NORTHWEST
East Oregonian
Page 2A
Thursday, November 3, 2016
ODFW considers forgoing license fee increases
BRIEFLY
Bundy brothers head to
Nevada jail for new charges
By CLAIRE WITHYCOMBE
Capital Bureau
SALEM — A task force
charged with finding sustain-
able funding for the Oregon
Department of Fish and Wildlife
is considering holding off on
scheduled license fee increases
if the Legislature approves either
an income tax surcharge or a
surcharge on beverage containers
to fund the department.
The task force met Tuesday at
the Capitol.
The department’s biennial
budget is about $370 million.
One-third comes from the federal
government, another third from
hunting and fishing licenses, and
the remainder from state funding
sources.
In 2015, the Oregon Secre-
tary of State’s Office found
that ODFW had persistent cash
flow problems, noting that fee
increases had not in the past
been able to address the under-
lying causes of the department’s
budget shortfalls.
Either the proposed beverage
container or income tax
surcharge would be calculated to
bring in what the task force has
estimated is an additional $86
million in needed revenue for
the department — an increase
the task force recommended
Tuesday from an earlier $79.9
million estimate. The higher
PORTLAND (AP) — Brothers who were
acquitted in the armed occupation of an
Oregon wildlife refuge are heading to Nevada,
where they will be tried on charges stemming
from a 2014 standoff with federal agents near
their father’s ranch.
The Multnomah County Jail roster shows
Ammon and Ryan Bundy left the downtown
Portland jail Wednesday morning. They are
being flown to Las Vegas, where they will face
more than a dozen felony charges at trial next
year.
An Oregon jury acquitted the Bundys and
five co-defendants last week of conspiring to
impede federal employees from doing their
jobs at a national wildlife refuge.
The brothers led the occupation to call
attention to the plight of two imprisoned
ranchers and express their opposition to federal
control of Western lands.
Small earthquake rattles coast
ASTORIA (AP) — The U.S. Geographical
Survey reports that a 3.8-magnitude earthquake
shook the northern Oregon coast.
The agency’s website says the quake
hit shortly before 8 a.m. Wednesday near
Warrenton and Astoria.
There have been no reports of damage.
Warrenton Mayor Mark Kujala and Police
Chief Matthew Workman tell The Daily
Astorian they both felt the quake.
Workman said he felt a second of
movement, and then a thud. He checked in at
a convenience store and employees told him
nothing had fallen from the shelves.
Courtesy Department of Fish and Wildlife
Rick Swart fishes for coho on the Clackamas River in this file photo. A task force looking for
ways to increase the Department of Fish and Wildlife’s budget is considering rolling back
license fees if the Legislature passes either an income tax or beverage container surcharge.
number takes into account
the proposed rollback of fee
increases.
There are two scheduled
license fee increases — one in
2018 and another in 2020. In
future years, the task force has
proposed, the license fees would
be indexed to inflation.
Part of the task force’s work
was to recognize the contribu-
final draft of the report they will
present to the Legislature during
an interim session in mid-De-
cember.
The group also wants to get
input from the beverage industry.
Either surcharge proposal has
to incorporated into legislation
or approved by voters via a
ballot measure in order to go into
effect.
tions of hunters and anglers make
to the department’s conservation
work. An exemption to the
income tax surcharge for license-
holders was previously floated as
a way to meet that goal.
Holding the line on fees was
determined to be more feasible.
The next meeting of the task
force is scheduled for Nov. 28,
when members will review a
Jackson County officials speak
against monument expansion
Some ‘problem spots’ remain at geology department
By CLAIRE WITHYCOMBE
Capital Bureau
SALEM — Since its finan-
cial woes came under scrutiny in
early 2015, the state’s geology
department has improved its
financial controls, according
to a state audit report released
Wednesday.
But the Secretary of
State’s Office recommended
the Department of Geology
and Mineral Industries, often
referred to as DOGAMI,
continue to update how it reports
and records federal money.
