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