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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 16, 2016)
REGION Saturday, January 16, 2016 Bills seek to ratify wolf delisting By MATEUSZ PERKOWSKI Capital Bureau SALEM — Two Oregon lawmakers plan to introduce bills that would ratify the decision by state wildlife RI¿FLDOVWRGHOLVWZROYHVDVDQ endangered species. The proposals, which will be considered during the upcoming legislative session in February, are planned by Sen. Bill Hansell, R-Athena, and Rep. Greg Barreto, R-Cove, in reaction WRDODZVXLW¿OHGE\HQYLURQ- mental groups. In November 2015, the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission voted to delist the wolves under the state’s version of the Endangered Species Act after several criteria for their recovery had been met. Under a management plan IRU ZROYHV ¿UVW FUHDWHG LQ 2005, the species could be delisted after having estab- lished four breeding pairs for three years and no longer facing a substantial risk of H[WLQFWLRQ LQ D VLJQL¿FDQW portion of its range, among other criteria. Wolves were delisted by the federal government in the easternmost portion of the state, but remain protected in the rest. Oregon wildlife RI¿FLDOVKDYHWKHMXULVGLFWLRQ over those wolves under the state ESA. However, Oregon Wild, Cascadia Wildlands and the Center for Biological Diver- sity recently challenged the state’s delisting decision in court, arguing the decision unlawfully ignored the best available science about wolf recovery. The bills, which will be Page 3A MILTON-FREEWATER -XU\¿QGV*ODVE\JXLOW\ LQNLGQDSSLQJFDVH Instead, claimed Glasby, he went to the outskirts of Milton-Freewater and met A Umatilla County jury friend and now co-defen- Friday convicted Skyler dant John Adam Phillips, Ian Glasby on multiple 33, of Walla Walla, felonies for his role in and Phillips’ girlfriend, kidnapping and beating a Samantha Kaye Noethe, 23, Kennewick. man for money /LWFK¿HOG ZDV last year in with them, Glasby Milton-Free- said, and had paid water. to have sex with Glasby, 27, Noethe in a motel of Dayton, room at Wildhorse Wa s h i n g t o n , Resort & Casino was on trial this near Pendleton. week. The jury Glasby said he of eight women went along to and four men Glasby gamble. But the left for delib- erations Friday around prostitution deal went side- 11:30 a.m., then returned to ways, he said, ended with a deliver the verdict at 2:20 confrontation and he bailed p.m. Circuit Judge Lynn on the trip. Noethe, though, told the Hampton announced the jury there was a robbery ¿QGLQJV The jury found Glasby scheme, and she and Phil- JXLOW\ RI ¿UVWGHJUHH lips brought Glasby in on kidnapping, second-degree the plan and later split the kidnapping, second-degree cash with him. Glasby sank in his chair robbery, second-degree assault, second-degree after the verdict reading, theft and third-degree put his head on his arms escape and possession of and wept. Sheriff’s depu- the drug Hydrocodone. ties removed Glasby from The jury also determined the courtroom during a Glasby was the primary short break. He looked at actor in the assault and a the handful of his friends and family, some crying. helper in the kidnapping. The jury also found Glasby’s eyes were red, *ODVE\ QRW JXLOW\ RI ¿UVW and he said nothing as he and second-degree robbery VKXIÀHGRXW The court set his and unlawful use of a sentencing for Monday, weapon. Glasby took the stand Jan. 25. Phillips goes to trial in his defense Thursday on similar charges Tuesday. and told the jury there And Noethe goes to court was no plot in the early Thursday for sentencing. morning hours Sept. 1, She pleaded guilty in 2015, to kidnap, beat and October to one count each ULS RII $QGUHZ /LWFK¿HOG of second-degree robbery 31, of Walla Walla. and kidnapping. By PHIL WRIGHT East Oregonian Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife via AP, ile This 2014 file photo shows a female wolf from the Minam pack outside La Grande after it was fitted with a tracking collar. Two Republican state lawmakers are trying to thwart a lawsuit filed by environmental groups over a decision to remove the gray wolf from Oregon’s Endangered Species Act list. introduced in the House and Senate, will provide the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife — which is overseen by the commis- sion — more ammunition in