THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 3
FRIDAY, APRIL 7, 2017
Business / Agriculture
Hot Lake Springs Resort to
become veterans care center
BY SAMANTHA
O’CONNER
Samantha@TheBakerCountyPress.com
Friday, March 31, an
informative meeting was
held at Crossroads Carn-
egie Art Center to discuss
the changes taking place
with the Hot Lake Springs
Resort & Spa.
The resort and spa is
being purchased and will
be repurposed to create
the Veterans Restorative
Care Center (VRCC).
VRCC was established to
help veterans and to fight
against the increasing
numbers of veterans who
commit suicide.
The partners found-
ing the VRCC are War-
rior Bonfire Program,
National University of
Natural Medicine, Hot
Lake Springs Resort &
Spa and DyneAquaculture.
The VRCC will be owned
by the Warrior Bonfire
Project.
“Less than one percent
of our nation has served in
uniform,” explained Mike
Foss, president of Warrior
Bonfire Program. “Twenty
percent of all suicides in
the United States are vet-
eran suicides.
“Approximately 22
veterans a day take their
lives. 75 veterans each day
make failed attempts on
their lives. 8,030 veterans
commit suicide each year.
125,000; that’s how many
veterans have taken their
lives since 9/11.
“I’m going to tell you it’s
a national tragedy and this
has been going on since
World War II. We’ve got
to figure out how to put a
stop to it. And that’s one of
the things that my program
and the program that I’m
adding in there, the VRCC,
are driven to do, is to re-
duce those numbers.”
According to the VRCC
website, “The Warrior
Bonfire Program was
founded by Dan Fordice
III to provide opportuni-
He said, after acknowl-
edging and thanking those
who traveled significant
distances in order to
testify, “I have a couple
of preliminary pieces of
information for folks, to
clarify a misunderstanding
that’s occurring both inside
and outside the building.
None of these bills apply
to domestic water wells.
Oregon water law is a
little arcane, even for those
of us like myself, that
studied it in law school,
so, sometimes it’s hard to
understand what the terms
apply to...These bills are
intended to apply only to
permit holders, and water
right holders...I just wanted
to make that clear in this
public hearing...
“These three bills I
brought as conversa-
tion starters this session,
because there’s already a
public conversation go-
ing on, about water use
and management in the
state. Many of you may
have seen The Oregonian
expose this summer, which
raised the issue of how the
state--including the state
agencies, the governor’s
office, and us, the Legis-
Friday, March 31, 2017 — Eastern Oregon
Prices trended generally steady in a limited test
compared to week ago prices. Most demand lays
with the retail/stable hay. According to some pro-
ducers, horse owners prefer lower sugar, higher pro-
teinhay. Many producers are sold out for the year.
Tons Price Range Wtd Avg
Mixed Grass — Large Square Utility
45 50.00-50.00 50.00
Last Week:
Alfalfa — Large Square Good
100 115.00-115.00 115.00
Alfalfa / Orchard Mix — Small Square Premium
4 150.00-150.00 150.00
USDA Market News Service—AMS.USDA.gov
— Cattle Market Report —
Wednesday, March 29, 2017
Vale, Oregon
Cattle sold through the auction: 1280
Samantha O’Conner / The Baker County Press
John Bickel of DyneAquaculture addresses attendees.
ties that improve the lives
of warriors wounded in
combat.
“The focus is on creating
activity based programs
in a safe, secure and stress
free environment with
other warriors who have
similar experiences, and to
promote camaraderie and
therapeutic treatment on
their journey to recovery
and healing.”
John Bickel, President
and CEO of DyneAquacul-
ture explained, “What you
find with many veterans,
particularly those who
have been wounded,
medically discharged, or
medically retired, they’ve
just lost everything. They
lost their identity, they lost
their camaraderie, they lost
their occupation, they lost
their mobility, and they’ve
just basically lost hope.
“And then that reac-
tion, when they get home,
tends to lead to divorce,
all kinds of antisocial
behavior, drugs, drinking,
etc., as they’re trying to
self-medicate because they
just lost it. So, the first
step, is you’ve got to get
them around other folks
who understand, because
they’ve been there, they’ve
gone through the same
problems. It’s that sense of
you can talk to people who
will understand because
they’ve been there. And
that’s great.”
Bickel explained that
part of the money they are
raising is to build a fish
farm and hydroponics.
Hydroponics are used to
grow vegetables in water
instead of dirt.
Bickel explained that all
of the profits from the fish
farm and the hydroponics
will go to the health care
side of VRCC and it will
fund itself. These will also
create jobs for the local
community and it will also
provide an opportunity to
train veterans.
According to a hand-
out given at the meeting
by David J. Schleich,
President of the National
University of Natural
Medicine, “Naturopathic
students from NUNM and
other CNME-accredited
programs will come to the
Veterans Restorative Care
Center at Hot Lake Springs
as preceptors, as interns
and as residents.
“Care for the Veterans
will be part of the reper-
toire of clinical experienc-
es available to ND students
with such a focus.”
David Manuel, an inter-
nationally famous bronze
sculptor, is creating bronze
eagle sculptures named
“Providence” as a benefit
to the VRCC.
The number of sculptures
is limited to 500 and they
will be signed and num-
bered by David Manuel.
A majority of the funds
from the sculptures will
go to the VRCC and a
donation will be made to
Crossroads.
In a press release
given at the meeting, Dr.
Schleich said, “We must
do something different to
restore health and hope to
these men and women and
their families. The Veterans
Restorative Center is the
answer.”
Rancher testifies
CONTINUED FROM
PAGE 1
— Weekly Hay Report —
lature--are accounting for
this public resource, and
that expose does not paint
a very pretty picture...