The department, for its part,
says all the recommended
changes have been made or are
in progress.
DOGAMI, which maps
the state’s geology and natural
hazards and regulates mining
and resource exploration, gets
a decent chunk of its revenue
every budget cycle from federal
agencies such as the Federal
flow, a practice the department
has since ceased, according to
DOGAMI director Brad Avy.
Avy has been at the helm of
the agency since Dec. 1, 2015.
Auditors also found the
department
inaccurately
reported federal expenditures,
which is also being addressed,
according to a response Avy
wrote to auditors that was also
released Wednesday.
Auditors found that some
of the department’s “minor”
expenditures may have been
inappropriately charged to
federal programs.
DOGAMI is now tracking
federal expenditures in align-
ment with state policy, recording
the indirect costs of projects
and has developed a system for
organizing contracts.
The department is still
formalizing
policies
and
procedures for reporting federal
revenue and expenditures, a
process it expects to be complete
Emergency
Management
Agency (FEMA) and the U.S.
Geological Survey.
The department anticipates
receiving $6.8 million in federal
funding in the current biennium,
which ends June 30, 2017. Its
total estimated revenue in that
period is about $18.6 million,
though the department expects
that total will ultimately be
higher due to unanticipated
grant awards.
Auditors focused on financial
controls pertaining to the depart-
ment’s federal revenues in fiscal
years 2015 and 2016.
According to the secretary of
state’s audit report, the depart-
ment didn’t manage grants
it received from the federal
government properly.
Among other red flags, audi-
tors took issue with the depart-
ment’s practice of drawing
down federal funds before
spending any money on the
attendant project to help its cash
by the end of the year, according
to Avy’s letter.
The department is also
working on updating its payroll
practices; it stopped using paper
timesheets in early 2016 and
now uses the Department of
Administrative Services’ e-pay-
roll system.
In a statement Wednesday,
the secretary of state’s office
said that “significant turnover”
in leadership and fiscal staff at
DOGAMI created “critical”
financial challenges. New
management, including Avy,
who requested the audit, has
helped make needed improve-
ments, the secretary of state said.
DOGAMI
recently
underwent review by FEMA.
According to the audit report,
FEMA did not issue any find-
ings pertinent to eight FEMA
grants that DOGAMI received
and managed. FEMA routinely
audits agencies whose activities
its funds support.
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REGIONAL CITIES
Forecast
TODAY
FRIDAY
Partly sunny and
nice
Mostly sunny
63° 39°
61° 38°
SATURDAY
Delightful with
clouds and sun
SUNDAY
A shower early in
the morning
PENDLETON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
62° 44°
56° 45°
62° 44°
HERMISTON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
60° 37°
64° 39°
PENDLETON
through 3 p.m. yesterday
TEMPERATURE
HIGH
LOW
70°
56°
75° (1908)
40°
36°
7° (1935)
PRECIPITATION
24 hours ending 3 p.m.
Month to date
Normal month to date
Year to date
Last year to date
Normal year to date
0.00"
0.00"
0.08"
10.39"
6.63"
10.11"
HERMISTON
through 3 p.m. yesterday
TEMPERATURE
HIGH
Yesterday
Normals
Records
LOW
67°
57°
72° (1977)
37°
35°
0° (1935)
PRECIPITATION
24 hours ending 3 p.m.
Month to date
Normal month to date
Year to date
Last year to date
Normal year to date
0.00"
0.00"
0.06"
7.33"
4.59"
7.37"
SUN AND MOON
Sunrise today
Sunset tonight
Moonrise today
Moonset today
First
Full
Nov 7
Nov 14
7:38 a.m.
5:39 p.m.
11:03 a.m.
8:39 p.m.
