East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, February 15, 2017, Image 2

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East Oregonian : E.O., February 15, 2017, Page Page 2A, Image 2

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Newspaper Page TextNORTHWEST East Oregonian Page 2A Wednesday, February 15, 2017 BRIEFLY Elliott Forest sale moves forward By CLAIRE WITHYCOMBE Capital Bureau 126 ORE. Area in detail Florence 101 Elliott State Forest er th Riv Smi Reedsport U mpq ua R. Lakeside cif ic O cean 38 Pa SALEM — At odds with the governor, the Oregon treasurer and secretary of state voted Tuesday to go ahead with a plan to sell a hotly debated swath of coastal forest to a partnership between a timber company and a Native American tribe — albeit with some changes. At issue is the sale of an approximately 80,000-acre parcel of the Elliott State Forest in Coos and Douglas counties. Environ- mental groups have fought for keeping the land in public hands. The State Land Board — the governor, treasurer and secretary of state — oversees certain state- owned lands. Treasurer Tobias Read and Secretary of State Dennis Richardson endorsed moving forward with the sale over Gov. Kate Brown’s objection. Read proposed an amended version of the original sale protocol that he says includes “enhanced recreation and conser- vation measures.” Brown, over Richardson’s objections, directed the state lands department to come up with a proposal for public ownership of the forest. The department reports to Brown. The sale of the Elliott is a complex issue, in part because the land in question is essentially a trust — the state must collect money from harvesting timber or other activities for the state’s Common School Fund and the land board is the ﬁ duciary of that fund. In 2015, the land board — then Treasurer Read. Native Ameri- cans were systematically removed from their ancestral lands as the United States and Oregon took shape — a truth especially poignant on the state’s 158th birthday Tuesday. Brown said the requirements for the sale were too stringent. The state set the price at $220.8 million, and required bidders to have detailed plans for employment on the forest and maintaining certain features, such as old forest stands and riparian areas. Several public agencies had expressed interest in the property, but none ended up submitting an acquisition proposal. Brown wants not only to keep the land public, but decouple some or all the land from the Common School Fund. Brown wants to use $100 million of the state’s bonding capacity to purchase especially sensitive habitat areas in the forest, such as steep slopes. She also wants to negotiate a new habitat conservation plan with federal agencies on the rest of the land, while also providing an opportunity for tribes to exercise ownership. Prior to the vote Tuesday, the Oregon Senate President, Peter Courtney, D-Salem, suggested using revenue bonds payable from revenues generated by the forest. Courtney, although he believes the land should stay in public ownership, said he wanted to help the board, regardless of its decision. Read, the state treasurer, said he was reluctant to sell the forest N. Bend s Coo Coos Bay N Rive r 101 Capital Press graphic comprised of Brown, then-Trea- surer Ted Wheeler and then-Sec- retary of State Jeanne Atkins, all Democrats — voted to go ahead with a multi-step sale protocol that included an assessment of the land’s value and a set of criteria for the sale. Over a year later, only one group, a timber company out of Roseburg called Lone Rock Resources — in partnership with the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians — submitted a proposal for acquiring the forest. The Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians would, under that proposal, hold a conservation easement. In light of the tribes’ involve- ment, the sale of the Elliott also now raises questions about the government’s duty to “right some historic wrongs,” in the words of UO considers raising tuition 10.6 percent but felt that the state had to meet its ﬁ duciary responsibilities ﬁ rst. “I think it is the best and most realistic proposal we have in front of us,” Read said of the protocol, before proposing some changes. The amendments Read proposed include: allowing the state to buy back