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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 7, 2018)
NORTHWEST East Oregonian Page 2A Friday, September 7, 2018 USDA approves emergency grazing, cover crops for affected ranchers in north-central Oregon Perdue announced the mea- sures in a letter sent to Walden on Sept. 5. Perdue said the agency is compiling reported losses to determine if they will declare a federal disaster statewide. According to the North- west Interagency Coordina- tion Center in Portland, Ore- gon has experienced 1,680 fires burning 762,959 acres in 2018. The 10-year average from 2006 to 2017 is 2,400 fires burning 733,019 acres, meaning this year’s fires are fewer, but larger on average, than they were over the past decade. In a statement, Walden said fires have not only impact forests and choked communities with smoke, but also devastated farmers and ranchers — especially in Wasco and Sherman coun- ties, where some producers lost some or nearly all of their crops. “I applaud Secretary Per- due’s prompt approval of my request to get our farmers and ranchers the assistance they need to get back on their feet after these fires,” Walden said. Large fires in the region include the Substation fire, which started July 17 and Area ravaged by large wildfires earlier this year By GEORGE PLAVEN EO Media Group Help is on the way for farmers and ranchers in north-central Oregon who lost tens of thousands of acres of crops in a series of large wildfires that swept through the region earlier this summer. The USDA on Wednesday approved emergency graz- ing for affected ranchers on Conservation Reserve Pro- gram, or CRP, land through Sept. 30. Officials with the Risk Management Agency will also allow summer fal- low wheat growers to plant cover crops in burned areas to prevent soil erosion, without affecting their crop insurance. The relief comes at the behest of Oregon congressio- nal leaders, including Demo- cratic Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, and Repub- lican Rep. Greg Walden, whose district covers Wasco and Sherman counties where the fires raged in July and August. USDA Secretary Sonny Mark Graves/The Oregonian via AP A fast-moving fire raged across Wasco County southeast of The Dalles on Wednes- day, July 18, 2018. USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue has announced relief for farmers and ranchers affected by wildfires that burned earlier this summer in Wasco and Sherman counties. torched 78,425 acres. The Natural Resources Conser- vation Service estimates the fire impacted 31,000 acres of cropland and standing wheat over 86 farms in both Wasco and Sherman counties. One farmer, 64-year-old John Ruby of Wasco County, also died while fighting the fire, Forecast for Pendleton Area TODAY SUNDAY SATURDAY Sunshine Mostly sunny and not as warm 88° 58° 78° 50° MONDAY Sunny and pleasant TUESDAY Mostly sunny and pleasant Pleasant with some sun PENDLETON TEMPERATURE FORECAST 80° 52° 75° 51° digging a firebreak to protect his neighbor’s property. The Long Hollow fire started just nine days later, consuming another 33,451 acres south of Dufur. Finally, the South Valley fire started Aug. 1, adding another 20,026 acres. All three fires were either confirmed or Investigation into couple missing after fire treated as homicide Palmer: Evidence currently being tested By RICHARD HANNERS EO Media Group 71° 48° HERMISTON TEMPERATURE FORECAST 81° 51° 90° 61° 83° 57° 77° 55° OREGON FORECAST 75° 54° ALMANAC Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows. PENDLETON through 3 p.m. yest. HIGH LOW TEMP. Seattle Olympia 84/53 90/53 Longview Kennewick Walla Walla 89/62 Lewiston 75/57 91/60 Astoria 68/53 Pullman Yakima 88/58 74/50 90/62 Portland Hermiston 82/60 The Dalles 90/61 Salem Corvallis 78/51 Yesterday Normals Records La Grande 86/53 PRECIPITATION John Day Eugene Bend 81/51 86/46 87/54 Ontario 92/61 Caldwell Burns 85° 47° 82° 52° 99° (2003) 39° (1961) 24 hours ending 3 p.m. Month to date Normal month to date Year to date Last year to date Normal year to date Albany 80/55 0.00" 0.00" 0.07" 5.15" 6.65" 6.19" WINDS (in mph) 91/57 87/44 0.00" 0.00" 0.09" 6.52" 11.37" 8.47" through 3 