8 — THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS
FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015
Local
WWNF road analysis ongoing Translator
as comment period ends District offers
opt-out form
The Blue Mountain Translator District’s fiscal year is
coming to a close May 31st. Customers who misplaced
their June 2014 billing and opt out form can contact the
district, which will provide replacement forms.
Members have until April 15th of 2015 to return their
forms for the current fiscal yea .
Annual billings will be mailed June 1st for the new
fiscal yea .
Invasive plants
EIS comments
now sought
Brian Addison / The Baker County Press
The Wallowa-Whitman National Forest headquarters in Baker City with the Elkhorn Mountain range in the
background.
Continued from Page 1
The public identification
of existing roads will be
added to the USFS “exist-
ing conditions maps.” The
existing condition maps
“are a compilation of infor-
mation collected from the
public, the counties, and
tribes over the past eight
years, plus the Forest Ser-
vice’s own road inventory
maps,” stated Bogardus.
The existing condition
maps are then used by the
USFS for development
of Subpart A of the 2005
Travel Management Rule.
Region 6 Forester Jim
Peña has directed Wal-
lowa-Whitman National
Forest officials to complete
the Subpart A analysis by
the end of 2015.
Once the Subpart A anal-
ysis has been completed,
the USFS may then move
onto Subpart B of the 2005
Travel Management Rule.
“Subpart B provides for
a system of National Forest
System roads, National
Forest System trails, and
areas on National Forest
System lands that are des-
ignated for motor vehicle
use,” said Bogardus.
After road designations
are made, the USFS then
publishes a Motorized Use
Map.
While the work on Sub-
parts A and B have been
progressing, so too has the
USFS revision of the Blue
Mountain Forest Man-
agement Plan. The Blue
Mountain Forest Manage-
ment Plan revision has
been underway for several
years and once completed
will replace the forest plan
in place since 1990. The
Blue Mountain Forest
Management Plan guides
all activity on the feder-
ally managed lands within
three national forests, the
Wallowa-Whitman, Uma-
tilla, and Malheur.
Subparts A and B are not,
per se, incorporated into
the forest management
plans. “Site-specific travel
management decisions
are not typically made in
land management plans,”
Bogardus explained.
“Travel management
decisions are made at the
project level and must be
consistent with the ap-
plicable land management
plan. Forest Plans must
be consistent with appli-
cable laws and regulations,
including the 2005 Travel
Management Rule,” Bog-
ardus continued.
“Upon completion of
the (Blue Mountain) For-
est Plan Revision, which
is anticipated to occur in
2016 or 2017, the Forest
(Service) will resume the
development of Subpart
B of the 2005 Travel
Management Rule,” said
Bogardus.
Snowmobiles are not
exempt from USFS travel
planning and are covered
in Subpart C of the 2005
Travel Management Rule.
“Per court order, Subpart
C requires that roads, trails
and areas where over-snow
vehicle use can occur be
specifically designated
by local Forest Service
managers,” stated Bogar-
dus. “No timeline has been
established for comple-
tion.”
USFS officials attempted
in 2009 to implement a
Travel Management Plan
in the Wallowa-Whitman
National Forest that would
have invoked a blanket
closure of all 9,400-miles
of roads after which certain
roads would designated as
open. Forest road policy
was to change from the
long-standing “open unless
designated closed” policy
to a “closed unless desig-
nated open” policy.
That first attempt at the
Travel Management Plan
in the Wallowa-Whitman
National Forest met with
strong opposition from the
public including a petition
against the plan signed
by approximately 6,000
residents of northeastern
Oregon. The forest super-
visor at that time, Monica
Swalbach, rescinded that
Travel Management Plan.
As the public input pe-
riod reached the March 31
deadline, development of
Subpart A and the accuracy
of the USFS maps have
recently come under fire
from local residents and
access organizations.
In an official comment
submitted to the USFS,
open-forest access advo-
cate John George of Bates,
Oregon writes: “After
Careful consideration no I
do not believe the maps are
correct, as the roads that
are currently designated
closed on your existing
conditions maps may or
may not have been prop-
erly closed to motorized
use and those inconsisten-
cies are not documented
on the maps provided. The
current open road system
does not leave enough
roads open to meet the re-
source management needs
and other forest manage-
ment objectives to which I
and others are accustom to
in Eastern Oregon. I also
believe that the Sub-Part
A report development has
been severally (sic) flawed
and does not allow the
local communities and
citizens an opportunity to
participate in the develop-
ment of the report in a
substantive manner.”
George continues, “Your
office currently states there
are 2.5 miles of open road
densities per square mile
on the Forest and accord-
ing to your desired condi-
tions in the DEIS (Draft
Environmental Impact
Statement) your goal is
for 1.5 miles of open road
densities per square mile.
I believe the 2.5 miles of
road per sq. mile of forest
to be exaggerated, and
misleading. The standard
of 1.5 miles of road per
square mile of land, does
not leave enough roads
open to properly manage
the Forest and does not
allow adequate access to
the Forest, it also fails to
recognize current public
right of way law, as well
as the General Mining Act
of 1872 that grants free
and open exploration of
minerals.”
When asked for a
response to George’s con-
cerns regarding Subpart A
of the 2005 Travel Man-
agement Rule, Wallowa-
Whitman National Forest
officials answered simpl ,
“No comment.”
Baker County Commis-
sioners hope to hold a pub-
lic discussion soon about
the USFS current road
maps and Subpart A and
have invited Tom Mon-
toya, Wallowa-Whitman
National Forest supervisor
to attend a commissioner’s
meeting in the near future.
