THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 3
FRIDAY, AUGUST 26, 2016
Business & Ag
YMCA makes fee request of
City for Sam-O Swim
• AIRPORT APRON
CONSTRUCTION,
911 CALL CENTER
UPDATES ALSO ON
AGENDA
BY GINA K. SWARTZ
Gina@TheBakerCountyPress.com
Tuesday evening’s City
Council business started
with citizen participation
as Brian Vegter of the Pub-
lic Arts Commission (PAC)
stepped forward to address
concerns regarding the Art
on Loan project that had
been raised by the Parks
and Recreation Board at
their last meeting.
The current project
involves an interactive
sculpture by Don Herman
that the committee plans to
place in Central Park.
Vegter addressed those
questions to the Council in
effort to reassure Council
of the project so that it
could move forward.
Among questions the
Parks and Recreation board
had were: “Was Central
Park the preferred location
for the sculpture?”
Vegter said it was the
perfect location to help
draw interest to Central
Park. They were also curi-
ous about whether or not
the sculptor had taken into
consideration the changes
water from the sprinkler
may make. According
to Vegter the sculptor
indicated he was excited
to see how naturally oc-
curring substances would
affect the piece. Vegter
also addressed installation
explaining that removable
rebar would be used to se-
cure the sculpture in place.
That would not leave any
type of structure behind
once removed.
“The cost of installing
and removal of the piece
will come from the Arts
Commission budget,” he
said. Vegter also ad-
dressed concerns the Parks
Board had about and the
sturdiness of the structure,
potential damage and the
City’s responsibility if
someone were to get hurt
on the piece. “The Piece
looks like it would tempt
people to climb on it. It is
a sealed structure so one
would have to be ex-
tremely strong and heavy
to climb on and damage it.
Just like other structures
in a City park this would
be covered by the City’s
liability insurance.”
City Manager Fred War-
ner, Jr. agreed that it would
be added as a rider on the
policy. Vegter stated that
there would be a plaque
installed also identifying
the sculptor, giving infor-
mation about the piece and
indicating that it was part
of an Art on Loan project.
He also indicated that Art
on Loan projects would
be on loan for one year,
answering that one last
question the Parks Board
has asked.
Mayor Moiser indicated
she had been at the Parks
meeting where these ques-
tions had been raised and
suggested the Public Arts
Commission and the Parks
and Recreation Board
occasionally hold joint
meeting to talk about these
topics and iron out details
so that things can happen
in a smoother fashion.
Airport Apron Project
A. Task Order T.O.
Engineers
In 2015 the City entered
into a five-year construc-
tion agreement with T.O.
Engineers for work to be
completed at the Baker
City Airport. The design
bidding has been complet-
ed and they are ready to
move into the construction
phase.
The tasks being com-
pleted include removal of
asphalt and concrete and
new construction of the
apron, including redesign-
ing the drainage which has
caused significant prob-
lems. “In addition to the
apron and drainage we will
also be adding 6,000 gal-
lons to our jet fuel storage.
Last year with all of the
forest fires the number of
aircraft that were staged at
the airport, it was difficult
to keep up with fuel. This
addition will certainly help
and the City gets ten cents
on every gallon sold,” said
Michelle Owen, Public
Works Director.
The City has been award-
ed grant dollars from Con-
nect Oregon in the amount
of $415,000, which the
City was just notified of
last Friday that they were
recipient of and the FAA to
fund this project. No City
money is being used to
complete this project. The
plan was originally going
to take place September
and October will likely
be pushed to spring time
“due to the FAA’s timing to
get us that funding,” said
Owen.
Councilor Lowe moved
to approved the task order
with a second by councilor
Downing. A unanimous
vote followed.
B. FAA Grant Accep-
tance Approval
Owen stated that the
next piece was to authorize
the City manager to accept
a grant offer from the FAA.
“Our project requires some
additional funding that was
not readily available before
but they have it available
now,” said Owen.
The paperwork would
need to be in by Septem-
ber showing that Council
accepted their grant offer
however, Owen indicated
she did not yet have that
paperwork and this was
the last Council meeting
before that would be due
where they could vote to
accept so she had prepared
a staff report that would
allow Council to accept a
grant offer from the FAA
in whatever amount they
are willing to offer.
SEE CITY COUNCIL
PAGE 4
Rail fire raises frustrations
BY TODD ARRIOLA
Todd@TheBakerCountyPress.com
The 33,000-plus acre
Rail Fire, located five
miles west of Unity,
began on the afternoon
of Sunday, July 31, and
highlighted the frustrations
of locals, with nationwide
U.S. Forest Service poli-
cies and regulations and
other roadblocks, in the
effort to manage National
Forest lands, and to pro-
vide Baker County with
economic opportunities.
The fire, the cause of
which is unknown, accord-
ing to InciWeb (Incident
Information System),
includes fuel loads of
“bug-killed lodge pole
pine stands, with a large,
standing, dead and down
component throughout
the area,” that was slated
by the Forest Service to
receive treatment in 2017,
including timber sale and
removal.
Unity area rancher and
Baker County Commis-
sioner Mark Bennett cited
issues on a national Forest
Service level, rather than
necessarily with local
personnel. He said, “I
think that they are correct
(people who have criti-
cized the Forest Service’s
timing with treatment) in
saying that it’s the Forest
Service, but, it needs to
be clear that it’s the larger
Forest Service; it’s not
the Wallowa-Whitman.
