NORTHWEST East Oregonian A2 Tuesday, June 25, 2019 Baker City group aims to establish quiet zone BLM mulls change to Southeast Oregon management approach By JAYSON JACOBY Baker City Herald agreement also requires that the amendment process look at the livestock grazing pro- gram and off-highway vehi- cle use. Jeremy Austin of the Ore- gon Natural Desert Associ- ation, which has offices in Bend and Portland, said the group is concerned with the alternative BLM prefers in the current draft amendment “because it disregards the past 17 years of hard work by the local BLM district and many interested groups.” In a June 18 newsletter, he said the BLM-preferred alter- native “doesn’t protect the valuable wilderness-caliber lands in this region. It ignores decades of local stakeholder input and leaves wild places vulnerable to development.” BLM says the draft EIS analyzes five alternatives, one of which is to take no action and continue management under the 2002 plan — as amended by a 2015 record of decision for protecting sage grouse habitat — and con- tinue to protect wilderness characteristics in the 76 land units identified as having them. The agency said the alter- native it now prefers does not propose protections for lands By BRAD CARLSON Capital Press BAKER CITY — The U.S. Bureau of Land Man- agement could change how it manages a swath of South- eastern Oregon. Vale District BLM through Aug. 28 will take public com- ment on the draft South- eastern Oregon Resource Management Plan Amend- ment and draft Environmen- tal Impact Statement, both released May 31. The plan- ning area includes about 4.6 million acres of BLM-ad- ministered lands — mostly in Malheur County, with some in Grant and Harney counties. The district is amending a 2002 plan that was vacated in federal appeals court, and then subject to a 2010 settle- ment agreement. Officials said the amendment’s purpose is to comply with the agree- ment, which required BLM to provide updated informa- tion about lands with wilder- ness characteristics and to analyze various management scenarios. Until an amendment is final, BLM must protect wil- derness characteristics in all areas where they have been identified. The settlement Capital Press/Mateusz Perkowski, File The federal Bureau of Land Management is updating its plan for managing much of southeastern Oregon. with wilderness characteris- tics. BLM would keep cur- rent land-use planning allo- cations and grazing policies while continuing to provide for a sustainable forage yield. Vehicle restrictions to protect grouse habitat would remain. “That alternative more closely reflects the (Trump) administration’s stance on multiple-use management, so everybody can get what they need out of some federal lands,” BLM Vale District Manager Don Gonzalez said. The most restrictive alter- native prioritizes protect- ing all areas with wilderness characteristics, further limits vehicle use and adds grazing rules. With respect to lands with wilderness character- istics, “this is how BLM is managing it now, until it gets through this planning pro- cess and makes a final deter- mination if we continue to manage any of the 76 units to protect those characteristics,” Gonzalez said. Another alternative priori- tizes protecting 27 of the wil- derness-characterized units, limits off-highway vehicle use in them and leaves graz- ing management unchanged. Another prioritizes protect- ing 33 wilderness units while adding grazing and vehicle rules. All three wilderness-pro- tecting approaches would incorporate a 250-foot set- back from boundary roads for future management. Gonzalez said the final decision could incorporate parts of each management alternative. Once BLM final- izes a management plan that protects wilderness charac- teristics, it cannot take steps that would diminish them long term. The area includes sage- brush steppe, grazing leases and part of the federally designated Wild and Sce- nic Rivers corridor for the Owyhee River. BRIEFLY Forecast for Pendleton Area TODAY WEDNESDAY Nice with some sun Clouds and sun with a shower 80° 52° 74° 51° 85° 56° 80° 55° THURSDAY FRIDAY Periods of clouds and sunshine SATURDAY Pleasant with clouds and sun Partly sunny and comfortable PENDLETON TEMPERATURE FORECAST 70° 49° 79° 53° 70° 46° HERMISTON TEMPERATURE FORECAST 76° 54° 84° 57° 78° 50° OREGON FORECAST 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 66/51 72/51 79/50 Longview Kennewick Walla Walla 79/56 Lewiston 71/53 84/57 Astoria 64/52 Pullman Yakima 81/55 72/49 79/56 Portland Hermiston 75/57 The Dalles 85/56 Salem Corvallis 70/49 Yesterday Normals Records La Grande 74/49 Bend 73/49 71/45 76/49 Ontario 85/53 Caldwell Burns BOISE, Idaho (AP)— Federal officials have released a draft environmental analy- sis for a proposal intended to stop rangeland wildfires in a huge swath of the West that hosts cattle ranching and recreation and is home to imperiled sage grouse. The analysis released Friday looks at the impact of altering or removing vegetation on strips of land up to 165 yards wide and up to 11,000 miles long in Idaho, Washing- ton, Oregon, California, Nevada and Utah. The draft released by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management follows the agen- cy’s 2017 announcement that it planned the review. Fuel breaks can cost from $12,000 to $44,000 a mile. BLM spokesman Ken Frederick says there’s no cost estimate yet because it’s not yet clear what types of fuel breaks field managers might choose. Critics say the work fragments habitat and harms wildlife. 