FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2017
THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 7
Outdoor Rec / Local
Fire season remains in effect,
ODF’s fire restrictions terminate
While cooler and wetter
conditions have arrived
throughout the region, fire
season remains in effect
for private, state, county,
municipal and tribal lands
protected by the Oregon
Department of Forestry in
northeast Oregon.
Due to the change in the
weather, the additional
restrictions of the Regulat-
ed-Use Closure have been
terminated as of 12:01 am,
September 21, 2017.
ODF’s general fire sea-
son restrictions mean that
burn permits are required
for all open fires (except
campfires), debris burns
and burn barrels.
ODF will still need to
issue a burn permit for
any open burns or burn
barrels within the protec-
tion district until weather
conditions warrant an end
to fire season. Campfires
fires are now allowed with
landowner permission.
Steve Meyer, Baker
Wildland Fire Supervi-
sor, cautions, “The recent
moisture we’ve received
has really improved fire
danger conditions. How-
ever, those conditions can
change rapidly with a spell
of hot and dry weather, or
a wind event. There’s still
a need to use caution when
having a campfire or light-
ing a burn barrel or debris
pile. This is the time of
year when human caused
fire numbers can really
increase.”
The Northeast Oregon
District includes lands in
the following counties:
Union, Baker, Umatilla,
Wallowa and small por-
tions of Grant, Morrow
and Malheur counties.
To obtain a burn permit
from ODF, call your local
ODF office:
La Grande Unit
(541)963-3168
Baker City Sub-Unit
(541)523-5831
Wallowa Unit (541)886-
2881
Pendleton Unit (541)276-
3491
Fire restrictions may
differ on lands protected
by rural fire departments or
lands managed by the US
Forest Service or BLM.
Check local regulations
before burning. More
information on fire restric-
tions can be found the Blue
Mountain Interagency
Dispatch Center website at
www.bmidc.org.
To report a fire, call the
Blue Mountain Inter-
agency Dispatch Center
at (541)963-7171, or dial
9-1-1.
http://bluemountain-
fireinfo.blogspot.com/ is
your spot for current fire
information in the Blue
Mountains.
Find us on Facebook
at https://www.facebook.
com/oregondeptofforest-
ryNEO/
ODFW creates
wolf vs.
coyote ID quiz
WWNF use restrictions ease again
With cooler weather
conditions and a decrease
in fire danger, Public Use
Restrictions (PURs) for
campfires, smoking, off-
road travel, and chainsaw
use have been reduced to
Phase A on the Wallowa-
Whitman National Forest,
effective Wednesday,
September 20, 2017.
Phase A is the second level
of restrictions, generally
implemented when fire
danger is moderate to
high. PURs are phased
in and out across the Blue
Mountains, as conditions
warrant, and may differ
from forest to forest.
Phase A restrictions
include the following:
Seasonal campfire restric-
tions and requirements
described for June 1 - Oc-
tober 31 apply.
Campfires allowed only
in fire pits surrounded by
dirt, rock, or commercial
rings and in areas not
conducive to rapid fire
spread. All flammable
material shall be cleared
within a 3-foot radius from
the edge of the pit and free
of overhanging material.
Use existing pits wherever
possible.
Campfires must be at-
tended at all times and
completely extinguished
prior to leaving.
In all cases with all types
of fires, a shovel, and one
gallon of water, is required
to be present at all times,
except in designated Wil-
derness Areas (Eagle Cap
Wilderness, Hells Canyon
Wilderness, Monument
Rock Wilderness, North
Fork John Day Wilder-
ness) and the following
developed recreation sites
on the Wallowa-Whitman
National Forest: Anthony
Lakes Campground and
Picnic Area, Union Creek
Campground & Picnic
Area, and Fish Lake
Campground.
Portable cooking stoves
using liquefied or bottled
gas and wood burning
stoves, equipped with a
chimney that is at least
five (5) feet in length with
a spark-arresting screen
consisting of ¼ inch mesh
hardware cloth, are al-
lowed.
