THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 3 FRIDAY, AUGUST 12, 2016 Business & Ag BLM critized for project — Weekly Hay Report — Friday, August 5, 2016 — Eastern Oregon CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Said landowner Keith Jones, “If the Pedro fi re last weekend had come just over the next hill and hit that juniper we don’t see how it could have been stopped.” Firefi ghters had a dif- fi cult time reaching the Pedro fi re due to the ter- rain and remote location. A crew was dropped in by air at one point, and the Oregon Department of Forestry crossed through the Jones property, Devils Canyon Ranch, in another attempt to fi nd access. Jones pointed out, “Our criticism isn’t of the fi refi ghters who put their lives on the line—it’s of policies and projects that put both them and private lands in danger when it doesn’t have to be that way. Can you imagine a fi refi ghter trying to make his or her way through that mess there on the ground?” Andersen added of his own practices, “I fell 110 acres this April, but the juniper was piled by the end of May. I will not fall anymore juniper until the weather turns and fall rain/ snow occur.” As reported by Arriola, Fuels Specialist Scott English, of the Vale BLM/ Baker Resource Area, said the goal of the project was to, “help maintain range land, restore plant com- munities, and improve wildlife habitat diversity, including elk, antelope, deer, and birds.” 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 fi rst and second cutting hay, and are working on later cutting(s) resulting in higher volumes of hay moving. Tons Price Range Wtd Avg Alfalfa — Large Square Supreme 400 130.00-130.00 130.00 Alfalfa — Large Square Premium 400 115.00-115.00 115.00 Alfalfa / Orchard Mix — Small Square Premium 15 185.00-185.00 185.00 USDA Market News Service—AMS.USDA.gov — Cattle Market Report — Wednesday, August 3, 2016 Vale, Oregon Cattle sold through the auction: 354 Submitted Photo. Crews head out after mop-up the “China Fire” on Rooster Comb. Behind is one remaining stand of junipers. To the left back, one edge of the lop and lay project. Planning of that project began in 2006, but the execution of it—the actual cutting—didn’t happen until June. 2,700 more acres were still planned for the project. Said Jones’s wife Suzan, “For a few weeks, the crews had to drive up Rooster Comb—right past where the second fi re started last weekend—and hike down the hillsides with their chainsaws to reach the trees. It looks like a bomb went off all around the place now.” English explained, “You get rid of all of the juniper; we’re not saving any. It’s considered a weed tree. A tree can suck up to 30 to 40 gallons of water a day, and it will crowd out the pine.” Still others look at BLM management decisions such as this as a reason to bring control of public lands back to a County or State level. Utah State Representa- tive Ken Ivory, who heads up the American Lands Council, said, “Our forests are the living, breathing lungs of our environment, and the heart of our rural economies. Imagine turn- ing the care of your heart and lungs over to someone else, let alone someone thousands of miles away who suffers no personal pain when your vital or- gans are not well cared for. Under distant, unaccount- able bureaucratic manage- ment, our forests are dying and with them, the heart of western communities. It’s time to unlock our lands for more effective local care and management.” “I just hope the BLM plans to come clean up this mess otherwise we’re going to start getting the impression they want to burn us out. In the 40 years or so that we’ve been paying attention,” said Jones, “their land on the three sides of our property hasn’t been cleaned up. We’d like to see that done.” More motions filed in Sunridge legal battle BY TODD ARRIOLA Todd@TheBakerCountyPress.com Last week, several Mo- tions were fi led in the District of Oregon U.S. Bankruptcy Court, in the Townridge, Inc. (dba Best Western Sunridge Inn) Chapter 11 case. Among those, a Motion to expedite the hearing on the United States Trustee’s Motion for Entry of an Order Direct- ing the