Last
New
Nov 21
60° 43°
61° 43°
Seattle
62/47
ALMANAC
Yesterday
Normals
Records
60° 46°
Nov 29
Today
MONDAY
Times of sun and
clouds
Spokane
Wenatchee
57/40
58/41
Tacoma
Moses
63/41
Lake
Pullman
Aberdeen Olympia
Yakima 61/38
59/42
62/46
62/41
64/39
Longview
Kennewick Walla Walla
63/45
64/45 Lewiston
63/39
Astoria
61/41
64/49
Portland
Enterprise
Hermiston
65/47
Pendleton 59/35
The Dalles 64/39
63/39
62/41
La Grande
Salem
60/38
64/44
Albany
Corvallis 64/44
65/46
John Day
63/42
Ontario
Eugene
Bend
59/31
64/44
61/37
Caldwell
Burns
60/33
56/24
Astoria
Baker City
Bend
Brookings
Burns
Enterprise
Eugene
Heppner
Hermiston
John Day
Klamath Falls
La Grande
Meacham
Medford
Newport
North Bend
Ontario
Pasco
Pendleton
Portland
Redmond
Salem
Spokane
Ukiah
Vancouver
Walla Walla
Yakima
Hi
64
56
61
62
56
59
64
62
64
63
59
60
59
64
62
65
59
63
63
65
62
64
57
62
64
64
64
Lo
49
28
37
50
24
35
44
39
39
42
31
38
37
42
50
48
31
39
39
47
35
44
40
35
48
45
39
W
pc
s
pc
pc
s
s
pc
pc
pc
pc
pc
s
s
pc
pc
pc
s
pc
pc
pc
pc
pc
pc
pc
pc
pc
pc
Hi
65
57
65
62
59
61
64
63
60
66
62
62
62
67
63
66
58
59
61
65
66
63
56
64
65
59
62
Today
Beijing
Hong Kong
Jerusalem
London
Mexico City
Moscow
Paris
Rome
Seoul
Sydney
Tokyo
Lo
36
69
53
42
52
32
36
55
45
60
52
W
s
pc
s
c
pc
sn
pc
t
pc
s
r
Lo
56
25
39
53
23
36
49
38
37
41
30
38
37
42
54
55
30
40
38
51
36
50
40
35
52
45
41
W
s
s
s
pc
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
Fri.
Hi
65
78
68
51
70
33
50
69
62
80
63
(in mph)
Klamath Falls
59/31
Boardman
Pendleton
Lo
41
73
52
37
53
26
43
57
53
66
54
W
s
s
s
r
pc
sn
c
pc
c
s
s
REGIONAL FORECAST
Coastal Oregon: Clouds and sun today.
Partly cloudy tonight. Sunshine and patchy
clouds tomorrow.
Eastern and Central Oregon: Partly sunny
today; pleasant. Clear to partly cloudy
tonight. Mostly sunny tomorrow.
Western Washington: Times of clouds and
sun today; patchy fog across the south in
the morning.
Eastern Washington: Partly sunny today.
Clear to partly cloudy tonight. Mostly sunny
tomorrow.
Cascades: Intervals of clouds and sunshine
today. Clear to partly cloudy tonight.
Northern California: Partly sunny today;
pleasant in central parts. Partly cloudy
tonight.
Today
Friday
SSW 3-6
NNE 4-8
NNE 3-6
WNW 4-8
UV INDEX TODAY
Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.
0
1
2
2
1
NEWS
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COMMERCIAL PRINTING
Production Manager: Mike Jensen
541-215-0824 • mjensen@eastoregonian.com
Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day.
WORLD CITIES
Hi
60
77
69
50
71
34
51
69
58
76
64
Classified & Legal Advertising
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classifieds@eastoregonian.com or legals@eastoregonian.com
NATIONAL WEATHER TODAY
Fri.
WINDS
Medford
64/42
Corrections
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you notice a mistake in the paper, please call
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Subscriber services:
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— Founded Oct. 16, 1875 —
MEDFORD (AP) — The Jackson County
Board of Commissioners is planning to send
a letter to President Barack Obama voicing
opposition for a proposed expansion of the
Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument.
