8 — THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS
FRIDAY, MARCH 31, 2017
Local
NRAC: Watershed concerns,
Trump halts BLM’s 2.0 rule
BY TODD ARRIOLA
Todd@TheBakerCountyPress.com
March’s solar
eclipse meeting
held locally
BY EILEEN DRIVER
The Baker County
Natural Resource Advisory
Committee (NRAC) met
for its regular meeting, on
Tuesday, March 28, 2017,
3 p.m., in the Commission
Chambers of the Baker
County Courthouse, which
included, among other top-
ics, a review and approval
of the draft NRAC Bylaws,
and a discussion from
Arvid Andersen, regard-
ing his concerns about the
condition of the Baker City
watershed.
Present were NRAC
Chair Doni Bruland,
NRAC Coordinator Eric
Wuntz, Baker County
Commission Chair Bill
Harvey, Andersen, Alice
Knapp, Ken Anderson,
Cookie Long, Jan Alex-
ander, and Lyle Defrees.
Presence from the public
included Ed Hardt, and
Wanda Ballard.
Bruland called the meet-
ing to order, and asked for
comment for Public Par-
ticipation, and Ballard said,
“Great victory this week—
President Trump prevented
the BLM (Bureau of Land
Management) 2.0 Rule...
I think we need to begin
focusing on the Travel
Management Rule...”
Harvey said that the focus
is concerns with the Blue
Mountains Forest Plan Re-
vision (BMFPR), for now.
Hardt also offered com-
ment, speaking about an
eight-page letter drafted by
local miner Guy Michael
in 2012 (he provided cop-
ies to attendees), addressed
to Appeal Deciding Officer
Monica J. Schwalbach,
regarding the notice of ap-
peal of the Record of Deci-
sion for the Wallowa-Whit-
man National Forest Travel
Management Plan, which
includes the following,
about RS (Revised Statute)
2477 rights-of-way:
“Under the Act of July
26, 1866 (Revised Stat-
ute (RS) 2477; 43 U.S.C.
932), Congress granted
rights-of-way for public
highways and county roads
constructed across public
domain before the lands
received National Forest
status.
“Although the 1866
act was repealed by the
Federal Land Policy and
Management Act in 1976
(43 U.S.C. 1715), rights,
which preexisted the estab-
lishment of the National
Forest, are preserved.
(FSM 2734.5)”
Hardt said that, accord-
ing to the U.S. Forest
Service’s (USFS) own
manual, the USFS has
guidelines for determin-
ing what is an RS 2477
right-of-way, and for
providing required proof of
that determination, prior to
seeking any type of litiga-
tion. Harvey said that the
USFS “...has no authority
over RS 2477 roads; it was
a grant by Congress, to
Oregon, and from Oregon,
to the County...” He said
that no agency has author-
ity over RS 2477 rights-
of-way (not just roads, but
pathways, trails, etc.), and,
though rulings from courts
have stated as much, it will
still continue to be a battle.
As part of a Coordina-
tion update, Harvey said
that there was a meeting
with USFS personnel
regarding grazing allot-
ment issues, however, Jake
Bingham would be in a
Eileen@TheBakerCountyPress.com
Todd Arriola / The Baker County Press
Several members of the NRAC.
better position to speak on
the subject, as the USFS
also met with the Baker
County Livestock Associa-
tion, during its meeting in
Richland (he’s a member
of BCLA, and former
BCLA President, and
he was on the agenda to
speak about it, but he was
unable to attend the March
NRAC meeting, so he’ll
speak about it during the
NRAC’s next meeting).
Harvey said that the
County is not trying to
have RS 2477 rights rec-
ognized in order to build
more roads, but rather, to
have access to the roads,
“...and to protect what is
ours.” He emphasized the
term “right-of-way,” as op-
posed to the term “road,”
which he says the agencies
use, to confuse the issues.
Roughly a half hour
into the meeting, Harvey
informed the group that he
needed to attend an Asso-
ciation of Counties (AOC)
conference call, regarding
updates on mining legisla-
tion (he returned later in
the meeting, to provide an
update to the group). The
minutes from the Tuesday,
February 28, 2017 NRAC
meeting were approved,
with a motion from Alex-
ander, and a second from
Long.
