THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 3
FRIDAY, AUGUST 5, 2016
Business & Ag
NRAC
CONTINUED FROM
PAGE 1
Attendance included
Baker County Commission
Chair Bill Harvey, NRAC
Chair Doni Bruland,
NRAC Coordinator Eric
Wunz, and NRAC mem-
bers Alice Knapp, Cynthia
(Cookie) Long, Jan Alex-
ander, Jan Kerns, Laurene
Chapman, Chuck Chase,
Arvid Andersen, Lyle De-
frees, and Dick Fleming.
Wunz said that the
United States Forest
Service (USFS) is propos-
ing to start charging user
fees for boaters, in the
Snake River/Hells Canyon
area, possibly $5 to $10 a
day, per person, to which
Baker County responded
with opposition, he said.
In response to a question
about the fees, Wunz said,
per the proposal, each
person in a boat would
be charged the fee, and
several members, includ-
ing Chase and Alexander,
voiced concern. He said
that, while there were no
current services or projects
mentioned specifically that
prompted the proposed
fees, the funds would be
used for future potential
projects, and around 85%
of the funds would be used
locally.
Wunz discussed some
updates regarding the coor-
dination process, and pro-
vided the committee with
associated documents. He
and Harvey spoke about
some upcoming timber
salvage sale opportunities,
via Categorical Exclusions
(CEs), including the Cor-
nett/Windy Ridge fire area.
Wunz mentioned there’s a
demand for fir trees.
Wunz said the objec-
tion process has been
completed for the East
Face project, but he didn’t
hear anything yet about a
final decision. During the
discussions about the co-
ordination process, Wunz
and others voiced concerns
about the need to reduce
fuel loads, regarding pace
and scale. He said that
progress is being made on
the BMFPR, though it may
seem that’s not the case.
Wunz said that there are
positive changes he’s see-
ing, including changes in
forest treatment analysis,
though some improve-
ments, like moist forest
versus dry forest wild-
fire analysis, need more
work. He spoke about the
documents he provided the
committee regarding the
County’s response to the
BMFPR, and Wunz and
Harvey asked the group to
review the documents, and
to get back to them with
some input.
Harvey said that he and
Whitman District Ranger
Jeff Tomac spent four
hours touring the Buck
Gulch forest area, west
of Sumpter, and he said
that Tomac agreed that
the Buck Gulch Road is
an historical RS 2477
road, and that the USFS
will repair, and maintain
it. Repair work would
include installing three or
four culverts, Harvey said.
The USFS is determin-
ing associated costs and
a timetable for work to
be completed, and while
Harvey and Tomac were
on the tour, Harvey pointed
out the dangerous level
of fuel loads in that area,
and that work needs to be
completed to remedy that
situation. Harvey specifi-
cally noted dead fir trees,
over 21” in diameter, that
could be cut for firewood,
and he said that Tomac
agreed in concept, but
Tomac would do what
he could, to facilitate a
solution. Overall, Harvey
said, the tour with Tomac
went well, and he’s excited
about moving forward.
Long said she did some
research, and she found
documents regarding co-
operation versus coordina-
tion, between the County,
and federal agencies, and
the protection against
the premature release of
material an MOU may
guarantee. She said that,
according to the Bureau
of Land Management
(BLM) National Environ-
mental Policy Act (NEPA)
handbook, and Depart-
ment of the Interior (DOI)
regulations, “...when other
agencies or local govern-
ments are unwilling to sign
an MOU (Memorandum
of Understanding), the
authorized officer may
maintain informal com-
munication on key issues,
relevant information, and
the partner’s preferred out-
come. In nearly all cases,
however, it is inappropriate
to provide the same level
involvement in a plan, or
project analysis, for an en-
tity unwilling to formalize
its participation...”
She said that the BLM
wants the County to sign
an MOU as a cooperating
agency, and that docu-
ments she researched state
that the coordinating
agency status isn’t a legal
pathway. She empha-
sized that that’s what she
discovered, from research-
ing documents. Chase and
Fleming asked what all of
that means, as far as what
the BLM is saying about a
coordinating agency status,
and Knapp stated that
coordination is an option,
to which Harvey respond-
ed that it actually is the
law. He said no MOU is
required between the BLM
(or the USFS), and the
County, regarding coopera-
tion, and that coordination
is recognized as a valid,
legal pathway by both
federal agencies.
