.00 - 109.00
Butcher Bulls 94.00 - 109.00
Stock Cows 1575.00 - 2100.00
ProducersLivestock.com
— Log Price Report —
Price per 1,000 board feet: Northeast Oregon
Delivered to Elgin
Doug Fir / Larch 6”+ $370/m
White Fir/Sp 6”+ $380/m
LPP 6”+ $350/m
Delivered to La Grande
P. Pine 6-11” $290/m
12-17” $340/m
18-23” $390/m
24’+ $420/m
Delivered to Pilot Rock
12-17” $390/m
18-23” $440/m
24’+ $480/m
Delivered pulp
$28/ton to Elgin
$28/ton to La Grande
Courtesy of Arvid Andersen,
Andersen Forestry Consulting
— Precious Metals Report —
Price per ounce, USD
Gold: $1,293.20
Silver: $18.09
Platinum: $1,265.88
Palladium: $782.75
Bloomberg.com
— Ag Commodities —
Corn: $381.25/bu/USD
Wheat: $522.00/bu/USD
Soybeans: $978.00/bu/USD
Oats: $290.00/bu/USD
Rough Rice: $10.95/cwt/USD
Canola: $461.90 CAD/mwt
Live Cattle: $150.75/lb./USD
Feeder Cattle: $202.28/lb./USD
Lean Hogs: $72.65/lb./USD
Bloomberg.com