p.m. yest. HIGH LOW TEMP. Pendleton 84/50 81/54 24 hours ending 3 p.m. Month to date Normal month to date Year to date Last year to date Normal year to date HERMISTON Enterprise 88/58 88/60 85° 52° 82° 53° 102° (1955) 34° (1898) PRECIPITATION Moses Lake 74/52 67/58 84/56 85/60 Tacoma Aberdeen Spokane Wenatchee 73/58 Yesterday Normals Records Today Boardman Pendleton Medford 92/54 Sat. WSW 6-12 W 4-8 WSW 8-16 W 8-16 SUN AND MOON Klamath Falls 86/41 Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2018 Sunrise today Sunset tonight Moonrise today Moonset today The investigation into the couple missing after their house in Grant County burned in July is being treated as a homicide. Grant County Sher- iff Glenn Palmer said evi- dence collected at the scene of the fire on Nan’s Rock Road between Mt. Vernon and John Day is believed to be of human origin, and testing is being conducted by the Oregon State Med- ical Examiner’s Office in Clackamas. The possible remains have not been identified, Palmer said in a Sept. 5 press release. “This agency is not pre- pared to release any iden- tities in this case of any- one,” Palmer said. “As the investigation progresses 6:23 a.m. 7:22 p.m. 3:34 a.m. 6:30 p.m. New First Full Last Sep 9 Sep 16 Sep 24 Oct 2 NATIONAL EXTREMES Yesterday’s National Extremes: (for the 48 contiguous states) High 110° in Thermal, Calif. Low 28° in International Falls, Minn. likely human-caused. A major concern now is preventing soil erosion on the blackened landscape. Farm- ers were encouraged to plant cover crops, but since wheat is normally grown in a sum- mer fallow rotation, pro- ducers worried it would put them under “continuous pro- duction” under their crop insurance. Perdue said the Risk Man- agement Agency, which reg- ulates crop insurance, will make changes to accommo- date growing cover crops on affected acres for the 2020 crop year. Additionally, ranchers who lost rangeland for their livestock will have the abil- ity to graze animals on land enrolled in CRP, a program where the federal govern- ment pays farmers to take environmentally sensitive land out of agricultural pro- duction for 10-15 years. Both Sens. Wyden and Merkley released statements saying they will continue to work toward helping farm- ers and ranchers recover from fires. The Oregon Farm Bureau thanked the senators in its statement, adding, “The ability to plant cover crop and still be compliant with farm bill programs is critical.” Wes Jennings, farm pro- gram chief for the USDA Farm Service Agency in Ore- gon, encouraged any farmer or rancher affected by the wildfires to contact their local county FSA office to learn about what resources may be available. NATIONAL WEATHER TODAY Contributed photo Sharon and Terry Smith we will release information to the public as it becomes available.” Terry Smith, 67, and Sharon Smith, 65, have been missing since their off-the-grid and isolated home was destroyed by a fire July 17-18. Their sil- ver or light gray 2006 Toy- ota Tacoma with Oregon license 714EGG also went missing. Two cadaver dogs from the Crook County Sheriff’s Office searched the scene following the fire with neg- ative results, Palmer said in an Aug. 2 press release. HEY Family and friends told the Blue Mountain Eagle about the social nature of the Smiths and how unusual it would be for them to dis- appear for any length of time without communicat- ing with their friends and family. Cathy Hinshaw, Sharon’s sister who lives in Hawaii, told the newspaper she felt pretty sure from the begin- ning that the Smiths had died and were consumed in the fire. But there were still unanswered questions. “I can’t understand where the truck went,” she said. She said the sheriff’s office asked her for a DNA sample and then three weeks later asked her to send a form confirming that they could use her sample. Hinshaw said she spoke to Sharon the evening of the fire, and Sharon had told her they were headed to bed. The Smiths had planned to clean the caretaker’s house the next day and then go fishing. KIDS... want to earn some EXTRA MONEY? Ask Mom & Dad, then come sign up to be a part of the Pendleton Round-Up. 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