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WEATHER East Oregonian Page 2A Wednesday, May 2, 2018 Lawsuits target oil, gas leases in imperiled sage grouse habitat director of the Montana Petroleum Association. Monday’s lawsuits included one in Idaho filed by Center for Biological Diversity and Western Water- sheds Project, and another in Montana by the Montana Wildlife Federation, The Wilderness Society, National Audubon Society and National Wildlife Federation. Also Monday, envi- ronmentalists agreed to a truce in a third lawsuit over protections for the Gunnison sage grouse, a smaller cousin of the greater sage grouse. The Gunnison grouse, found only in Colorado and Utah, was designated a threatened species in 2014. Center for Biological Diver- sity and Western Watersheds Project sued the federal government the next year, saying the Gunnison grouse should be classified endan- gered, meaning it is in greater danger and warrants stronger protections than a threatened species. The two groups said they would put the lawsuit on hold after federal officials agreed to come up with a recovery plan for the bird within 2½ years. The deadline guarantees the recovery plan won’t drag out for years, the groups said. They could resume their lawsuit if the government misses the deadline, or if they are unhappy with the recovery plan. Only about 5,000 Gunnison sage grouse were left in 2014. By MATTHEW BROWN Associated Press BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — A pair of lawsuits filed Monday target the Trump administration’s sale of oil and gas leases on huge swaths of Western public lands that contain crucial habitat for an imperiled bird. Wildlife advocates asked courts to reverse lease sales on more than 1,300 square miles of land in Montana, Wyoming, Utah and Nevada, according to attorneys involved. The legal actions also sought to block several upcoming sales unless the U.S. Interior Department conducts further environ- mental reviews. Those leases would total more than 1,800 square miles in the four states plus Idaho. Many of the parcels in dispute are home to greater sage grouse, a chicken-sized, ground-dwelling bird that ranges across portions of 11 Western states. Greater sage grouse popu- lations drastically declined in recent decades, because of energy development that broke up the bird’s habitat, along with disease, livestock grazing and other causes. Its population once numbered in the millions but had fallen to fewer than 500,000 by 2015, according to wildlife officials. Under former President Barack Obama, the Interior Department delayed lease sales on millions of acres of public lands largely because Jerret Raffety/The Rawlins Daily Times via AP, File In this 2008 file photo, male sage grouses fight for the at- tention of females southwest of Rawlins, Wyo. Environmen- tal groups are suing the Trump administration for allegedly ignoring policies meant to protect the imperiled bird. of sage grouse worries. In 2015, it adopted a set of wide-ranging plans meant to protect the best grouse habitat and keep the bird off the endangered species list. Trump’s Interior secre- tary, Ryan Zinke, has placed a greater priority on energy development, including directives from the agency that modified restrictions imposed by the Obama administration. Attorneys behind Monday’s lawsuits argued those modifications were improper and that Zinke’s agency unlawfully limited environmental reviews of lease sales. “They are indiscrimi- nately leasing everything that’s nominated in sage grouse habitat, without any determination beforehand that maybe these areas are particularly important” to the bird, said Michael Saul, an attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity Justice Department spokesman Wyn Hornbuckle declined comment on the matter. Energy industry represen- tatives have been strongly supportive of Zinke’s pro-en- ergy agenda. They point out that even when land is leased for drilling, companies must abide by limitations on when they can drill to avoid disrupting grouse during breeding season. “We realize there are some hoops we’re going to have to jump through if we’re going to develop the resource,” said Alan Olson, executive Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard via AP Oregon grape plant waits to be planted by students during a habitat restoration project near Dorena Lake. Thieves uprooting Oregon’s state flower By DYLAN DARLING The Register-Guard DORENA — Shovels in hand, a group of 15 middle school-aged kids from Dorena School took time out of their morning recently to plant Oregon grape at a nearby park. The kids dug deep enough to give the plants’ roots a firm footing and pulled up rocks