REGION
Wednesday, February 3, 2016
Bill to ratify wolf delisting
slated for Thursday hearing
ered.
“It’s frustrating to reach out and
Rob
Klavins,
QRUWKHDVW
2UHJRQ
¿HOG
try to include everybody, and
director for Oregon
A bill that would ratify
then when the state agency uses Wild, said that by
the Oregon Fish and Wildlife
Commission’s decision to
the best science and justiication, reaching Phase II of the
wolf plan, ODFW was
remove gray wolves from the
support for the plan suddenly
still legally obligated to
state endangered species list is
up for debate in Salem.
vanishes and we have a lawsuit.” use the best available
science in recom-
Sen.
Bill
Hansell,
— Sen. Bill Hansell, R-Athena
mending whether to
R-Athena, and Rep. Greg Hansell
delist wolves. They did
Barreto, R-Cove, initially
not do that, he said.
submitted slightly different state’s wolf conservation plan ODFW did not follow what
“The concern is the state
versions of the bill in both still prohibits killing wolves the legislature asked them to
the House and Senate, asking H[FHSW XQGHU YHU\ VSHFL¿F do, this type of action would did their own analysis with
Wolves help them diffuse that partic- what appears to be a pre-de-
for the legislature to back up circumstances.
termined outcome,” Klavins
last fall’s controversial wolf also remain federally listed ular argument,” Hansell said.
Hansell further criticized said. “The state ignored the
as endangered in western
delisting.
the environmental groups that best possible science. In
HB 4040 will receive a Oregon.
Oregon’s wolf plan — KDYHDOUHDG\¿OHGVXLWVD\LQJ ignoring the best possible
hearing Thursday in the House
Committee on Agriculture which was developed in they are unwilling to follow science, they broke the law.”
Asking the legislature
and Natural Resources, part 2005 and amended to include a plan that they themselves
to ratify the decision is an
of the short legislative session a compromise between helped create.
“It’s frustrating to reach unprecedented and concerning
that kicked off Monday. This cattlemen and conservation-
comes as environmental ists in 2013 — stipulated out and try to include every- move, Klavins added. Conser-
JURXSV ¿OHG D ODZVXLW LQ wolves could be delisted after body, and then when the state vationists have not asked for
December to keep wolves establishing four breeding agency uses the best science an injunction while a legal
pairs for three consecutive DQG MXVWL¿FDWLRQ VXSSRUW IRU review is underway, he said.
endangered in Oregon.
“This is simply piling on,”
Most of Oregon’s 81 years. That benchmark was the plan suddenly vanishes
documented wolves are UHDFKHGIRUWKH¿UVWWLPHODVW and we have a lawsuit,” Klavins said.
Hansell said.
The bill does not address
concentrated in Hansell’s year.
However, groups like any other legitimate concerns
The Oregon Department of
and Barreto’s districts in the
northeast corner of the state. Fish & Wildlife recommended Oregon Wild, Cascadia regarding wolf management,
Local ranchers have argued delisting, and the commission Wildlands and the Center for Klavins said.
$ ¿YH\HDU UHYLHZ RI WKH
for years they should be able followed suit in November. Biological Diversity disagree
to kill wolves that make a By ratifying the decision, that ODFW used the best ODFW wolf plan is expected
habit of preying on their sheep Hansell said the legislature science in delisting wolves. later this year, he said.
can help shore up ODFW’s They contend the agency will-
———
and cattle.
Contact George Plaven at
Delisting does not imme- defense against a new legal fully ignored evidence from
independent experts who say gplaven@eastoregonian.com
diately change how wolves challenge.
“If someone were to argue the species is far from recov- or 541-966-0825.
are managed in Oregon. The
By GEORGE PLAVEN
East Oregonian
HERMISTON
%HDFK%HHI'LQQHUEHQH¿WVVWXGHQWV
dinner vouchers. In addition,
each of the schools in the
district put together a spirit
basket.
An event to raise money
The fundraiser provides
to help enhance educational
money that the foundation
opportunities for students in
awards as grants to staff
the Hermiston School District
members of the Hermiston
will feature all-you-can-eat
School District to enhance
crab and beef kabobs.
the educational experience of
The annual Beach &
students. Grant applications
Beef Dinner and Auction
are accepted twice a year —
is Saturday with the doors
funding things like musical
opening at 5 p.m. for a social
LQVWUXPHQWV ¿HOG WULSV WHFK-
hour and viewing of auction
nology equipment, special
items at the Hermiston
curriculum and books.
