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About The Baker County press. (Baker City, Ore.) 2014-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 27, 2015)
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2015 Business & Ag Bark beetles, dead trees Continued from Page 1 And, a dense timber stand full of beetle-killed trees is rife for catastrophic forest fire, explains Andersen. Bennett and other agri- cultural land owners rely upon the Dooley Mountain region drainage system. “We are still paying the penalties for the fires that started clear back to the ‘86 fire. Because that is the reservoir, it’s the timber that holds the water in. That is the expansion of the water storage for the Burnt River system which is the headwaters to the Snake. It flows all the way through. And if every tributary suffers issues then the whole system suffers,” Bennett explained. “Since 1986, ap- proximately 25-percent or 400,000 acres, of the Wallowa-Whitman Na- tional Forest has burned,” said Andersen. As Andersen tours the south side of Dooley Mountain he points to a dying Ponderosa pine tree with a fading crown and other obvious signs of bark beetle infestation. “As a timber cruiser, that would be one of the first trees I’d mark to be cut down,” Andersen begins. “But, you can see that that tree is bigger than 21-inches, so on federal land that tree can’t be cut.” At the heart of forest management woes lies a 1994 federal rule prohibit- ing the cutting of trees on federal lands with a trunk diameter exceeding 21-inches at breast height, explains Andersen. The “21-inch rule” dictates whether a tree on fed- eral land, regardless of the health and condition of a given tree, can be removed or not. It was this 21-inch rule, enacted during the era of spotted owl protections and increased regulations aimed at environmental conservation, that changed federal agency forest man- agement and shut down the large-scale timber industry in eastern Oregon. The 21-inch rule, part of what were are referred to as “east side screens” were put in place as a tem- porary, 18-month measure intended to preserve larger trees, and has now been in place for more than two decades. The term “east side screens” comes from the regulations requiring all timber sales on federal THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 3 — Weekly Hay Report — Friday, February 20, 2015 — Eastern Oregon Prices trended generally steady compared to the same quality last week. Trade activity and demand continue to be slow. The good weather in several areas of Oregon has slowed down demand, as the pasture grasses are growing causing end users to be able to turn animals out on pasture rather than purchase and feed additional hay. Fewer containers available at the shipping ports has slowed down the ability to export hay overseas. Several producers have old all that they plan to sell for this season. Alfalfa - Large Square good 110 (tons) 180.00 (price) Alfalfa/Orchard Mix - Small square good 10 (tons) 180.00 (price) USDA Market News Service—AMS.USDA.gov — Cattle Market Report — Brian Addison / The Baker County Press The arrows point to two larvae infecting a dead Ponderosa pine tree along the Dooley Mountain Highway on the south side of the mountain. The white larva is a Mountain Pine Beetle larva. land in eastern Oregon to trees leads to opportu- Oregon forests, carries be screened to ensure com- nity for the bark beetles on its body the blue stain pliance with the environ- to invade on a larger and fungus. Blue stain fungus mental regulations. larger scale, according to spreads from the beetle to Andersen looks back to Andersen and Shumway. the pine tree and lessens the era before the east side Andersen points to an the tree’s ability to produce screens were put in place area of prescribed burn. pitch, and impedes the and talks about a local “See there where the fire tree’s uptake of water, economic base and social crowned out and burned explains Parker. culture centered around a the tops of the trees. When “It’s a double whammy vibrant timber industry. that happened, it weakened on the pine tree,” said He begins reciting the trees and gave the Andersen. “The bark beetle a long list of logging beetles an opportunity,” and the blue stain working contractors now gone said Andersen. together lessens the tree‘s from Baker County and Shumway has managed ability to move nutrients remembers the employ- timber on his private land and water.” ment opportunities offered since 1975. Currently, USFS has a at the local Ellingson “In the years we’ve treatment project underway Lumber Mills, which at its managed our land, we’ve on 1,500 acres