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About The Baker County press. (Baker City, Ore.) 2014-current | View Entire Issue (May 1, 2015)
FRIDAY, MAY 1, 2015 Outdoor Rec / Local County bans pot Todd Arriola /The Baker County Press A group of protesters gathered outside the Courthouse Wednesday while Com- missioners discussed the new marijuana ban ordinance. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Shortly after the Pledge of Allegiance and Invoca- tion, Bennett moved to adopt the agenda, with a second from Kerns. The motion carried. As there were no items to discuss for the citizens’ participation segment of the session, the public hearing was held concern- ing the ordinance. Shirtcliff provided the Board with a synopsis regarding the ordinance, and discussed the issues encountered in Colorado and Washington, including teen marijuana usage and crime rates. He said since the moratorium passed in Baker County a year ago addressing dispensaries expires at the end of April, the moratorium should be passed once again and continued at this time, because the opportunity could be lost to address the issue later. Part of his argument is that local entities should be allowed to make the decision regarding dis- pensaries, and he believes that the opinion is in good standing. Shirtcliff believes that the existence of medical marijuana fa- cilities still violates federal law. He encouraged the Board to pass the ordi- nance at this time, and said that if legislation affects the ordinance at a later date, this can be addressed, and adjustments can be made. The purpose for the ordi- nance is stated as a prohi- bition of “…the operation of commercial Marijuana Facilities/Dispensaries as well Marijuana Producers, Processors, Wholesalers, Retailers and Marijuana Testing Facilities. The Baker County Board of Commissioners find that the operation of these fa- cilities and establishments as described in House Bill 3460 and Ballot Measure 91 conflict with federal law. Therefore, the Baker County Board of Com- missioners hereby place a prohibition on the opera- tion of such facilities.” Bennett pointed out that this ordinance would not cover incorporated cities in the county, like Haines, Huntington, Richland, Sumpter and Unity, for ex- ample. It would cover the unincorporated portions of the county. Harvey explained the testimony process, say- ing that any individuals in favor of passing the ordinance are given an opportunity to speak first, and then those in opposi- tion are allowed to speak. He asked if any attendees were in favor of passing the ordinance, and none stated so. He asked if any were in opposition, and Carol Free spoke with the Board first. She voiced her concerns with passing the ordinance, and said that it doesn’t have anything to do with her opening a dispensary, because she said she has no plans to. She said that since state legislation has been passed allowing dispensaries to exist, they should be allowed within the county. Free talked about family members who’ve died from can- cer, and the difficulties in obtaining medications, in- cluding medical marijuana, and the issues with access in rural areas. Free talked about the success with dispensaries in western Oregon, and explained the dispensary process and security and access issues and solutions with the Board. Harvey said the Board has to look at the broader picture, and do what’s best for the county, and Free said she can understand both sides of the argument. Free and Harvey discussed access issues, including the protection of children and others, and Harvey said the question is whether Baker County wants dispensaries here. Shaw spoke with the Board next, and began by explaining the process for obtaining medical mari- juana cards. He said there are probably only 25 to 30 Letter to the Editor Policy: The Baker County Press reserves the right not to pub- lish letters containing factual falsehoods or incoherent narrative. Letters promoting or detracting from specific for-profit business- es will not be published. Word limit is 375 words per letter. Letters are limited to one every other week per author. Letters should be submitted to Editor@TheBakerCounty- Press.com. Advertising and Opinion Page Dis- claimer: Opinions submitted as Guest grow sites in Baker Coun- ty, and talked about the difficulty with supplying the individuals who hold cards in the county—257, according to Baker City Police Chief Wyn Lohner, Shaw said. 97 are currently being processed, according to Free. Shaw explained that licensed growers can currently legally have six mature marijuana plants at one time per patient, and that the maximum number of patients is four, and the maximum number of ma- ture plants is 24. He said that a mature plant is con- sidered to be at least one foot in height, or