Commissioners Tim
Kerns and Mark Ben-
nett have sent letters to
Montoya emphasizing a
desire to develop a work-
ing relationship between
the USFS and the Baker
County Natural Resources
Advisory Committee.
“It is my goal that we
craft a good working
relationship where we can
utilize both the Cooperat-
ing Agency and Coordi-
nation processes,” Kerns
writes. “The federal forest
is an important and integral
part of Baker County, and
I wish to maintain a strong
and positive working
relationship as we move
forward through the Forest
Plan Revision process,
completion of the required
Travel Management plan,
and ultimately more timber
being removed from our
forest to lessen the impact
of inferno-like fires.
Kerns’ letter was signed
by he and Commissioner
Bennett.
Bennett penned his own
letter to Montoya and,
similar to Kerns, outlined
several areas of focus.
“Forest health, community
stability, forest access/trav-
el management, proposed
wilderness/road less areas,
mineral extraction, timber
harvest, grazing, and recre-
ation,” are topics high-
lighted within both Kerns’
and Bennett’s letters.
“We must collectively
work to maintain the
customs, culture and eco-
nomic stability of Baker
County, while balancing
the mandates of the United
States Forest Service,”
Bennett concluded in his
letter to Montoya.
Small business workshop ahead
Blue Mountain Com-
munity College’s Business
Development group is
presenting a free workshop
to introduce participants
to who the Federal Public
Land Agencies are, of-
fer advice and tools for
growing their business by
selling to the government,
and give the opportunity to
network with representa-
tives from different State
and Federal agencies.
Presentation Overview:
Who the Agencies are and
what they do, Policy that
Dictates work be set aside
for small businesses, Why
you as a contractor are
important to the Agencies
for Completion of Require-
ments, Sources of assis-
tance to Small Businesses
Acquisition process,
Networking opportunities,
Are you equipped to do
business with the
Federal Government, and
Marketing to Agencies.
Contact Sue LaCroix
slacroix@gcap.org
541-786-7344 for ques-
tions and more information
on this workshop.
BAKER CITY, Ore. – Public comments on the Inva-
sive Plants Treatment Draft Supplemental Environmental
Impact Statement (DEIS) are being sought through May
4, 2015. The Draft SEIS project documents can be found
at http://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=41451.
In 2010, a Final Environmental Impact Statement
(FEIS) for the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest Inva-
sive Plants Treatment Project was published and a Record
of Decision (ROD) was signed, authorizing a variety of
invasive plant treatments to contain, control or eradi-
cate existing and new invasive plants on the forest. The
full Invasive Species FEIS can be found at http://www.
fs.usda.gov by following the WWNF links.
A large number of new and existing invasive plant
populations on the national forest required analysis to
implement new or more effective and cost-efficient trea -
ment actions, including the updated list of herbicides, as
analyzed in the Region 6 Invasive Plant FEIS. Current
inventories indicate that invasive plant infestations are
broadly distributed and occupy approximately 22,842
acres on the national forest.
Six months after the ROD was signed, a complaint
was filed against the agency in the U.S. District Court
of Oregon, alleging that the 2010 decision violated the
NEPA, the National Forest Management Act and the
Clean Water Act.
Subsequent appeals and court rulings resulted in this
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) to
re-analyze and disclose the potential cumulative effects
of treating invasive plants across the Wallowa-Whitman
National Forest for the next 15 years; and outlining
compliance with PACFISH and INFISH, which guide
management of riparian habitats to protect native fish
The Draft SEIS includes only portions of the 2010
FEIS that were modified or replaced. Portions of the
2010 FEIS that remain unchanged are not included in the
Supplement.
Guidelines for the submission of written, verbal or elec-
tronic comments can be found in the legal notice or the
project documents, which can be accessed at http://www.
fs.usda.gov/project/?project=41451.
To receive a copy of the electronic documents on CD,
or a hardcopy of the documents, contact Gene Yates, For-
est Botanist, at 541-523-1290 or gyates@fs.fed.us
Cattlemen urge
attendance at
Bend meeting
On April 24th, the Oregon Department of Fish and
Wildlife (ODFW) will be holding a meeting in Bend, OR.
The focus of the meeting will be directed toward wolf
delisting.
Due to the topic of the discussion, the Oregon Cattle-
men’s Association (OCA) is urging a strong show of
members.
As information regarding the meeting time and place
are to be determined, members of the public can continue
to check online for updates here: http://www.dfw.state.
or.us/agency/commission/minutes
The OCA says it recommends members to encourage
County Commissioners, Sheriffs, and Chamber of Com-
merce reps, from as many counties as possible to attend
and voice their opinions.
OSU honor roll
Several students from Baker County made Oregon State
University’s Winter Term 2015 Honor Roll. They are as
follow:
Baker City
Straight-A Average: Ryan K. Cashen, Sophomore, Pre-
Chemical Engineering; Samantha Searles, Sophomore,
Psychology.
3.5 or Better: Laura E. Borgen, Senior, Applied Visual
Arts; Trenton K. Howard, Senior, Psychology; Chelsea
K. McVay, Senior, BioHealth Sciences; Jessilyn K. Say-
ers, Sophomore, Pre-Communication; Connor L. Yates,
Junior, Pre-Computer Science.
Halfway
3.5 or Better: Tanner H. Seal, Junior, BioHealth Sci-
ences.