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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (July 1, 2017)
Page 6C OUTSIDE East Oregonian Saturday, July 1, 2017 Blazing a new mountain bike trail Magone Lake multi-use system opens, grows By RYLAN BOGGS EO Media GRoup Contributed photo by Marc Forsythe Erika Forsythe with her 11-pound trophy trout taken in Haystack Reservoir in April 2017. Trophy trout set for release By GEORGE PLAVEN East Oregonian The Oregon Depart- ment of Fish & Wildlife is greatly expanding a popular program to release extra large rainbow trout in lakes, ponds and reservoirs across the state. More than 65,000 “trophy” trout will be stocked for anglers to catch this summer, which is 55,000 more than last year. ODFW has been releasing large trout into lakes for years, but in 2015 state Rep. Greg Smith (R-Heppner) worked with the agency to launch an official trophy trout pilot program, focused on promoting economic devel- opment in communities that rely on hunting and fishing dollars. Initially, the program was limited to just five loca- tions — Phillips Reservoir in Baker County, Willow Creek Reservoir in Morrow County, Timothy Lake in Clackamas County, Trojan Pond in Columbia County and Garrison Lake in Curry County. This year, the list is much larger due to positive feedback. “So far the angler response has been excel- lent,” said Bill Duke, district fish biologist for ODFW in Pendleton. “Anglers seem to be putting in considerably more angling effort than I was expecting. They are very positive about the larger-sized trout.” Trophy trout are defined as 15 inches or larger. Jake Rice, manager of ODFW’s Roaring River trout hatchery in Scio, said the fish are generally 2 years old, and the extra year of rearing gives them time to pack on the body weight. However, that additional time in the hatchery means staff do need to be especially watchful for diseases that may develop. All the fish are inspected monthly by a pathologist, Rice said, and feed programs are updated daily to account for size, density, water flow, water temperature and release date. “We really stress the importance of healthy fish, and this takes a little more effort and time over the additional year of rearing,” Rice said. It does cost more to rear trophy trout, but these fish do bring in the biggest compliments from anglers, Rice added. Trophy trout make up just a small amount of the 2 million catchable trout that ODFW releases in more than 300 locations statewide. By emphasizing the trophy trout program, the agency hopes to increase interest and participation in trout fishing. Across northeast Oregon, trophy trout will be released in 35 different locations, including: • Willow Creek Reservoir 2,250 fish • Phillips Reservoir 4,000 fish • Wallowa Lake 1,600 fish • Anthony Lake 3,450 fish • Jubilee Lake 1,000 fish For more information, visit www.dfw.state.or.us. BRIEFLY Bend nature center sets up swan cam to livestream nest BEND (AP) — A nature center in central Oregon has set up its first wildlife camera near a swan’s nest with two eggs that may hatch before Fourth of July. The Bend Bulletin reports the Sunriver Nature Center will be livestreaming the nest on its Facebook page for nature lovers interested in watching the trumpeter swan couple, Chuck and Gracie, and their expected chicks. According the report, trumpeter swans nearly became extinct in the early 1900s. Last year, two out of four of the swans’ eggs hatched. The nature center bought its first wildlife camera for $7,000 with donations and funding from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Manager Jennifer Curtis says the center may also use the camera to capture live shots of beavers, birds of prey and other projects. Brown signs bill protecting salmon from river mining Gov. Kate Brown signed a bill Wednesday that protects thousands of miles of critical salmon habitat across much of western Oregon fromsuction dredge mining. The governor’s signature is the final action in a years-long push to ban or place tougher restrictions on suction dredge mining, which environmental groups have long argued is damaging to habitat for salmon and Pacific lampreys. About five years ago, the number of miners in primarily Southwest Oregon ballooned to more than 2,000, prompting lawmakers to pass a temporary moratorium in 2013. The bill signed into law by Brown raises permitting costs to $250 a year for the river miners, capped the total number of permits statewide to 200, and restricts the hours when permitted miners can search for metals. Roughly a dozen volunteers broke ground on a new section of trail in the Magone Lake area in nearby Grant County. The few hundred feet of trail built in late May is the beginning of a multi-use trail system in the area and the culmina- tion of years of collaboration between the Eastern Oregon Trail Alliance and the Forest Service. “This is purpose built for mountain biking, but we’re not precluding other users such as hikers, runners and eques- trian users,” EOTA board member Wade Tait said. The Eagle/Rylan Boggs Tait has over a decade of experience Mytchell Mead tests out a new trail near Magone Lake May 29. building trails and began working with the trail alliance and Forest Service on will be green circles, blue squares will be intermediate and black diamonds If you go: this trail system in 2014. “It’s hard to get excited about it when will be difficult. The more difficult trails Head south on Highway 395 it’s just in theory and on paper,” Tait said. could have technical features like jumps, to Long Creek, then head east “But when people can come out and see rollers, wall rides and rock gardens on Highway 18 to Forest Road a new trail that looks like it’s going to where the area allows. The easiest trails 3620, turn west and drive ap- be fun, people will take some ownership will be built on closed roads. proximately one mile to Forest The trail alliance is not involved in over it, and that’s what we need.” Road 3618. The route is well- When choosing routes for trails, Tait closing roads and only utilizes roads signed and easy to find. said he and others from the trail alliance already closed by the Forest Service, tried to incorporate what he calls posi- Tait said. The trails will be largely funded by system and a bike park at the Seventh tive control points, such as views and trailheads for ease of access. They aim grants, which accept volunteer hours as Street Complex. The 11-acre park to avoid negative control points like a match. Volunteers are covered under would include two pump tracks, several sensitive species’ nesting areas, weed the Forest Service’s volunteer liability boardwalk-style features and two miles of trails. Mead aims to have a portion