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About The Baker County press. (Baker City, Ore.) 2014-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 15, 2016)
THE OUTDOOR COLUMN: Eagle Cap Extreme Sled Dog Race. PAGE 7 The LOCAL: Sam-O Swim Committee receives grants. PAGE 8 Baker County Press TheBakerCountyPress.com 75¢ All local. All relevant. Every Friday. Friday, January 15, 2016 • Volume 3, Issue 3 Lawsuit filed against gray wolf delisting • ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS SAY OREGON WOLVES HAVE NOT RECOVERED BY TODD ARRIOLA Todd@TheBakerCountyPress.com On November 9, 2015, the Oregon State Fish and Wildlife Commission, with a vote of 4-2, removed the Gray Wolf from the List of Endangered Species, under the Oregon Endangered Species Act. In response, on Decem- ber 30, 2015, Cascadia Wildlands, the Center For Biological Diversity, and Oregon Wild collectively fi led a legal challenge to that decision. Oregon Wild documen- tation states, as a reason for fi ling the lawsuit, that, “Simply put, the govern- ment must follow its own laws. The Oregon Depart- ment of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) violated several of its own laws by refus- ing to consider the best available science, ignor- ing confl icts of interest, and bending to political pressure to delist wolves. Wolves in Oregon have not recovered.” “It’s simply too soon to remove protections for Or- egon’s wolves,” said Noah Greenwald, Endangered Species Program Director for the Center for Bio- logical Diversity. “It’s not rocket science that roughly 80 wolves in 12 percent of suitable habitat in Oregon does not equal a recovered population. The gray wolf remains endangered, and protections should never have been removed,” he said. SEE WOLVES PAGE 7 Photo Courtesy of ODFW. Wolf OR14 near the Umatilla River. ‘Birds and Burns’ presented to Powder Basin Watershed Council New City Council member Gina K. Swartz / The Baker County Press Luke Yeaton swears in Daniel Lowe as the newest City Council member. • DANIEL LOWE UNANIMOUSLY APPOINTED TO VACANCY, FAVORABLE FINANCIAL REPORT GIVEN BY GINA K. SWARTZ Gina@TheBakerCountyPress.com Todd Arriola / The Baker County Press Jamie Ratliff presented a slideshow and discussion titled “Birds and Burns: The Ecological Necessity of Severe Wildlife.” An hour-long executive session was scheduled to begin the fi rst City Council meeting of 2016. The agenda indicated there was to be a discussion about current and possible future litigation stemming from the water/sewer rate issue out on the east end of Campbell street. That discussion was over and done with in about 10 minutes. SEE CITY COUNCIL PAGE 10 BY TODD ARRIOLA Todd@TheBakerCountyPress.com The Powder Basin Watershed Council’s (PBWC) monthly meeting Wednesday, January 6, 2016, included special guest Jamie Ratliff, Wildlife Biologist for the United States Forest Service (USFS) Whitman Ranger District, Wallowa-Whitman National Forest (WWNF). Ratliff presented a slideshow and discussion titled “Birds and Burns: The Ecological Necessity of Severe Wildlife.” This presentation was an extension of the Birds and Burns Network, a research program initiated by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station (RMRS), in an effort to “…examine fi re effects on populations and habi- tats of wildlife in ponderosa pine forests in eight states across the western United States, including Washing- ton, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, South Dakota, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico…this research program seeks to characterize bird community response to forest change following wildfi re and prescribed fi re, namely for cavity- nesting species dependent on fi re-maintained habitats,” according to the RMRS. Council Member and USFS Hydrologist Suzanne Fouty welcomed the crowd of between 20 and 30 people, and, introduced Ratliff, a colleague of hers and a Re- source Advisor for the Cornet/Windy Ridge wildfi res, who provided the presentation at the request of Fouty. Ratliff talked initially about a 1969 Smokey the Bear advertisement, a video which includes statements about the effects of fi re devastation, including “not a bird left in sight,” but, since then, though there is still progress to make, she said there has been much advancement regard- ing acceptance of wildfi res. She said that the value of low-intensity fi re has been widely recognized, however, the benefi ts of high-intensity fi re have not been recognized, and, headlines showcase the devastation and destruction instead. She contrasted the viewpoint of an “ecological waste- land” after wildfi re seen by most people, with that of a wildlife biologist who may view it as valuable wildlife habitat. SEE BIRDS AND BURNS PAGE 5 Chief Lohner elected to regional director for chiefs association BY KERRY McQUISTEN News@TheBakerCountyPress.com Baker City Police Chief Wyn Lohner was elected Tuesday morning to the District 15 Director position for the Oregon Association Chiefs of Po- lice (OACP), serving the northeast Oregon area. The election took place at the Winter Confer- ence, Executive Leader- ship Training Seminar in Seaside. Kerry McQuisten / The Baker County Press Police Chief Wyn Lohner. SEE POLICE CHIEFS PAGE 8 Friday Saturday Sunday Mostly cloudy with a chance for early snow showers. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Highs near freezing. Lows in the lower 20s. Your weekend weather forecast for Baker County. Our forecast made possible by this generous sponsor: Snow likely with highs near freezing. Chance of precipitation is 80%. At night, mostly cloudy with a chance for lingering snow showers. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Lows in the lower 20s. Chance for rain and snow showers. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Highs in the mid 30s. At night, a chance for snow showers, mid-20s. Offi cial weather provider for The Baker County Press. ALSO IN THIS ISSUE Compass Real Estate opens Winery seeks to expand Unclaimed property notice Bemtz on energy committee Sumpter City Council Soroptimists award scholarships Page Page Page Page Page Page 3 3 5 8 9 12