As part of an update
regarding letters, com-
ments, meetings, and other
items of interest, Bruland
said, “Your comments for
the sage grouse miner-
als land withdrawal (the
BLM’s Sagebrush Focal
Area Mining Withdrawal)
has been submitted, and
has gone all the way up
through the chain of com-
mand. The letter that we
all wrote, in favor of Ed
(Hardt, a local miner), and
in trying to get the timeline
reduced (for approvals of
Plans of Operations, for
example), encouraging the
Forest Service to go with
the BLM mining rules,
has been finalized, signed,
and it has gone all the way
up the chain, to the White
House, so, congratula-
tions...You got your voice
out there...”
Bruland began a discus-
sion regarding the draft
NRAC Bylaws (which she
had drafted), and she said
that, when the bylaws are
approved and in place,
members will be appointed
in July. She asked Defrees
if he would still be willing
to serve, he said, “I think
I’d better decline this
time.” Bruland said, “Sorry
to see you go; you are an
asset to this group.”
Bruland continued the
bylaws discussion, and she
said that she could locate
no governing document of
any kind for the NRAC,
which prompted the draft-
ing of the bylaws. She
said she based the draft
on another committee’s,
and that, while the other
committee’s bylaws stated
the limit would be twelve
members, Bruland’s draft
states the limit as thirteen,
an odd number, which she
thinks is better.
She continued through
the subjects covered in the
draft, such as the term of
service (members would
serve a two-year term),
absences (three consecu-
tive absences would be
considered a resignation),
voting methods (voice,
hand, electronic), regular
and emergency meetings,
notices, agendas, Rules of
Order (Roberts), con-
duct, public hearings, and
amendments to the bylaws.
The draft bylaws were
adopted (they will need to
be approved by the County
Commission, before imple-
mentation), with edits dis-
cussed, with a motion from
Defrees, and a second from
Long. Bruland thanked the
group, and Defrees said to
Bruland, “I appreciate you
making those up.”
Andersen, in reference
to a letter he had addressed
to Baker City Manager
Fred Warner, Jr. (copies
of which were provided),
expressed his strong con-
cerns, regarding the fuel
loads in the City’s water-
shed, and the forest health
there.
Andersen spoke about
the March 2, 2017 Mega
Fire event in La Grande,
which Andersen said
included “...a beautiful
presentation,” provided by
Dr. Paul Hessburg, though,
when Andersen decided to
ask Hessburg some ques-
tions, one regarding the
USFS’s Eastside Screens,
Andersen realized there
were some issues. Ander-
sen “...had absolutely no
idea that Dr. Paul Hessburg
was the author of the USFS
Eastside Screens, and the
21-inch ‘no cut’ language,”
he said.
Andersen said that
Hessburg used climate
change as an excuse for
failing to seek more ag-
gressive actions to restore
forest health; he didn’t
adequately address the cost
and risky nature of under
burning; and Andersen was
“...deeply disturbed by Dr
Paul Hessburg’s failure to
mention or even recog-
nize the profound nega-
tive effects that the USFS
Eastside Screens have had
on the current mess our
National Forest timber
lands are in...”
Andersen said that, dur-
ing the City Council meet-
ing on Tuesday, April 11,
7 p.m., he’ll be presenting
the issue, and will speak
about “...engaging the
Forest Service, and starting
the process of cleaning
up the City watershed...”
He urges everyone who
can attend to be there, and
to make their concerns
known.
Pointing out the obvi-
ous connection—the City’s
drinking water–Andersen
said, in his letter, “Our city
watershed is a crown jew-
el, providing clean drink-
ing water at a very reason-
able price, to the citizens
of Baker City...Currently,
the fuel loads there are
equal to or greater than the
fuel loads that were present
on Dooley Mountain when
the Cornet/Windy Ridge
Wildfire occurred in 2015.
A wildfire burning in the
city watershed would burn
with the intensity of the
Cornet/Windy Ridge Wild-
fire... and result in the need
to construct an expensive
$15-20 million water treat-
ment plant. The citizens of
Baker City cannot afford
and should not be forced
to bare that cost because of
our lack of action on this
critical issue.”
Alexander asked Ander-
sen, “What’s the purpose
of the meeting? What’s
your goal?”
Andersen said he wants
to engage the Forest
Service, and ask what the
USFS plans to do with the
watershed, and when that
plan will be implemented.
He wants the City and the
County “...to be right at
the table, with the Forest
Service...”
