FRIDAY, MARCH 31, 2017
4 — THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS
Opinion / Political / Local
— Letters to the Editor —
As transparent as possible...
To the Editor:
... A phrase that makes me scratch my
head, especially coming from a lawyer.
I recently requested all the financial doc-
uments from the Blue Mountains Forest
Partners, in hopes of garnering a greater
understanding of the organization and how
it works. The first response was from the
executive director, former Grant County
Judge Mark Webb, stating, “Our financial
statements are not public documents,”
which seemed odd to me, beings the group
is organized as a 501c3 organization under
a public foundation filing. His lawyer is
stating differently now.
This is not to mention they are “sup-
ported” by the Grant County Court, take
funds from the Oregon Department of
Forestry ($123,000) and have their books
organized by a public body.
The other item that makes me scratch
my head is the articles of incorporation
clearly state no member of the organiza-
tion may profit from the organization, di-
rectly or indirectly. They fail that standard
as two members sit on the “board,” and
both directly benefit financially from the
recommendations given to the Malheur
National Forest.
The organization is also very clearly
barred from lobbying governmental busi-
ness, but Mr. Webb works during normal
business hours to disallow public process
in elections, namely the Grant County
Forestry Commission, and to undo the
Grant County Roads Ordinance. Now Mr.
Webb will stand and tell you eye-to-eye,
“I’m on my own time.” It’s hard to believe
a man that makes well over $20,000 more
than the gross per capita income of the
average Grant County resident can just
come and go from their job as they please,
and still make that kind of money.
Transparency is a funny thing. If you
give it, it generally opens the doors to
answers and resolution. However, when
you claim a desire for transparency, but
hide behind your lawyer when asked for
information, it generally breeds mistrust
and more questions.
Closing roads must be important busi-
ness to run everyone through this shell
game that’s called collaboration. My new
question is: Is this really what “collabora-
tion” was meant to be?
John George
Bates
Walden applauds
approval of Keystone
XL Pipeline
Rep. Greg Walden (R-
Hood River), Chairman
of the House Energy and
Commerce Committee, to-
day released the following
statement applauding the
approval of the Keystone
XL pipeline:
“We’ve turned a new
page under this adminis-
tration. Gone are the days
of the federal govern-
ment needlessly holding
back development of our
natural resources and our
infrastructure. Now we
can begin to roll-back red
tape and enact policies that
create good-paying jobs
in Oregon and across the
nation.
“A key component to
modernizing our energy in-
frastructure and keeping up
with the nation’s growing
production of oil and gas
will be ensuring projects
aren’t bogged down in
permitting delays -- like
Keystone XL pipeline was
for so long. We’re looking
forward to continuing to
work on enacting poli-
cies that promote sensible
American energy produc-
tion and benefit Oregon
consumers.”
Ferrioli introduces
wildfire buffer bill
This week a proposal
that will help communi-
ties avoid catastrophic
losses due to wildfires will
receive a public hearing.
Senate Bill 1017, spon-
sored by Senate Republi-
can Leader Ted Ferrioli,
of John Day, will help
establish wildfire buffer
zones to put space between
forestlands and urban
areas. The bill provides
incentivize tax credits to
property-owners to estab-
lish wildfire buffer zones.
Each year in Oregon,
wildfires have had a
devastating impact on
forests, destroyed delicate
ecosystems, polluted the
air, endangered rural com-
munities and cost millions
of dollars.
Annually in 2013, 2014
and 2015 Oregon suffered
1,100 to 1,200 total fires
burning up to 104,000
acres of privately-owned
forests and some public
lands. In 2015, the Canyon
Creek Complex fire con-
sumed 43 homes and dam-
aged 50 other structures.
Ahead of the public
hearing on SB 1017, Fer-
rioli released the following
statement:
"Oregonians have been
hard hit by damaging wild-
fires and this bill will help
better prepare our commu-
nities for future disasters.
By passing this bill, we can
save money and increase
defensible buffers, but
most importantly, we can
help Oregonians better
avoid grief and suffering
associated with property
loss."
Governor declares
Cesar Chavez day,
says Oregon is a
‘sanctuary state’
Governor Kate Brown
held a public proclama-
tion signing ceremony to
mark Cesar Chavez Day in
Oregon at noon Thursday
in the Governor’s Ceremo-
nial Office.
“In Oregon, being a
sanctuary state, means that
we are welcoming and
inclusive to all who call
our state home,” Gover-
nor Brown said. “Cesar
Chavez and his contribu-
tions to the immigrant and
farm worker community
reminds us all to honor his
social justice legacy by
fighting to bring opportu-
nity to all Oregonians.”
Governor Brown was
joined by Rep. Teresa
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stakeholders.
Brief remarks were
shared before Brown
signed the proclamation.
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Sumpter mining issue
CONTINUED FROM
PAGE 1
Vice Chair Jim Grove
made the motion to deny,
Commissioner Rob
Crawford seconded, and
the motion carried, with
the following votes: Chair
Alice Trindle, Grove, and
Commissioners Tim Kerns,
and Crawford in favor;
and Commissioners Kasey
Wright, and Tom Van
Diepen opposed. (Commis-
sioner Suzan Ellis Jones
was absent due to surgery).