Use of charcoal bri-
quettes is permitted under
the same restrictions as
campfires described above.
Chainsaws may be
operated only between the
hours of 8 p.m. and 1 p.m.
local time. A one-hour fire
watch is required after saw
operations cease. Saw
operators are required to
have an axe (minimum
2 lb. head, 26” length),
shovel (8” wide, 26”
length), and fire extin-
guisher (minimum ABC
8 oz.) in their possession.
Chainsaw operations as-
sociated with commercial
and personal use firewood
permits are regulated under
Industrial Fire Precaution
Levels (IFPLs) and are not
impacted by these PURs.
Please continue to check
the Blue Mountain Inter-
agency Dispatch website
for up-to-date information
on IFPLs. (http://bmidc.
org/ifpls.shtml)
Smoking is allowed
only in enclosed vehicles,
buildings, or areas cleared
of flammable material with
a minimum diameter of 3
feet.
No off-road/off-trail
vehicle travel or travel on
roads not cleared of stand-
ing grass or other flam-
mable material; no vehicle
travel on Forest Service
roads where access has
been impeded or blocked
by earthen berm, logs,
boulders, barrier, barricade
or gate, or as otherwise
identified in a Fire Order.
The public’s awareness
of the increased fire danger
and cooperation is essen-
tial to a continued safe fire
season. Recreationists,
firewood cutters, hunters,
and other forest users can
all help by closely adher-
ing to restrictions, operat-
ing safely and cautiously,
and keeping up-to-date
on the latest orders and
regulations.
Please check with your
local Oregon Department
of Forestry (ODF) office
for PURs on lands protect-
ed by ODF. Visit the Blue
Mountain Interagency Dis-
patch webpage at: http://
www.bmidc.org for more
information. Similar re-
strictions may be in effect
on State and private lands
protected by the Washing-
ton Department of Natural
Resources (WA-DNR).
More information can be
found on the WA-DNR
website at: http://www.dnr.
wa.gov.
For more information
about the Wallowa-Whit-
man National Forest’s
PURs, please call our
office at 541-523-6391
or call our information
hotlines in Baker City at
541-523-1234, La Grande
at 541-962-8679, or Joseph
at 541-426-5552. You may
also visit our website at
www.fs.usda.gov/wallowa-
whitman, or check our so-
cial media Facebook page
at https://www.facebook.
com/WallowaWhitmanNF
or the Blue Mountain Fire
Information Blog at http://
bluemountainfireinfo.
blogspot.com.
Crossroads announces
October artist of the month
Textures in Clay by Ce-
ramic Artist Linda Gray-
McKean features clay
sculptures and functional
work.
The exhibition is on
display Friday, October 6th
through Saturday October
28th.
Location: Crossroads
Carnegie Art Center-2020
Auburn Ave., Baker City,
OR 97814
Opening reception Fri-
day, October 6th from 5:30
p.m. to 8:00 p.m. during
Historic Baker City’s First
Friday Art Walk
In the Student Gallery:
Artwork of Keating El-
ementary School
Live music by Hannah
Violette, Piano.
Light refreshments
provided by Friends of
Crossroads.
This exhibition is made
possible through the gener-
ous support of Britt Sand
& Gravel.
Gallery hours: Monday
thru Saturday from 10 a.m.
to 5 p.m.
Exhibition Description:
Linda works primarily
with stoneware clay (a clay
that is fired to a tempera-
ture that transforms it to a
point where water cannot
pass through it). She works
primarily with slabs of
clay that are thrown out by
hand on a canvas-covered
worktable.
The process of trans-
formation from “mud to
stone” first captured her
soul in 1973.
The artist said, “I’m still
fascinated by the mysteri-
ous somewhat unpredict-
able process. God’s hands
are upon every firing. “
Much as the turtle’s shells
are their place of refuge
and rest, clay has become
hers. Their shells have
been her easel for explora-
tion of textural patterns
and color.
