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
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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°
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— 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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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c
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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
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s
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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
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