The Mail Tribune reports that commissioners
decided Tuesday to send the letter and a
transcript of more than four hours of public
testimony they heard last week about the
expansion.
The testimony at the Medford meeting last
week was evenly split, but when including
written comments people opposed the expan-
sion 2-to-1. Opponents say logging cutbacks on
federal land in the monument will hurt counties.
U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and fellow
Democratic Senator Ron Wyden have proposed
doubling the size of the monument, which was
created in 2000.
Commissioners say they are concerned
Obama will expand the monument without
public input through the 1906 Antiquities Act.
0
8 a.m. 10 a.m. Noon 2 p.m. 4 p.m. 6 p.m.
0-2, Low
3-5, Moderate 6-7, High;
8-10, Very High;
11+, Extreme
The higher the AccuWeather.com UV Index™ num-
ber, the greater the need for eye and skin protection.
Forecasts and graphics provided by
AccuWeather, Inc. ©2016
-10s
-0s
showers t-storms
0s
10s
rain
20s
flurries
30s
40s
snow
ice
50s
60s
cold front
70s
80s
90s
100s
warm front stationary front
110s
high
low
National Summary: Locally drenching showers and thunderstorms will extend from the
Ohio Valley to New England and from Texas to Arizona today. Showers will dot the Florida
Atlantic coast and the coast of Washington state.
Yesterday’s National Extremes: (for the 48 contiguous states)
High 97° in McAllen, Texas
Low 9° in Bodie State Park, Calif.
NATIONAL CITIES
Today
Albuquerque
Atlanta
Atlantic City
Baltimore
Billings
Birmingham
Boise
Boston
Charleston, SC
Charleston, WV
Chicago
Cleveland
Dallas
Denver
Detroit
El Paso
Fairbanks
Fargo
Honolulu
Houston
Indianapolis
Jacksonville
Kansas City
Las Vegas
Little Rock
Los Angeles
Hi
64
83
74
78
65
85
61
62
85
71
64
62
80
69
62
75
21
60
85
84
68
79
70
79
80
87
Lo
51
61
52
48
39
60
37
43
63
47
42
46
65
40
44
61
6
39
73
68
45
62
45
61
56
59
W
sh
pc
t
t
s
pc
s
t
pc
t
s
r
c
s
pc
c
pc
s
pc
c
pc
pc
s
s
c
s
Fri.
Hi
61
77
61
63
65
78
63
53
74
59
60
55
77
71
55
76
17
63
84
84
60
81
70
80
74
81
Lo
51
48
40
36
38
49
39
35
49
36
45
41
60
42
39
59
1
40
73
61
41
56
46
62
45
58
Today
W
t
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
pc
pc
s
pc
pc
pc
s
t
pc
s
pc
pc
s
c
s
pc
s
s
Louisville
Memphis
Miami
Milwaukee
Minneapolis
Nashville
New Orleans
New York City
Oklahoma City
Omaha
Philadelphia
Phoenix
Portland, ME
Providence
Raleigh
Rapid City
Reno
Sacramento
St. Louis
Salt Lake City
San Diego
San Francisco
Seattle
Tucson
Washington, DC
Wichita
Hi
74
83
84
62
62
81
85
74
73
70
78
84
52
69
84
68
63
71
73
60
77
70
62
79
79
74
Lo
50
57
70
43
42
52
68
49
52
43
51
64
38
44
57
33
33
45
49
39
60
55
47
53
54
44
W
t
c
pc
s
s
c
pc
t
c
s
t
pc
r
t
pc
s
s
s
pc
s
s
s
pc
t
t
s
Fri.
Hi
66
74
82
59
64
71
86
58
72
72
61
81
50
57
69
72
67
73
68
62
75
71
62
78
63
73
Lo
43
47
69
47
44
43
65
40
54
45
39
63
26
32
41
37
35
46
48
41
60
53
52
53
43
47
Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain,
sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice.
W
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
pc
s
s
pc
s
s
pc
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
pc
s
s