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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (April 8, 2016)
OFF PAGE ONE FOREST: Access a common concern among crowd Page 10A East Oregonian Continued from 1A John Day; Eric Quaempts, natural resources director for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation; and James 1DVK D À\ ¿VKLQJ RXW¿WWHU DQG¿IWKJHQHUDWLRQUDQFKHU from Enterprise. The Blue Mountains Forest Plan comprises 4.9 million acres of public lands on the Umatilla, Wallowa- Whitman and Malheur national forests in Eastern Oregon. Each forest gets its own individual plan, with the documents adding up to thousands of pages of desired conditions for the landscape. Beverlin described the forests like a quilt, patched together in various shades of green, brown and black. It’s up to the Forest Service to make sure tree stands are healthy, that access is maintained and habitat preserved. The challenge, Beverlin said, is striking an appropriate balance. “I think some people believe that every acre can provide every use for everyone. It can’t,” Beverlin said. “It’s going to take compromise from everyone.” Finding that compromise has been an ongoing effort. When the Forest Service released its draft Environ- mental Impact Statement for the Forest Plan in 2014, the reaction was “less than stellar,” as Beverlin put it. That prompted another round of public meetings in 2015, which has led to two new alternatives that will be LQFOXGHGLQWKH¿QDO(,6ODWHU this fall. Former Joseph mayor Peggy Kite-Martin spoke during the show, saying that the forests are part of Eastern Oregon’s culture. She said the politics of the debate have left forest users LQDGLI¿FXOWVLWXDWLRQDVWKH pendulum swings back and forth between industry and conservation. APARTMENTS: Only two objections to the project Continued from 1A Staff photo by E.J. Harris Steve Beverlin, supervisor of the Malheur National Forest, gestures to the audience while answering a question and sitting on a panel of experts during a taping of OPB’s ‘Think Out Loud’ on Wednesday at BMCC in Pendleton. The topic of the show was the controversial Blue Mountains Forest Plan. “Our culture is in danger of dying because people can’t get out into the woods.” — Peggy Kite-Martin, former Joseph mayor “Our culture is in danger of dying because people can’t get out into the woods,” Kite-Martin said. Public access was a common concern among members of the crowd, who vented their frustrations over road closures. However, environmental issues were also brought to the forefront by Brown, who directs the Hells Canyon Preservation Council. She said the forests already have too many roads, which has caused heavy erosion in wild habitat. “I do believe there is a place for ATV riding on our public lands. I really do,” Brown said. “They have to be at the right place, at the right time.” Williams, who owns his own consulting company, said a lack of active management — such as tree thinning and cattle grazing — is causing a whole other set of concerns, leaving the forests to become overstocked and prone to GLVHDVH RU ¿UH 0HDQZKLOH the region’s timber industry has shriveled. Williams said the forests grow about 800 million board feet of wood every year, of which 500 million board feet is left to waste. Beverlin said the two new forest plan alternatives take that feedback into account, and will focus on increasing both the pace and scale of restoration. That could help provide more logs to the mill, he said, while lowering the risk of destructive wild- ¿UHV Quaempts said the tribes are working where they can with the Forest Service on restoration projects to protect traditional First Foods. The key, Quaempts said, is to be mindful of what the forests are capable of providing. He believes the forests are big enough to accommodate everyone’s interests. Others, like Nash, were less optimistic. Nash said he is not happy with the current state of the forests, and worries that even after a plan LV ¿QDOL]HG ODZVXLWV ZLOO inevitably keep the whole thing tangled up in court. “There will be groups WKDW ¿OH ODZVXLWV WKDW VWRS any progress of using the forests,” Nash said. “There are a lot of people out there who don’t think people should use the woods.” A majority of the crowd raised their hands when asked if they felt the Forest Service just planned to do whatever it wanted, regard- less of the outcome. Beverlin sharply disagreed. “I don’t believe that’s true,” he said. “Otherwise, why are we here listening again?” Full audio from the show can be found at www. opb.org/radio/programs/ thinkoutloud/segment/blue- mountains-forest-plan. ——— Contact George Plaven at gplaven@eastoregonian. com or 541-966-0825. HEALTH: Number of smokers in county down to 17 percent Angie Treadwell shared information about the joined the health department SNAP Ed program through on implementing a Plan- Oregon State University’s 4Health grant meant to bring H[WHQVLRQ RI¿FH 7KH agencies together to plan for federally funded program a healthier community. The strives to help low-income second was InterMountain families leverage their food Education Service District, stamps into healthy meals. which regularly works with Treadwell said in addition the health department to to hosting activities like the spread messages, such as Family Fitness Night she anti-tobacco information, also spends a lot of time while students are still in the schools, distributing forming the health habits recipes and introducing that will affect them for a children to fun but highly lifetime. nutritious foods like the “Educators are such a Popeye smoothie with fresh strong partner,” DeBolt said. spinach. At the start of the evening, Tamra Mabbott, Umatilla Umatilla County commis- County planning director, sioner George Murdock said shared more information at a time when most counties about the Plan4Health grant. are divesting themselves of She said she had never real- their public health depart- ized before how much land ments, “Umatilla County is use planning was connected clearly intent on going the to public health. Depart- other direction and becoming ments can contribute to a a lighthouse to Oregon.” healthy community by plan- The county took that a ning communities in a way step further this week, he that encourages exercise and Staff photo by Jade McDowell VDLG ZKHQ WKH\ RI¿FLDOO\ discouraging “food deserts” voted to combine the Umatilla County Public Health director Meghan DeBolt where nutritious foods are departments of public health speaks at Wednesday’s Public Health Fundraiser and hard to come by. and human services into Awareness Dinner in Hermiston. “It didn’t ring a bell one streamlined department Attendees also listened WLRQ DERXW WKH QRQSUR¿W¶V immediately but the more I under DeBolt’s leadership. to presentations about food pantry services, which dig into it the more it makes Hitzman shared that in community programs that provide a 3-5 day emer- sense,” she said. some areas Umatilla County are already helping people gency supply of food to ——— is making strong strides. eat healthier. Contact Jade McDowell help food-insecure families In the last three years the Diana Quezada of get through the end of the at jmcdowell@eastorego- number of smokers in CAPECO shared informa- month. nian.com or 541-564-4536. Umatilla County went from 22 percent to 17 percent, PUBLIC NOTICE and the number of uninsured people in the county has gone down from 23 percent to 20 percent. In other areas, however, the county still has work Record of Decision to do. Thirty two percent of Umatilla County adults The U.S. Navy, in cooperation with the National Guard Bureau are obese, compared to and Oregon National Guard, has announced its decision to 26 percent statewide. The implement its Preferred Alternative (Alternative 2) to increase the county also has one primary types and number of certain training activities at NWSTF Boardman; care provider per 1,970 develop and enhance training facilities at NWSTF Boardman; and people compared to one per create additional special use airspace to support existing aircraft 1,070 statewide. training. The Navy made its decision after carefully considering the “It’s a long, hard road potential impacts training and testing activities may have on the to get there,” he said of human, natural and cultural environment and comments from the attracting more physicians, public on the proposal and environmental analysis. The Proposed dentists and mental health Action is needed to provide a training environment at providers to the region. NWSTF Boardman – including ranges, training areas and 7KH VSHFL¿F KHDOWK IRFXV instrumentation – to better support current and future of the night was on creating unit and personnel training requirements. better access to nutritional food. The money raised The Navy’s Record of Decision and Final EIS are available online at WKURXJK WLFNHW VDOHV UDIÀHV www.NWSTFBoardmanEIS.com, and at the following public and a silent auction will all libraries: Multnomah County Central, Salem Central, go toward grants for starting West Salem, Oregon Trail Heppner, Oregon Trail Boardman community gardens. and the Stafford