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About The Baker County press. (Baker City, Ore.) 2014-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 4, 2015)
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2015 THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 7 Outdoor Rec / Local December public meetings Locals place at Special scheduled to discuss the Blue Mountains Forest Plan Revision Olympics The Forest Service has scheduled new public meetings to discuss the Blue Mountains Forest Plan Revision. Please see the schedule below for upcoming meetings: Thur., Dec. 10, 2015 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. (doors open at 5:30), Pace and Scale of Restoration, Malheur National Forest, Harney Co. Community Center 484 North Broadway Burns, OR 97720. Fri., Dec. 11, 2015 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. (doors open at 5:30) Pace and Scale of Restoration Malheur National Forest Grant Co. Regional Airport 72000 Airport Rd. John Day, OR 97845. Mon., Dec. 14, 2015 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. (doors open at 5:30) Livestock Grazing and Pace / Scale of Restoration Umatilla and Wallowa-Whitman National Forests Clarkston Campus of Walla Walla Comm. College, 1470 Bridge St., Rm. 187 Clarkston, WA 99403. Tues., Dec. 15, 2015 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. (doors open at 5:30) Livestock Grazing Wallowa-Whitman Na- tional Forest N. Powder Elementary NW corner of G and 4th Streets, North Powder, OR 97867. A facilitator will ensure that everyone in attendance has time to speak, listen to others, and propose solu- tions. The Forest Service is working with partners to schedule additional meetings, which will be announced in the near future via email and news updates. In 2014, the Forest Service released a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Pro- posed Revised Land Man- agement Plan related to the Blue Mountains Forest Plan Revision and received over a thousand comment letters. Based in part on that feedback, the three Blue Mountains National Forests have worked with stakeholders to identify topics for further discus- sion – including the Pace and Scale of Restoration, Livestock Grazing, Access, and Wilderness. A Forest Plan describes the social, economic, and ecological goals of a National Forest and provides a framework for future management deci- sions. The National Forest Management Act of 1976 requires each National Forest to prepare a Forest Plan and revise it every 15 years to address changing needs and conditions. The current Forest Plans for the Wallowa-Whitman, Uma- tilla, and Malheur National Forests are from 1990, and the Blue Mountains region has changed significantly since that time. Meeting notes from previ- ous Forest Plan Revision meetings are available at http://www.fs.usda.gov/ goto/BlueMountainsPlan- Revision, and the notes from new meetings will be posted to this website as well. For more information, please contact Peter Fargo, Public Affairs Officer for the Blue Mountains Forest Plan Revision, at 541-523- 1231. State Games Submitted Photo. Melanie Rhodes getting her award. Oregon’s 2016 hunting, fishing licenses now on sale Submitted Photo. SALEM, Ore.—Or- egon’s 2016 hunting and fishing licenses are on sale now and make great holiday gifts—especially a new youth license for kids that permits fishing, hunting and shellfishing all year for just $10! The new 2016 Sport Fishing and Big Game Regulations will also be in stores this week. Hunters and anglers will notice a new look to the regulations this year. “We’ve heard from sportsmen that the regu- lations can be confus- ing,” said Rick Hargrave, ODFW Information and Education Administrator. “We’ve made an effort to simplify them and hope they are easier to under- stand.” The effort included contracting with a different publisher, J.F. Griffin, to produce the regulations. A new searchable web version of the regulations will be available next week at ODFW’s regulations webpages. In the meantime, PDF copies of 2016 regulations are posted at the hunting and fishing regulations web page. Prices for adult licenses and tags increase for 2016 (see 2016 Recreational Fee List), the first fee increase since 2010. However, ODFW will continue to charge lower prices for youth to keep fishing and hunting afford- able for families. The popular Juvenile Sports Pac is still just $55 in 2016 and prices will be lower than in 2015 for some youth sportsmen. A new combination youth license means all kids age 12-17 (non-resi- dents, too) can fish, hunt, crab and clam all year long for just $10. This license includes the Columbia River Endorse- ment; add a Youth Com- bined Angling Tag for just $5. (Previously, costs for youth were: hunting license $14.50, fishing license $9 or $18.75 with Columbia River Endorse- ment for ages 14-17, com- bined angling tag $8.50 for ages 14-17, shellfish license $7 for ages 14 and over.) New license types are also available, including Premium Hunts. These are Oregon’s new two or three month any-weapon deer, elk and pronghorn hunts. Premium Hunts are similar to the auction and raffle tags people pay thousands for, but they cost the same as a regular tag and are an addi- tional hunting opportunity (meaning hunters can still draw a 100, 200, 400 and 600 series tag). Most wildlife manage- ment units have one deer and one elk tag available; 29 areas also have a prong- horn tag. Also new this year, the Daily Angling and Shell- fish License is ideal for visitors to the coast who want to fish, crab and clam for just one day. Cost is $27.50 for residents and non-residents. Pioneer license holders (age 65 and older, 50-year resident of Oregon) will now pay $6 for a com- bination license, which was previously free. The change allows ODFW to recoup an average of $20 per paid license holder in federal grants. These federal grants are generated from an excise tax on hunting and fishing equipment and are pro- vided to states based on the number of paid license holders. These grants are important because they help fund fish and wildlife management projects that provide fishing and hunt- ing opportunities. All 2016 licenses and tags can now be purchased online and at license sales agents and ODFW offices that sell licenses. To give a license or tag as a gift, you will need the hunter or angler’s full name and date of birth (day, month, year). If the person has had a license before, make sure you have their ODFW hunter/ angler ID number which is found at the top of their license and stays the same every year. If you are purchasing a license for someone who has never had a license, you will have to provide his or her social security number in compliance with Federal and State laws. L-R: Caitlyn Calaway, Tommy Huntington and Jennifer Glerup. Submitted Photo. L-R: Melanie Rhodes, Paula Moe, Caitlyn Calaway, Jennifer Glerup and tommy Huntington The results from the 2015 Special Olympics Oregon State Games held on November 21, 2015 at the Tualatin Hills Parks & Recreation in Beaverton Oregon are: Caitlyn Calaway 50 Breaststroke - 2nd place Silver Medal 50 Free - 4th place Ribbon Jennifer Glerup 25 Freestyle - 3rd place Bronze Medal 25 Backstroke - 6th place Ribbon Tommy Huntington 50 Freestyle - 1st place Gold Medal 50 Backstroke - 2nd place Silver Medal Coaches were Paula Moe and Melanie Rhodes. Melanie Rhodes also received Special Olympics Oregon Volunteer of the Year Award at the State Games Ceremony. Walden, Merkley meet over Oregon water issues U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) issued the following statement on a meeting he has convened with key Con- gressional leaders to discuss Klamath Basin water issues: “All year, Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and I have worked closely with a broad range of parties in the Klam- ath Basin and key leaders in the Congress to find a path forward to solve the long running water problems in the Basin. “Tomorrow, Sen. Merkley and I have convened a meeting with key leaders in the Congress to discuss a way forward. Attendees will include Rep. Rob Bishop (R-Utah), the Chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee (which has jurisdiction over this issue), Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.), the Chairman of the Sub- committee on Federal Lands, and Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.) whose Northern California district includes three out of the four dams slated to be removed under the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement (KBRA) and a large portion of Klamath Basin water users. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) will also attend, along with Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.). “During this session of Congress, neither committee of jurisdiction in the Senate or the House has taken any legislative action regarding the KBRA.”