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About Wallowa County chieftain. (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Or.) 1943-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 16, 2015)
A10 News wallowa.com December 16, 2015 Bull elk poached Forest Plan getting closer By George Plaven East Oregonian The U.S. Forest Service could ¿nali]e its revised land management plans for the Blue Mountains National For- ests by early 2017, following a year-long re-engagement pro- cess with the public. The plans will essential- ly guide management deci- sions on the Umatilla, Wal- lowa-Whitman and Malheur national forests for the next 10-15 years. While the doc- uments do not approve any site-speci¿c projects, they do set goals and desired condi- tions on approximately 4.9 million acres of public land. Forest plans are supposed to be updated every 15 years to reÀect changes in the land- scape and science, though the current Blue Mountains For- est Plan is from 1990. Forest supervisors unveiled a draft version of the revised plan last year, which was met with crit- icism. The negative feedback was so overwhelming that region- al forester Jim Peña allowed more time in January to meet with stakeholders and ¿nd common ground on issues in- cluding road access, wilder- ness and commercial logging. Since then, the Forest Service has held public workshops across Eastern Oregon to hear new ideas and solutions. Despite some continued rumblings, the supervisors say the input they’ve gathered has led them in a positive direc- tion. “Overall, the engagement process has helped us to better understand our public,” said Tom Montoya, supervisor on the Wallowa-Whitman Na- tional Forest. “There’s been folks on all sides of the issue who have provided really good comments to ¿nd some bal- ance.” However, Montoya admit- ted he was frustrated during a recent meeting Nov. 2 in La Grande, where nearly 200 peo- ple packed the Blue Mountain Conference Center. Tempers Àared, and Montoya said he later heard from people who told him they felt threatened. Norm Cimon, a retired Forest Service employee of 26 years, said the discussion was not closely moderated and broke down into a free-for-all. “Given the anger that’s built up from the rhetoric that’s been thrown around, there’s going to have to be better man- agement of these meetings,” Cimon said. Cimon, who serves on the board of directors for Oregon Rural Action, a La Grande- based environmental nonprof- it, said the tone was set by a letter from state Rep. Greg Barreto, R-Cove, accusing the Forest Service of “bureaucrat- ic ineptness.” Re-engaging with the pub- lic is absolutely worthwhile, Cimon said, but he felt Barre- to’s letter didn’t help the situ- ation. “I hate that kind of talk. I really do,” Cimon said. In his letter, Barreto says “The overreaching heavy hand of government continues to pursue its stranglehold on the rural parts of the state, our way of life and our pursuit of hap- piness.” He also wrote “The preservationists along with ELECTRICAL & WATER SYSTEM CONTRACTOR ELECTRICAL & PLUMBING SUPPLIES • PUMPS IRRIGATION • HARDWARE • APPLIANCE PARTS 208 S. RIVER ST. • ENTERPRISE, OR www.jbbane.com 541-426-3344 CCB#187543 EC# 32-14C Wallowa County Chieftain East Oregonian you, the federal government, are teaming up to keep local people from our public lands.” In a separate interview, Bar- reto said he was unable to at- tend the meeting in person and was asked by his constituents in the forest access movement to write a letter. Barreto said he intentionally worded the letter the way he did to make a point about people’s distrust in the current administration. Barreto did credit the For- est Service for re-engaging with the public, and said peo- ple need to speak passionately to make sure they are heard. “If everyone goes to these meetings and speaks in blasé language, probably nothing comes out of it,” he said. “If there’s no passion in what you’re saying, then what you’re saying falls on deaf ears.” Montoya said the feedback is heard, and will be used to evaluate potential changes to the proposed forest plans. But, he added, people need to make sure they are providing sub- stantive comments backed by evidence. “It’s really not a venting process. It’s about addressing issues,” Montoya said. “I think we’re making positive mo- mentum, de¿nitely.” Montoya said the Nov. 2 meeting was an anomaly, and they could have done a better job facilitating such a large group. Two more public meetings are scheduled from 6-9 p.m., one on Monday, Dec. 14 in Clarkston, Washington, and one on Tuesday, Dec. 15 in North Powder. The Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Division is seeking information in the poaching of a branch bull elk in the Starkey Unit near La Grande. The bull was shot and left to waste on approximately Nov. 10 just west of Foothill Road in the Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area. The incident happened during the general hunting season for Rocky Mountain elk, which is open to spike bulls only. There was no season open for branch bulls. The Oregon Hunters As- sociation is offering a reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case through the state’s Turn- In Poachers program. The TIP program number is 1-800-452- 7888, and callers can remain anonymous. Anyone with any informa- tion can also call Senior Troop- er .ris Davis at the OSP of¿ce in La Grande at 541-805- 4757. Brown creates new post to boost grad rate Office working on job description for new position By PARIS ACHEN Capital Bureau PORTLAND — Gov. Kate Brown announced Monday she will appoint an education inno- vation of¿cer whose job will be to boost the state’s dismal high school graduation rate. Brown made the announce- ment during an education panel discussion at the Oregon Busi- ness Leadership Summit here, where she outlined some of her education priorities. “The position will assist me, Painting and General Contractor Also specializing in GARAGE D00R INSTALLATION AND REPAIR Call Paul Vlietstra 541-263-1247 Licensed Bonded & Insured CCB#200036 my education team and the Leg- islature in dedicating resources to increase the number of stu- dents who graduate from high school,” Brown said from pre- pared comments. “There is no question that our education system must be accountable to better student outcomes, including increas- ing our high school graduation rate,” Brown said. “But accountability also means ensuring that as a state we are empowering the best and most effective practices in our classrooms that support student success,” she said. The administration has yet to complete a job description for the position and to post the job, said Brown spokeswoman Kris- ten Granger. She gave no timeline for hir- ing. Oregon now has the fourth lowest graduation rate in the na- tion, up from the country’s worst in 2013. Oregon’s graduation rate is 72 percent, compared to a national average of 81.4 percent. John Tapogna of ECONor- thwest said Monday the state’s graduation rate mars Oregon’s reputation in the eyes of em- ployers considering relocating to the state. “It is really damaging to the state’s reputation in a very tangi- ble way,” the public policy con- sultant said The graduation rate is per- plexing because it doesn’t align with the state’s test scores, Ta- pogna said. The Capital Bureau is a collaboration between EO Me- dia Group and Pamplin Media Group. 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