Hansell Government Center. Continued from 1A Friday, April 8, 2016 handle,” he said. Circosta said the apart- ments would rent at a lower rate than the townhouses. But the exact rental rates, FRQ¿JXUDWLRQDQGXQLWVL]HV have yet to be determined. :KHQ WKH ¿UVW SKDVH RI Pendleton Heights opened in December 2014, the townhouses’ rental rates ranged from $895-$1,045 per month. There were only two objections to the project, only one of whom lives near the property. Permit technician Julie Chase said a neighbor to Pendleton Heights complained that the development was causing stormwater to drain onto his property, but Community Development Director Tim Simons said the drainage issue was the result of the man’s driveway and not Pendleton Heights. Rex Morehouse, a North Hill resident and a city council candidate, was concerned the streets weren’t large enough to ¿W D ¿UH HQJLQH GXULQJ DQ emergency. Interim city planner *HRUJH&ORXJKVDLGWKH¿UH marshal would review the site plan before the project moved forward. Additionally, the plan- ning commission is requiring the developers to install sight-obscuring foliage along some of the property’s borders, a minimum of three play areas, a minimum of 150 off-street parking spaces and several other conditions. Pendleton city intern Haley Meisenholder, a non-voting member of the commission, asked staff LI D WUDI¿F VWXG\ RI WKH Southwest 18th Street-Tu- tuilla Road intersection was necessary because it was WKH RQO\ RXWÀRZ SRLQW IRU Pendleton Heights residents. Simons said 18th Street drivers may have to wait a few minutes at the intersec- WLRQZKLOHWUDI¿FFOHDUVEXW otherwise, it shouldn’t be an issue. The commission voted 5-0 to approve the new plan, with commissioners Ryan DeGrofft and Don Butcher absent. If the planning commission’s ruling is appealed, the newly-proposed apartment complex would go before city council. ——— Contact Antonio Sierra at asierra@eastoregonian. com or 541-966-0836. MARKET: May bring portable toilets during height of the season Continued from 1A business owners and the needs of the market.” Farmers Market board member Amy Freeman said she went door-to-door on Main Street, talking to busi- ness owners of all stripes. She said a majority were supportive and wanted the market to stay and succeed. But she realized the market was “tough on some busi- nesses,” and that even those that were supportive had to deal with some annoy- ances — a lack of parking, market shoppers using their restrooms without buying anything, and dealing with garbage left behind from the festivities. Freeman said the market will look at ways to lessen those disruptions — including bringing in portable toilets during the height of the market season. Corbett said market vendors will still park big trucks on Main Street, but not in front of businesses who do not want them there. This was not a perfect solution, Corbett said, but he appreciated the market board was willing to work to improve the situation. Freeman said the possi- bility the market would move off Main Street, and the vocal response from the community who wanted it to remain, did some good. “It was a good reminder that people really like (the market),” Freeman said. “The community supports this and wants to see it grow, like it has for the last 13 years.” Man accused of torture killing escapes Washington psychiatric hospital SEATTLE (AP) — A man accused of torturing a woman to death but found too mentally ill for trial was on the loose Thursday after crawling out a window in a locked, lower-security unit of a Washington state psychiatric hospital already facing federal scrutiny over safety problems. Anthony Garver, 28, escaped Wednesday night with Mark Alexander Adams, 58, a patient who had been accused of domestic assault in 2014 and was captured Thursday PRUQLQJ RI¿FLDOV VDLG Authorities believe Garver bought a bus ticket from Seattle across the state to Spokane. Spokane Sheriff’s Capt. Dave Ellis told the Spokesman-Review that Garver was spotted in an area in the city’s East Valley and authorities were searching Thursday evening with police dogs, a SWAT team and helicopters. Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich described the search as “a pretty intense situation.” Live Music 9:00 PM FRIDAY, APRIL 8 K.C. Kunkle 8 S . E . CO U RT, P E N D L E TO N • 5 4 1 . 278 .1 1 0 0 Pepsi Primetime @ the Museum Evolution Game Zone Three stations to test your digital and science skills! April 9 1pm FREE! FIRST FRIDAYS ARE FREE! Exhibits, Museum Store Open Mon-Sat, 10am-5pm Kinship Café Open 11am-2pm 541.429.7700 www.tamastslikt.org