to loosen the soil. Accustomed to such restoration work, the group had 40 plants in the ground in less than an hour. The Dorena School kids had a specific mission last Thursday: replace the Oregon grape plants stolen by thieves in the park. The thought of someone stealing the Oregon grape — the state flower, which bears purple berries that look like small grapes — might seem silly. But the thefts do happen to the ire of watershed restorers, park rangers and police. Over the past year the pace of Oregon grape thefts appears to have picked up, said Christie Johnson, park ranger with the Army Corps of Engineers in Cottage Grove. Replacing stolen Oregon grape at the park near Dorena, in the Cascade foothills east of Cottage Grove, cost the Corps about $200, Johnson said. The federal agency manages Dorena Lake and nearby parks. “When people steal these plants it costs money,” Johnson said. “It costs taxpayers.” If caught, the crime also could cost the thieves. BRIEFLY Times reports court records say Andrew Oswalt faces a third count of first-degree intimidation. The amended indictment filed in Benton County Circuit Court alleges Oswalt acted with one or more people to tamper or interfere with property by applying the stickers to the cars “with intent to cause substantial inconvenience to another because of the defendant’s OSU student faces additional hate-crime charge CORVALLIS — An Oregon State University student accused of putting offensive stickers on the cars of members of a racial justice group has been charged with an additional hate crime. The Corvallis Gazette- Federal judge sides with fish in dispute PORTLAND — A federal judge has denied a request from Klamath Basin farmers and ranchers to ease their water situation this 211 S.E. Byers Ave., Pendleton 541-276-2211 333 E. 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Mostly sunny and pleasant Partly sunny and pleasant 72° 47° 80° 53° SATURDAY Intervals of clouds and sunshine Mostly cloudy PENDLETON TEMPERATURE FORECAST 75° 54° 77° 56° HERMISTON TEMPERATURE FORECAST 84° 55° 77° 47° PENDLETON through 3 p.m. yesterday TEMPERATURE HIGH LOW 63° 67° 88° (1976) 44° 43° 24° (1905) 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" 0.03" 5.42" 8.21" 5.14" HERMISTON through 3 p.m. yesterday TEMPERATURE HIGH Yesterday Normals Records LOW 68° 69° 89° (1947) 48° 42° 22° (1954) 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" 0.04" 4.05" 5.88" 4.03" SUN AND MOON Sunrise today Sunset tonight Moonrise today Moonset today Last New May 7 May 15 5:42 a.m. 8:03 p.m. 10:52 p.m. 7:40 a.m. First Full May 21 79° 53° 82° 58° Seattle 70/50 ALMANAC Yesterday Normals Records 81° 51° May 29 Today SUNDAY Beautiful with clouds and sun 78° 53° Business Office Manager: Janna Heimgartner 541-966-0822 • jheimgartner@eastoregonian.com COMMERCIAL PRINTING Production Manager: Mike Jensen 541-215-0824 • mjensen@eastoregonian.com REGIONAL CITIES Forecast FRIDAY NEWS • To submit news tips and press releases: call 541-966-0818 or 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 at 541-966-0818. • To submit engagements, weddings and anniversaries: email rstruthers@eastoregonian.com or visit www.eastoregonian. com/community/announcements • To submit sports or outdoors information or tips: 541-966-0838 • sports@eastoregonian.com Circulation Manager: Marcy Rosenberg • 541-966-0828 • mrosenberg@eastoregonian.com Copyright © 2018, EO Media Group THURSDAY Classified & Legal Advertising 1-800-962-2819 or 541-278-2678 classifieds@eastoregonian.com or legals@eastoregonian.com ADVERTISING Advertising Services: Grace Bubar 541-276-2214 • gbubar@eastoregonian.com Multimedia Consultants: • Kimberly Macias 541-278-2683 • kmacias@eastoregonian.com • Jeanne Jewett 541-564-4531 • jjewett@eastoregonian.com • Dayle Stinson 541-278-2670 • dstinson@eastoregonian.com • Angela Treadwell 541-966-0827 • atreadwell@eastoregonian.com • Audra Workman 541-564-4538 • aworkman@eastoregonian.com Subscriber services: For mail delivery, online access, vacation stops or delivery concerns call 1-800-522-0255 ext. 1 — Founded Oct. 16, 1875 — TODAY spring. A court injunction requires the Bureau of Reclamation to hold 50,000 acre-feet of stored water in Upper Klamath Lake through early June to flush away a deadly parasite that infects threatened coho salmon. Because it’s been a dry year, the bureau believes the injunction makes it unlikely there will be enough water for farms. perception of another’s religion.” Oswalt pleaded not guilty Monday to the additional charge. Spokane Wenatchee 69/47 77/50 Tacoma Moses 71/45 Lake Pullman Aberdeen Olympia Yakima 77/46 65/43 64/46 73/43 80/47 Longview Kennewick Walla Walla 72/45 72/53 Lewiston 78/47 