During Linda’s daily
ranch life she sees a mul-
titude of textural patterns
and colors.
She is always explor-
ing what impression
Photos courtesy of Crossroads.
An example of Gray-McKean’s texture in clay.
they would make in her
claywork.
Linda will gather many
different objects, or take
pictures for later reference
and will then sometimes
create an object to mimic a
similar texture in the clay.
An example of this is the
crater texture she uses for
her bowls.
The lava rocks on the
ranch inspired the idea,
but found the actual rock
impression was not what
she had envisioned, so
Linda made her own object
to create texture upon the
bowls.
About Crossroads Carn-
egie Art Center:
Crossroads Art Center,
Inc., is a 501(c) (3) non-
profit founded in 1963.
Our mission is to create
opportunities for the entire
community to be engaged,
inspired, and transformed
by the arts.
Photos courtesy of ODFW.
Top: This coyote has a smaller pointy nose, large
triangular ears, thinner legs, and smaller feet than a
wolf. Bottom: This yearling wolf has a broad muzzle,
shorter ears, longer legs and larger feet than a
coyote.
ODFW has launched a new online Coyote and Gray
Wolf ID Quiz to help people differentiate between wolves
and coyotes. Find the online quiz at http://bit.ly/2x56uoU
or at the ODFW Wolves website, http://www.dfw.state.
or.us/wolves/.
The quiz uses actual photos of various wolves and coy-
otes of various ages to test user’s knowledge, and gives
tips on how to tell wolves from coyotes. For example,
coyotes have taller, pointed ears and a pointed face and
muzzle while wolves have shorter rounder ears and a
blocky face and muzzle.
“We encourage everyone who spends time in the
outdoors to take this quiz, but especially hunters that
pursue coyotes,” said Roblyn Brown, ODFW acting wolf
coordinator. “It is the responsibility of every hunter to
know their target.” Wolf pups in particular can resemble
coyotes in the fall.
Wolves are protected throughout the state of Oregon
and there is no hunting season for wolves anywhere in
the state. Intentionally hunting or accidentally “taking” a
wolf is unlawful and can have serious legal consequenc-
es. In 2015, a hunter shot and was prosecuted for killing a
collared gray wolf in Grant County that he misidentified
as a coyote.
ODFW also relies on hunters, outdoor recreationalists,
livestock producers and others to report wolf observa-
tions. These public wolf reports help wildlife biologists
know where to focus wolf survey efforts. If you think
you have seen a wolf, wolf sign or heard wolves howling
please report it at www.odfw.com/Wolves/wolf_report-
ing_form.asp
“This quiz can help anyone better identify wolves in the
field,” said Brown. “We really appreciate everyone taking
the time to take the quiz.”
ODFW seeks
fish screening
task force
ODFW is seeking a candidate to represent agricultural
interests on the state’s Fish Screening Task Force.
Apply by Oct. 13 using the Fish Screening Task Force
Member application form found at www.dfw.state.
or.us/fish/screening. Submit the application via email to
tracy.d.wyllie@state.or.us or mail to Tracy Wyllie, 4034
Fairview Industrial Drive SE, Salem, OR 97302.
The ODFW Fish Screening Program helps water users
install and maintain fish screens to prevent fish from
entering water diversions. The Task Force advises ODFW
on program development, implementation, monitoring,
technology, funding and reporting.
“This is a great opportunity to get directly involved
helping make recommendations regarding Fish Screen-
ing Program implementation and to learn more about fish
screening and passage issues,” he added.
The Task Force meets three times a year at various
locations, and meetings may include a field trip to project
sites in the area.
The seven members of the Task Force are appointed
by the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission. Three
members represent agricultural interests, three members
represent fishing or fish conservation interests, and one
member represents the public at large. Members serve
two-year terms and may be reappointed.
For questions or additional information regarding the
Task Force, please call (503) 947-6256.