Kerns asked whether
BLM Vale District Man-
ager Don Gonzalez, and
other staff, could discuss
the options of coopera-
tion versus coordination,
with the NRAC. She
asked whether there would
be an objection to the
NRAC learning more from
Gonzalez and other staff,
at a future meeting, about
how cooperation could
work with coordination,
and Harvey said the two
don’t work together, they
work separately. Kerns
made a motion to invite
Gonzalez and other staff
to a future meeting, to
discuss the topic, and
Chapman seconded the
motion. Kerns, Alexander,
Long, and Chapman voted
in favor of the motion, and
Harvey, Defrees, Fleming,
and Chase voted in opposi-
tion. Knapp and Andersen
abstained. The motion
didn’t carry, and Bruland
said that the NRAC could
discuss the topic again at a
future meeting.
Long said she didn’t
wish to sound offen-
sive, but, she wondered
how Harvey could vote,
since he’s the Commis-
sion Chair, and not an
NRAC member. Harvey
responded that his vote is
valid, and Bruland said she
couldn’t find any bylaws
preventing Harvey from
voting.
The next NRAC meeting
is scheduled for Tuesday,
August 23, 2016, 3 p.m.
Planning Commission to meet
over tennis court violation
On Wednesday, Au-
gust 17th, 2016 at 7 p.m.
the Baker City Planning
Commission will hold a
public hearing to discuss
a violation of Conditional
Use Permit CU-04-002,
which originally approved
the use of four grass tennis
courts for tournament play
in the Medium- Density
Residential (R-MD) Zone.
This approval was con-
tingent on four conditions
of approval, one of which
read: Prior to the use of
the property for tennis
tournaments each year,
applicant shall cause that
portion of Grace Street
from the east edge of the
McQuisten property to a
point thirty feet west of
the applicant’s driveway
to be dust oiled to normal
and reasonable standards.
The dust oil product shall
be approved by Baker City.
On June 27th, 2016,
the Baker City Planning
Department received a
complaint and photographs
documenting a violation of
the condition listed above.
Dust abatement appears
to have been applied by
a contractor from thirty
feet west of the appli-
cant’s driveway to a point
approximately ±160 feet
short of the east edge of
the McQuisten property
mentioned in the condi-
tion.
The property where the
grass tennis courts are
located is identified as
Tax Lot 801 in Section
19ad of Township 9 South,
Range 40 East, W.M.
(Ref. #17937). The Baker
City Development Code
(BCDC) requires a viola-
tion of a Conditional Use
Permit to be heard before
the Planning Commission,
who makes a decision on
the matter. The Planning
Commission will use the
applicable criteria listed
in BCDC Section 2.2.200-
Residential Districts-
Special Use Standards,
4.4.600 –Revocation of
Conditional Use Permits
and the Baker City Com-
prehensive Plan. Testi-
mony may be submitted
orally or in written form,
either in person or to the
Planning Department prior
to the hearing.
All interested persons
are invited to attend this
meeting. Persons wishing
to testify on this case may
do so by presenting oral
testimony at the hearing,
or by submitting written
testimony. Oral testimony
will be taken in the follow-
ing order: applicant, other
proponents, opponents,
and applicant’s rebuttal.
Testimony should avoid
repetition of issues, ad-
dress the relevant approval
criteria listed above, and
be based on the condition
of approval noted above.
Only comments related to
the complaint of failure to
comply with the relevant
condition of approval are
considered applicable evi-
dence. Telephone conver-
sations cannot be accepted
as testimony. All written
testimony must be submit-
ted to the Planning De-
partment by no later than
5:00 p.m. on the hearing
date, August 17th, 2016, or
submitted in person during
the hearing.
The staff report will be
available for inspection
on or before August 10th,
2016 at the County Court-
house at 1995 Third Street,
Baker City. Copies of this
report and all application
materials can be provided
at a reasonable cost; digital
versions can be e-mailed
for free. Please contact
Senior Planner Eva Ceder
for more information at
541-523-8219 or eceder@
bakercounty.org.
The meeting will be held
in Council Chambers at
Baker City Hall, 1655 First
Street, Baker City, OR.
— Weekly Hay Report —
Friday, July 29, 2016 — Eastern Oregon
Prices trended generally steady compared to week-
ago prices. Most demand lays with the retail/stable
hay. Many hay producers are selling or have al-
ready sold most of their first and second cutting hay,
and are working on later cutting(s) resulting in
higher volumes of hay moving.
