NORTHWEST
East Oregonian
A2
Thursday, October 1, 2020
Feds sign management decision for Columbia River dams
By GEORGE PLAVEN
Capital Press
PORTLAND — The Trump
administration has signed off on a
new operations plan for 14 dams in
the Columbia River Basin that com-
mits to improving fish passage and
habitat, but does not call for breach-
ing dams on the lower Snake River
to protect endangered salmon and
steelhead.
On Monday, Sept. 28, the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau
of Reclamation and Bonneville
Power Administration signed a
joint agreement for managing the
Columbia River System, capping
a long and litigious process that
began in September 2016.
“We believe our decision care-
fully balances the region’s needs
for clean, reliable energy, supports
the economic vitality of the com-
munities that depend on the rivers,
and includes durable actions that
offset impacts on fish and wild-
life affected by the Columbia River
System,” said John Hairston, acting
BPA administrator.
Built between 1938 and 1976, the
Columbia River System provides
flood control, irrigation, electric-
ity, navigation and recreation ben-
efits across the Pacific Northwest.
On average, the system generates
8,500 megawatts of power, enough
for eight cities the size of Seattle.
Dam operators must also balance
the needs and survival of native fish
species protected under the Endan-
gered Species Act.
A federal judge in Portland
invalidated the previous Colum-
Associated Press, File/Capital Press
The Trump administration has signed off on a new operations plan for 14 dams in the Columbia River Basin, in-
cluding Ice Harbor dam near Burbank, Wash., that commits to improving fish passage and habitat, but does not
call for breaching dams on the lower Snake River to protect endangered salmon and steelhead.
bia River System plan in 2016 and
ordered the agencies to issue a new
environmental study considering
more drastic measures to preserve
salmon and steelhead runs through-
out the basin.
U.S. District Judge Michael
Simon said the study should eval-
uate removing Lower Granite, Lit-
tle Goose, Lower Monumental
and Ice Harbor dams on the lower
Snake River in Washington, which
environmental groups argue is nec-
essary for both Pacific salmon and
orca recovery.
Earlier this year, the agencies
rejected breaching the dams, find-
ing it would raise electricity rates
as well as transportation and pro-
duction costs for farmers. They
instead recommended an alter-
native increasing the amount of
water spilled over dams to boost
fish migration, rehabbing wetland
and riparian habitat and modifying
some fish passage structures.
That recommendation, or “pre-
ferred alternative,” was ulti-
mately adopted in the final Envi-
ronmental Impact Statement and
Forecast for Pendleton Area
TODAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
MONDAY
Sunshine
Mostly sunny and
very warm
Sunny and very
warm
Sunny and
remaining warm
Pleasant with
plenty of sunshine
85° 53°
86° 53°
86° 46°
87° 47°
PENDLETON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
85° 50°
79° 50°
82° 48°
HERMISTON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
86° 50°
82° 44°
84° 47°
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
74/54
Kennewick Walla Walla
82/57
Lewiston
80/54
84/49
Astoria
70/55
79/51
86/50
Longview
24 hours ending 3 p.m.
Month to date
Normal month to date
Year to date
Last year to date
Normal year to date
Pullman
Yakima 84/50
77/50
82/55
Portland
Hermiston
84/58
The Dalles 86/46
Salem
Corvallis
79/51
Yesterday
Normals
Records
La Grande
83/43
PRECIPITATION
John Day
Eugene
Bend
85/54
88/50
88/53
Ontario
84/47
82/46
87/37
0.00"
0.07"
0.44"
1.73"
4.76"
6.59"
WINDS (in mph)
Caldwell
Burns
82°
44°
73°
43°
88° (1976) 27° (1933)
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
83/52
through 3 p.m. yest.
HIGH
LOW
TEMP.
Pendleton 81/45
84/55
0.00"
0.14"
0.56"
8.75"
10.85"
8.98"
HERMISTON
Enterprise
85/53
89/52
82°
47°
71°
45°
89° (1992) 27° (1911)
PRECIPITATION
Moses
Lake
75/50
Aberdeen
77/52
81/56
Tacoma
Yesterday
Normals
Records
Spokane
Wenatchee
74/56
Boardman
Pendleton
Medford
97/57
Today
Fri.
