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Page 8A NORTHWEST East Oregonian Saturday, October 8, 2016 Ruling forces discussions on Hot Lake resort aims to become veterans care center breaching dams to save salmon Will need $44M investment By GEORGE PLAVEN East Oregonian Hot Lake Springs, an historic hotel and mineral spa located 10 miles east of La Grande, may become an alter- native care center for disabled veterans under an ambitious proposal unveiled Friday. But it will take $44 million in investment to make it a reality. David and Lee Manuel, who restored and reopened the resort 13 years ago, are in the process of selling to a group of partners that plan to create the Veterans Restorative Care Center, specializing in natural medicine to heal soldiers with physical and mental injuries. The center would be owned and operated by the Warrior Bonire Program, a Mississippi-based nonproit organization that brings wounded veterans together for small, therapeutic retreats. Medical services would be provided on site by the National University of Natural Medicine, based in Portland. Finally, Dyne Aquaculture, of Texas, wants to build a facility across the street to annually raise 20 million pounds tilapia, a freshwater ish raised for meat, along with a four-acre hydroponics farm. All proits will go back to support the veterans center, and Dyne Aquaculture estimates they could create as many as 200 direct jobs. The team will lay out its vision and begin fundraising during an open house Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the resort. It is expected to cost $14 million to buy and re-purpose the property, and another $30 million to build the irst phase of the aquaculture project. “Our goal in all of this is to be self-sustainable,” said John Bickel, founder and CEO of Dyne Aquaculture. Historically, Hot Lake Staff photo by George Plaven Hot Lake Springs could become the Veterans Restorative Care Center under a proposed plan involving four different organizations. Springs was a healing place for Native American tribes prior to 1812. The building was also a sanitarium in its heyday in the early 1900s, where geothermal waters were used and experimented with to cure patients. Bickel, who is himself a retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel and disabled veteran, irst came up with the idea for the Veterans Restorative Care Center while looking into Hot Lake Springs as a potential location for his aquaculture business. Though it seemed like a great spot, he said he had no idea what to do with the resort. “I’ve never done anything with hospitality,” he said. Earlier this year, the Warrior Bonire Project came on board and they soon reached out to the National University of Natural Medi- cine — the oldest accredited naturopathic school in North America. All four partners held a three-day meeting in June to work out their model. Lee Manuel, who along with her family began restoring Hot Lake Springs when the building was falling apart, said they are honored to step aside for such an honorable project. Mike Chesne, vice presi- dent of outreach for Warrior Bonire, said they will come up with a vetting process for accepting soldiers and their families, and could get started sometime within the next year, if everything comes together. Chesne, who spent 25 years in the military including nine tours of duty in Iraq and one in Afghanistan, said he realized the value of natural medicine and group trips for veterans after he was wounded and sent home in 2008. Doctors had him on 27 different pills, he said, as he struggled to regain his identity. “Literally, I thought I was crazy,” Chesne said. The suicide rate among veterans is reaching an epidemic rate, Chesne said, now averaging 22 every day. He said he hopes the Veterans Restorative Care Center can offer an integrated solution for soldiers into the future. “I found a new mission. That’s brought me here,” he said. They’re your dreams. Start building them. You’ve already dreamed up the blueprints. We may be able to help bring them to life. The U.S. Bank Home Equity Line of Credit offers competitive rates, lexible payment options and trusted service to help you inance the lasting home improvements you’ve always wanted. HOME EQUITY LINE OF CREDIT with ishing groups, envi- northeast Oregon, which ronmentalists, the state of could help salmon survive Oregon and the Nez Perce in a warming climate. “We have the healthy SPOKANE, Wash. — A Tribe, inding that the latest federal judge is forcing of ive federal plans for rivers, but the salmon aren’t discussion of a radical step protecting the ish wasn’t making it back,” Mace said. In a typical year, only to save endangered salmon: adequate. He ordered the taking out four dams on the agencies to prepare a new about 40 percent of the Idaho sockeye counted one by early 2018. Lower Snake River. Simon said federal on the Lower Columbia The public will get a chance to weigh in at meet- agencies had “done their River make it back to their ings throughout the North- utmost” to avoid consid- Idaho spawning grounds. ering breaching the Snake During last year’s drought, west starting next month. “Scientists tell us that River dams, ignoring strong mortality was in the 99 removing the four Lower suggestions to do so by a percent range. Warm water in the four Lower Snake Snake dams is the single previous federal judge. While Simon said he reservoirs is a contributor. most important action The economic argument we could take to restore wouldn’t dictate what salmon in the entire Colum- options agencies should for the dams isn’t as strong bia-Snake river basin,” said consider, he said a proper as it once was, Mace said. The Lower Snake dams Sam Mace of Save Our analysis under federal law “may well require” consid- were built from the 1950s to Wild Salmon. The four dams produce ering breaching, bypassing the 1970s, with navigation about 5 percent of the or removing one or more of as a primary goal. But that Northwest’s hydroelectric the four Lower Snake River barge trafic has dropped in recent years as the region power. They allow barges dams. Salmon advocates said has invested in rail capacity, to ship goods between Lewiston and Portland. But the ruling is the closest the Mace said. “These dams weren’t they also hamper salmon region has come to dam migration to some of the breaching since 2000, when built for lood control. the Army Corps of Engi- They’re not big water best remaining ish habitat. Commercial inter- neers did a study of taking storage dams . and their ests have long opposed out the Lower Snake dams. power beneits are replace- The four dams produce able,” she said. “It’s time to removing the Lower Snake about 1,000 megawatts of call the question on them.” dams. Salmon advocates “We think those dams electricity on average, which need to stay in place because is enough to meet the needs “downplay the value of of the multiple beneits of about 800,000 house- the dams,” said Flores, of they provide,” said Terry holds each year. But despite Northwest River Partners. Dams provide more Flores, executive director of millions of dollars spent on Northwest River Partners, ish passage improvements, operating lexibility than which represents public adult salmon still die in the other renewable energy utilities, port districts and reservoirs behind the dams. sources, such as wind “The four dams on the and solar, Flores said. farm groups. “They provide clean, Lower Snake River have Electricity generated from carbon-free energy. We had a devastating impact wind turbines and solar think they’re an important on salmon, steelhead and panels can’t be stored part of the Northwest Paciic lamprey, and in turn easily. But dams can store economy and the environ- on the Nez Perce people,” water, releasing it during said McCoy Oatman, vice periods of high demand for ment,” she said. Three federal agencies chairman of the tribe, electricity. Breaching the four will hold public hearings which is also advocating Lower Snake dams would across the region this fall dam removal. The Snake River is the require the Northwest to to discuss the creation of a gateway to millions of acres build a natural-gas-ired new salmon plan. Back in May, U.S. of pristine, high-elevation plant, the Bonneville Power District Court Judge habitat in central Idaho, Adminstration said this Michael H. 190-092816-EOInternationalCarrierDay-Page1-Composite Simon sided southwest Washington and spring. By BECKY KRAMER The Spokesman-Review Introductory rate for 6 months Rates as low as Variable rate after introductory period 1.50 % 4.00 % APR* Rate available 9/11/16 - 11/11/16. Rates are subject to change. APR* Rate shown for lines of credit: – Up to 70% loan-to-value – U.S. Bank Consumer Checking Package Actual rate may be lower. Visit usbank.com for custom rates. 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