defending itself in court, Barreto said. “We’re shoring up what the commission has already GHFLGHG´KHVDLGGXULQJD-DQ 14 hearing before the House Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources. Oregon has 81 docu- mented wolves, but the actual population is likely in the range of 100-120 animals and a delisting is necessary for the ODFW to eventually manage the species, said Sen. Hansell. Such management could involve hunting to keep populations in check Ranchers in Oregon have abided by restrictions on wolf management for the past 10 years, so now that the criteria for delisting have been met, the state govern- ment should uphold the wolf plan’s credibility, said Rocky Dallum, political advocate for the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association. “The goal was to strike a balance between reestab- lishing wolves in Oregon and meeting the needs of those SURGXFHUV´KHVDLG During the decade that the plan has been in place, ranchers have felt a great deal RI³KHDUWEXUQ´DVVWDWHZLOGOLIH RI¿FLDOV KDYH UHIXVHG WR remove wolves that repeatedly prey on livestock, said Todd Nash, a rancher and chairman of the OCA’s wolf committee. The wolf plan should be followed as planned rather than allowing the courts to take over the process, he said. “I want to bring some sanity to this and let the scientists and wildlife managers manage, instead of some conservation JURXSVDQGDMXGJH´ Environmental groups oppose the proposed legis- lation, claiming that it will unnecessarily interfere with the authority of the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commis- sion. Currently, the species occupies only 12 percent of its potential habitat, said Sean Stevens, executive director of Oregon Wild. “The status of wolves in Oregon is still WHQXRXV´ PENDLETON &RXQFLOWRFRQVLGHUIXQGLQJIRU+LOO0HDWH[SDQVLRQ By ANTONIO SIERRA East Oregonian East Oregonian &HOOWRZHUV A 100-foot cell tower on Prevented from Dorion Avenue could lead expanding its processing the Pendleton City Council to plant and adding up to 30 pass a temporary moratorium MREV E\ LQVXI¿FLHQW ZDWHU on building such structures in supply, Hill Meat Co. could city limits. The council will consider get some help from the city the 120-day ban, with of Pendleton. the option to extend it an Pendleton City Council will consider an agreement additional six months, at a between the company and meeting Tuesday. The tower was erected in the city that would give November between Kwong’s Hill Meat up to $670,000 Cafe and Dave’s Chevron in grants from city and state sources to improve and boosts signal for U.S. the facility’s water and road Cellular customers. City Planner Evan infrastructure. In order to obtain funding MacKenzie said he received from the state, city staff pushback from some city are also asking the council staff members when the to authorize applications cell tower’s application was for the state’s immediate submitted. But because there opportunity and special are no restrictions on cell towers in the zones they’re public works funds. Small water lines have allowed in, he had no choice been the primary barrier but to approve it. While the city can’t do to Hill Meat’s expansion, with the four and six-inch anything about the Dorion lines that service the plant cell tower, City Attorney incapable of meeting Nancy Kerns wrote in a PRGHUQ ¿UH VXSSUHVVLRQ report that staff needs time to consider new rules. standards. “Staff feels that consid- City staff estimate it would cost $125,000 to make eration should be given the proper improvements. to further restrict this use, The city also wants to install such as requiring approval an electrical service upgrade of a conditional use by the &RPPLVVLRQ´ and a back-up generator at 3ODQQLQJ the Eastern Oregon Regional she wrote. “Reasonable Airport industrial park consideration of this subject, where Hill Meat’s facility coupled with the process of is located, bringing the total amendment of the Develop- cost to $170,000. The state special public works fund could cover 85 percent of the cost, meaning the city would only have to spend $25,500 to cover the rest of the project. The city’s share of the grant would come out of the water fund, which has $1.5 million budgeted for water line expansion at the airport. If Hill Meat fails to create 30 jobs, it will have to pay back the city the