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About Wallowa County chieftain. (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Or.) 1943-current | View Entire Issue (July 15, 2015)
A4 Opinion wallowa.com July 15, 2015 Wallowa County Chieftain Compromise returns to Capitol and DJEHQH¿WV I WLVFRPPRQWR¿QGIDUPHUVDQGUDQFKHUVKROGLQJWKHLU EUHDWKDQGFURVVLQJDOORIWKHLU¿QJHUVDQGWRHVZKHQHYHU the Oregon Legislature is in session. That’s because the state’s EHVWDQGEULJKWHVWKDYHRQ EDITORIAL occasion, fallen short of those qualities when it comes to The voice of the Chieftain agriculture. It seems some HOHFWHGRI¿FLDOVSURIHVVWR NQRZHYHU\WKLQJWKHUHLVWRNQRZDERXWIDUPLQJ²RQFHWKH\ WDNHWKHRDWKRIRI¿FH 7KDW¶VZK\WKLV\HDU¶VOHJLVODWLYHVHVVLRQLVUHPDUNDEOH While not perfect, the work product the Legislature generated is worthy of praise. Of particular note is the fact that compromise appears to KDYHFRPHEDFNLQWRYRJXHLQWKHVWDWH&DSLWRO1RWORQJ DJRWKH³XVYVWKHP´PLQGVHWDSSHDUHGWRGRPLQDWHWKH SROLWLFDOODQGVFDSHOHDYLQJLQQRFHQWE\VWDQGHUVVFUDWFKLQJ WKHLUKHDGV,VVXHVVXFKDV¿HOGEXUQLQJZHUHGHFLGHGEDVHG as much on emotion as on science. This year, the Legislature ultimately rejected radical SURSRVDOVWKDWZRXOGKDYHEDQQHGDHULDODSSOLFDWRUV UHVWULFWHGDQWLELRWLFXVHLQOLYHVWRFN²WKH86)RRG and Drug Administration is working on that issue — and UHJXODWHGJHQHWLFDOO\PRGL¿HGFURSV At the same time, legislators made good progress on GLI¿FXOWLVVXHVUDQJLQJIURPIXQGLQJIRUPXFKQHHGHG water projects to helping neighboring farmers mediate GLVDJUHHPHQWVWKDWDULVHRYHUJHQHWLFDOO\PRGL¿HGFURSV 2ISDUWLFXODUQRWHZDVWKH/HJLVODWXUH¶VDSSURYDORI PLOOLRQIRUZDWHUGHYHORSPHQWSURMHFWV7KDWLQFOXGHVDERXW PLOOLRQIRUWKHSXPSVDQGHTXLSPHQWWRSURYLGHZDWHU IURPWKH&ROXPELD5LYHUWR8PDWLOOD%DVLQIDUPVLQ(DVWHUQ Oregon. Though it’s not full funding for the projects, it’s certainly a good start. The GMO mediation bill originally required farmers who UHIXVHGPHGLDWLRQDQGWKHQ¿OHGVXLWDJDLQVWWKHLUQHLJKERUV WRSD\FRXUWFRVWVLIWKH\ORVW:KHQDQWL*02DFWLYLVWV objected to that language, a compromise was reached in which judges will consider the refusal when deciding on sanctions. Both bills that were ultimately produced represent compromise — there’s that word again. $PRQJWKHRWKHUDJULFXOWXUHUHODWHGLVVXHVWKH Legislature: $GGHGPLOOLRQWR2UHJRQ6WDWH8QLYHUVLW\¶V budget for agricultural extension and research. This allows DGPLQLVWUDWRUVWRVLJQL¿FDQWO\LQFUHDVHWKRVHHIIRUWVDIWHU nearly a decade of reductions. • Tightened the regulation of aerial applicators, especially while spraying forestland, and set up a hotline for complaints. 3URWHFWHGIDUPHUVZKRRIIHUDJULWRXULVPDFWLYLWLHVVXFK DVKD\ULGHVIURPOLDELOLW\SURYLGHGWKH\SRVWVLJQVDQGDUH not found to be negligent. • Passed a bill that allows landowners to set up special DVVHVVPHQWGLVWULFWVWRIXQG86'$:LOGOLIH6HUYLFHVZKLFK offers predator control. • Extended research on canola in the Willamette Valley. This had been a highly contentious issue among brassica seed growers, who argued canola could introduce new weeds and diseases into the area. 5HVROYHGDOHJDOTXDQGDU\LQZKLFKVWDWHODZIRUELG IDUPHUVVHOOLQJUDZPLONIURPDGYHUWLVLQJ/HJLVODWRUVOLIWHG the ban, which was unconstitutional, but left in place other restrictions on raw milk. These bills allow Oregon’s farmers to head back to their ¿HOGVZLWKWKHNQRZOHGJHWKDWWKH/HJLVODWXUHGLGLWVEHVWWR ¿QGZRUNDEOHFRPSURPLVHVRQLVVXHVWKDWDUHLPSRUWDQWWR them. USPS No. 665-100 P.O. Box 338 • Enterprise, OR 97828 OI¿Fe 29 1: )irst 6t., Enterprise, Ore. PKone 27 • )Dx 2392 :DOOoZD &oXnt\¶s 1eZspDper 6inFe 88 Enterprise, Oregon M EMBER O REGON N EWSPAPER P UBLISHERS A SSOCIATION P UBLISHER E DITOR R EPORTER R EPORTER N EWSROOM ASSISTANT A D S ALES CONSULTANT G RAPHIC D ESIGNER O FFICE MANAGER Marissa Williams, marissa@bmeagle.com Rob Ruth, editor@wallowa.com Stephen Tool, stool@wallowa.com Kathleen Ellyn, kellyn@wallowa.com Elliott Seyler, eseyler@wallowa.com Brooke Pace, bpace@wallowa.com Robby Day, rday@wallowa.com Cheryl Jenkins, cjenkins@wallowa.com 3HULRGLFDO3RVWDJH3DLGDW(QWHUSULVHDQGDGGLWLRQDOPDLOLQJRI¿FHV 1 Year $40.00 $57.00 6XEsFriptions PXst Ee pDiG prior to GeOiYer\ See the Wallowa County Chieftain on the Internet www.wallowa.com facebook.com/Wallowa | twitter.com/wcchieftain POSTMASTER — Send address changes to Wallowa County Chieftain P.O. Box 338 Enterprise, OR 97828 Contents copyright © 2015. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. Volume 133 , FDPH WR :DOORZD &RXQW\ \HDUV DJR WKLV ZHHN , ZDV OLYLQJ LQ :DVKLQJ ton, D.C., after spending most of the pre YLRXV¿YH\HDUVLQ7XUNH\ZLWKWKH3HDFH Corps. It was 1971, the war in Vietnam raged on, my dreams of working in for eign countries dulled by the way that war had damaged my work and the standing of all Americans in Turkey. An old college URRPPDWH OLYHG LQ 6DOHP , YLVLWHG KLP went to the Oregon State Extension Ser YLFHRI¿FHLQ&RUYDOOLVZKHUH,KHDUGWKHUH were jobs, and in a blitzkrieg two days of LQWHUYLHZVZDVRIIHUHGDQGDFFHSWHGDMRE LQ:DOORZD&RXQW\,¶GQHYHUEHHQKHUH The job was “community and econom LF GHYHORSPHQW´ 0\ FRQWUDFW ZDV RQH \HDU7KHRI¿FHZDVRQWKHVHFRQGÀRRU RIWKHFRXUWKRXVHZKHUHWKH'$¶VRI¿FH is now. I sent pictures of the mountains IURPP\RI¿FHZLQGRZWRIULHQGV:LWK today’s technology, instant photos would KDYH ÀRRGHG WKH ZRUOG DQG D GLIIHUHQW FRWHULH RI \RXQJ EDFNWRWKHODQGHUV PLJKWKDYHIRXQGWKHLUZD\KHUH ,W ZDV WKDW WLPH 7KH KHDG\ &LYLO Rights Days and change the world days ZLWK WKH 3HDFH &RUSV KDG JLYHQ ZD\ WR GLVVROXWLRQ DQG GLVWUXVW RI JRYHUQPHQW Wallowa County and rural places from Tennessee to the Willamette Valley bal looned with young people looking for ZD\VWRPDNHRXURZQIRRG¿QGRXURZQ MAIN STREET Rich Wandschneider IDPLOLHVFRQWURORXURZQOLYHV So my time in Wallowa County started ZLWK D VWRU\ WKH ÀRRG RI \RXQJ$PHUL cans looking for peace and community in a world that had gone from promise to chaos in a heartbeat. I made a quick trip IURP&RUYDOOLVEDFNWR'&ZKHUH-XG\ and I got married and prepared for the PRYHZHVW,FDPHDKHDGERXJKWDEOXH 9RONVZDJHQLQ&RUYDOOLVDQGGURYHWRWKH county. Volkswagens carried most of the ÀRRG $VHFRQGVWRU\JUHHWHGXV³\RXKDYH WR KDYH EHHQ KHUH IRU IRXU JHQHUDWLRQV WR EH D ORFDO´ ZH ZHUH WROG :LWK WKH chutzpah of being 29 and the security of P\ 268 MRE , WROG WKH SHRSOH , PHW DW grange potlucks that I’d just come from the East, where local meant tracing fam LO\WRWKH0D\ÀRZHUDQGEHIRUHWKDWWKH Middle East, where old meant dirt. One probably couldn’t, I thought, be local un OHVV\RXZHUH1H]3HUFH,NQHZQRWKLQJ RIWKH1H]3HUFHRQO\ZKDW,KDGUHDGLQ WKHWLPHEHWZHHQMRERIIHUDQGDUULYDOEXW this would begin my longest and deepest story journey. 