FRIDAY, MARCH 25, 2016
THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 7
Outdoor Rec / Local
BCVIBE
CONTINUED FROM
PAGE 1
Kee said that without
this migration, given the
natural death and birth
rates in the community, the
population is expected to
begin to decline within a
couple of years.
He said that is the reason
the group met, to discuss
the target range of people
to attract to and retain
in the county, males and
females in the age group of
25 to 45, a group which he
said which helps make the
community more vibrant,
possibly bringing their own
jobs with them or creating
new ones.
Kee said that the gen-
eral discussion of bring-
ing more people to the
community, “creative class
workers,” began two years
ago, and Davis was (and
is) a key part of that dis-
cussion, regarding different
methods and incentives.
Kee used Hoover Gettle,
and her husband, Andrew,
as examples of members
of the target group he and
others wish to attract to
the community, as well as
the individuals who own
and operate the Lone Pine
Cafe.
Kee explained fur-
ther that this age group
represents people also
looking to buy homes, and
raise families. “BCVIBE
will create an action plan
to support both sides of
this equation, by bring-
ing representatives from
art, culture, and historic
organizations, to the table,
with business, marketing,
and tourism. This dynamic
group will craft an over-
arching vision of Baker
City, as an energetic hub of
artisan-based enterprise...”
Kee said, stating that the
group would need to figure
out how it wishes to have
Baker City marketed, in-
cluding hiring a part-time
Facilitator, to accomplish
the ultimate goal.
Davis said that she noted
the biggest issue is that the
economy is “just flat,” with
economic development
hurdles.
She said there are
positive models around the
country, which could pro-
vide a guide for solutions
in Baker City, and Baker
County. She spoke about
the “creative class work-
ers,” people who aren’t
necessarily looking for a
technical job, for example,
but who are looking first
at a community they find
attractive, in order to bring
their knowledge, skills,
and money.
She spoke about the
households in Baker
County, 78% of which are
either one- or two-person
households. “What does
that say? No families...”
she said. Davis echoed the
statistics showing a declin-
ing population, and she
compiled her own survey,
of around 200 people, in
the 25 to 45 age group, in
order to determine what
the group members are
looking for in a commu-
nity.
Davis said that the num-
ber one issue across the
full spectrum of respon-
dents was affordable hous-
ing, stating that they’re
tired of renting. She said
that the group is also
looking for visual appeal-
-attractive outdoor spaces,
and well-maintained public
areas. An attractive, and
welcoming downtown area
is on the list, as well as a
healthy, artisan communi-
ty. She explained, artisan
means, to her, “...unique, a
sense of place, as opposed
to the cookie-cutter cul-
ture. Things that are hand-
made, locally sourced and
produced, co-op markets,
locally roasted coffees,
bakeries... locally-sourced
food” etc.
She pointed out employ-
ment issues, also referenc-
ing her survey, stating that
a majority of respondents
chose the option, “I would
prefer to move to a com-
munity, where there was
existing employment, and
the community already
reflected my lifestyle,” as
opposed to, “I consider
myself to be more of a
pioneer, an entrepreneur.
I would like to be able
to move to a community,
where I would be involved
actively, and help with its
development.”
Davis did note, however,
that 30% of the respon-
dents chose the second
option.
Davis said that these, and
other details, need to be
kept in mind, when devis-
ing a strategy for what the
group desires BCVIBE to
be, and marketing Baker
County. She said that
through grant funding,
$5,000 currently, a part-
time Facilitator position
is possible, and there is
potential funding for proj-
ects, if the group were to
plan any.
Kee spoke of the urgency
to get the process started,
and Lewis began a dis-
cussion about the many
vacant buildings down-
town, including issues
with condition and rent.
Parker, Savage, Vegter,
and others continued with
the discussion, and Savage
mentioned that a list could
be compiled, of rentable
spaces, with all associated
details. Parker stated that
people have shown interest
in renting some downtown
spaces, but there have been
problems with being able
to rent from a few reluctant
owners of the properties.
