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About Wallowa County chieftain. (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Or.) 1943-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 30, 2015)
A16 News wallowa.com December 30, 2015 Wallowa County Chieftain State releases data on retardant, New batch of water use in summer wild¿res laws to take So, just how severe was Oregon’s wild¿re season last summer? About 838,000 gal- lons’ worth, according to Neal Laugle, the Department of Forestry’s (ODF) aviation unit manager. That’s how much liquid retardant the depart- ment’s air tankers dumped on ¿res in 2015. And that ¿gure doesn’t include the thousands of gallons of water dropped by ODF contracted helicopters in close support of ¿re¿ghters on the ground. The window of opportu- nity for stopping a new blaze from growing large has shrunk from days to hours, due to the extreme summer weather and forest fuel conditions. Fire managers with ODF and the ¿re associations increasing- ly rely on air power to even the odds, launching air and ground resources simultane- ously, which often shaves re- sponse time to minutes. ODF’s contracted large air tanker can reach a ¿re quickly and deliver 3,000 gallons of retardant in a single load. This slows ¿re growth and buys time for ¿re engines and hand crews to arrive on scene and begin direct attack. Single-en- gine air tankers (SEATs) use their speed and maneuverabil- ity to box in a ¿re with mul- tiple, smaller retardant drops. All told, air tankers logged more than 700 Àight hours last summer. The agency’s helicopters put in 834 hours slinging water to hot spots with their cable-suspended buckets. Statistics currently avail- able are for land west of the Cascades protected by ODF the ¿re associations. Last summer, most of the aerial ¿re¿ghting took place east of the Cascades (86 percent), followed by southern Oregon (14 percent), and northwest- ern Oregon (less than one per- cent). • In 2015, the Douglas Forest Protective Association in Douglas County Àew 60 helicopter missions and also effect in 2016 By Jade McDowell East Oregonian Steve Tool/Chieftain This helicopter is heading out to dump water from the Grande Ronde River onto the Grizzly Bear Complex fire near Troy on Aug. 20. Courtesy of Bob Morse The Grizzly Bear Complex fire, as seen from Lost Prairie area in August. assisted ODF’s Southwest Oregon District and the Willa- mette National Forest. A small plane Àew 55 missions that in- cluded ¿re detection, monitor- ing of existing ¿res and guid- ing air operations (air tankers and helicopters) over ¿res. •The department’s South- west Oregon District (Jackson and Josephine counties) con- ducted 150 missions, includ- ing air tanker and helicopter Àights. Helicopters performed air attack, helitack (insertion of ¿re¿ghters at ¿res, along with making water drops) and transport of personnel and car- go. • Coos Forest Protective Association logged 55 Àight Annual Anniversary Sale! 50% off Storewide Sale begins Saturday, Dec. 26 • 10am Ends Sunday, Jan. 3 • 5pm Don’t miss the best sale of the year! Closed New Year’s Day Open Daily 10 am – 5 pm Exclusions: Select Old Gringo, Liberty Black & Corral Boots will be 25% off No early sales. All sales final. hours on 1 different ¿res in Coos and Douglas counties to quench the Àames with wa- ter drops. In addition, CFPA aircraft Àew reconnaissance during lightning events to de- tect new ¿res. • ODF’s aggressive ¿re- ¿ghting tactics can create an “airshow” of multiple tankers and helicopters over an active ¿re. When the meter is run- ning on all these aircraft, costs mount quickly. But stopping even one high-potential blaze from spreading to thousands of acres can save millions of dollars in the long term. As an example, the 26,000- acre Stouts Creek Fire in Douglas County cost $37 mil- lion to extinguish. And that is just for suppression. Damage to the forest resource, which includes timber as well as ¿sh and wildlife habitats, typically totals at least three times the ¿re¿ghting expense. No one can accurately pre- dict the intensity of future ¿re seasons. But the current trend has the department, its partner resource agencies and private forest landowners scrambling to meet the challenge. Avia- tion undoubtedly will contin- ue to play a major role in Ore- gon’s ¿re protection system in the years to come. As Oregonians prepare to ring in 2016, they’re also preparing for a slate of new laws that go into effect on Jan. 1. Here’s a look at how they will affect the lives of Oregonians. Workplace: Some of the most notable laws are part of the “fair shot” package passed by the legislature this summer in an effort to expand protections and op- portunities for workers. Every business with more than 10 employees will be required to provide sick leave for their workers in 2016 — even those who are part-time or paid by the hour. Sick leave policies can still vary by employer, but each will be required to provide at least one hour of sick leave for every 30 hours worked, up to 40 hours a year. Oregon is also “banning the box” in 2016, making it illegal for employers to ask on a job application wheth- er an applicant has a crim- inal history. They can still ask during an interview, but the idea is to prevent blan- ket discrimination of ex-of- fenders by allowing them to get a foot in the door. Employers will no lon- ger be allowed to forbid workers to inquire about their co-workers