Appointment of a Chapter 11 Trustee was answered with an Objec- tion to both Motions, by Townridge, Inc. legal rep- resentation, Boise attorney D. Blair Clark. In the U.S. Trustee’s Motion for an expedited hearing, Trial Attorney Carla G. McClurg made the following claim, as part of four key points, for cause for the hearing: “The debtor’s sole shareholder and director, Carl Town (“Town”), has shown that he is unable to act as a fi duciary due to his demonstrated propensity to elevate his own personal interests above those of the estate, creditors, and employees.” In Clark’s Objection, he responded to that fi rst claim as follows: “Carl Town is not in- volved in management of this entity. The Court has already removed his ability to receive compensation. Moreover, he had relin- quished his management before (underlined) the case was fi led in the cor- porate resolution authoriz- ing this case fi ling, where he executed the corporate resolution designating Ms. Tony's Tree Service Wilson as an offi cer and General Manager, and with the responsibility of the Debtor in Possession. See Docket 11 (fi led on June 27, 2016). Moreover, as the Motion for Appoint- ment of a Trustee alleges, Ms. Wilson has done an outstanding job in operat- ing this Debtor during the administration. The Motion is full of praise for her and Mr. Mendenhall, the Maintenance Manager, who is an employee of approximately 24+ years service to the company.” McClurg stated the following, as the second claim: “Town’s personal health situation and personal circumstances appear to impair his judgment and ability to effectively man- age and control the affairs of the debtor.” Clark responded as fol- lows: “Mr. Town is not involved in management. Period. He is receiving no salary or other income, nor any distributions. He is not ‘managing and controlling the affairs of the Debtor.’ He had sense enough to remove himself from that situation.” In McClurg’s third claim, she stated: “Due to Town’s self- dealing propensities and personal health challenges, Town has effectively abdicated his role in the day-to-day management of the debtor to a General Manager, Lisa Wilson, which he could revoke at any time to the detriment of the estate, creditors, and employees.” SEE SUNRIDGE PAGE 10 Steer Calves 300-400# Bulk 152.00 - 168.00 Top 170.00 400-500# Bulk 144.00 - 152.00 Top 154.00 500-600# Bulk 139.00 - 153.00 Top 156.00 Heifer Calves 300-400# Bulk N/A Top N/A 400-500# Bulk N/A Top N/A 500-600# Bulk 124.00 - 130.00 Top 135.00 600-700# 700-800# 800-900# 900-1,000# Yearling Steers Bulk 128.00 - 136.00 Top 138.50 Bulk 119.00 - 138.00 Top 141.50 Bulk 124.00 - 134.00 Top 136.75 Bulk 104.00 - 110.00 Top 112.00 Yearling Heifers 600-700# Bulk 126.00 - 134.00 Top 135.00 700-800# Bulk N/A Top N/A 800-900# Bulk 122.00 - 128.00 Top 129.75 900-1,000# Bulk 112.00 - 118.00 Top 119.00 Thin Shelly Cows 61.00 - 71.00 Butcher Cows 72.00 - 79.00 Butcher Bulls 74.00 - 91.00 Pairs Young N/A Hfretts. 86.00 - 97.00 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 fl ooded with fi re 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 fi re 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 offi ng $325.00/mbf. At the Pilot Rock Saw Mill BCC is offi ng $360.00/mbf for a 12 to 15 inch top, for 16 to 19 inch top $400.00/ mbf & offi ng $425.00/mbf for 20 inch plus top Courtesy of Arvid Andersen, Andersen Forestry Consulting — Precious Metals Report — Price per ounce, USD Gold: $1,346.70 Silver: $19.93 Platinum: $1156.30 Palladium: $693.98 Bloomberg.com Free evaluations for: • Proper Trimming • Safety • Removal •Disease Control • Insect Control • Tree Replacement • Stump Grinding — Ag Commodities — Nearly fi ve decades of experience. Corn: $332.50/bu/USD Wheat: $417.00/bu/USD Soybeans: $988.50/bu/USD Oats: $184.00 bu/USD Rough Rice: $9.70/cwt/USD Canola: $459.70 CAD/mwt Live Cattle: $115.00/lb./USD Feeder Cattle: $148.85/lb./USD Lean Hogs: $58.20/lb./USD 600 Elm Street, Baker City. 541.523.3708 Owners Tony & Lisa Constantine LCB 6271 • CCB 63504 Bloomberg.com Licensed | Insured | 48 years experience. Tony's Tree Service. Accepting payment plans and credit cards.