Tons Price Range Wtd Avg
Alfalfa /Timothy — Large Square Premium
250 205.00-205.00 205.00
Orchard Grass — Large Square Premium
90 160.00-160.00 160.00
Timothy Grass — Small Square Premium
5 170.00-170.00 170.00
USDA Market News Service—AMS.USDA.gov
— Cattle Market Report —
Wednesday, July 27, 2016
Vale, Oregon
Cattle sold through the auction: 333
Steer Calves
300-400# Bulk N/A Top N/A
400-500# Bulk 147.00 - 160.00 Top 166.00
500-600# Bulk 143.00 - 151.00 Top 154.00
Heifer Calves
300-400# Bulk N/A Top N/A
400-500# Bulk N/A Top N/A
500-600# Bulk 133.00 - 139.00 Top 140.50
600-700#
700-800#
800-900#
900-1,000#
Yearling Steers
Bulk 132.00 - 138.00 Top 140.00
Bulk 126.00 - 134.00 Top 135.50
Bulk 122.00 - 129.00 Top 132.50
Bulk 106.00 - 118.00 Top 121.00
Yearling Heifers
600-700# Bulk 123.00 - 129.00 Top 134.50
700-800# Bulk 118.00 - 126.00 Top 130.00
800-900# Bulk N/A Top N/A
900-1,000# Bulk N/A Top N/A
Thin Shelly Cows 61.00 - 68.00
Butcher Cows 68.00 - 78.00
Butcher Bulls 69.00 - 88.00
Pairs Young 1175.00 - 1485.00
Hfretts. 92.50
Stock Cows Young - N/A
ProducersLivestock.com
541-473-3136
— Log Price Report —
Price per 1,000 board feet: Northeast Oregon
Currently the local log market is flooded with
fire salvage logs. The log buyer for Malheur
Lumber Co. stated they have all the logs they
need under contract and are not accepting any
new purchases. BCC/LLC of La Grande has
receive so many burned fire salvage logs they
are no longer accepting logs at the La Grande
log yard. Any additional pine logs have to be
delivered to the Elgin Log yard cut in plywood
lengths and to a 8 inch top. For these pine
logs cut in plywood lengths, BCC is offering
$280.00/mbf. They are also paying $420.00/
mbf for Doug Fir & Western Larch. For White
Fir they are offing $325.00/mbf. At the Pilot
Rock Saw Mill BCC is offing $360.00/mbf for a
12 to 15 inch top, for 16 to 19 inch top $400.00/
mbf & offing $425.00/mbf for 20 inch plus top
Courtesy of Arvid Andersen,
Andersen Forestry Consulting
— Precious Metals Report —
Price per ounce, USD
Gold: $1,365.10
Silver: $20.46
Platinum: $1163.35
Palladium: $711.50
Bloomberg.com
OTEC earns high marks for low rates
Each year, in an annual
assessment of financial
trends among electric
distribution cooperatives
nationwide, the National
Rural Utilities Coopera-
tive Financial Corporation
(CFC) compiles and releas-
es final data from its Key
Ratio Trend Analysis.
For 2015, after a series
of 145 separate ratios and
being compared against
308 similar co-ops that
borrow exclusively from
CFC, OTEC had the
second lowest irrigation
rates in the state of Oregon
(9th lowest irrigation rates
nationwide).
OTEC came in 2nd for
the lowest large commer-
cial rates in the state (14th
lowest large commercial
rates nationwide).
“Rounding out a decade
of relatively flat economic
growth, it is impressive
that OTEC is consistently
able to maintain low rates
and strong financials,” said
Anthony Bailey, Chief Fi-
nancial Officer for OTEC.
“In total, our average retail
cost of energy per kilowatt
hour (7.7 cents/kWh) is
7 percent below the state
median.”
“Additionally, we have
been operating on a thin-
ner margin in regards to
our debt service when
compared with our peers,”
said Bailey. With the
energy usage of OTEC’s
residential membership
200 kWh below the state
average, OTEC is selling
approximately 20 percent
less power to its residential
members than other coop-
eratives within the state.
Yet of the 308 co-ops
that participated in the fi-
nancial assessment, OTEC
ranked 4th for the lowest
rates in the state, 21st low-
est rates nationally.
— Ag Commodities —
Corn: $335.70/bu/USD
Wheat: $410.25/bu/USD
Soybeans: $955.50/bu/USD
Oats: $189.00 bu/USD
Rough Rice: $9.55/cwt/USD
Canola: $446.00 CAD/mwt
Live Cattle: $115.20/lb./USD
Feeder Cattle: $147.48/lb./USD
Lean Hogs: $59.50/lb./USD
Bloomberg.com