0.00" Trace 0.51" 4.42" 5.10" 5.62" Public comments on the analysis are being taken until early August. Couple sentenced to life in Newport man’s slaying ASTORIA (AP) — Two people have been sentenced to life in prison for the mur- der of a 71-year-old Newport man in 2016. The Astorian reports Christian Wilkins and Adeena Copell were sentenced Friday in the death of Howard Vinge. Vinge was beaten to death inside his RV in September 2016 and his body was dumped down an embankment east of Asto- ria. Prosecutors say Copell and Wilkins lived with Vinge shortly before his death. Prosecutors say the couple then drove Vinge’s car to Arizona, where they were arrested. Wilkins pleaded guilty in May to mur- der, abuse of a corpse and two counts of unauthorized use of a vehicle. Copell was convicted of the same charges in May after a trial in Clatsop County Circuit Court. Today Boardman Pendleton Medford 79/50 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. WINDS (in mph) 83/53 75/40 U.S. releases environmental analysis of plan to stop fires PRECIPITATION John Day Eugene 78° 54° 82° 55° 107° (1992) 41° (1934) 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 71/49 0.00" 0.09" 0.98" 9.37" 6.49" 7.49" through 3 p.m. yest. HIGH LOW TEMP. Pendleton 70/47 72/52 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 80/52 78/56 74° 47° 82° 54° 102° (1992) 30° (1904) PRECIPITATION Moses Lake 73/52 Aberdeen 75/51 77/56 Tacoma Yesterday Normals Records Spokane Wenatchee 74/54 BAKER CITY — A group of Baker City resi- dents has created an online petition gauging local inter- est in trying to establish a “quiet zone” in which freight trains wouldn’t sound their horns at cross- ings within the city except when the train operator sees a vehicle on the tracks or other dangerous situation. Cities can apply for a quiet zone designation, although they must also pay to install concrete medi- ans or other enhanced mea- sures on streets at railroad crossings to prevent drivers from trying to drive around a crossing gate arm. According to a press release from the Baker City group, its effort was inspired in part by La Grande. In April the Federal Railroad Administra- tion granted La Grande’s request for a quiet zone, culminating a campaign that began in that city about 20 years ago, according to a story in The Observer newspaper. Federal rules require train engineers to sound the horn for 15 to 20 seconds before the train enters a crossing, and not more than one-quarter mile before the crossing. Because there are five crossings in Baker City, locomotives, which can travel at 50 mph through town, sometimes sound their horns with little inter- val as they pass through Baker City. On average about 24 trains roll through the city per day. “I support a quiet zone, because it would improve railroad safety and reduce the horn blasts that keep us up at night,” said Anna Fargo, a member of the informal Baker City group that set up the online survey. The idea of establishing a quiet zone in Baker City is not a new one. In May 2002 the city, at the behest of City Coun- cilor Chuck Phegley, put on the ballot a measure asking voters whether they were interested in the city poten- tially pursuing a quiet zone designation. A large majority — 82% — voted no on that nonbinding measure. The report estimated the cost to qualify for a quiet zone at a minimum of $100,000, based on the city installing concrete medians at two of the five public crossings. St. Anthony Provider Spotligh t Wed. WSW 6-12 W 6-12 SSW 4-8 NW 6-12 SUN AND MOON Klamath Falls 73/39 Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2019 Sunrise today Sunset tonight Moonrise today Moonset today 5:07 a.m. 8:49 p.m. 1:16 a.m. 1:15 p.m. Last New First Full June 25 July 2 July 9 July 16 JD Ward, DO. OB/GYN is now accepting new patients. NATIONAL EXTREMES Yesterday’s National Extremes: (for the 48 contiguous states) High 108° in Thermal, Calif. Low 24° in Angel Fire, N.M. Obstetrics and Gynecology NATIONAL WEATHER TODAY Education: Boise State University, Western University of Health Science Board Certifi cation: Board Certifi ed American, Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology Insurance Accepted: Most major insurances, Medicare, Medicaid Special Services: Obstetrics JD Ward, DO. OB/GYN Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day. -10s -0s 0s showers t-storms 10s rain 20s flurries 30s snow 40s 50s ice 60s cold front E AST O REGONIAN — Founded Oct. 16, 1875 — 211 S.E. Byers Ave., Pendleton 541-276-2211 333 E. Main St., Hermiston 541-567-6211 Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed major holidays EastOregonian.com To subscribe, call 1-800-522-0255 or go online to EastOregonian.com and click on ‘Subscribe’ East Oregonian (USPS 164-980) is published daily except Sunday, Monday and postal holidays, by the EO Media Group, 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801. 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