G REATER G ORGE
A2 Hood River News,
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
www.hoodrivernews.com
Columbia River Gorge oil train traffic sharply declines
By Rob Davis
The Oregonian/OregonLive, Staff
Portland — (AP) Oil train
traffic through the Columbia
River Gorge has declined
one-third or more from its
peak amid an oil price de-
cline that has pressured
crude-by-rail shipments na-
tionwide.
A new report from BNSF
Railway Co., one of the coun-
try’s major crude-by-rail
haulers, shows between
eight and 12 trains, each a
mile long, now haul oil
through the gorg e each
week. That’s down from as
many as 18 each week in
2014.
Oil trains have grown less
frequent throughout the Pacif-
ic Northwest as oil prices have
collapsed. Traffic dwindled
earlier this year along two
Oregon routes — through
Central Oregon and between
Portland and an oil-barging
facility in Clatskanie.
A BNSF spokesman, Gus
Melonas, said the railroad
hasn’t moved any oil trains
through Central Oregon since
February.
Traffic through the Colum-
bia Gorge is significant be-
cause it’s a reliable measure
for how much oil is moving by
rail in Oregon and Washing-
ton. The gorge is the primary
route used by shippers ex-
tracting oil in North Dakota
and sending it to West Coast
refineries.
North Dakota is the site of
an ongoing boom that has
pushed an unprecedented
amount of oil onto railways
nationwide, leading to a string
of fiery accidents that have
raised safety concerns in the
United States and Canada.
The BNSF report, which
was released in May by the
Washington Military Depart-
ment, is required to comply
with an emergency federal
order from May 2014.
Though federal transporta-
tion officials had said they
would end those disclosures,
returning a veil of secrecy to
oil train movements, they re-
cently agreed to continue
them indefinitely after com-
ing under pressure from law-
makers including U.S. Sens.
Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley,
both Oregon Democrats.
Photo by Rob Davis, The Oregonian/OregonLive
FEWER OIL trains are rolling through Columbia River Gorge per week due to a decline in oil prices,
said BNSF Railway Co. in a new report.
Washington Supreme Court: Skamania County in violation of GMA
Ruling remands lawsuit back to
Clark County Superior Court
By Eric Florip
The Columbian
The state Supreme Court
this week handed a victory to
environmental advocates who
argued that unzoned forest-
land in Skamania County is in
violation of the Growth Man-
agement Act.
In an opinion issued Thurs-
day, the court found that Ska-
mania County is more than
six years past its December
2008 deadline to review its nat-
ural resource land designa-
tions. The opinion largely
sided with conservation
groups Save Our Scenic Area
and Friends of the Columbia
Gorge, who had filed a lawsuit
in 2012 challenging the coun-
ty’s inaction.
That’s not the final word,
however. The Supreme Court
remanded the case back to
Clark County Superior Court,
where the lawsuit was origi-
nally filed.
“We still will continue to
pursue this case and try to es-
tablish protections on forest
lands for forest uses,” said
Nathan Baker, staff attorney
for Friends of the Columbia
Gorge.
Large swaths of forestland
in Skamania County are cur-
rently “unmapped” and thus
vulnerable to unregulated de-
velopment, advocates say. The
case centers around 15,000
acres of privately owned
forestland referred to as “free-
for-all” areas at one point in
the court’s opinion.
In 2007, Skamania County
designated much of its private
forestland as conservancy
areas intended for the conser-
vation and management of ex-
isting natural resources. At
the same time, it declared a
building moratorium on 15,000
acres of land as it considered
zoning classifications there.
But the county continued
extending the moratorium
long after the 2008 review
deadline came and went. In
2012, the county repealed the
moratorium for all but 4,500
acres of the area. That’s when
Save Our Scenic Area and
Friends of the Columbia
Gorge filed the lawsuit. The
entire moratorium eventually
lapsed.
Shortly after the moratori-
um was repealed, the county
approved plans for the
Whistling Ridge Energy Pro-
ject, a wind farm just outside
the Gorge scenic area bound-
ary near Underwood. (A
downsized version of the
wind farm was later approved
and upheld by the state, but
never built.)
As part of its case, the coun-
ty had argued that the plain-
tiffs’ challenge was untimely
and should have been filed
years earlier — an argument
the Supreme Court rejected.
The county effectively made
the “unmapped” classifica-
tion permanent in 2012 when
it indicated its ordinances
were no longer temporary, the
court said.
Celilo Park closed Jehovah’s Witnesses
over weekend convention June 19
Celilo Park’s lawn area
and restroom will be
closed this weekend
while crews remove haz-
ardous trees and limbs
from the campsite.
The U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers said the
boat ramp and portions
of the day use area at
Celilo Park will remain
open, but park rangers
will ask campers to re-
move all tents before Sat-
urday.
The park is expected to
fully reopen to visitors
and tent campers on
Monday, June 19.
Celilo Park is a popu-
lar campsite on the south
bank of the Columbia
River, about 13 miles east
of The Dalles at Exit 97,
off Interstate 84.
Fo r q u e s t i o n s a n d
concerns, call 541-506-
7857. For more informa-
tion about Celilo Park
and other recreation
areas near The Dalles
Lock and Dam, visit
http://www.nwp.usace.a
rmy.mil/Locations/Col
u m b i a R i v -
er/TheDalles.aspx.
Radio Club field day
returning June 27
Radio Amateurs of the
Gorge will be turning the Wal-
Mart parking lot into a radio
field day from Saturday June
27 to Sunday June 28.