ENE 3-6
NNW 4-8
NE 3-6
NW 4-8
SUN AND MOON
Klamath Falls
Sunrise today
Sunset tonight
Moonrise today
Moonset today
87/42
Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2020
6:54 a.m.
6:35 p.m.
6:59 p.m.
6:29 a.m.
Full
Last
New
First
Oct 1
Oct 9
Oct 16
Oct 23
NATIONAL EXTREMES
Yesterday’s National Extremes: (for the 48 contiguous states)
High 111° in Chino, Calif. Low 18° in Angel Fire, N.M.
Record of Decision.
Kristin Meira, executive direc-
tor of the Pacific Northwest Water-
ways Association, a trade group
that represents ports and businesses
that depend on river transporta-
tion, expressed satisfaction with the
operations plan, which she said will
move the region toward a more sus-
tainable future.
“Salmon, orcas and other wild-
life are threatened by climate
change impacts on marine environ-
ments, just as humans are threat-
ened by fire and drought,” Meira
said. “The clean power and efficient
commerce provided by the system’s
hydroelectric dams and navigation
locks are key to our region’s abil-
ity to reduce our carbon footprint
— one of the most important steps
in the fight against climate change.”
Environmental groups, however,
criticized the decision for not fol-
lowing through with dam removal.
Todd True, an attorney at Earth-
justice, which brought the original
lawsuit on behalf of conservation
and fishing groups in conjunction
with the Nez Perce Tribe and state
of Oregon, said the new opera-
tions plan is not materially different
from past plans struck down by the
courts.
“To say we need a new approach,
that we need leadership from our
elected representatives, and that we
need to find a solution that works
for all of us is to state the obvious,”
True said. “And it is equally obvious
that there is great urgency to do this
— for salmon, for orcas and for the
future of our region.”
Robb Krehbiel, representative
for Northwest Programs at Defend-
ers of Wildlife, said science is
proven that the lower Snake River
dams harm salmon by raising water
temperatures to lethally high levels.
Fewer salmon, in turn, harms orcas
that depend on the fish as a source
of food.
“We need governors and mem-
bers of Congress to bring stakehold-
ers together and determine a plan
that saves salmon and orcas, honors
our treaty obligations to tribes and
supports struggling fishing commu-
nities,” Krehbiel said.
Les Schwab Tire Centers sold
to California investment firm
By MIKE ROGOWAY
The Oregonian
BEND — Les Schwab
Tire Centers has reached a
deal to sell the company to
Meritage Group, a San Fran-
cisco-based investment firm,
ending family ownership of
one of Oregon’s best-known
businesses.
Bend-based Les Schwab
Tire announced plans to sell
the 68-year-old business in
December 2019, citing the dif-
ficulties of running a business
in its fifth generation of fam-
ily ownership. Tire baron Les
Schwab started the business
in his hometown of Prineville
in 1952 and grew it into one
of Oregon’s largest compa-
nies with nearly 500 stores in
10 Western states, and annual
sales of $1.8 billion.
The business remained
in Schwab’s family after his
death in 2007.
When Les Schwab Tire
announced its sale plans last
year, Bloomberg reported the
owners hoped for $3 billion
in the deal. Les Schwab and
Meritage did not report terms
of the Tuesday, Sept. 29, deal
but said the current manage-
ment team will remain in
place and Les Schwab will
continue operating as it has.
“We see Les Schwab
Tires as an ideal investment,”
Aubrey Barth, Meritage’s
managing director, said in a
statement. “The company’s
exceptional employees and
programs, strong financials,
and respected, customer-fo-
cused brand set it up for suc-
cess for years to come.”
Meritage’s founder, bil-
lionaire Nat Simons, is a bil-
lionaire investor and climate
change activist. Simons helps
run a number of investment
funds in addition to Meri-
tage. It wasn’t immediately
clear how Les Schwab fits
into his investment thesis or
what the deal will mean to
the company’s operations and
employees.
Meritage manages more
than $10 billion in assets. It
has large holdings in Goo-
gle, Charter Communica-
tions, Microsoft, Salesforce
and Sherwin Williams Co.,
among others. It also owns
Portland beverage distributor
Columbia Distributing.