difference, at rate of $5,000 per job. Hill Meat could also get help from the city and the state to improve its roads through a grant from the immediate opportunity fund. Under the parameters of the grant, both the city and the state would kick in 50 percent of the $500,000 cost of road improvements. If the grant is approved, the city will pay by drawing from the $880,000 it has left from an Oregon Department of Transportation grant it received several years ago for industrial roadway improvements. ment Code, will take several PRQWKV´ Passing an ordinance, which the moratorium will require, usually necessitates D ¿UVW UHDGLQJ DW D SULRU meeting. To bypass that, staff is proposing the city council KROG WKH ¿UVW UHDGLQJ WKH second reading and the vote at the same meeting. In accordance with the city charter, that means the council will have to approve the ordinance unanimously. upgrades to the auditorium. The arts fund derives its revenue from a small earmark to a city tax on hotel rooms. &RQWUROOHGEXUQIHHV The Pendleton Fire Department has done controlled burns for years. With Pendleton City Council approval, they could make some revenue from it. Pendleton Fire Chief Mike Ciraulo will make a recom- mendation to the council on Tuesday that building 9HUW$XGLWRULXP owners pay a $1 per square The Pendleton City foot fee when they request Council could help one of the a controlled burn, with a city’s most venerable perfor- minimum fee of $1,000 and a mance venues capture a maximum of $5,000. greater share of the spotlight. Although controlled burns The city council will are a valuable hands-on consider an arts committee training experience for recommendation to allocate ¿UH¿JKWHUV &LUDXOR ZURWH LQ $6,000 from the arts fund to a report that it doesn’t come help pay for promotion of the without its costs. Vert Auditorium. “The department incurs The money would cover VLJQL¿FDQW RYHUWLPH DQG half the fee of Michelle other expenses in conducting Liberty, the marketing FRQWUROOHG EXUQV´ KH ZURWH director of Walla Walla’s “The department desires to Power House Theatre. Liberty recoup some of the expenses promised city staff she could in conducting these training bring in six events in 2016 if ¿UHV´ they paid her $1,000 a month. Ciraulo expects the Pendleton Convention controlled burn fees to bring Center staff would be in between $2,000 and UHVSRQVLEOH IRU ¿QGLQJ $10,000 per year. grants and other sources of The meeting will be at the revenue to pay for the other council chambers in city hall, half of Liberty’s fee, as 500 S.W. Dorion Avenue, well as make any necessary Tuesday at 7 p.m. STANFIELD Heifer shot, killed in pasture $6,000 reward offered for information the carcass to waste. He said heifers like his usually sell for up to $3,000. Theft isn’t unusual By GEORGE PLAVEN in the ranching industry, East Oregonian Anderson said, but this is Local rancher Terry WKH¿UVWWLPHKH¶VORVWDFRZ Anderson awoke to a on winter ground so close gruesome discovery Friday to the city. Incidents are morning after learning more common in summer someone shot, killed and when herds are left to graze butchered one of his cows in the mountains, but this happened just 150 yards LQD¿HOGQHDU6WDQ¿HOG Anderson, who runs off a well-traveled road. “It’s tragic to lose an Anderson Land & Live- stock Inc. out of Pilot animal to a situation like Rock, said the 2-year-old WKLV´KHVDLG Oregon State Police is heifer was slaughtered sometime Thursday night leading the investigation, in a pasture along Feed- and Anderson has put up ville Road, where he raises a $5,000 reward for any information leading to cattle during the winter. Judging by the tracks, an arrest and conviction. Anderson believes at The Oregon Cattlemen’s least three people were Association has offered an involved. A neighbor additional $1,000 in the reported hearing commo- case. “They knew exactly tion around 10:30 p.m., though Anderson said they ZKDW WKH\ ZHUH GRLQJ´ said. “We GLGQ¶W¿QGWKHDQLPDOXQWLO Anderson QHHG WR JHW WKLV VWRSSHG´ morning. “We found body parts Anyone with information VWUXQJ RXW RYHU WKH ¿HOG´ should contact OSP at he said. “They basically 541-567-3215 or 1-800- 452-7888. PXWLODWHGLW´ ——— Anderson said the Contact George Plaven culprits were likely trying gplaven@eastorego- to make some money off at nian.com or 541-966-0825. the meat, but left most of