“That is the case, for a
lot of reasons...The audit
(of the OWRD, around
the time of the expose)
brought up many issues
that caused challenges for
the...department, includ-
ing reduced budgets, and
reduced staff sizes, and...
the absence of a long-term
strategy for the depart-
ment, and its work.
“I think the department
has acknowledged that
those are all fair, construc-
tive criticisms, and they’ve
been working on those
things. Nevertheless, there
are inherent challenges
for how we manage water,
and for how we obtain the
revenue necessary to sup-
port...department staff...”
Among numerous
testimonies given in favor
of and in opposition to the
bills, Martin provided the
first of his group. He said,
“Thank you, Chair Helm,
and House Energy and
Environment Committee
members, for this chance
to testify, not only to my
concern, but also for the
constituents that I repre-
sent, about House Bills
2705, and 2706.
“I am Curtis Martin,
the current chair of the
Oregon Cattlemen;s Water
Resources Committee, a
board member of Water for
Life, and a lifelong rancher
in eastern Oregon. I have
also been involved in many
water resource issues,
most recently, as one of the
policy advisors to Oregon
Water Resources Depart-
ment, on updating the
Integrated Water Resources
Strategy, administered by
OWRD.
“I mention this just to
assure you that I have the
knowledge, understand-
ing, and some experience,
to speak to these issues.
Also, I have driven over
330 miles, one-way, to be
here today, because these
ill-founded policy efforts
are truly punitive in nature.
I will make my remarks
direct and succinct, to just
a few of our concerns, with
the two bills, 2705, and
2706.
“HB 2705, to me, is
a prime example of a
solution, looking for a
problem to solve. If this
bill is directed toward the
misuse or overuse of water,
I would simply point out
that the Oregon Water
Resources’ own data, that
documents, in 2015, stat-
ing, that on a statewide
basis, water use compli-
ance with water rights and
regulations were at 98%,
also a percentage consis-
tent with the 2014 compli-
ance rate.
“The current system
in place has historically
worked extremely well,
because in reality, it is
self-policing. By that, I
am meaning that the next
junior water rights holder
will make sure that there is
not an overuse of, or vol-
ume of water, that is taking
place. Also, as testament
to the existing jurisdiction
of water in Oregon, is that
in the year 2015, out of
an estimated 89,000 water
rights, only 66 individual
cases were validated for
unauthorized use. Again,
this is according data col-
lected by OWRD.
“Instead of this puni-
tive measure, it would be
much more advantageous
to implement the Oregon
Water Resources Commis-
sion strategic measurement
plan, that was adopted in
2000.”
SEE RANCHER
TESTIFIES PAGE 8
Steer Calves
300-400# Bulk 144.00-176.00 Top 181.00
400-500# Bulk 143.00-174.00 Top 181.00
500-600# Bulk 133.00-162.00 Top 166.00
Heifer Calves
300-400# Bulk 131.00-157.00 Top 158.00
400-500# Bulk 132.00-159.50 Top 161.00
500-600# Bulk 124.00-147.00 Top 148.50
600-700#
700-800#
800-900#
900-1,000#
Yearling Steers
Bulk 131.00-147.00 Top 151.00
Bulk 123.00-134.00 Top 136.00
Bulk 115.00-124.00 Top 125.00
Bulk 109.00-117.00 Top 120.50
Yearling Heifers
600-700# Bulk 112.00-137.00 Top 141.00
700-800# Bulk 114.00-124.00 Top 125.00
800-900# Bulk 111.00-121.00 Top 122.00
900-1,000# Bulk 94.00-98.00 Top 101.00
Thin Shelly Cows 39.00 - 56.00
Butcher Cows 58.00 - 69.00
Butcher Bulls 69 - 83
Pairs N/A
Hfretts 83.00 - 98.00
Stock Cows Young - N/A
ProducersLivestock.com
541-473-3136
— Log Price Report —
Prices are based on the majority of saw mills in
Northeastern Oregon and Central Idaho. The prices
listed below are a composite prices of various saw-
mills willing to visit with me about this topic.
Ponderosa Pine—small diameter class 8-11 inches
diameter class $250 per mbf. Only one sawmill was
willing to buy small diameter pine at this time.
Ponderosa Pine—medium diameter class 12-17
inches diameter class $300 to $350 per mbf
Ponderosa Pine-large diameter class 18 plus inches
diameter class $380 to $410 per mbf
The Pine prices are still approximately $40 per mbf
below average lumber/log market due to 2017 fire
salvage
Doug Fir & Western Larch—$380 to $420 per
mbf. Normal prices typically ranged between $425
to $475 per mbf.
White Fir-$300 per mbf. Normal prices typically
ranged between $340 to $360 per mbf.
Engelmann Spruce—$350 at one Idaho sawmill,
other sawmills including with White fir prices.
In general, the log prices still impacted from 2015
fire season and fire salvage that resulted. Sawmills
are starting to get log yard inventory in line with
sawmill production needs. With a new Administra-
tion as of 1/20/2017, a more normal economic envi-
ronment should result and hopefully a more healthy
housing situation will result in a better climate for
Northeast Oregon Sawmill and private forest land-
owners.
Courtesy of Arvid Andersen,
Andersen Forestry Consulting
— Precious Metals Report —
Price per ounce, USD
Gold: $1,256.30
Silver: $18.27
Platinum: $960.25
Palladium: $803.17
Bloomberg.com
— Ag Commodities —
Corn: $364.50/bu/USD
Wheat: $428.55/bu/USD
Soybeans: $969.00/bu/USD
Oats: $224.25 bu/USD
Rough Rice: $10.09/cwt/USD
Canola: $485.50 CAD/mwt
Live Cattle: $109.30//lb./USD
Feeder Cattle: $130.30/lb./USD
Lean Hogs: $71.98/lb./USD
Bloomberg.com