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THE DAILY ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2016
Oregon considers renewing wild¿re insurance
Associated Press
SALEM — Oregon is con-
sidering another year of insur-
ance coverage to help pay for
catastrophic wild¿re seasons.
British insurance giant
Lloyd’s of London is offering
the state another year of cover-
age despite three consecutive
years of expensive, drought-fu-
eled wild¿res. The policy could
protect the state from ¿nancial
problems if this year is another
expensive year for ¿re¿ghting,
reported The Bulletin.
“We think that a policy
makes good ¿nancial sense
for Oregon, (and) we ought
to keep purchasing it. That’s
what our recommendation is,”
said Tim Keith, who adminis-
ters the state’s forest protec-
tion fund.
The policy would also be
available to private landowners.
Oregon ¿re of¿cials and
landowners would share the
$3.5 million premium and up
to $50 million deductible before
Lloyd’s contributes up to $25
million. The premium is down
$300,000 from last year.
Last year, the state nearly lost
its coverage for the ¿rst time in
four decades after maxing out
its policy in 2013 and 2014. Last
year, Oregon’s ¿re season was
bad enough to trigger federal
reimbursements that covered the
cost for most severe ¿res.
Oregon still needs to pay off
$10 million in ¿re costs from
last season.
State lawmakers have
expressed interest in creating a
fund for ¿re¿ghting and ¿nd-
ing money for it. It could hold as
much as $60 million.
State Sen. Bill Hansell,
R-Athena, says he’d sponsor a
bill proposing such a trust fund,
but he wants to see if there’s a
way to protect the fund from
being used on other programs
when money is tight.
Submitted Photo
A small plane drops retardant over an Oregon wildfire.
Washington approves April clamming dates Port of Vancouver
against oil terminal
contract changes
EO Media Group
OLYMPIA, Wash. —
State shell¿sh managers have
approved the ¿rst half of clam-
ming dates that should provide
recreational digs on the Long
Beach Peninsula for most of
the month.
The Washington Depart-
ment of Fish and Wildlife
approved the early-April digs
after marine toxin tests showed
the clams are safe to eat on the
peninsula and two other outer
coast beaches. The Twin Har-
bors digging area between Wil-
lapa Bay and Westport remains
closed due to higher-than-al-
lowable domoic acid levels in
clams just north of the Willapa
entrance.
Diggers should be aware
that the opening switches from
evening to morning tides begin-
ning today, said Dan Ayres, a
state coastal shell¿sh manager.
Ayres also noted that razor
clam diggers age 15 or older
need to have a 1-1 ¿sh-
ing license to participate in
the upcoming dig, since the
new license year began April
1. New licenses are available
online
https¿shhunt.dfw.
wa.gov/) and from license deal-
ers throughout the state.
The dig began Sunday and
Wednesday and continues on
the following days:
• Today, 7:07 a.m.; -0.6
feet; Long Beach, Copalis,
Mocrocks
• Friday, 7:54 a.m.; -1.1
feet; Long Beach, Copalis,
Mocrocks
• Saturday, 8:42 a.m.; -1.3
feet; Long Beach, Copalis
• Sunday, 9:32 a.m.; -1.2
feet; Long Beach, Mocrocks
Associated Press
VANCOUVER, Wash.
— The Port of Vancouver
delivered a blow Wednes-
day to a proposed rail-to-
marine oil transfer terminal,
coming out against a con-
tract renegotiation requested
by Vancouver Energy.
The staff recommen-
dation to deny the request
increases the likelihood that
port commissioners will
follow suit, leaving a con-
tract in place that ramps up
costs for the energy com-
pany starting this summer.
Tesoro Corp. and Sav-
age Cos., operating as
Vancouver Energy, seek
to delay for two years
an Aug. 1 rent increase.
Energy of¿cials say they
made the request because
the project remains in the
state approval phase and
the increase was put in
place assuming the termi-
nal would be operational or
close to it by that time.
Port staff is recom-
mending the board decline
the request “but continue
working in good faith with
EO Media Group
More clamming this month on the Long Beach Peninsula.
• Monday, 10:23 a.m.; -0.9
feet; Long Beach
• Tuesday, 11:19 a.m.; -0.4
feet; Long Beach
Under state law, diggers are
required to keep the ¿rst 15
clams they dig. Each digger’s
clams must be kept in a sepa-
rate container.
The dig coincides with the
annual Long Beach razor clam
festival, scheduled Saturday
and Sunday. Digging at Long
Beach will be limited only to
the days listed. The beach had
been open daily in February
and March.
“After a late start to the sea-
son, we have tried to provide as
much digging as possible while
still conserving our razor clam
populations,” Ayres said.
The Department of Fish and
Wildlife delayed the razor clam
season due to elevated levels
of domoic acid, a natural toxin
produced by certain types of
marine algae.
“Razor clams at Twin Har-
bors had the highest levels of
domoic acid during the peak
of the harmful algae bloom in
2015,” Ayres said. “It is tak-
ing longer for clams there to rid
themselves of the toxin.”
It’s uncertain whether
Twin Harbors will open this
spring for razor clam digging,
Ayres said. The state con-
tinues to monitor toxin lev-
els on all Washington beaches
and will announce openings
on the department’s razor
clam webpage at tinyurl.com/
WARazorClams.
During all upcoming digs,
state wildlife managers urge
clam diggers to avoid disturb-
ing snowy plovers and streaked
horned larks by observing
posted vehicle speed limits and
avoiding nest sites. Both species
nest in the soft, dry sand at Lead-
better Point on the Long Beach
Peninsula.
The snowy plover is a small
bird with gray wings and a
white breast. The lark is a small
bird with a pale yellow breast
and brown back. Male larks
have a black mask, breast band
and “horns.” Both species are
listed as “endangered” in the
state and as “threatened” under
the federal Endangered Species
Act.
Vancouver Energy to pursue
necessary approvals.”
The modi¿cation will be
debated at a public hearing
Tuesday at Clark College and
likely will be voted on by the
three-member commission at a
meeting next Friday.
The proposal includes
building a terminal along the
Columbia River that can han-
dle an average 360,000 barrels
of crude oil per day. The oil
would be temporarily stored
on site and then loaded onto
ships for transport to West
Coast re¿neries.
Opponents have said the proj-
ect is unsafe and environmentally
hazardous and have urged com-
missioners to cancel the lease and
abandon the venture.
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PORK RIB DINNER
With Baked Beans, Vegetables,
Coleslaw and Cornbread
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Friday April 8 th
4 pm ‘til gone
$8 .00
6PM “Karaoke Dave”
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