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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 7, 2021)
NORTHWEST East Oregonian A2 Thursday, January 7, 2021 Idaho group recommends ways to bolster salmon, steelhead By KEITH RIDLER Associated Press BOISE, Idaho — A group brought together by Idaho Gov. Brad Little to fi nd ways to bolster faltering salmon and steelhead popu- lations has agreed to encour- age habitat restoration but avoided making a decision about breaching dams. The report released over the weekend by the Repub- lican governor’s workgroup fl atly states it’s not a recov- ery plan. Rather, it’s a list of recommendations approved by a group that includes con- servationists, power compa- nies, farmers, tribes, irriga- tors and ranchers. At the group’s fi rst meet- ing in June 2019, Little tasked members with fi nd- ing achievable goals to improve struggling salmon and steelhead populations. They met an additional 15 times through December 2020 to hash out recommen- dations, including creating a statewide inventory of hab- itat in all river basins and collaborating with property owners and water users to improve habitat. “I am proud of what the workgroup has accom- plished over the last 18 months,” Little said in a statement to The Associ- ated Press. “This is the fi rst time a broad group of stake- Pete Zimowsky/Idaho Statesman, File A working group of diverse interests convened by Idaho Gov. Brad Little to fi nd consensus ways to bolster faltering salmon and steelhead populations has released a report encouraging habitat restoration and collaboration but steering clear of dam breaching. holders has worked collab- oratively to help shape Ida- ho’s policy on salmon and steelhead. Over the next few weeks, I will review the rec- ommendations provided by the workgroup. While a lot remains to be done, I am confi dent we are moving in the right direction.” Thirteen species of Columbia River Basin salmon and steelhead are listed for protection under the Endangered Species Act, including all salmon and steelhead that return to Idaho. The Idaho populations once numbered more than 2.3 million fi sh combined, the report said. Now, they number about 45,000. The group adopted Columbia Basin Partner- ship goals for Idaho runs that call for a low goal of 75,000 fi sh and a high goal of 385,000. The partnership is a task force that NOAA Fisheries’ Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee put Forecast for Pendleton Area TODAY FRIDAY SATURDAY Rather cloudy Rain at times 45° 36° 40° 29° SUNDAY Partial sunshine MONDAY Cloudy and chilly Mostly cloudy and chilly PENDLETON TEMPERATURE FORECAST 40° 29° 40° 34° 39° 30° together in 2017. The Idaho Conservation League, which took part in Little’s panel, “believes the workgroup’s recom- mendations, if adopted and implemented, will be useful ways for the state of Idaho and all Idahoans to help our fi sh,” executive direc- tor Justin Hayes said in a statement. “This is a mean- ingful accomplishment, one that likely would not have happened without this workgroup.” La Grande medical practice employee sentenced to four years in federal prison Anndrea D. Jacobs must also pay more than $1.2M in restitution HERMISTON TEMPERATURE FORECAST 49° 35° 44° 27° 41° 32° 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 49/41 Kennewick Walla Walla 49/37 Lewiston 49/41 48/34 Astoria 51/44 41/32 43/35 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 44/34 48/39 48/34 Portland Hermiston 52/43 The Dalles 49/35 Salem Corvallis 48/40 Yesterday Normals Records La Grande 41/34 PRECIPITATION John Day Eugene Bend 50/41 44/33 43/33 Ontario 43/32 42/31 39/25 Trace 0.11" 0.24" 0.11" Trace 0.24" WINDS (in mph) Caldwell Burns 56° 39° 40° 28° 60° (2020) -8° (1974) 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 48/39 through 3 p.m. yest. HIGH LOW TEMP. Pendleton 40/32 50/41 Trace 0.15" 0.35" 0.15" 0.15" 0.35" HERMISTON Enterprise 45/36 48/38 55° 46° 40° 26° 70° (1914) -6° (1942) PRECIPITATION Moses Lake 48/37 Aberdeen 40/29 38/33 Tacoma Yesterday Normals Records Spokane Wenatchee 50/42 Boardman Pendleton Medford 46/39 Today Fri. NNE 4-8 ENE 4-8 SSW 4-8 SW 7-14 SUN AND MOON Klamath Falls Sunrise today Sunset tonight Moonrise today Moonset today 38/32 Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2021 7:35 a.m. 4:28 p.m. 1:18 a.m. 12:23 p.m. New First Full Last Jan 12 Jan 20 Jan 28 Feb 4 NATIONAL EXTREMES Yesterday’s National Extremes: (for the 48 contiguous states) High 83° in Kingsville, Texas Low -14° in Daniel, Wyo. East Oregonian 39° 34° 38° 30° NATIONAL WEATHER TODAY The league was among the members that support breaching four dams on the lower Snake River in East- ern Washington that are blamed for killing many salmon and steelhead. Oth- ers oppose that move. “Limiting our recom- mendations to only those that would enjoy consen- sus support meant that there were many policy ideas dis- cussed but not advanced,” the