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About The Baker County press. (Baker City, Ore.) 2014-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 9, 2016)
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2016 THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 7 Outdoor Rec / Local County Commissioners CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 Harvey abstained from voting, since he was not involved with any associ- ated agreements, he said. Bennett provided a pro- posed Idaho Power Board- man to Hemingway (B2H) Transmission Line Project update, which he said he tries to do quarterly. He said comments were once again submitted, and the County’s position is that the line should not come through the County, but rather, through the corridor in central Oregon (a position he said received no support from other counties), and he men- tioned the numerous po- tential impacts, including visual, agricultural, and to Greater Sage-Grouse habitat. He said efforts are being made to propose an alternate route through the County, which is “tolera- ble” to the County, though there is strong opposition to any route whatso- ever, through the County. These efforts include dis- cussions with landowners, as well as with Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Vale District Manager Don Gonzalez. The discussion continued, with questions and comments from sev- eral attendees. Order No. 2016-152, Appointing Members To The Baker County Transportation Traffi c Safety Commission, was approved, with a mo- tion from Bennett, and a second from Kerns. Jason Yencopal was appointed, his term set to expire on July 1, 2018. Order No. 2016-153, Appointing Members To The Baker County Planning Commission, was approved, with a motion from Bennett, and a second from Kerns. Lauri Hoopes and Tom VanDiepen, whose terms just expired, had asked to be considered, and were re-appointed, their terms set to expire on September 1, 2020. Two other appli- cations were received for the positions, from Robert Crawford, and Raymond Rienks. Order No. 2016-154, Directing The County Clerk To Add City Council Positions For The City Of Unity To The November 8, 2016 Ballot, was approved, with a motion from Ben- nett, and a second from Kerns. According to the document, no candi- dates have fi led to run for election of the Council positions (there are fi ve open positions, for two, four-year, and three, two- year terms), and the ballot will include these, as well as space for write-ins. Prior to approval, Bennett explained the diffi culty in recruiting anyone for the positions since 2010, when the remaining City Coun- cil members resigned (the Board has acted as Unity City Council since that time), but that, in accor- dance with the law, these positions would be added to the ballot. The Board held an Ex- ecutive Session, in order to consider the employment of a County employee. Once back into regular session, Bennett moved to appoint Nancy Staten, as the interim Manager of the County Health Depart- ment (Robin Nudd plans to seek employment else- where), with Bennett serv- ing as the Administrator, in conjunction with Martin in Human Resources, and County Administra- tive Services Coordina- tor Christena Cook in Administration, to provide support, and that discus- sion be initiated with New Directions Northwest, Inc., regarding the expansion of its services, to potentially consolidate Health Depart- ment services, along with other services. Kerns seconded the motion, and the motion carried. Man dies in accident near NP On September 4, 2016 at about 6 a.m., OSP Troopers and emergency personnel responded to the report of single vehicle crash on Highway 237 near milepost 29 (near North Powder). Preliminary investiga- tion revealed a 2012 Ford Focus was traveling north- bound on Highway 237 when it drifted across the southbound lane and off the road. The Ford struck several fog markers and then a tree. The driver of the Ford, Anthony A. George, age 27, of Union, was pro- nounced deceased on scene. OSP was assisted by North Powder Fire and La Grande Fire. This is an ongoing investigation and contributing factors are unknown. More informa- tion will be released as it becomes available. Man arrested in fire station break-in, burglary On 08-24-16, George William Simms II (DOB: 08-22-1963) was arrested in Multnomah County on a Baker County Warrant charging Aggravated Theft in connection with the Burglary at the Pocahontas Fire Station that occurred in April of this year. Simms is not a resident of Baker County and we are still investigating the crimes at both Pocahontas and Keating Fire Depart- ments. Sheriff Ash said, “I want to give praise to the Deputies involved in the investigation for the col- lection and preservation of evidence at the crime scene and the long hours spent travelling to the Willamette Valley on short notice to interview and locate suspects.” Library Board to meet The Board of Directors of the Baker County Library District will meet Monday, September 19 at 6 p.m. at the Baker County Public Library. Primary topics on the agenda include Revision of the Code of Conduct policy • Proposed change to remove “shoes required” element Revision of Fee Sched- ule Why advertise with us? David Conn david@thebakercountypress.com or call 541.523.5524 Baker City, Haines • Low rates per column inch & promotional deals • Color at no additional charge as space permits • Friendly, professional sales staff Wendee Morrissey wendee@thebakercountypress. com or call 541.805.1688. Sumpter, Bates, Richland, Halfway, Medical Springs, Keating Family owned and operated. Packed with local news! • All display ads are also posted to our Facebook page, which means thousands of individuals see your ad from that source alone. We’re the only local paper that offers this service! The investigation is still ongoing and the Sheriff’s Offi ce asks if anyone knows or has had contact with George Simms to contact Sheriff Travis Ash at 541.523.6415 