The radio team will be com-
municating with other ama-
teur radio operators across the
United States, Canada and
Mexico. The group’s capaci-
ties include not only local
radio and digital communica-
tions, but the ability to make
contact with operators
throughout the world.
Kids and parents will be
able to “Get on the Air,” talk-
ing with kids and adults in
many lands, or even on a ship
at sea. Hands-on activities will
be held throughout the day
Saturday. Local Scouts will
have a chance to earn a Radio
Merit Badge.
The field day, which starts at
11 a.m. on June 27, is open to
anyone, no license required.
All volunteers will be accepted
for the bevy of radio opportu-
nities available.
PORTLAND, OREGON —
Jehovah’s Witnesses will
soon hold their annual con-
ventions at the Veteran’s
Memorial Coliseum Arena
in Portland. The local con-
gregations in Hood River,
The Dalles, Tygh Valley,
Cascade Locks, Carson,
White Salmon and Golden-
dale have been extending
personal invitations for all
in the area to attend. The
theme of this year’s pro-
gram is “Imitate Jesus!”
Stephen F. Fowler, a con-
vention spokesman from
Portland, said, “Jesus, the
founder of Christianity, is
widely considered as one of
the most influential and sig-
n i f i c a n t m e n wh o eve r
lived. As Christians, a core
belief of Jehovah’s Wit-
nesses is that Jesus lived
his life as a model for us to
follow. The ‘Imitate Jesus!’
conventions will examine
Jesus’ life, as outlined in
the Bible, and emphasize
how all — regardless of
their background, lifestyle,
or religion — can benefit in
practical ways from his ex-
ample and teachings. A
highlight of the program
will be the keynote address
on Friday morning, entitled
‘Concealed in Him Are All
the Treasures of Wisdom.’”
The extending of person-
al invitations has been on-
going for the last two weeks,
and will reach everyone
from Central Oregon, the
Columbia Gorge, Southwest
Washington, the North Ore-
gon and Southern Washing-
ton Coast, and the Portland
Metro area. There is no ad-
mission or parking fee to
this or any event sponsored
by Jehovah’s Witnesses, as
they are supported entirely
by voluntary donations.
The first of four, three-
day events to be held in
Portland will begin Friday,
June 19, 2015, at 9:20 a.m.
An estimated 28,000 will
c o m e t o t h e Ve t e r a n’s
Memorial Coliseum Arena
for the Bible-based pro-
grams.
Jehovah’s Witnesses in
the United States and Cana-
da are organizing 453 con-
ventions — in 29 languages
— in 124 cities. Worldwide,
there are over 8,000,000 Wit-
nesses in more than 115,000
congregations.
Skamania County Prose-
cuting Attorney Adam Kick
said the county was disap-
pointed by the court’s opinion
and is considering its options.
The decision “upends several
decades of precedent,” Kick
said, particularly in allowing
the claim to be filed under the
state Planning Enabling Act.
The court’s dissenting minori-
ty opinion echoed that senti-
ment.
Environmental advocates
cheered the majority opinion.
“The time has come for the
county to accept that it is
legally obligated by state law
to designate and protect forest
lands for forest purposes,”
Tom Drach, a Save Our Scenic
HOOD RIVER NEWS (ISSN 07465823) is
published twice weekly, every Wednesday
and Saturday. Subscription rates: $42 per
year prepaid ($36 for senior citizens, 65 and
over) in Hood River County and western
Wasco County, Oregon; and Klickitat and
Skamania counties,Washington. Elsewhere,
$68 prepaid per year. Known office of pub-
lication, 419 State Ave., Hood River, OR
97031-2031. Periodicals postage paid at
Hood River, Oregon. POSTMASTER: Send
address changes to HOOD RIVER NEWS,
P.O. Box 390, Hood River, OR 97031-0103.
Area board member and Ska-
mania County resident, said
in a released statement.
Almost 90 percent of Ska-
mania County is either feder-
al or state land. As a “partial
planning” county, it is re-
quired by the Growth Man-
agement Act to designate and
protect resource lands, includ-
ing forests.
As the case returns to Clark
County Superior Court, the
plaintiffs will likely push for a
schedule for the county to
comply with the law, Baker
said.
H APPY H OUR
on the patio
and
Hood River’s
best steaks!
Trip Advisor Award
of Excellence two
years in a row
541-386-3940
Stonehedge Gardens
Elks Lodge 18th annual
Golf Tournament
June 27, 1:45 p.m.
Indian Creek Golf Course
Entry includes: Cart,
Dinner, Beer, Prizes
& Silent Auction
Questions?
Call Mark Freeman
541-490-6035
markfree@gorge.net
A fundraiser
for Elks Student
Scholarships
WEEKLY SUDOKU
This week’s Sudoku presented by:
Y OUR B USINESS N AME
Answers on Page A8
Food Bank
rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Skamania Introduces
Taste of the Place
Make reservations today for this very special
Sunday culinary series hosted by Skamania’s
Executive Chef, Matt Hale, as he prepares a
delightful four-course dining experience using
locally sourced ingredients. Served at the lodge
with selections from local vintners, Skamania’s
“Taste of the Place” dining series is a delicious
and relaxing way to start the week!
•
•
June 21 July 19 August 16
October 18 December 20
•
Reservations Required : 509-427-7700
STEVENSON, WA
• 800-221-7117 • SKAMANIA.COM
BBQ
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