up to $25 million worth of acreage in high-value areas; having the department’s negotiations include certain conservation principles; clarifying plans to protect old forest stands; and include a right of ﬁ rst refusal for the ﬁ ve federally recognized Native American tribes in Western Oregon, should any part of the land be put up for sale again after it is sold to the LLC proposed by the Cow Creek Band and Lone Rock. Warren Brainard, chief of the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians — which under the Lone Rock proposal would hold a conservation easement on the land — said that he understood that the land board had a difﬁ cult decision to make and that the tribes would maintain an interest in the land regardless. Tension arose between Brown and newly minted Richardson — the only Republican on the land board and an advocate of the sale. He voted for Read’s proposal and argued the state would other- wise be reneging on its promises. “I feel in a very difﬁ cult posi- tion because I am not in favor of selling the forest and I would not have voted for it,” Richardson said. However, he said, he felt that the “deal” had to be abided by. EUGENE (AP) — The University of Oregon is considering raising in-state undergraduate tuition by 10.6 percent in the fall to pay for increased salaries, health care and retirement costs for school employees. The Register-Guard reports that under a plan backed by UO President Michael Schill, annual tuition for full-time, in-state undergraduate students would increase $945 as of the 2017-18 academic year. Mandatory fees would also increase $186. Out-of-state tuition would also increase by $945, or three percent. An in-state undergraduate student taking 15 credits per term would pay $9,855 for a three-term school year under the proposal. The student would also pay $2,037 in fees. An out-of- state student would pay $34,572 in tuition and fees. Schill said in a letter to students and staff that the state’s ﬁ scal problems leave him little choice but to accept the major tuition increase. He said UO’s operating expenses are rising steadily. In particular, retirement beneﬁ ts under the state Public Employee Retirement System are requiring large contributions from the university. La Grande entrepreneur killed in snowmobile crash LA GRANDE (AP) — Authorities say a 32-year-old Eastern Oregon man died in a snowmobile accident. The Union County Sheriff’s Ofﬁ ce says Cole Clemens of La Grande died at the scene Saturday about 25 miles southeast of Union. Sgt. Nick Pallis says a doctor and a veterinarian were at the scene performing CPR before paramedics arrived. The sheriff’s ofﬁ ce has yet to provide details of how the crash occurred. The Observer newspaper of La Grande reports that Clemens and his brother Jeff co-founded an online/ wholesale sporting goods business. On his Facebook page, Jeff Clemens said he was blessed to talk with his younger brother the night before the crash and tell him he loved him. He encouraged those with siblings to do the same, because you never know if it will be the last time you see them. Lawmakers consider consolidating marijuana regulation By PARIS ACHEN Capital Bureau SALEM — State legislators are moving toward consolidating the state’s medical and recre- ational marijuana industries into one regulatory system. The co-chairwomen of the Joint Committee on Marijuana Regulation have dropped several bills that would move regulation of medical marijuana from the Oregon Health Authority to the Oregon Liquor Control Commis- sion, the regulatory agency for recreational sales of the drug. Another proposal would establish a separate agency speciﬁ cally for cannabis regulation. OHA has regulated the medical marijuana program since it was created through Ballot Measure 67 in 1998. When voters legalized recreational cannabis use with Measure 91 in 2014, regulation of the new program was assigned to the liquor commission, while the health authority retained its oversight of the medical program. Health authority ofﬁ cials from the beginning were reluctant overseers, said Tom Burns, a marijuana policy consultant and former health authority adminis- trator. The Oregon Health Author- ity’s tardy and ill-conceived rollout of rules and dedication of resources to the program was an “unmitigated disaster,” Burns