Astoria 72/47 62/46 Portland Enterprise Hermiston 75/51 Pendleton 64/38 The Dalles 77/47 72/47 80/50 La Grande Salem 67/39 74/48 Albany Corvallis 73/44 73/47 John Day 67/39 Ontario Eugene Bend 74/43 71/45 68/42 Caldwell Burns 72/43 67/33 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 62 69 68 64 67 64 71 71 77 67 67 67 65 77 60 62 74 77 72 75 71 74 69 65 74 72 80 Lo 46 36 42 47 33 38 45 47 47 39 37 39 38 49 46 48 43 46 47 51 37 48 47 36 48 53 47 W s pc s s s pc s s s pc s pc pc s s s pc s s s s s pc s s s s NATIONAL WEATHER TODAY Thu. Hi 58 76 76 58 75 72 73 78 84 75 75 75 73 82 57 58 80 84 80 76 79 75 73 74 76 79 85 Lo 48 43 45 47 40 44 43 51 55 47 43 44 43 51 47 48 49 53 53 50 42 45 50 41 48 58 50 Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day. W pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc c pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc pc WORLD CITIES Today Beijing Hong Kong Jerusalem London Mexico City Moscow Paris Rome Seoul Sydney Tokyo Hi 74 87 81 56 78 78 61 74 67 73 76 Lo 51 75 60 40 56 52 42 60 47 59 67 W pc pc s r pc pc c t r pc t Thu. Hi 76 86 84 59 78 69 62 71 62 79 78 Lo 51 74 65 44 58 47 41 57 48 67 58 W s t pc pc t pc pc t sh c sh WINDS Medford 77/49 (in mph) Klamath Falls 67/37 Boardman Pendleton REGIONAL FORECAST Coastal Oregon: Mostly sunny today. Eastern and Central Oregon: Partly sunny today; pleasant. Mainly clear tonight. Partly sunny tomorrow. Western Washington: Sunshine and patchy clouds today. Eastern Washington: Partly sunny today. Partly cloudy tonight. Partial sunshine tomorrow. Cascades: Mostly sunny today. Mainly clear tonight. Mild tomorrow with clouds and sun. Northern California: Mostly sunny today; pleasant in central parts. Partly cloudy tonight. Today Thursday SW 4-8 WNW 6-12 WSW 6-12 WSW 7-14 UV INDEX TODAY Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows. 2 4 7 Illegally collecting native plants from public lands without a permit might result in as much as a $2,500 fine, Johnson said. Oregon grape plants produce a bright yellow flower that becomes a small, grape-like fruit that tastes nothing like a grocery store grape. The plants’ roots and bark contain berberine and other chemicals used in medicines to treat infec- tions and stomach prob- lems. Authorities suspect that changes in the herbal medicine market might have increased demand for Oregon grape, prompting more thefts. “There are a lot of people who believe in using these herbal medicines,” Johnson said. Oregon grape thieves don’t discriminate about where they steal the plants, uprooting the scrub from public and private land, said Audrey Squires, resto- ration projects manager for the Middle Fork Willamette Watershed Council. The Lowell-based nonprofit group leads restoration on and around the Middle Fork, a tributary to the Willamette River. Squires has begun compiling a database of Oregon grape thefts after thieves brazenly took armfuls of the plants in March from a Middle Fork restoration project on private land. The database shows 20 thefts in Lane County, as long ago as 2011 and as recently as this April. The data also indicates the number of thefts increasing more recently. 7 4 2 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. ©2018 -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: The risk of severe thunderstorms, including tornadoes, will extend from Texas to Illinois today. Cool air and spotty showers are in store for the West while the East can expect summerlike warmth. Yesterday’s National Extremes: (for the 48 contiguous states) High 95° in Laredo, Texas Low 21° 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 66 84 76 88 63 86 70 86 83 86 81 80 88 53 80 82 42 68 82 87 82 81 84 66 85 65 Lo 42 60 62 64 44 62 45 65 59 62 64 66 70 37 66 56 26 42 70 72 65 60 68 54 68 52 W pc s s s pc s s s s s c pc pc t c pc c c r pc pc s c sh pc pc Thur. Hi 68 85 77 89 73 87 76 84 83 87 75 77 80 55 78 77 50 72 82 86 77 82 81 79 83 71 Lo 46 61 64 67 49 63 52 63 61 64 60 64 67 39 64 55 29 46 72 70 64 60 55 63 68 55 W pc s pc s pc pc s pc s pc t t t r t s c pc c c t pc t s t s 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 86 85 82 75 69 86 86 86 82 72 85 74 81 83 86 61 69 80 87 60 64 69 70 73 88 84 Lo 68 68 74 54 52 65 67 68 68 57 65 58 62 64 58 42 43 50 70 45 55 52 50 48 67 68 W pc pc t t c s s s c t s c pc s s c pc pc pc t sh pc s c s c Thur. Hi 84 84 84 61 73 86 86 88 84 73 90 83 76 82 86 67 77 80 80 68 68 66 72 79 90 83 Lo 69 69 74 51 51 69 68 70 58 52 69 66 56 65 58 44 49 50 64 48 58 52 49 54 70 53 Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain, sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice. W t pc pc t pc pc pc pc t t pc s t pc s pc s s t sh pc pc pc s s t