Two public hearings
were held before the Baker
County Board of Commis-
sioners in the matter; one
on Wednesday, February
1, 2017, and the second on
Wednesday, February 15,
2017 (as detailed in the
Friday, February 3, 2017
and Friday, February 17,
2017 issues of The Baker
County Press).
Extensive testimony
had been offered up to
that point, for and against
approval of the applica-
tion, and Baker County
Planning Director Holly
Kerns said County legal
counsel, Drew Martin,
informed her that, while a
conflict existed between
the Comprehensive Land
Use Plan, and the zoning
in the Zoning Map, which
needed to be addressed,
the application could
be reviewed using the
established process, and he
recommended remanding
the request to the Planning
Commission, which the
Board of Commissioners
proceeded to do during the
second hearing.
Commissioners Trindle,
Jones, Van Diepen, Wright,
Kerns and Crawford were
present for the March 23rd
meeting in the matter of
the Remand of PA-16-002,
as well as Planning Direc-
tor Kerns, Senior Planner
Eva Henes, Planners Kara
Harris and Carson Quam,
and Planning Assistant
Kevin Berryman.
Trindle began the
meeting with introductions
and a hearing statement,
followed by questions as
to whether there were any
challenges to the jurisdic-
tion of the Commission to
hear the matter (none were
stated), whether there were
any conflicts to be declared
by a Commission member
(none were declared), and
whether there were any ex-
parte contacts by a member
(none were declared).
After the minutes from
the Thursday, February 23,
2017, meeting were ap-
proved, and members dis-
cussed limiting the length
of the meeting. (Jones said
four- to five-hour meetings
should be avoided), Holly
explained the application
process format, including
the staff reports and other
details, and said she was
open to input for a better
format.
Henes provided details
of the application, includ-
ing listing and explaining
some exhibits, and Holly
said, “The (County) Board
of Commissioners had
asked staff to consult with
the County’s legal counsel
(Martin), on the effect of
the mineral patent...Re-
gardless of whether people
agree or disagree with
his advice, the County’s
attorney advised that the
effect of a mineral patent
is to transfer both mineral
and surface rights, into
private ownership. Once
in private ownership, that
would make it subject to
other regulations, the same
as other private property,
and recommended that
proceeding through this
process was not inappro-
priate for the County...”
Unity-based Jan Alex-
ander, of Jan Alexander,
LLC, permit writer and
agent for the applicant
(who provided extensive
testimony before in favor
of the application), testified
about the length of the pro-
cess, and that, “...we didn’t
get far...”
She detailed the history
of Tax Lot 1600—owned
by Janesville, Wisconsin-
based Nordon Properties,
LLC—the subject of the
application.
She said that John Helge-
sen (the applicant) planned
on a “... small-scale mining
operation ... No more than
an acre would be mined
in a year, less than 5,000
cubic yards ... His idea
was to mine this on a small
scale—just he and his
brother... not mining the
whole thing... He wanted
to get along with the
neighbors... He’s going to
do a good job. He wants to
plant trees when he’s done,
wants to reclaim.”
She said that this tax lot
was portrayed as one that
had not been mined before,
“...but, indeed, it has...”
She explained that she
thinks what bothered some
members of the Commis-
sion, is the unfounded fear
— Contact Us —
that a future mining opera-
tion would be large-scale,
of which she said there is
no indication, and nobody
can predict the future of
any parcel, if ownership
changes.
She said, “...maybe it
(the inexplicable change,
from ME, to RR-5) was a
clerical error, because no
one honestly knows why
this particular patent didn’t
make it into the Baker
County Comprehensive
Plan, as a significant Goal
Five resource... moving
it into mineral extraction
(ME), from RR-5, would
correct the inconsistency
in the Plan, where the Plan
does say, all patented min-
ing claims...” will be zoned
ME.
Jones, noting that she
was unable to attend the
January meeting, said the
application wasn’t clear,
and she asked, “This is
not a split estate; they own
both the surface and min-
eral rights, correct?”
Holly said that was her
understanding.
Alexander said the
County had sent a let-
ter, dated May 18, 2015,
to “...owners of property
impacted by the Sumpter
Deep Gravel Mine Patent
(of 1891)...” which Trindle
entered into the record dur-
ing this hearing.
Alexander said that the
County stated that the
County would, at that time,
free of charge, rezone
property ME, for those in-
terested, but Helgesen was
out of the country then.
After testimony and dis-
cussion about permitting,
and other considerations,
Jones said, “I actually
waded through, and read
the entire patent (difficult
to read in its copied form,
however, the Planning
Department provided a
typed copy to the Com-
mission later this week)...it
does give the right to mine.
I disagree with the County
attorney ... Did any of the
rest of the Commissioners
... read the full patent?”
No affirmative responses
were noted from the other
Planning Commissioners.
Alexander said, “Even
in the deed itself, it has
excerpts out of the patent...
Again, it gives you the
outright right to mine that
property.”
SEE SUMPTER MINING
PAGE 5
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