Members of the group,
including Larry, said that
incentives could be offered
to building owners down-
town, to bring in more
business, as he notices con-
stantly the empty spaces.
Lowe stated that the
move of the Farmers Mar-
ket, from the highly visible
Geiser-Pollman Park, over
to the Events Center, was
a bad decision, and it’s
something that needs to
change, speaking about de-
tails about Baker City and
Baker County to showcase,
in this case, local produce.
Savage compiled a list of
individuals, including Kee,
Vegter, and Nelson to work
on the scope of work for
the Facilitator, and other
details.
Spring prescribed burns ahead
The Wallowa-Whitman
National Forest will begin
implementing its pre-
scribed burning program
as the snow melts and drier
weather conditions prevail.
Prescribed fire managers
are planning to implement
hazardous fuel reduction
burns beginning at many
project sights.
Prescribed fire is a major
component of the Cohe-
sive Wildfire Strategy to
meet the goals of restoring
and maintaining resilient
landscapes and creating
fire adapted communi-
ties. Prescribed burning is
done to reduce dead and
down fuels, selectively thin
understory trees in dense
forested stands, stimulate
fire tolerant plant spe-
cies, enhance forage and
browse, reduce the risk of
large stand-replacement
fires, create strategic fuels
breaks in the urban inter-
face, and restore fire under
controlled conditions as a
disturbance factor in these
landscapes.
Prescribed burns can
range from ten acres to
thousands of acres in size.
Prescribed burns often
are accomplished with
combined resources of lo-
cal rural fire departments,
contractors, and State and
other federal fire agencies.
Fire history studies
have shown that fire was a
dominant natural process
in the Blue Mountains,
maintaining a more open
and park-like condition
throughout the low- to
mid-elevation forests.
Low-intensity surface-fires
burned throughout these
drier forests and grasslands
perpetuating open, park-
like stands of fire tolerant
tree species such as pon-
derosa pine, Douglas-fir,
and larch.
Hazardous fuel reduc-
tion is not without impacts.
Smoke associated with pre-
scribed burning is a major
concern and the hardest to
forecast in the implemen-
tation planning process.
Prescribed fire managers
work closely with the Or-
egon State Smoke Forecast
Center in accordance with
the Oregon Smoke Man-
agement Plan to determine
when, where, and how
much is burned on a daily
basis. Smoke dispersion
models are used to look at
the volume of smoke, the
direction of spread and the
mixing height prior to each
burn.
If a burn is forecasted
to produce smoke that will
be a significant impact to
a community or sensitive
area it is rescheduled until
there is a more favorable
weather forecast.
Burning is part of the
series of fuel reduction
treatments intended to
decrease the damage done
by wildfires, including
reducing the amount of
smoke that typically im-
pacts communities during
the fire season. The intent
is to keep smoke out of
populated areas. Burning
under controlled conditions
reduces surface and ladder
fuels setting the stage to
limit future high intensity
unplanned fires and the
smoke that they would
produce. Many areas are
burned on 10 to 15 year
rotations to limit fuels ac-
cumulations and enhance
forage and browse impor-
tant to wildlife.
Wallowa-Whitman for-
est managers have been
successfully conducting
prescribed burning opera-
tions for fuel reduction for
over 20 years, and plan to
continue into the foresee-
able future. In the last
five years the forest has
increased prescribed burn-
ing by 20 percent. Twenty
thousand acres of hazard-
ous fuels were treated last
year by fire or mechanical
treatments.
Actual acres within a
project area may vary due
to fuel conditions, smoke
dispersion, wind patterns,
and other variables. Acres
may be higher or lower in
some project areas than
listed. Weather patterns,
fuel conditions, and smoke
dispersion will determine
exactly where and when
units are ignited within the
project areas. It is antici-
pated that not all areas will
be within prescription and
will not be implemented
this spring, while other
project areas may have
additional acres within
prescription that may be
implemented.
