THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 3
FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2016
Business & Ag
County: Commissioners
discuss BLM, USFS, SWCD,
NRCS, SAR, FBI and more
BY TODD ARRIOLA
Todd@TheBakerCountyPress.com
The Baker County
Board of Commissioners
held its second, regular
session of the month, on
Wednesday, January 20,
2015, at 9 a.m., in the
Commission Chambers of
the Baker County Court-
house.
Present from the Board
were Commission Chair
Bill Harvey, Commission-
ers Mark Bennett and Tim
Kerns, and Executive As-
sistant Heidi Martin.
Attendance also included
Baker County Planning
Director Holly Kerns,
Baker County Planner Kari
Harris, Baker County Soil
and Water Conservation
Districts (SWCD) District
Manager Whitney Collins,
Natural Resources Conser-
vation Services (NRCS)
District Conservationist
Misty Bennett, Baker
County Emergency Man-
ager Jason Yencopal, Baker
County Veterans Service
Office (VSO) Rick Gloria,
Baker County Sheriff
Travis Ash, Northeast Or-
egon Economic Develop-
ment District (NEOEDD)
Executive Director Lisa
Dawson, EcoWest Con-
sulting Senior Ecologist
Leslie Gecy, County legal
counsel Dan Van Thiel,
Dave McQuisten, Cynthia
Long, John and Ramona
Creighton, Wanda Ballard,
and JoAnne Marlette.
The meeting was called
to order, followed by
recitation of the Invocation
and the Pledge of Alle-
giance. Shortly after that,
the agenda was adopted,
with a motion from Kerns,
and a second from Bennett.
The Citizen Participation
segment of the meeting
included comments from
Long, McQuisten, John
Creighton, and Ballard.
Long expressed concerns
about the route to Anthony
Lakes Mountain Resort,
from the Haines side, at
Anthony Lakes Highway,
saying, “As we were driv-
ing out Saturday morning,
the roads weren’t plowed,
and, from what I under-
stand, we don’t plow on
the weekends.” Long said
it was a busy weekend for
the highway and the resort,
and, there was a significant
amount of snow.
Bennett responded that,
historically, there are
limited funds for this, and,
there is a requirement of a
certain depth of snow be-
fore plowing, but he would
speak with Baker County
Roadmaster Jeff Smith
regarding the issue.
McQuisten referencing
the situation in Harney
County with the Ham-
monds, and other incidents,
discussed his concerns
regarding the cooperative
law enforcement agree-
ments between the County
and the U.S. Forest Service
(USFS), and, the County
and the Bureau of Land
Management (BLM).
He said, “I have these
contracts, and I read
through one of them, and a
lot of them have ‘coopera-
tion’ written all through
them, where Baker County
will be known as a coop-
erator.”
Harvey and Bennett both
explained the agreements
Baker County has with
the USFS and the BLM,
— Weekly Hay Report —
Friday, January 15, 2016 — Eastern Oregon
Prices trended generally steady compared to week
ago prices. The recent cold snap has increased
sales. Many producers have decided to hold on to
their hay for now, in hopes for higher prices. Snow
has hit some of the hay producing areas.
No new sales confirmed. From last week:
Tons Price Range Wtd Avg
Alfalfa —Large Square Supreme
98 225.00-225.00 225.00
Alfalfa —Large Square Premium
320 190.00-190.00 190.00
Alfalfa —Large Square Fair
250 125.00-125.00 125.00
Triticale—Large Square Good
300 90.00-90.00 90.00
USDA Market News Service—AMS.USDA.gov
— Cattle Market Report —
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
Vale, Oregon
Cattle sold through the auction: 1655
Steer Calves
300-400# Bulk 179.00 - 213.00 Top 225.00
400-500# Bulk 161.00 - 209.50 Top 212.00
500-600# Bulk 159.00 - 186.00 Top 188.00
Todd Arriola / The Baker County Press
Lisa Dawson of NEOEDD speaks to the Commissioners about economic
development.
and, Harvey said his per-
sonal goal is for the Baker
County Sheriff’s Office to
be the chief law enforce-
ment department for the
County.