wages, or disclose their own sala- ries. And employers will be barred from requiring their employees create personal social media accounts, pro- vide the passwords to their accounts or promote the company on their personal pro¿les. Domestic workers like nannies and housekeepers will be extended several new protections in 2016, in- cluding mandatory breaks, paid vacation time and re- course against harassment. Law enforcement: The legislature also worked to provide increased protec- tions to crime victims. The statute of limita- tions on rape will double in 2016, allowing prosecu- tion up to 12 years after the ATHLETE OF THE WEEK This week’s athlete of the week is Joseph Charter School senior Satori Albee. Over a three-game stretch from Dec. 11-19, Satori averaged 13 points and 13 rebounds a game for the Eagles. She led the team in both categories with 18 points and 17 rebounds in a loss to Arlington at the Wallowa Lions Tournament on Dec. 12. A gifted and multi sport athlete, Albee excels at volleyball as well. As it happens, Albee is also a student athlete, who makes regular appearances on her school’s honor roll. Albee is the daughter of Cameron and Kristin Albee of Joseph. SATORI ALBEE Uptown Clothing & Accessories in Downtown Joseph 12 S. Main St. • 541-432-9653 Proudly Sponsored By: Happy New Year 2016! Thank you Wallowa Count for your continued suppor in 2015! Wishing everone a healthy, happy & prosperous New Year! TM The ONE store for your perfect floor. 800 S. River • Enterprise • 541-426-9228 Eastern Oregon’s Full Service Propane Supplier 201 E. Hwy 82, Enterprise 541-426-0320 www.edstaub.com FEATURED INVENTORY crime occurred instead of six. If the crime happened to a minor, the victim has until age 30 to come for- ward. Secretly ¿lming some- one in a place of “pre- sumed privacy” — includ- ing bathrooms and locker rooms — will be upgraded from a misdemeanor to a felony in 2016. That law complements a slew of other invasion-of-privacy laws that came into effect in 2015, including a ban on “upskirting” (intention- ally photographing up a woman’s skirt or down her blouse without permission) and “revenge porn” (post- ing nude photographs or video of someone online with the intent to humiliate them). Federal laws banning those convicted of domes- tic violence or subject to a restraining order from own- ing ¿rearms were only en- forceable by federal agents in the past, but starting in 2016 other law enforce- ment will also be able to re- move guns from convicted abusers. A new law also protects someone who seeks med- ical help for the victim of a drug overdose from be- ing arrested or prosecuted based on evidence only ob- tained because the person sought help. Police also will be able to break into a vehicle and free an animal if they be- lieve temperatures inside the vehicle are endangering the animal’s life, and call- ing in a bomb threat or oth- er false report about a haz- ard in a public building will be a Class A misdemeanor. Education: Most of the education bills passed in 2015 don’t take effect until the new school year starts next fall, but a “student bill of rights” pertaining to standardized testing will take effect in January. The law allows par- ents to opt their child out of standardized test for any reason, and requires schools to send parents in- formation about each test and their right to opt their student out. Miscellaneous: Start- ing in January, drivers will be able to pump their own gas from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. in counties with fewer than 40,000 people, which in- cludes Wallowa County. It will be illegal to use unmanned aerial vehicles for hunting or ¿shing. Using an electronic cig- arette, also known as vap- ing, will be banned in of- ¿ces, restaurants and other places where smoking is already banned. Pharmacists will be al- lowed to prescribe birth control directly to women, saving them a trip to the doctor’s of¿ce, and insur- ers will be required to cov- er up to a 12-month supply in one purchase. And in March, the speed limit will increase to 70 miles per hour on Interstate 84 east of The Dalles. Old Fashioned Values Sales & Services 541-426-2100 311 West Main St., Enterprise 2012 Chevrolet Equinox LTZ $21,500 Stock # 10408 • 56,949 MI. • AWD, A/C, PW, PS 2015 Ford F150 Supercrew $36,899 Stock # 10413 • 7,881 MI. • 5.0 V8,4x4, Heated Seats 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 Hvy Duty $24,885 Stock # 10402 • 96,225 MI. • 4WD, A/C, PW, PS 2013 Ford F350 Super Duty $51,750 Stock # 10394A • 25,543 MI. • 4WD, A/C, PW, PS Crew, Diesel, Loaded Lariat 2011 Chrysler 300C $23,999 Stock # 10207 • 27,721 MI. • RWD, Sporty Handling 2009 Ford Flex SEL $17,885 Stock # 10409A • 85,986 MI. • AWD, A/C, ABS, PW 2007 Dodge Nitro SXT $10,987 Stock # 10350E • 68,984 MI. • AWD, A/C, PW, PS 2014 GMC Yukon XL 1500 SLT $41,999 Stock # 10218A • 35,548 MI. • 4WD, A/C, PW, PS 2012 Dodge Ram 2500 Laramie $35,999 Stock # 10377 • 49,190 MI. • 4WD, A/C, PW, PS 2010 Volkswagen Touareg TDI $20,885 Stock # 10411A • 82,311 MI. • AWD, AC, PS, PW 2008 Dodge Ram 3500 SLT $26,999 Stock # 10351A • 138,829 MI. • 4WD, A/C, PW, PS 1999 Barrett 3 Slant Pull Horse/Stock Trailer $6,900 Stock # 10406 2009 Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer $12,799 Stock # 10274A • 125,774 MI. • AWD, A/C, PW, PS MORE INVENTORY IN STOCK 2001 Ford F150 Supercrew $8,485 Stock # 10398A • XLT, 4x4, 4WD, A/C, PW, PS GIVE US A CALL!