patches and some stream crossings. program. Mytchell Mead, a trail alliance board of the park open before the eclipse in They plot these on a topographical map and then walk the area to pick the exact member, is optimistic about having as August. “Mountain bikers are oftentimes much as 15 miles of trail ridable by the route of the trail, marking it with flags. When choosing the exact line, end of summer, and a total of 26 miles called high-return, low-impact tourists,” Tait said he looks for a slope grade of of trail eventually. Mead envisions Mead said, explaining they have a posi- under 10 percent, natural rise and fall creating a trail system that will attract tive impact on the local economy and a small impact on the environment. in the landscape and interesting natural bikers from across the country. Efforts to promote mountain biking “Biking is the fastest growing recre- features, such as views, water crossings ational activity in America right now,” in the area have been met with resis- or rock gardens. tance, but Mead said he is beginning to The trail system will be built to he said. Mead has been working on making see a shift in attitudes toward it. International Mountain Bicycling Asso- “We’re embracing a broader range of ciation standards and use the same trail the John Day area more appealing to designations as skiing. Beginner runs cyclists with projects such as this trail forest activities,” he said. BLOOMIN’ BLUES This buttercup will build you up By BRUCE BARNES For The East Oregonian Common Name: Moun- tain Buttercup Scientific Name: Ranun- culus populago This little buttercup is known to grow from Southeast Washington to California, to Montana. It is usually found on wet mud or in very shallow water of streams or ditches, and in subalpine meadows. There are 26 species of the genus Ranunculus in northeast Oregon, and about 300 worldwide, mostly in the northern hemisphere in temperate to arctic areas. The name Ranunculus comes from the Greek word rana for frog, referring to the aquatic habitat of many of the species. The ending of the name may come from uncus, which means hooked, refer- ring perhaps to a persistent point on each seed which is sometimes hooked. The common name Photo by Bruce Barnes Mountain Buttercup, Ranunculus populago buttercup may be assumed to refer to the bright yellow petals, which are often slightly cupped with the edges curving upward. However, there is an earlier source for that name. Buttercup plants were considered good to have in pastures, as they were believed to provide the golden yellow color of rich butter. Farmers would rub the flowers on the cow’s Wallowa rancher shoots wolf as it attacks cattle By STEVE TOOL EO Media Group Oregon’s state bird likely to stay the meadowlark The Western meadowlark’s status as Oregon’s state bird appears secure, as House lawmakers are not expected to vote on a bill that would supplant the robin-sized songbirdfrom its perch in favor of the osprey. State senators voted April 6 to designate the osprey as the state bird, but it has yet to come up before the House Committee on Rules. With two weeks left in the legislative session and high-stakes issues like a statewide transportation bill still uncertain, less critical issues like the bird bill are unlikely to move forward. “I don’t think it’s at the top of the priority list for the committee, which is tackling many really important bills,” Scott Moore, communications director for the House Democrats, said in an email this month. udder, and hang the plants over the barn door. In spite of that myth, the plants are somewhat acrid and are fortunately avoided by grazing animals, as the plants can poison them and cause milk to taste bad. Mountain Buttercup is usually a few inches high and tends to sprawl along the ground. The five-petaled flowers are about a half inch across, and the leaves about one to two inches long. The shape of the leaves varies widely, from circular to oval or narrowly oblong, with smooth edges, smooth surfaces, and rounded to pointed tips. The fruit is a small tight ball of green, tiny, pointed seeds with tiny points. In England and in North America, buttercup plants have been used widely for medicinal purposes, by Indian tribes as well as immigrants. The English used them mainly for skin ailments, and Indian tribes developed numerous medic- inal uses, though no uses are identified for the Mountain Buttercup. Where to find: The only place I’ve seen this buttercup is in the nearby vicinity of the intersection of Highway 204, the Weston-Elgin highway, and USFS Road 31, Ruckel Road, east of Tollgate. It may still be blooming in the ditch on the south side of Road 31 about 100 feet from Highway 204. Submitted photo Beaut from the Deschutes Patrick Bailey of Pendleton landed nice large steel- head on the Deschutes River last September. He said he didn’t measure or weigh it, unfortunately. Have a photo you’d be willing to share? Contact outdoors page editor Tim Trainor at 541-966-0835 or email him at ttrainor@eastoregonian.com. A Wallowa County cattle rancher shot and presum- ably seriously wounded or killed a wolf June 25 in the act of chasing livestock. It is the first incident of its kind in Wallowa County and the second in Oregon. The rancher and his wife, who chose to remain anonymous, said they had suffered numerous instances of wolves harassing their cattle. The couple saw a wolf chasing a herd of cows on June 25 on a public land allotment in the Wallowa Mountains. The rancher called county commissioner Todd Nash, who is chairman of the Oregon Cattle- men’s Association Wolf Committee, for advice. Nash told the rancher he could legally shoot the wolf. The man did and the animal limped away. Nash and Wallow County Sheriff’s Office chief deputy Fred Steen, who later contacted Oregon State Police, responded to the scene. The team did not find the wolf and further investi- gation indicated the rancher acted within his legal rights. The rancher’s identity was not released. “This is just to show you can do this and have anonymity,” Steen said. “It’s absolutely legal to do such and we’ve always believed it’s the rancher’s right to protect his livestock as private property. People need to know this is an option.” In a separate incident the ODFW investigated a June 21 reported suspected wolf depredation in the Chesnimnus Creek Drainage. A citizen found a dead bull on an active U.S. Forest Service grazing allotment and notified authorities. The department contacted the rancher who leased the allotment and investigated. The ODFW found the bull died of causes other than wolf depredation, noting the lack of wolves in the area and no evidence of premortem injuries, although some postmortem scavenging had occurred.