The Wallowa-Whitman
plans to burn approxi-
mately 8000 acres across
the forest this spring. For
more information about
the Wallowa Whitman pre-
scribed burning program,
you may contact Mark
Johnson at 541-523-1210,
or visit the forest web site
at http://www.fs.usda.gov/
goto/Fire-Aviation to view
the spring 2016, burn unit
maps.
Whitman Ranger District
(WRD) – 541-523-4476
(Baker, Halfway, and Unity).
The WRD plans to conduct
prescribed burning on 3,000
acres this spring, which may
include:
Foothills (250 acres) – 4
miles west of Baker City
,OR
Deer (500 acres) – 2 miles
northeast of Sumpter, OR
Union Miners (500 acres)
– 7 miles east of Sumpter,
OR Mile 9 (700 acres) – 5
miles west of Unity, OR
Goose (750 acres) – 17
miles northwest of Richland,
OR
Pine Valley (500 acres)
– 7 miles north/northwest of
Halfway, OR
East Pine (150 acres) – 5
miles north of Halfway, OR
Barnard (500 acres) – 6
miles northwest of Halfway,
OR
Baboon (250 acres) – 5
miles east of Sumpter, OR
California (750 acres) – 10
miles southwest of Sumpter,
OR
Greenhorn (250 acres) – 1
mile southeast of Green-
horn, OR
Broman (1000 acres) – 8
miles northwest of Unity, OR
Woodtick (100 acres) – 7
miles northwest of Unity, OR
The Wallowa Fire Zone
(WFZ) - 541-426-4978 (Wal-
lowa Valley Ranger District,
Hells Canyon NRA and
Eagle Cap Ranger District).
The WFZ plans to conduct
prescribed burning of up
to 3,000 acres this spring,
which may include:
Muddy Sled (1000 acres)
– 20 miles north of Enter-
prise, OR
Puderbaugh (1000 acres)
– 25 miles southeast of
Joseph, OR
Cold Canal (500 acres) – 11
miles southeast of Joseph,
OR
Ches Elk (500 acres) – 30
miles northeast of Enter-
prise, OR
B-Vine (1000 acres) – 30
miles north/northeast of
Enterprise, OR
The Grande Ronde Fire
Zone (GRFZ) – 541-963-
7186 (La Grande Ranger
District). The GRFZ plans to
conduct prescribed burning
on up to 2000 acres this
spring, which may include:
Bald Angel (2080 acres) –
5 Miles northeast of Medical
Springs, OR
Blue Fly (524 acres) – 12
miles south of Starkey, OR
Mc Meadow(720 acres)
– 10 miles west of Starkey,
OR
Little Bear (303 acres) –
10 east of Union, OR
Trail (222 acres) – 7 miles
west of La Grande, OR
Bird Track (1491 acres) – 7
miles west of La Grande,
OR
Rooster (630 acres) – 24
miles south of La Grande,
OR
Smith (340 acres) – 7
miles east of Medical
Springs, OR
ODFW WEEKLY
RECREATION
REPORT
FREE Northeast Family Fishing Events
April 2, Hermiston, McNary Channel Ponds, 10 a.m. to
noon.
May 14, Hermiston, McNary Channel Ponds, 10 a.m. to
noon
June 4, Heppner, Cutsforth Pond, 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.
June 4, Ukiah, Twin Pond, 7 a.m. to noon
July 9, Pendleton, Jubilee Lake, 9 a.m. to noon
ODFW rolls out ‘trophy trout’ program at
five Oregon fishing venues
Thousands of extra-large hatchery rainbow trout will
be released in several Oregon fishing holes this spring
as the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife rolls out
an enhanced “Trophy Trout” program this year to add a
little juice to the spring trout season. More than 10,000
two-pound rainbows ranging from one to three pounds
will be released at five locations around the state starting
from now through May. Trophy Trout locations for 2016
are: Phillips Reservoir in Baker County, Willow Creek
Reservoir in Morrow County, Timothy Lake in Clackamas
County, Trojan Pond in Columbia County, and Garrison
Lake in Curry County.