one foot in diameter. In addition, he said, licensed growers can have 18 marijuana plant starts in their possession. Shaw explained the large amount of marijuana needed to be processed into some medicinal forms, and the Board discussed with him this issue. Ben- nett commented that he has personally seen six plants supply a large amount of marijuana, with a compe- tent, licensed grower. When asked by Harvey whether Shaw supports recreational marijuana use, he said on a personal level, he does not, but that his personal view shouldn’t be associated with the medi- cal marijuana community, which he represents. Har- vey explained the situation with alcohol addiction and access locally, that it would be mirrored with marijuana use, and Shaw disagreed. The Board closed the public portion of the hearing, and discussed the details of the ordinance. Kerns moved, and Ben- nett seconded, that the ordinance be adopted, by reading title only, and the motion carried. Bennett moved, and Kerns sec- onded, that the ordinance be adopted, by reading title only, and the motion carried. The ordinance was adopted (there are only two readings required in order to adopt county ordinances). Opinions or Letters to the Editor express the opinions of their authors, and have not been authored by and are not necessarily the opinions of The Baker County Press, any of our staff, management, independent contractors or affiliates. Advertisements placed by political groups, candidates, businesses, etc., are printed as a paid service, which does not constitute an endorsement of or fulfillment obligation by this newspaper for the products or services advertised. Find us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/TheBCPress THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 7 A little on OR-22 ing about a week there. No collared wolves have yet been documented crossing the Co- lumbia River, but the Snake River has been crossed many times, ac- cording to ODFW. In early March, OR22 crossed back into Oregon THE OUTDOOR COLUMN near Brownlee Reservoir, and hung By Todd Arriola around the Eagle Cap Wilderness There’s been an ongo- area near Keating, until the ing, heated debate regard- first week of April. This is ing northeastern Oregon when he headed south. gray wolves, including the I’m not one to claim to question of de-listing from be a psychic in the mind the Oregon Endangered of a wolf, and neither Species Act (OESA), but I’d like to narrow the focus is Morgan, so he said a bit, and talk about a two- simply that, “Until they get somewhere, you don‘t year-old male wolf known know where they‘re going as OR22. to be,” and he said that He was born in April OR22 is around the age 2013 as a member of the when dispersal is common. Umatilla River Pack, a He did cross I-84 south pack known to be gener- of Baker City, which is ally in an area—natal also not uncommon, since territory—northeast of ODFW reported that this Pendleton. In October of type of crossing has been that year, a GPS-enabled documented multiple times tracking collar was placed with different collared around his neck, said Russ wolves. Clearly, neither Morgan, ODFW Wolf the highways, nor the riv- Program Coordinator, located in La Grande. Two ers, are barriers to a wolf’s years later, this same collar movements. Ironically, the only known highway- remains in place. related mortality in Oregon In mid-February this year, OR22 separated from was a dispersing wolf from Idaho, struck by a vehicle the pack, and later that on I-84 south of Baker, in month, crossed the Snake May 2000, according to River into Idaho, stay- ODFW. OR22 worked his way south, and as of this writ- ing, he’s in an area south- east of Ontario, Morgan said. Not even Morgan can see the wolf’s move- ments in real-time, so for you techies out there, don‘t expect this capability any time soon. But, the track- ing collar does allow him to see where the wolf’s been, he said. “The field biologists have been work- ing hard to keep livestock producers informed of his movements in the Ontario area,” he said. Speaking of the movements, Morgan said, “They have been impressive.” Many people in Baker in Malheur counties have ex- pressed their curiosity and surprise regarding OR22’s movements, consider- ing he’s stayed in a drier, desert region, instead of the preferred mountainous region, which offers more cover and protection, and prey opportunities. Mor- gan said, “He’s less likely to stay down in the desert, and more likely to head for mountainous country.” There’s no other known wolf activity in that area Morgan’s aware of. It’s hard to say where OR22 will finally end up, and nobody can predict that, but his travels seem to be not a case of a “rogue wolf,“ but rather, a case of a dispersing wolf, wander- ing until he finds a place to call home.