It happens with forests
nationwide, in the same
context...”
Bennett, a permitee,
who’s spent the last week
moving his cattle away
from the fire danger, said
a positive effect from the
fire—one of only a few
he could think of—is if
it, through some form,
inspires the U.S. Congress
to give the Forest Service
the tools to take a more
proactive approach, with
management, including a
quicker treatment response,
to beetle-killed timber, or
other issues.
“They’ve got these
cumbersome rules, that
need to be changed, to
allow the forest managers
the flexibility to manage
their forests. They need
to be able to manage their
watersheds, and not spend
a great deal of their budget
on appeals, litigation, stud-
ies, or firefighting ...When
they have tied the hands of
their local forest managers,
they can’t be innovative,
they can’t be responsive
to situations; that’s the
challenge I see from this,”
he said.
“We need to treat our
forests, but, we also need
to, when there’s an identi-
fied problem, we have to
be careful about giving any
special group too much
power, that can block sen-
sible forest management..”
he said, speaking about
issues with environmental
groups, for example, and
others, who are not neces-
sarily forest management
professionals, but who
can still delay or block
management efforts, for
example, with lawsuits.
Bennett spoke about
getting the message out
to the public on a national
level about the need to
protect the forests with
active healthy management
without locking up the
lands. He said, “Anything
that you have, you have
to be a good steward with
it; not just, ‘Okay, well,
we’re just going to lock it
up,’ and be shocked and
amazed when the whole
thing burns to a crisp.”
On Tuesday, Bennett,
County Commission Chair
Bill Harvey, County Com-
missioner Tim Kerns, City
Manager Fred Warner,
Jr., and County Economic
Development Director
Greg Smith met with
representatives of Portland
General Electric (PGE),
at its Boardman electric-
ity generating plant. This
included David Rogers,
Plant Manager, and Wayne
Lei, Head of Research and
Development. He said
the meeting, a discussion
about the possibility of
PGE using biomass from
Baker County, went well,
but the idea is still in its in-
fancy, and it may be years
before any potential plan
could be implemented.
In an email sent on
Tuesday, August 16, Ben-
nett said, “As you are well
aware, timber prices are
extremely depressed, and
there is virtually no market
for hog fuel or pulp. With
the recent fires and the
upcoming ‘Face of the
Elkhorns Project,’ Baker
County is well situated to
provide a significant source
for green power require-
ments of PGE. If success-
ful, this partnership would
not only provide a market,
but Baker County jobs in
the removal, transporta-
tion, and processing of the
material.”
Bennett said that the
County is one of the first
entities to discuss the pos-
sibility with PGE, and if it
is a successful partnership,
types of wood that would
be used in the process
includes juniper, white
fir, and bull pine, among
others.
He said that the County
would not actually be any
type of processor for the
product, but would instead
act as facilitator, for
interested parties. “Even if
this (the potential project)
doesn’t go anywhere, we
need to always explore ev-
ery opportunity, to provide
employment, and to pro-
vide something, to protect
our forests’s health ...We
need growth ...” he said.
Bennett said that one of
his first priorities associ-
ated with the Rail Fire,
when possible, is the stabi-
lization of the watershed,
specifically, the reduction
of soil erosion.
SEE RAIL FIRE PAGE 8
— Weekly Hay Report —
Friday, August 19, 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 — Large Square Premium
600 120.00-120.00 120.00
Alfalfa — Large Square Good
600 100.00-100.00 100.00
USDA Market News Service—AMS.USDA.gov
— Cattle Market Report —
Wednesday, August 17, 2016
Vale, Oregon
Cattle sold through the auction: 751
Steer Calves
300-400# Bulk 143.00 - 172.00 Top 174.00
400-500# Bulk 152.00 - 165.00 Top 166.75
500-600# Bulk 140.00 - 150.00 Top 151.00
Heifer Calves
300-400# Bulk N/A Top N/A
400-500# Bulk 129.00 - 141.00 Top 142.00
500-600# Bulk 129.00 - 140.00 Top 140.75
600-700#
700-800#
800-900#
900-1,000#
Yearling Steers
Bulk 139.00 - 152.50 Top 154.25
Bulk 128.00 - 146.00 Top 146.50
Bulk 127.00 - 140.00 Top 140.25
Bulk 114.00 - 132.00 Top 137.00
600-700#
700-800#
800-900#
900-1,000#
Yearling Heifers
Bulk 128.00 - 143.00 Top 143.50
Bulk 131.00 - 137.00 Top 138.00
Bulk 119.00 - 131.00 Top 132.50
Bulk 114.00 - 124.00 Top 126.00
Thin Shelly Cows 48.00 - 59.00
Butcher Cows 64.00 - 73.00
Butcher Bulls 72.00 - 86.00
Pairs Young N/A
Hfretts. N/A
Stock Cows Young - 1260.00 - 1530.00
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: $1,327.40
Silver: $18.52
Platinum: $1078.53
Palladium: $683.78
Bloomberg.com
— Ag Commodities —
Corn: $336.25/bu/USD
Wheat: $426.25/bu/USD
Soybeans: $1005.25/bu/USD
Oats: $184.75 bu/USD
Rough Rice: $10.09/cwt/USD
Canola: $468.80 CAD/mwt
Live Cattle: $108.90/lb./USD
Feeder Cattle: $139.08/lb./USD
Lean Hogs: $60.33/lb./USD
Bloomberg.com