He also wants the public
to receive a monthly up-
date of the progress of any
actions. Alexander said,
“It’s terrifying to think
what’s going to happen to
the drinking water in this
town, if it does go up in
flames...”
The next NRAC meeting
is scheduled for Tuesday,
April 25, 2017, 3 p.m.
Eclipse planning and coordination continues as organi-
zations around the state gathered at the City Hall in
Baker.
This month’s meeting held on March 22, was hosted by
Anna Harris of the Regional Solutions Office, and started
off with reports from the Regional Office of Emergency
Management (OEM).
Robert Hunsucker of Malheur OEM reported he is
working on putting together a medical response plan and
laying out planning needs and funding priorities.
As more rural cities begin to make plans for events, he
expects resources to be stretch all across the county and
hopes for possible helicopter assistance from the National
Guard.
Ted Williams of Grant County OEM is working to
coordinate the three counties and put together a realistic
working budget. So far with a limited budget, working
with what he has, he needs $10,000.
To get everything he really needs would put the budget
at around $125,000.
Jason Yencopal, Baker County OEM, is working with
Sheriff Ash on the law enforcement side and coordinating
with the regional fire and EMS personnel which will be
holding meeting in the near future to lay out plans for the
Eclipse Event.
Yencopal is also working on budget priorities and will
be fine tuning those as things develop. He also reported
on a mass gathering that is being planned by a group of
one to two thousand out of New York that will be held in
Durkee.
This group plans to be fully self contained bringing
their own security, medics and food trucks.
He also told of people calling to say they are staying in
Baker but want to be in Huntington for the actual Eclipse
as they want all the extra seconds they can get for the full
effect.
OEM is also working to produce information packets
for people wanting to bring in groups telling them about
permits required, as well as road and fire safety.
Erik Rau, Oregon Emergency Management, is working
on a statewide Special Events plan and doing everything
he can to support those on the frontline. He is working to
connect the forest service, BLM to facilitate road and fire
safety.
Rau is working with cell phone providers to re-inforce
the cell phone service to the line of totality.
In conversations with the National guard he has learned
that they are working on rearranging their training sched-
ule so more staff will be available for whatever they need
to gear up for.
The National Guard does not have many helicopters
however and are looking at a possible mutual aid agree-
ment with other states.
Elizabeth Farrar, Eastern Oregon Visitors Association
Eclipse Consultant, gave an update on regional event
marketing efforts in the 11 counties she is helping to
coordinate for this event. Of those 11 counties, seven cur-
rently have local eclipse teams working on coordination
in their areas.
Event planning guides went out to these team leads
to help facilitate event planning. Elizabeth is currently
working on creating an inventory of events and lodging
available and looking at possible Bus landing zones for
people coming in from the outer regions to keep car traf-
fic down as much as possible.
As people are starting to book hotels as far away as
Portland and want to be in Eastern Oregon on the actual
day of the Eclipse. Even the Washington Post Newspaper
published an article telling people that the best place to
watch the Eclipse is in Eastern Oregon.
Timothy Bishop, Baker County Tourism, gave an
update on Baker Counties Eclipse team saying, “We are
pushing the ‘Come Early, Stay Late’ theme to help al-
leviate a mass exodus of cars and people right after the
eclipse.”
Many events are planned all around Baker County
and coordinators are working on beefing up events for
Monday night and Tuesday to keep folks here as long as
possible.
They are working to put up an Eclipse Events page on
Facebook where people can RSVP for events to get an
idea of expected crowds.
He also reported on new camping sites being opened
up in North Powder and Durkee and the need to accom-
modate as many people as possible in designated areas so
we don’t have people just stopping on the sides of roads
to camp.
He is talking with gas stations in the smaller towns to
emphasize the need to stock up as much as possible for
that weekend as well as gas suppliers to let them know
that additional supplies will be needed and encouraging
locals to fill up early as long lines are expected at the
pumps.
The team’s current project is to create a list of the Top
10 best places to view the eclipse especially in the Hun-
tington area.
Shelley Cutler, Baker County Chamber of Commerce,
cautioned people with lodgings to not cancel current res-
ervations in an attempt to rebook at a higher price. Stories
of this happening in the western part of the state are com-
ing to light and this is not the impression we want people
to have of our region and it is just plain not good practice.
SEE SOLAR ECLIPSE
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