“Meritage Group has a
history of preserving culture
and values while growing its
companies with investment
over time. This is a great fit,
and aligns well with Les’
vision and all we have built
together,” Les Schwab CEO
Jack Cuniff said.
Les Schwab Tire’s sale is
the latest in a succession of
large, Oregon-based busi-
nesses to sell. Precision Cast-
parts, Mentor Graphics and
Vigor Industrial, among
many others, have found new
owners in the past few years.
Oregon now has few
large, locally owned compa-
nies based here. It’s a trend
that has worried economists
for years, fearful that out-of-
state owners would cut sat-
ellite operations in a down-
turn before trimming their
headquarters.
When it announced sale
plans, though, Les Schwab
maintained any new owner
would keep the company
together and retain its Bend
headquarters and Prineville
distribution center.
“As our family grows and
ages, it has been very import-
ant to us to remain commit-
ted and aligned behind our
grandfather’s vision,” the
Schwab family said in a state-
ment. “While it was hard to
make the decision to sell the
Company, we are very con-
fident Meritage Group will
continue that commitment
and alignment, and will build
on all we have accomplished
over the past 68 years.”
NATIONAL WEATHER TODAY
IN BRIEF
Five Points Creek pack
takes down calf
UNION COUNTY — The Oregon
Department of Fish and Wildlife reported
wolves in the Five Points Creek area recently
killed a 550 calf.
Hunters in a timbered U.S. Forest Ser-
vice allotment found the 7-month old calf
dead on Sept. 21, according to ODFW’s
depredation investigation report. The calf’s
owner contacted ODFW the next day for an
investigation.
The calf likely died around Sept. 20,
according to the report, which also stated:
“The attack scene and premortem inju-
ries are clear signs of predator attack and
the size and location of the bite injuries are
similar to injuries observed on other cattle
attacked by wolves.”
Fish and Wildlife attributed the depreda-
tion to the Five Points Pack.
ODFW in April reported the pack in 2019
produced three pups that survived to the end
of the year and was counted as a breeding
pair. Radio-collar data showed the pack
roamed a 183-square-mile area with 50% of
location data points on public lands and the
other 50% on private lands.
— EO Media Group
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
ice
50s
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 Tuesday, Thursday and
Saturday, by the EO Media Group, 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR
97801. Periodicals postage paid at Pendleton, OR. Postmaster: send
address changes to
East Oregonian, 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801.
Copyright © 2020, EO Media Group
70s
80s
90s
100s
warm front stationary front
high
110s
low
Subscriber services:
For mail delivery, online access, vacation stops
or delivery concerns call 1-800-522-0255 ext. 1
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.
ADVERTISING
Regional Sales Director (Eastside) EO Media Group:
• Karrine Brogoitti
541-963-3161 • kbrogoitti@lagrandeobserver.com
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
EZPay
52 weeks
26 weeks
13 weeks
Local home delivery Savings (cover price)
$9.75/month
50 percent
$135
42 percent
$71
39 percent
$37
36 percent
*EZ Pay = one-year rate with a monthly credit
or debit card/check charge
Single copy price:
$1.50 Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday
Circulation Dept.
800-781-3214
Advertising Manager:
• Angela Treadwell
541-966-0827 • atreadwell@eastoregonian.com
Multimedia Consultants:
• Jeanne Jewett
541-564-4531 • jjewett@eastoregonian.com
• Audra Workman
541-564-4538 • aworkman@eastoregonian.com
Business Office Coordinator
• Dayle Stinson
541-278-2670 • dstinson@eastoregonian.com
Classified & Legal Advertising
1-800-962-2819 or 541-278-2678
classifieds@eastoregonian.com or legals@eastoregonian.com
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 Renee Struthers
at 541-966-0818.
• To submit engagements, weddings and anniversaries:
email rstruthers@eastoregonian.com or visit eastoregonian.
com/community/announcements
• To submit sports or outdoors information or tips:
541-966-0838 • sports@eastoregonian.com
Business Office Manager:
541-966-0824
COMMERCIAL PRINTING
Production Manager: John Bruijn
971-704-1711 • jbruijn@eomediagroup.com