Conference Center, 415 S.
EO Media Group ile photo
“Money raised by the
Highway 395. The event Judy Bracher of the Hermiston Education Foundation
includes a silent auction and restocks food during a past Beach & Beef Dinner and foundation helps provide
UDIÀH7KHGLQQHULVVHUYHGDW Auction. The event, which is Saturday at the Hermis- opportunities for students,”
6:30 p.m. and the live auction ton Conference Center, provides money to enhance Bracher said.
student educational opportunities in the Hermiston
For more information
starts at 7:30 p.m.
about the Hermiston Educa-
Tickets are $35 per person School District.
and can be purchased at the said many of the groups inmates at Eastern Oregon tion Foundation, visit www.
conference center and the KDYH EHQH¿WHG IURP JUDQWV Correctional Institution, box hermistoneducationfounda-
Hermiston School District provided by the foundation.
seats and four dinners for the tion.org.
———
RI¿FH6:WK6W
Bracher said a variety of Farm-City Pro Rodeo, family
Contact
Community
Various music groups from items are up for bid, including passes to the Hermiston
the school district will provide a $500 Visa gift card, a cabin Family Aquatics Center, local Editor Tammy Malgesini at
entertainment. Judy Bracher getaway in Hood River, a pair ZLQHV D ÀDW RI EOXHEHUULHV tmalgesini@eastoregonian.
of the education foundation of handcrafted end tables by photo sessions as well as com or 541-564-4539
By TAMMY MALGESINI
East Oregonian
BRIEFLY
The Q moving to a
new frequency
HERMISTON — Radio
station The Q is moving to a
new frequency this week.
The station will change
from 100.1 FM to 93.7
FM sometime mid-week,
depending on weather,
due to a frequency
reassignment by the
Federal Communications
Commission. The AM
station, KOHU 1360 AM,
will not change but will be
off air for a day while the
work required to change
the FM frequency is being
performed. The FM station
will be off air for a couple
of days, according to the
station.
For more information
contact the radio station at
541-567-6500.
Good Shepherd
offers Healthy
Fridays
HERMISTON — Free
health screenings are
offered twice a month at
Good Shepherd Medical
Center.
Beginning Feb. 5, people
can have free cholesterol,
blood sugar, body mass
index and blood pressure
checks and receive health
information at the hospital.
+HDOWK\)ULGD\VLVWKH¿UVW
Friday of each month from
9:30-11:30 a.m. or the third
Friday from 2-4 p.m. It’s
held in Conference Center
7 at the hospital, 610 N.W.
11th St., Hermiston.
For more information,
call 541-667-3509.
Meeting focuses
on Wallowa Lake
Lodge
PENDLETON — A
community effort to keep
the Wallowa Lake Lodge
locally owned is nearing
completion.
A presentation to discuss
the lodge will be presented
Saturday from 2:30-3:30
p.m. at Pendleton Center for
the Arts, 214 N. Main. Ellen
Bishop will present “Saving
the Lodge.” Refreshments
will be served.
More than 100 investors
have joined together as
Lake Wallowa Lodge LLC
to purchase and retain
Wallowa Lake Lodge as a
SUR¿WDEOHIDPLO\IULHQGO\
inn at the head of Wallowa
Lake, while protecting the
lands around the lodge
and Wallowa River from
development. The future
conservation easement for
this open ground is a key
element of the acquisition,
said James Monteith,
managing member. The
easement will likely be held
in perpetuity by the Nez
Perce Tribe, Monteith added.
For more information,
contact Katy Nesbitt
at katylnesbitt@gmail.
com or visit www.
lakewallowalodge.com.
Review scheduled
for ag water plan
MILTON-FREEWATER
— A biennial review of
the Walla Walla Sub-basin
Agriculture Water Quality
Management Area will be
Tuesday. Feb. 16.
Agricultural producers
and residents interested
in water quality within
the basin should consider
participating in the review,
which will run from
9-11 a.m. at the Walla
Walla Watershed Council
conference room, 810 S.
Main St., Milton-Freewater.
For more information,
contact Tom Demianew
with the Umatilla County
Soil and Water Conservation
District at 541-278-8049,
ext. 134.
———
Briefs are compiled
from staff and wire reports,
and press releases. Email
press releases to news@
eastoregonian.com
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East Oregonian
Page 3A
PENDLETON
Councilman Young
won’t seek reelection
Only one incumbent
commits to running
By ANTONIO SIERRA
East Oregonian
2I WKH ¿YH SHRSOH
who won Pendleton City
Council seats in 2012, only
one is running again.