Harvey said that the
Sheriff’s Office provides
most of the services for the
County, and the County is
compensated for that.
“I just see this as taking a
step further, and (the agen-
cies) abusing that power,”
McQuisten said. “I just
look at that thing in Harney
County, where that Sheriff
(David Ward) basically
was in a similar situation,
or, a similar agreement…
Basically, he threw his
hands up and said, ‘I don’t
want to take care of it,’
and, he handed it over to
the FBI… That’s what I
don’t want to see in Baker
County… The Sheriff is
supposed to stand between
you and Big Brother.”
Bennett said, “I think
the Sheriff is the chief law
enforcement officer in the
County,” stating that he
didn’t think Ash would
willingly form an agree-
ment that would force
the County into a minor,
cooperative role.
He suggested McQuisten
discuss this issue person-
ally with Ash.
McQuisten concluded his
comments by reading from
a copy of an interview
transcript of retired Sheriff
Richard Mack, speaking
about the authority of the
County Sheriff, the Consti-
tution, the Harney County/
Hammond situation, and
the details largely ignored
by mainstream media.
John Creighton agreed
with McQuisten’s com-
ments, and, said, “One of
the main things I got out of
it was (the Harney County
situation, and the grouped
individuals voicing their
opinions there), they felt
fully betrayed by the Sher-
iff …”
He praised the Board for
its efforts, which Harvey
said are “proactive,“ in ad-
dressing potential similar
scenarios.
Harvey said, “I believe
he (Ash) will stand up for
us, and we will stand up
for him.”
Ash said his door’s
always open to discuss the
issue.
Ballard said, “The Con-
stitution is not open to an
individual interpretation.”
The minutes from the
January 6, 2016 session
were approved, with a mo-
tion from Bennett, and a
second from Kerns.
Gloria provided the
Board with a Veteran Ser-
vices Department update.
He spoke about VetraSpec,
a user-friendly, secure
online Veteran’s Claims
Management Software
System, which streamlines
the claims process.
He said there are approx-
imately 2,000 veterans in
Baker County (1,959, ac-
cording to fiscal year 2014
information), and he has
about 950 active veteran
files currently with 418 of
those already enrolled with
VetraSpec.
He said he’s attempting
to reach out to the remain-
der of the veterans in the
County with local news-
paper and radio advertise-
ments, which he said are
paid for by the Oregon
Department of Veterans
Affairs (ODFA).
Gloria also spoke about
the veteran transporta-
tion services provided by
Community Connection, a
flexible system, allowing
veterans more choices in
seeking transport to facili-
ties locations throughout
the region.
He provided a federal
expenditures handout for
fiscal year 2014, detail-
ing amounts paid to each
county in Oregon.
In Baker County, with
a veteran population of
1,959, the combined fed-
eral expenditure was about
$16.5 million, including
compensation and pensions
in the amount of about $9
million, and medical care
in the amount of about
$7.3 million.
The Board discussed a
Baker County Sheriff’s Of-
fice cargo trailer purchase
approval with Ash. Baker
County Search and Rescue
(SAR) applied for, and
was awarded, a Leo Adler
Foundation grant in the
amount of $7,500, for the
purpose of purchasing a
covered trailer, used to
house rescue sleds, ATVs,
and miscellaneous rescue-
type equipment.
Sheriff Travis Ash
received three quotes,
and, he stated SAR would
like to purchase the trailer
from Big T’s in Baker
City, which was quoted at
$8,092.
Funds from the SAR
banking account would
make up the difference.
Two other quotes were
given, both from outside of
Baker County, of $8,232
from Trailers Unlimited,
and, $8,168 from Mirage,
Inc.
The purchase was ap-
proved with a motion from
Bennett, and a second from
Kerns.
