»INSIDE
THURSDAY
MARCH 24
2022
TUFTED
PUFFINS
RETURN
‘MIRACLES’
ON STAGE
PAGE 4
INVASIVE
PLANTS OF THE
T
NORTH COAS
PAGE 6
GHOST
CE
CONFEREN TO
RETURNS
SEASIDE
ILWACO
PLAY OPENS IN
PAGE 8
PAGE 11
DailyAstorian.com // THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 2022
149TH YEAR, NO. 114
$1.50
State
outlaws
sea star
harvest
Move to ease pressure
on populations
By KATIE FRANKOWICZ
KMUN
It has been nearly a decade
since researchers and beachcomb-
ers watched sea stars seemingly
melt away in front of them.
Beginning in 2013 and 2014, a
mysterious disease decimated sea
star populations on the West Coast.
The cause of sea star wasting syn-
drome, which hit some 23 diff er-
ent species of sea stars, remains
a scientifi c mystery, though there
are several theories and the dis-
ease occurred in step with chang-
ing ocean conditions.
One thing remains clear: Some
sea star populations have not
fully recovered. At least one spe-
cies is being considered for list-
ing under the federal Endangered
Species Act — the sunfl ower sea
star, whose population declined by
as much as 90% across its tradi-
tional range from Baja California
to Alaska and by an estimated 98%
off the Oregon Coast alone.
To ease pressure on sea star
populations, the Oregon Fish and
Wildlife Commission voted last
week to prohibit people from har-
vesting any sea stars off the Ore-
gon Coast.
Commercial sea star harvests
have not been allowed since 2014,
but people have been able to har-
vest the animals on a recreational
basis — up to 10 sea stars per day,
per person. Actual participation is
believed to be very low, with only
a few people collecting sea stars
here and there to dry as souvenirs.
Dried sea stars available to buy
in local gift shops do not, in gen-
eral, come from Oregon, noted
Steve Rumrill, the shellfi sh pro-
gram leader for the Oregon Depart-
ment of Fish and Wildlife.
But issues of sea star conserva-
tion surfaced during public discus-
sions about an update to Oregon’s
Rocky Shores Management Plan.
People asked the Fish and Wildlife
Lydia Ely/The Astorian
The Port of Astoria will see fewer cruise ships than expected this season.
In a hit to the Port, many
cruise ship bookings canceled
Twenty-two ships set to dock in Astoria, down from 42
By ETHAN MYERS
The Astorian
A
fter bookings for a record cruise ship season,
the Port of Astoria has seen nearly half of the
reservations canceled.
At a Port Commission meeting in February, Bruce
Conner, who manages cruise ship marketing for the
Port, said 42 oceangoing vessels planned to dock in
Astoria.
But over the past several weeks, a number of cruise
lines delayed arrival dates or canceled altogether. The
Port schedule now lists 22 ships set to visit, with the
fi rst planning to dock in early April.
“For our community, absolutely, it just saddened
me,” Conner said.
The coronavirus pandemic has made it diffi cult for
cruise lines to staff vessels and ensure virus protocols ,
Conner said.
After speaking with representatives from other
ports along the coast, Conner said the wave of cancel-
lations has not been unique to Astoria.
While he expects the Port schedule to remain
steady moving forward, with the possibility of adding
a few ships back, Conner called the situation “fl uid.”
“This industry, it changes daily … it’s one thing
and the next day it’s another thing,” he said.
Will Isom, the Port’s executive director , said he
viewed the initial 42 visits as “more so on paper”
rather than a reasonable expectation.
In a typical year, cruise ships are an important
source of revenue for the Port, oftentimes bringing in
upward of $1 million.
“If we’re able to get 30 ships in here, you’re look-
ing at a million dollars in revenue, and that’s just a
small piece of it, because the overall impact of the
community is longer when you start looking at the
onshore excursions that take place, and the amount of
traffi c that comes downtown,” Isom said. “There is a
huge economic benefi t to the entire region.”
With the cruise ship industry taking a hit during the
pandemic and Astoria only seeing two cruise ship vis-
its – both crew-only vessels waiting out virus restric-
tions – since the end of 2019, the fi nancial impact has
See Port, Page A6
See Sea stars, Page A6
Giant fossil named for Ilwaco graduate Prosecutor to
target poachers
Simmons
discovered the
remains of a sloth
New position part of state campaign
By PATRICK WEBB
Chinook Observer
SEATTLE — Gordon
“Gordy” Simmons has
achieved an honor few can
match.
The Skamokawa resi-
dent has had a fossil named
for him.
“Gordy” is the name
bestowed by the Burke
Museum in Seattle on the
skeleton of an extinct giant
ground sloth.
Simmons discovered the
remains of the beast in 1961
while working on expan-
sion of the Seattle-Tacoma
International Airport.
And more than 60 years
later, he never tires of tell-
ing the story.
He and his crew were
trying to cement in a fourth
light tower on the new run-
way when they encoun-
tered an obstruction. “We
By MONICA SAMAYOA
Oregon Public Broadcasting
For the fi rst time ever, the
Oregon Department of Jus-
tice has hired a special pros-
ecutor solely dedicated to
locating, investigating and
prosecuting poachers.
The new position comes
as the state has recently seen
a spike in the unsolved illegal
killing of wildlife, including
deer, elk and wolves.
Jay Hall was hired last
month to be the new assistant
attorney general dedicated
to enforcing anti-poaching
laws and providing exper-
tise and resources to local
law enforcement for poach-
ing investigations and prose-
cutions. He previously spent
12 years prosecuting major
crimes for the Lane County
district attorney’s offi ce
and developed expertise in
using state racketeering laws
against organized poaching
rings.
See Poachers, Page A5
Gordon ‘Gordy’ Simmons, of Skamokawa, is pictured at the Burke Museum in Seattle with the
fossil of the giant sloth.
couldn’t get the tower in
and out popped a bone,”
he said. “I thought at fi rst
it was a cow bone, but it
would have had to be a
pretty big cow!”
He knew immediately it
was unusual. “Better call
the university — we’ve got
a dinosaur down here!” he
told his crew. “The guys
were mad at me because we
lost three days’ work! We
thought it was a bison, then
saw the claw.”
As is common on con-
struction sites, when bones
are found work stops in case
there is a need to investi-
gate human foul play or fi g-
ure out any archaeological
signifi cance.
It was the latter that had
staff at the Burke Museum
celebrating.
Oregon State Police
See Simmons, Page A6
A bull elk was illegally killed and left to waste near Elgin.