in the Burnt height employed about 150 really kept the bark beetle River south fork region, employees. He also recalls under control. The main west of Unity and east of a time when Baker High thing has always been Deardorf Mountain near School boasted the finest to stay ahead of the bark Rail Gulch, to deal with forestry program in the beetle by thinning enough an identified outbreak of state of Oregon, under the timber to keep it out,” Mountain Pine Beetle. guidance of Mike Monaco. Shumway explained. The south fork outbreak The eastside screens “We’re harvesting right has crossed public lands along with the 21-inch rule now to get ahead of it.” into a neighboring pri- and increased environ- Thinning is seen by vately owned timber stand. mental regulations were Andersen and Shumway Andersen works for that put into action in 1994, as a method of creating land owner and estimates Ellingson’s mills closed healthier timber stands. a third of those trees have two years later. Now, more Reducing timber density been infected with the than two decades later and leaves adequate water and Mountain Pine Beetle. Andersen can only name nutrient supplies to the “We think the beetle two logging contractors remaining trees. outbreak near Unity started still operating. “Trees are starting to die three years ago in a small The USFS use of because we’re not culling group of trees in the Prairie prescribed fire as a forest the bad trees. In timber City Ranger District,” management tool has led marking, we leave the said Joe Sciarrino, USFS to some of the problems healthy trees. You see the silviculturist. in the timber stands today dying crowns-those would USFS timber specialists says both Andersen and be the first to go,” said do not recognize the timber timberland owner Lynn Andersen stands on and around Shumway. A healthy pine tree pro- Dooley Mountain as being “It’s hard to call it man- duces pitch to counter the a widespread infestation of agement,” said Shumway attack of the bark beetle, the bark beetle. That deter- after witnessing several according to Andersen, mination would come from of the USFS prescribed Shumway, and Bob Parker, an assessment done by burning projects. “The Forestry Agent for the an entomologist from the Forest Service has burned Baker County Oregon USFS lab in La Grande, with a lack of control and State University extension according to Sciarrino. that has caused a problem program. The recommendation for where they’ve weakened Also, the Mountain Pine such an assessment will the trees.” Bark Beetles, the main not be made at this time, This weakening of the culprit infesting eastern he added. “It is seen as an endemic condition with just a nor- mal level of trees affect- ed,” said Sciarrino. Baker County Commis- sioner Bennett remains hopeful that legislation currently working its way through congress may loosen the restrictions currently placed on timber projects. “I’m cautiously optimis- tic,” Bennett began. “As part of the SRS (Secure Rural Schools) package, the current language is to set aside the ‘21-inch’ rule. It is tied to such an impor- tant package. I’m really optimistic that Congress will pass that package for a variety of reasons. It’s important for them to understand that once we’re allowed to start cutting larger trees that we are not talking about clear-cutting but instead removing trees for a healthier forest.” Wednesday, February 18, 2015 Vale, Oregon Cattle sold through the auction: 759 Steer Calves 300-400# Bulk 307.00 - 329.00 Top 337.50 400-500# Bulk 275.00 - 305.00 Top 323.50 500-600# Bulk 247.00 - 293.00 Top 298.00 Heifer Calves 300-400# Bulk 228.00 - 267.00 Top 274.00 400-500# Bulk 236.00 - 270.00 Top 274.00 500-600# Bulk 221.00 - 247.00 Top 256.50 Yearling Steers 600-700# Bulk 214.00 - 236.00 Top 242.00 700-800# Bulk 187.00 - 210.00 Top 215.00 800-900# Bulk N/A Top N/A 900-1,000# Bulk N/A Top N/A Yearling Heifers 600-700# Bulk 196.00 - 218.00 Top 223.00 700-800# Bulk 172.00 - 189.00 Top 202.50 800-900# Bulk N/A Top N/A 900-1,000# Bulk N/A Top N/A Thin Shelly Cows 73.00 - 91.00 Butcher Cows 93.00 - 109.00 Butcher Bulls 102.00 - 114.00 Stock Cows 1175.00 - 1725.00 Younger Hfrts. 123.00 - 154.00 Stock Cows Yng. - 1800.00 - 2175.00 ProducersLivestock.com 541-473-3136 — 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: $1,197.00 Silver: $16.24 Platinum: $1,163.00 Palladium: $792.50 Bloomberg.com — Ag Commodities — Corn: $389.75/bu/USD Wheat: $508.50/bu/USD Soybeans: $1023.50/bu/USD Oats: $271.00 bu/USD Rough Rice: $10.75/cwt/USD Canola: $472.50 CAD/mwt Live Cattle: $146.05/lb./USD Feeder Cattle: $195.45/lb./USD Lean Hogs: $68.60/lb./USD Bloomberg.com