report said. “Consensus on dam breach/retirement could not be reached.” But the group did support operating dams to maximize benefi ts to fi sh and minimize effects on power generation. Idaho Power, a public utility with about 570,000 customers in Idaho and Eastern Oregon, took part in the workgroup. The com- pany has 17 dams to gener- ate electricity and operates four hatcheries to produce salmon and steelhead. “Given the objective of creating consensus-based recommendations, the scope and depth of the measures are quite impressive, espe- cially given the large size and diverse nature of the group,” Brett Dumas, the company’s environmental affairs direc- tor, said in an email. The group agreed that restoring sustainable salmon and steelhead runs would provide jobs and tourism benefi ts. It also said state offi cials should get more involved in regional forums that regu- late the harvest of Columbia basin salmon and steelhead. Members agreed to con- tinue coordinating with fed- eral authorities to ensure fi shing seasons can occur for salmon and steelhead, and that Idaho should promote federal programs that pro- tect fi sh from predators like sea lions that feed at the base of dams. PORTLAND — A La Grande woman was sen- tenced to federal prison on Tu e s d a y, Jan. 5, for defrauding two sepa- rate employ- Jacobs ers and fi l- ing false tax returns, according to a press release from U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams. Anndrea D. Jacobs, 49, a former offi ce manager and bookkeeper for a La Grande medical practice, was sen- tenced to four years in fed- eral prison and fi ve years of supervised release after pre- viously pleading guilty to fi l- ing a false personal income tax return, falsely imper- sonating an IRS employee, aggravated identity theft and bank fraud. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Bounds, formerly of Hermiston, wrote the gov- ernment’s sentencing rec- ommendation for Jacobs. “Defendant Anndrea D. Jacobs is a persistent swin- dler,” according to Bounds’ six-page memo. “Over the course of a decade — and perhaps longer — she stole business receipts, loan pro- ceeds, and tax payments from the medical and den- tal practices at which she worked, diverting more than $1.1 million dollars from them to sustain a lavish per- sonal lifestyle and her own failing businesses.” According to court doc- uments, beginning on or about January 2011 and con- tinuing until her termination in December 2015, Jacobs used her position and access to a medical practice’s fi nances to steal money from the practice by, among other means, writing busi- ness checks to herself or for her own benefi t. Jacobs used the stolen funds to make payments on personal credit cards and pay other personal expenses unrelated to the medical practice. In an attempt to hide her actions, Jacobs prepared and maintained false busi- ness fi nancial records, over- stating expenses and esti- mated tax payments. She also opened a business bank account without the knowl- edge or consent of the med- ical practice owner, depos- ited a business check payable to the Oregon Department of Revenue into her own per- sonal account, gave the prac- tice owner falsifi ed property tax statements with total due balances of zero, and con- vinced the practice owner to grant her limited power of attorney to handle the prac- tice’s pending IRS tax-col- lection action. Jacobs also created a fi c- titious identity as an IRS Taxpayer Advocate named “Linda Gibson,” established a phone number and voice- mail account for the fake identity, and purported to assist the medical practice owner with his IRS tax col- lection issues while purport- ing to be “Linda Gibson.” A federal grand jury in Portland returned a 15-count indictment in 2018 charging Jacobs with wire fraud, fi l- ing false tax returns, aiding or assisting the preparation of false tax returns, falsely impersonating an employee of the U.S. and aggravated identity theft. Jacobs’ pre- trial release was revoked in June 2020 for com- mitting bank fraud while embezzling from a second employer — a dental prac- tice in Hood River — and Jacobs was indicted a second time for the new scheme. During sentencing, U.S. District Court Chief Judge Marco A. Hernandez ordered Jacobs to pay more than $1.2 million in restitu- tion to two former employ- ers, Wells Fargo Bank and the IRS. IN BRIEF Gray wolves delisted, remain protected in Oregon 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 — 70s 90s 100s warm front stationary front high 110s low Circulation Dept. For mail delivery, online access, vacation stops or delivery concerns call 800-781-3214 Copyright © 2021, EO Media Group Regional Sales Director (Eastside) EO Media Group: • Karrine Brogoitti Advertising Manager: 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 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. 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