Yencopal, Collins, and
Misty Bennett provided
the Board with a Cornet/
Windy Ridge fire recovery
update.
Bennett discussed ad-
dressing erosion control,
lack of vegetation, and,
funds for reseeding, and,
she stated that NRCS
provided $500,000 for the
recovery effort.
Collins said that, with
the effort that includes the
SWCD and NRCS, more
reseeding will be accom-
plished—about 10,000
acres’ worth—compared
to less than half that, about
3,500 acres with a solo
NRCS effort, and the part-
nership includes 16 private
landowners.
She said that the seed,
which includes winter
wheat and grass, will be
distributed via helicopter,
at 30 pounds per acre.
For more information
about the recovery effort,
Collins can be reached at
541-523-7121, extension
109, or, whitney.collins@
bakercountyswcds.com.
A final public hearing
was held in the matter of
Ordinance No. 2016-01
Amending Ordinances
2014-01 And 83-2, An
Ordinance Adopting An
Interchange Area Manage-
ment Plan For I-84 Exits
302 And 306 By Amend-
ing The Comprehensive
Land Use Plan And Zoning
Ordinance. Holly Kerns
summarized the ordinance,
after Harvey read a hearing
statement regarding the
process.
Some comments were
made, and details were
explained regarding the
ordinance, but no testi-
mony was noted, and, the
ordinance was adopted,
by title only, with a mo-
tion from Bennett, and, a
second from (Tim) Kerns.
Holly read the ordinance
by title.
SEE COUNTY
COMISSIONERS PAGE 10
Heifer Calves
300-400# Bulk 158.00 - 189.00 Top 190.00
400-500# Bulk 153.00 - 188.00 Top 190.00
500-600# Bulk 149.00 - 172.00 Top 174.00
Yearling Steers
600-700# Bulk 152.00 - 169.75 Top 170.00
700-800# Bulk 146.00 - 165.00 Top 166.00
800-900# Bulk 135.00 - 150.00 Top 152.50
900-1,000# Bulk 121.00 - 131.00 Top 133.00
600-700#
700-800#
800-900#
900-1,000#
Yearling Heifers
Bulk 139.00 - 154.00 Top 157.00
Bulk 131.00 - 151.00 Top 152.00
Bulk 121.00 - 129.00 Top 130.00
Bulk 109.00 - 126.00 Top 130.00
Thin Shelly Cows 38.00 - 51.00
Butcher Cows 54.00 - 64.00
Butcher Bulls 65.00 - 82.00
Stock Cows Yng. N/A
Younger Hfrts. 84.00 - 102.00
Stock Cows Older. - 875.00 - 1080.00
ProducersLivestock.com
541-473-3136
— Log Price Report —
Price per 1,000 board feet: Northeast Oregon
Doug Fir is $415.00/mbf
White fir is $365.00/mbf
Ponderosa Pine is brought sold
on diameter splits
6 to 11 inch dib $300 to $310/MBF
12 to 17 inch dib $350 to $375/MBF
18 to 23 inch dib $400 to $430/MBF
24 inch plus dib $450 to $500/MBF
DIB is diameter inside bark at
small end of log.
MBF is thousand board feet lumber, net scale.
People interested in selling logs
should call and get specific
quotes from saw mills.
Courtesy of Arvid Andersen,
Andersen Forestry Consulting
— Precious Metals Report —
Price per ounce, USD
Gold: 1,106.30
Silver: $14.18
Platinum: $821.45
Palladium: $493.55
Bloomberg.com
— Ag Commodities —
Corn: $368.00/bu/USD
Wheat: $471.25/bu/USD
Soybeans: $871.75/bu/USD
Oats: $205.75 bu/USD
Rough Rice: $10.78/cwt/USD
Canola: $483.40 CAD/mwt
Live Cattle: $127.28/lb./USD
Feeder Cattle: $149.50/lb./USD
Lean Hogs: $66.80/lb./USD
Bloomberg.com