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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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By ANTONIO SIERRA
East Oregonian
East Oregonian
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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
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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 $880,000 it has left
from an Oregon Department
of Transportation grant
it received several years
ago for industrial roadway
improvements.
ment Code, will take several
PRQWKV´
Passing an ordinance,
which the moratorium will
require, usually necessitates
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meeting. To bypass that, staff
is proposing the city council
KROG WKH ¿UVW UHDGLQJ WKH
second reading and the vote
at the same meeting.
In accordance with the
city charter, that means the
council will have to approve
the ordinance unanimously.
upgrades to the auditorium.
The arts fund derives its
revenue from a small earmark
to a city tax on hotel rooms.
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The
Pendleton
Fire
Department
has
done
controlled burns for years.
With Pendleton City Council
approval, they could make
some revenue from it.
Pendleton Fire Chief Mike
Ciraulo will make a recom-
mendation to the council
on Tuesday that building
9HUW$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
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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
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WKLV
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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