Ward 3 Councilor Tom
Young announced on
Facebook
late
Monday
night
that he would
not be seeking a
second term.
In his post,
Young
cited
several reasons
for his decision
not to run in 2016.
Elaborating
on these reasons Young
in an interview,
Young said his employer,
Keystone RV Co., has
doubled in size in recent
years.
The workload from his
MRE DV .H\VWRQH¶V ¿QDQFH
manager and his regular
duties as a city councilor
meant more late nights
for Young, something the
67-year-old found increas-
LQJO\GLI¿FXOWWRHQGXUH
Young also intends to
retire in the next few years
and has long planned to
travel the country and visit
family and friends, which
LQFOXGH ¿YH FKLOGUHQ
grandchildren and one
great-grandchild in Mich-
igan and Indiana.
Young said it would be
unfair to ask voters to elect
him to another four-year
term, only to quit midway
through for his travels.
Those factors aside,
Young said the tipping point
was Mayor Phillip Houk’s
announcement that he
wouldn’t seek a fourth term
and leave the city council
after 2016, with whom he
had a strong rapport and
comfort level.
Young was appointed
E\WKHFRXQFLOWRWKH¿QLVK
Dan Ceniga’s term in 2011
and ran unopposed on his
way to winning a full term
in 2012.
Young’s ward covers the
southern portion of town,
including the Southgate,
Tutuilla Road and McKay
Creek areas.
Ward 1 Councilor Becky
Marks, 67, will be the lone
representative from the
current set of incumbents
WRVHHNDQRWKHUWHUP¿OLQJ
her paperwork with the city
Friday.
While running for a
second term four years
ago, Marks said she hadn’t
intended to run again, but
the initial lack of interest
from community members
for the seat changed her
mind.
“You can’t leave the seat
vacant,” she said. “That
was a real tipping point.”
A retiree who worked
for Umatilla County and
the Service Employees
International Union, Marks
won her seat in 2008 by
besting Connie Wright, a
former councilor looking to
return to city politics. She
won reelection four years
later, turning back a chal-
lenge by Joan Escudero,
a former supervisor at the
Eastern Oregon Training
Center.
Marks’ ward includes
South Hill, the downtown
area and Riverside.
Young joins
Houk and Ward
2
Councilor
Chuck Wood in
declining reelec-
tion bids. Former
at-large councilor
Jane Hill resigned
in January and
the
council
will
consider
an appointee to
¿QLVKRXWWKHUHVW
of her term.
After the council vacated
Hill’s seat Tuesday, Houk
said until Feb. 15 at 4 p.m.
the city will accept letters
of interest from people who
ZDQWWR¿OOWKHUHVWRI+LOO¶V
term.
The council will inter-
view the applicants Feb. 16
from 6:30 to 7 p.m. and will
vote to select a candidate
at the end of the session,
UHTXLULQJDWOHDVW¿YHYRWHV
for approval.
Although two people
KDYH¿OHGIRUWKHVHDWWKH\
would need to send a letter
to Houk to be considered
for appointment through
2016.
Vying for a full four-year
term for Hill’s former seat is
Jim Swearingen, the owner
of an auto repair shop,
and Rick Rohde, a former
reserve in the U.S. Air Force
and a retired employee of
the Wal-Mart Distribution
Center.
City Recorder Andrea
Denton said no other
FDQGLGDWHV KDYH ¿OHG \HW
meaning no one has entered
into the Ward 2, Ward 3 and
mayoral races.
Al Plute, the other
at-large councilor, quashed
rumors that he was going to
run for mayor.
Plute said he once had
mayoral aspirations, but the
failure of the 5-cent gas tax
made him realize that voters
didn’t want a leader who
supported new taxes.
According to Plute, this
anti-council sentiment was
the real reason incumbents
weren’t seeking reelection.
“This council is wasting
their time,” he said. “That’s
why they’re bailing.”
Plute said the next mayor
needed to be a Pendleton
native with business expe-
rience, a thick skin and the
ability to “tell it like it is.”
A committee is currently
circulating a petition to
UHFDOO3OXWHIURPRI¿FH
7KH ¿OLQJ GHDGOLQH IRU
May 17 municipal elections
is March 8.
———
Contact Antonio Sierra
at asierra@eastoregonian.
com or 541-966-0836.