Baker County Viewing
Bighorn sheep can be seen in the Burnt River Canyon
west of Durkee or along the Snake River Road south of
Richland. The best viewing is in the early morning and
late in the evening.
Bald and golden eagles can be seen along the Snake
River. Take the Snake River Road between Richland and
Huntington.
Deer can be seen throughout the valley. Early in the
morning and late in the afternoon are good times to view
wildlife. Driving through the foothills of the Baker valley
and through the Keating valley can turn up good numbers
of deer. 2/23/16
Elkhorn Wildlife Area. Elkhorn Wildlife Area is known
for the Rocky Mountain elk and mule deer herds that
frequent the area during the winter. When snow covers
the ground, ODFW staff feed elk and deer to encourage
them to stay in the higher elevations and out of agricul-
tural fields.
There are two good viewing sites. The Anthony Creek
site is located about eight miles west of I-84 on North
Powder River Lane. From I-84 take the North Powder Exit
(Exit 285). About 150 elk can be seen here on any given
day. From the overlook on Auburn Road, watch hundreds
of elk and mule deer. It is on the south side of Old Auburn
Road, which branches off Highway 7 about six miles
south of Baker City.
Northeast Zone Hunting
Wolves are protected by state law and it is unlawful to
shoot them. Coyote hunters in northeastern Oregon need
to take extra care to identify their target as wolves can
look like coyotes, especially wolf pups in the mid-summer
and fall. Please report any wolf sightings or wolf sign to La
Grande office (541) 963-2138.
BAKER COUNTY
Cougars can be found throughout Baker County but
hunters should target areas with high concentrations of
deer and elk. Setting up on a fresh kill or using distress
calls can all be productive techniques. Hunters are re-
quired to check in the hide of any cougar taken, with skull
and proof of sex attached. Remember to pick up a 2016
tag.
Coyote numbers are good throughout the district. Try
calling in early morning and late afternoon. Remember to
ask for permission before hunting on private properties.
GRANT COUNTY
Cougar hunting remains open. Remember you need
2016 tag to hunt as of Jan. 1. Successful hunters should
remember that check-in of the hide with skull and proof of
sex attached is mandatory; see the regulations for details.
Remember to pick up a 2016 tag.
Coyote numbers are good in most of the district. Coy-
otes may respond to distress calls. Try calling in the early
morning and late evening.
UMATILLA COUNTY
Cougar are well distributed in forested areas of the
Walla Walla, Mt. Emily, and Ukiah units. Hunters will have
best success by finding a fresh naturally made kill and
sitting on it, or by using predator calls. Some success has
come from following tracks until the cougar is located.
Remember you need 2016 tag to hunt as of Jan. 1.
Coyote are numerous throughout the County and hunt-
ers should have good success calling. Remember to ask
permission before hunting on private lands.
UNION COUNTY
Cougars are common in Union County. Focus on game
rich areas with long ridgelines or saddles that cats typi-
cally travel. Setting up downwind of a deer or elk killed
by a cougar can be productive. Nonresident hunters can
include a cougar tag with others tags for only $14.50. All
cougars taken must be checked in within 10 days of har-
vest; call for an appointment before check in. Remember
to pick up a tag for 2016.
WALLOWA COUNTY
Coyote: Good numbers of coyotes can be found
throughout Wallowa County. Calling coyotes with rab-
bit distress type calls has been effective for hunters. It is
important to choose areas with abundant coyote sign and
little human activity.
Cougar numbers are moderate throughout Wallowa
County. Most lions are taken incidental to other hunting;
however, calling with fawn bleat, or locating a cougar
kill and waiting for a cat to return are often successful
techniques. Remember you need 2016 tag to hunt as of
Jan. 1.