or email at tash@bakersheriff.org. BLM issues guidance for Sage-grouse plans The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) today moved forward on its collaborative effort to conserve Greater Sage-Grouse and its habitat by issuing Instruction Memo- randums (IMs) that clarify how aspects of the BLM’s land use plans will be implemented. These seven IMs relate to oil and gas leasing and development, grazing, and the collection and use of land management data. “Consistent with our unprecedented cooperation in developing the Greater Sage-Grouse plans, the implemen- tation policies we are releasing today were developed in coordination with our partners in the states and interested stakeholders,” BLM Director Neil Kornze said. “These Instruction Memorandums respond to state and stake- holder desires to see clear and consistent application of our management activities across the western Greater Sage-Grouse states while providing the fl exibility needed to respond to local situations and concerns. Although each policy guides the specifi cs of a single issue in great detail, they all share the same goal of effectively conserv- ing the West’s sagebrush sea for the benefi t of the people and animals who depend on it.” The seven IMs cover: Oil and gas leasing and development: This IM pro- vides guidance on how the BLM will prioritize oil and gas leasing and development in relation to habitat man- agement areas, consistent with its sage-grouse conserva- tion strategy and Greater Sage-Grouse land use plans. Grazing permit review priorities: The BLM’s land use plans commit the BLM to prioritize the review of grazing permits that are located within areas that were identi- fi ed by a team of state and federal wildlife biologists as the highest quality habitat for breeding populations of sage-grouse. This policy provides further guidance on the considerations and process that should inform that prioritization. Grazing management thresholds and responses: Under the Greater Sage-Grouse land use plans, the NEPA analysis for renewals or modifi cation of grazing permits in priority habitat management areas must consider and may incorporate specifi c indicators of land health, as well as grazing management responses. This policy provides further guidance as to how and when thresholds and responses should be considered and implemented. Adaptive management triggers: Most plans contain triggers developed with state wildlife agency experts that require the agency to take pre-defi ned management actions in response to changes in habitat or populations. This policy details how the BLM will proceed with notifi cation and implementation of identifi ed management actions if triggers have been exceeded. Disturbance tracking: The land use plans commit the BLM to tracking disturbance and reclamation of sage- brush habitat. This policy guides the use of tracking tools to help ensure the consistent reporting of habitat disturbances and reclamation success across the Greater Sage-Grouse range. Effectiveness monitoring: This policy explains how data gathered using the BLM’s Assessment, Inventory and Monitoring (AIM) strategy will be pooled to assess how well the BLM is achieving its goals in the land use plans. These reports will use the data gathered under the AIM strategy and disturbance tracking policies and as- sociated monitoring efforts. Habitat assessment framework: Under this policy, the BLM will use Habitat Assessment Reports to gather information about the Greater Sage-Grouse and the health of its habitat into a single report that allows managers to make accurate assessments of habitat conditions at local, regional and range-wide scales. The full text of each IM is available at www.blm.gov/ sagegrouse in the Documents and Resources section. On September 22, 2015, the Departments of the Interior and Agriculture fi nalized the Greater Sage-Grouse plans, which included amendments and revisions to 98 BLM and U.S. Forest Service land use plans across the West. The plans, which were developed in cooperation among local, state and federal agencies as well as private land- owners, were cited by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a key reason it found that the Greater Sage-Grouse did not warrant protection under the Endangered Species Act. Information on the plans can be found here. The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primar- ily located in 12 western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM’s mis- sion is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of pres- ent and future generations. In Fiscal Year 2015, the BLM generated $4.1 billion in receipts from activities occurring on public lands. • Proposed change to detail charges for lost/dam- aged parts on children’s Launchpad tablets • Consideration of a Tax Anticipation Note loan • Financial projection indicates no need for short- term operations loan again this year Review of 2015-2016 statistics report • Highlights of annual report submitted to Oregon State Library The September 2016 meeting has been resched- uled from the regular second Monday due to schedule confl icts of par- ticipants. The Board of Directors of the Baker County Library District regularly meets monthly from 6-8 p.m. on the second Monday in the Riverside Meeting Room of the Baker County Public Library, 2400 Resort St, Baker City. Library board meetings are open to the public. Comments from the public are welcomed as one of the fi rst agenda items. For agendas and minutes of past meetings, please visit Baker County Public Library or see the library The Quail Ridge Ladies golf and bridge scores for website at http://bakerlib. August 31 are: org/about-us/board-of- Golf Winners: Low Net 1st Flight 1st Myrna Evans directors.html for more 2nd Judy Karstens; 2nd Flight 1st Kathy Hopins, 2nd information. Karen Wollard; 3rd Flight Marianne Klinger Bridge Winners: 1st Sandy Grover, 2nd Marlene Cross 3rd Marilyn Delfatti Ladies golf and bridge scores