6RPH SHRSOH DUH FDSWLYDWHG E\ WKH ODQGVFDSHVRPHE\¿VKRUJDPHRUPRXQ tains to climb, but stories, I now know, are ZKDWJUDEEHGPHDQGKDYHNHSWPHKHUH 0\ROGERVV&RXQW\$JHQW&KXFN*DYLQ DVNHGPHRQWKH¿UVWGD\ZKHUH,¶GJURZQ up. “California, and before that a small WRZQLQ0LQQHVRWD´,VDLG³+RZELJ"´ KH DVNHG ³$ERXW ´ ³<RX PLJKW PDNHLW´KHVDLG )URP &KXFN , OHDUQHG DERXW URGHR and sheep, WW II and the power of John Barleycorn (wounded in the war, whiskey KDG DOPRVW JRW KLP LQ UHFRYHU\ +H LQ WURGXFHG PH WR WKH &RUYDOOLV FRPPXQLW\ ²³WKHQHZµELJJHVWQDPH¶LQ([WHQVLRQ´ KHEUDJJHG+HKDGDIUDLO&DOLIRUQLDZLIH KH¶GPHWDWD862GDQFHDVRQZKRZDV DGRFWRUDQRWKHUDYHWDQGDWKLUGZKR¶G KDG KLJK IHYHU DV D FKLOG 7LP KDXOHG garbage, and got as much of his father’s pride — and as many stories — as did the doctors. In those early days we joined a food coop, learned to grow food and keep it, and learned to ski on the old rope tow west of the Lake. After a day of skiing we’d sit LQWKHVKDFNDQGGULQN.LUN+D\V¶KRPH made wine and listen to ski stories, war stories, and Wallowa County stories. 6ee &O817<, PDge $ 10 points about the dam 1.The Wallowa Lake Dam is owned and operated by The Associated Ditch &RPSDQLHV,QF$'& The Associated Ditch Companies Inc. LV D QRQSUR¿W RUJDQL]DWLRQ IRUPHG LQ 1919 for the expressed purpose of build ing, owning and operating the dam at Wal lowa Lake. Engineers were hired, plans ZHUHGHYHORSHGODQGZDVSXUFKDVHGDQG the actual construction was done by the IDUPHULUULJDWRUVWKHPVHOYHV7KH\PL[HG the concrete by hand and used their horses WR PRYH WKH KHDY\ PDWHULDOV UHTXLUHG LQ the construction. Prior to and after the completion of the dam, major ditches were dug throughout the region north and east of the towns of Joseph and Enterprise to carry the stored water from the lake to the member farms. 2.The Associated Ditch Companies ,QF $'& KDV DSSOLHG IRU DQG EHHQ JUDQWHG ³VWRUHG ZDWHU ULJKWV´ IRU ZDWHU stored behind the Wallowa Lake Dam. 7KHIDUPHUPHPEHUVRIWKH¿YHGLWFK FRPSDQLHV 7KH 6LOYHU /DNH 'LWFK &R 7KH )DUPHUV 'LWFK &R 'REELQ 'LWFK Co., The Creighton Ditch Co., and The Big Bend Ditch Co. all within the ADC RUJDQL]DWLRQKDYHDGGLWLRQDOZDWHUULJKWV to use this stored water for irrigation of their crop lands. Most of these water rights KDYHEHHQLQSODFHIRUJHQHUDWLRQV,QDG dition to stored water rights, many farmers DOVRKDYH³QDWXUDOÀRZZDWHUULJKWV´ 3.The Wallowa Lake Dam is now almost 100 years old and must be rehabilitated. 2YHUWKH\HDUVVLQFH7KH$VVR FLDWHG 'LWFK &RPSDQLHV ,QF $'& KDV GUEST COLUMN ToP %Xtter¿eOd David Hockett VSHQW LQ H[FHVV RI LQ UHSDLUV keeping the dam in a safe state of repair. As with most structures like this you can RQO\ ¿[ WKHP VR PDQ\ WLPHV EHIRUH \RX must totally rehabilitate them. And so it is with the Wallowa Lake Dam. The State of Oregon, Water Resourc es Department and the Army Corps of (QJLQHHUVKDYHHDFKLVVXHGVWURQJOHWWHUV stating the need to rehabilitate the dam. ADC agrees and has put together a plan for rehabilitation, selecting an engineering company, doing preliminary engineering analysis and design work. ADC has hired attorneys to work on the legal matters. $V\RXFDQLPDJLQHWKHFRVWVVRIDUKDYH EHHQHQRUPRXV$'&KDVQRWHYHQVWDUWHG construction. 