said. In time, it became apparent that two separate systems made little or no sense because of OHA’s disinterest in regulating the program, he said. “The medical suppliers, growers and patients said let us get it out of OHA to somebody who does want it and will work with us to make a program that works for us,” Burns said. But that sentiment may not permeate the entire medical mari- juana industry and its patients, said Rep. Carl Wilson, R-Grants Pass, a member of the legislative marijuana regulation committee. “I think we all realize that there is a big push to have every- body under OLCC,” said Wilson, whose district covers the mari- juana-fertile lands of Southern Oregon. Part of the idea of splitting up regulation was to keep medical costs down for patients. OLCC instituted much more strict and expensive regulations to report and track product, while OHA’s system relied largely on self-re- porting. OHA also charges lower fees for registration and licensing. Hesitation in embracing the OLCC stems largely from the higher cost of producing mari- juana in the recreational system, where fees are higher for almost everything and regulation is more onerous. Wilson said he would support consolidation if lower fees were charged medical growers and suppliers and if medical growers could sell into the recreational market, which they are now prohibited from doing. Didn’t receive your paper? Call 1-800-522-0255 before noon Tuesday through Friday or before 10 a.m. Saturday for same-day redelivery 211 S.E. Byers Ave., Pendleton 541-276-2211 333 E. Main St., Hermiston 541-567-6211 Ofﬁ ce hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed major holidays SUBSCRIPTION RATES Local home delivery Savings off cover price EZPay $14.50 41 percent 52 weeks $173.67 41 percent 26 weeks $91.86 38 percent 13 weeks $47.77 36 percent *EZ Pay = one-year rate with a monthly credit or debit card/check charge www.eastoregonian.com To subscribe, call 1-800-522-0255 or go online to www.eastoregonian.com and click on ‘Subscribe’ East Oregonian (USPS 164-980) is published daily except Sunday, Monday and Dec. 25, by the EO Media Group, 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801. Periodicals postage paid at Pendleton, OR. Postmaster: send address changes to East Oregonian, 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801. Single copy price: $1 Tuesday through Friday, $1.50 Saturday Copyright © 2017, EO Media Group REGIONAL CITIES Forecast TODAY THURSDAY A bit of ice, then rain Cloudy, showers around; warmer 39° 38° 46° 30° FRIDAY SATURDAY Chilly with clouds and sun Cloudy, a shower or two; chilly Mostly cloudy PENDLETON TEMPERATURE FORECAST 43° 31° 40° 30° 44° 30° HERMISTON TEMPERATURE FORECAST 46° 31° 38° 37° PENDLETON through 3 p.m. yesterday TEMPERATURE HIGH LOW 38° 46° 66° (1898) 25° 29° -4° (1936) 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" 0.34" 0.59" 1.99" 2.17" 1.97" HERMISTON through 3 p.m. yesterday TEMPERATURE HIGH Yesterday Normals Records LOW 29° 23° 48° 29° 65° (2011) -11° (1929) 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" 0.22" 0.49" 1.91" 1.34" 1.77" SUN AND MOON Sunrise today Sunset tonight Moonrise today Moonset today Last New Feb 18 Feb 26 6:57 a.m. 5:22 p.m. 10:38 p.m. 9:22 a.m. First Full Mar 5 41° 29° 44° 31° Seattle 54/48 ALMANAC Yesterday Normals Records 45° 34° Mar 12 Today SUNDAY Spokane Wenatchee 41/37 32/31 Tacoma Moses 55/46 Lake Pullman Aberdeen Olympia Yakima 37/34 43/37 54/47 54/48 38/35 Longview Kennewick Walla Walla 52/47 40/39 Lewiston 36/34 Astoria 44/39 56/47 Portland Enterprise Hermiston 51/44 Pendleton 39/35 The Dalles 38/37 39/38 40/36 La Grande Salem 43/39 55/47 Albany Corvallis 55/45 56/48 John Day 43/37 Ontario Eugene Bend 35/32 59/47 45/37 Caldwell Burns 43/37 38/28 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 56 37 45 58 38 39 59 40 38 43 49 43 43 62 56 63 35 36 39 51 52 55 41 42 52 40 38 Lo 47 34 37 48 28 35 47 33 37 37 38 39 38 44 49 50 32 32 38 44 40 47 37 35 45 39 35 W r pc r r r pc r i i r r r r r r r pc i i r r r i r r r i Hi 50 40 46 51 41 41 51 46 46 46 46 44 42 53 52 54 42 47 46 52 49 51 44 44 52 47 47 Today Beijing Hong Kong Jerusalem London Mexico City Moscow Paris Rome Seoul Sydney Tokyo Lo 34 59 37 39 47 13 43 38 28 69 38 W pc s sh sh pc c pc s s pc s Lo 39 25 28 43 25 27 38 30 31 28 32 