7KHFRVWWRUHKDELOLWDWHWKH:DOORZD /DNH'DPWRGD\LV Why so much, you ask. When working with water related projects like the reha bilitation of the Dam at Wallowa Lake, one is required to deal with societal cost RIWKH(QGDQJHUHG6SHFLHV$FWDQG the Clean Water Act. ADC is not here to discuss the pros and cons of these laws but to state the facts. The cost of compliance ZLWKWKHVHWZRODZVKDVHOHYDWHGWKHFRVWV RI FRQVWUXFWLRQ ZHOO DERYH WKH ¿QDQFLDO reach of the farmer/irrigators. ADC ini WLDOO\ORRNHGIRUIXQGLQJIURPWKH)HGHUDO *RYHUQPHQWEXWZLWKWKHUHFHVVLRQWKDW GLGQRWSURYHWREHDYLDEOHRSWLRQ Today, ADC is working with the pri YDWHVHFWRULQIXQGLQJWKHUHKDELOLWDWLRQRI WKHGDP7KLVLVSURYLQJWREHDPRUHHI¿ cient use of resources in the rehabilitation of the dam. 5.The Wallowa Lake Dam is structur ally safe and safe to operate. Each year Oregon Water Resources 'HSDUWPHQW 2I¿FH RI 'DP 6DIHW\ FRQ ducts an inspection of the dam to deter mine if the dam is safe to operate. ADC has also taken concrete core samples of the dam to ensure structural integrity of the dam. To date the dam has been judged VDIHWRRSHUDWHDWUHGXFHGVWRUDJHOHYHOV 8QWLOWKHGDPLVUHKDELOLWDWHG$'&PXVW PDLQWDLQ WKH PD[LPXP ¿OO OHYHO RI WKH ODNH DW (/ ZKLFK LV RI PD[L PXPDXWKRUL]HG¿OO This is close to 12,000 ac/ft of stored water that is not being stored now, but will be stored once the dam is rehabilitated. 6. The Associated Ditch Companies ,QF$'&ZLOOXVHDORQJWHUPOHDVHDU UDQJHPHQWRIDFIWRIZDWHUWRJHQ erate funds to rehabilitate the dam. It is important to understand that the DFIW RI ZDWHU IRU OHDVH ZLOO UHYHUW back to ADC once the lease expires. This will allow ADC to rehabilitate the dam ZLWKRXWJLYLQJXSWKHUHVRXUFHLQSHUSH tuity. 7KHUHOHDVHRIDFIWZDWHUZLOO KDYHPXOWLSOHEHQH¿WV 6ee '$0, PDge $ A break for lake, post-shake P UBLISHED EVERY W EDNESDAY BY : EO Media Group Subscription rates (includes online access) Wallowa County Out-of-County How I came and stayed To the Editor: 1RW WR PDOLJQ HYHU\ $PHULFDQ¶V constitutional right to explode incen GLDU\ GHYLFHV ZKLOH LQHEULDWHG <RZ $UH ZH LQGHSHQGHQW \HW" EXW QRZ WKDW ZH¶YH JLYHQ WKH /DNH D JRRG shake, maybe it’s time to think about JLYLQJLWDPXFKQHHGHGEUHDN With Global Warming fast upon XV VRUU\ 'HQLHUV WKH MXU\ LV LQ and gas prices fixed ridiculously low, speedboat/jet ski season grows longer HYHU\ \HDU ² JUHDW IRU PDULQD DQG state park coffers; not so great for os prey, kokanee, mergansers, swimmers, kayakers, paddle boaters, etc. Back in the fourth grade, I learned that the flip side of freedom was re sponsibility. Apparently the drunken LETTERS TO THE EDITOR WHHQDJHUV VWXQWJXQQLQJ WKHLU VNLGRRV at the swimming beach last week were absent for that lesson. In a perfect world, people would always pick up their dogs’ droppings, broken beer bottles and cigarette butts, and drunken teenagers would not be HQWUXVWHG ZLWK JDVSRZHUHG FRQYH\ ances. But in the meantime, can someone SOHDVH WHOO PH :+2¶6 0,1',1* 7+(6+25(" C.M. Sterbentz Enterprise L etters to the Editor are subject to editing and should be limited to 275 words. Writers should also include a phone number with their VLJQDWXUH VR ZH FDQ FDOO WR YHULI\ identity. The Chieftain does not run anonymous letters. <RX FDQ VXEPLW D OHWWHU WR WKH Wallowa County Chieftain in per son; by mail to P.O. Box 338, En terprise, OR 97828; by email to HGLWRU#ZDOORZDFRP RU YLD WKH submission form at the newspaper’s website, located at wallowa.com. 'URSGRZQWKH³2SLQLRQ´PHQXRQ WKHQDYLJDWLRQEDUWRVHHWKHUHOHYDQW OLQN