30 30 38 40 42 27 27 30 37 31 37 30 28 36 33 27 W sh sh sh sh sh r sh sh sh r sh r r sh sh sh sh sh sh sh sh sh r r sh r c Lo 24 63 31 37 46 17 39 41 32 74 44 W c s sh c pc pc c s pc s s WINDS Medford 62/44 Klamath Falls 49/38 (in mph) Today Thursday Boardman Pendleton VAR 2-4 SE 4-8 ESE 3-6 SE 4-8 UV INDEX TODAY Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows. REGIONAL FORECAST Coastal Oregon: Breezy today with rain. Eastern and Central Oregon: A bit of ice, then rain across the north today; rain in central parts and near the Cascades. Western Washington: Rain today. Rain, some heavy tonight. Eastern Washington: Ice, then rain toward the Cascades today; a little rain near the Idaho border. Cascades: Periods of rain today. 0 1 2 1 0 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. Northern California: Periods of rain today, but a shower in spots in the interior mountains. 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. Thu. Hi 46 70 42 53 71 25 55 59 51 88 55 NEWS • To submit news tips and press releases: • call 541-966-0818 • fax 541-276-8314 • email news@eastoregonian.com • To submit community events, calendar items and Your EO News: email community@eastoregonian.com or call Tammy Malgesini at 541-564-4539 or Renee Struthers in at 541-966-0818. • To submit engagements, weddings and anniversaries: email rstruthers@eastoregonian.com or visit www.eastoregonian. com/community/announcements • To submit a Letter to the Editor: mail to Managing Editor Daniel Wattenburger, 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801 or email editor@eastoregonian.com. • To submit sports or outdoors information or tips: 541-966-0838 • sports@eastoregonian.com NATIONAL WEATHER TODAY Thu. WORLD CITIES Hi 53 68 46 52 75 28 61 59 43 81 50 Classiﬁ ed & Legal Advertising 1-800-962-2819 or 541-278-2678 classiﬁ eds@eastoregonian.com or legals@eastoregonian.com Advertising Director: Marissa Williams 541-278-2669 • addirector@eastoregonian.com Advertising Services: Laura Jensen 541-966-0806 • ljensen@eastoregonian.com Multimedia Consultants: • Terri Briggs 541-278-2678 • tbriggs@eastoregonian.com • Elizabeth Freemantle 541-278-2683 • efreemantle@eastoregonian.com • Jeanne Jewett 541-564-4531 • jjewett@eastoregonian.com • Chris McClellan 541-966-0827 • cmcclellan@eastoregonian.com • Stephanie Newsom 541-278-2687 • snewsom@eastoregonian.com • Dayle Stinson 541-278-2670 • dstinson@eastoregonian.com • Audra Workman 541-564-4538 • aworkman@eastoregonian.com Subscriber services: For home delivery, vacation stops or delivery concerns: 1-800-522-0255 — Founded Oct. 16, 1875 — Corrections The East Oregonian works hard to be accurate and sincerely regrets any errors. If you notice a mistake in the paper, please call 541-966-0818. Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2017 -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: Snow showers will stretch from the Great Lakes to the interior Northeast, while rain and thunderstorms push to the southern Atlantic coast today. Rain and wind will blast the coastal Northwest. Yesterday’s National Extremes: (for the 48 contiguous states) High 84° in Hollywood, Fla. Low -7° in Antero Reservoir, Colo. 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 55 58 54 51 56 56 49 42 69 44 36 35 62 65 35 58 24 38 81 65 39 80 50 69 58 78 Lo 30 35 33 28 38 32 40 29 38 25 24 23 38 37 21 33 5 28 66 43 26 44 35 49 33 56 W s r c pc s pc pc sn r sf pc sf s s sf s pc pc pc pc pc t s s pc s Thur. Hi 60 59 43 42 60 60 47 38 63 42 39 32 69 70 33 64 23 42 81 69 45 68 67 73 64 70 Lo 33 39 25 23 37 39 34 23 41 31 29 21 48 37 21 40 -2 31 69 49 33 38 41 54 38 57 W s s pc pc pc s c pc s pc c c s s pc s pc s pc s pc s s s s pc Today 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 46 54 85 33 36 49 61 46 57 51 50 75 37 42 55 60 60 64 47 49 75 65 54 70 52 57 Lo 30 35 68 24 26 30 45 29 31 32 29 51 25 26 32 36 43 53 33 30 56 57 48 43 32 33 W pc pc s pc c pc c c s s pc s sn r r s pc c s s s c r s pc s Thur. Hi 52 62 82 35 44 58 63 37 68 64 41 75 34 37 52 66 58 61 64 56 68 64 52 74 43 70 Lo 40 43 58 29 32 39 46 26 40 37 26 54 18 21 32 36 36 50 44 36 57 52 40 49 27 38 Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain, sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice. W pc s c c c s pc pc s s pc s sn pc s s r r s pc pc r sh s s s