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wallowa.com
February 10, 2016
Sens. Wyden, Crapo introduce
Zild¿re Iunding aPendPent
By George Plaven
East Oregonian
Oregon Democratic Sen.
Ron Wyden is once again
working with Idaho Republi-
can Mike Crapo on legislation
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Wyden and Crapo intro-
duced an amendment to the
Senate’s proposed energy bill
on Tuesday that would end
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management agencies shift
money from other programs to
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rowing as “budgetary quick-
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program at the Forest Service
and Bureau of Land Manage-
ment. The amendment would
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saster Relief Fund — which is
similar to how the federal gov-
ernment pays for other natural
disasters.
A summary of the amend-
ment says it will free up rough-
ly $300 million in funding for
active land management and
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“We know that disas-
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said. “We can better prepare
for the increasing costs of
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providing land managers and
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ed to plan and allocate resourc-
es properly without robbing
from other priorities during
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Congress passed a spending
bill in December that increased
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the senators said this amend-
ment will provide a long-term
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and many other private insurance and employee assistance programs.
solution. The legislation has
support from 21 co-sponsors in
the Senate, 145 co-sponsors in
the House and more than 250
groups representing hunters,
anglers, timber companies and
conservationists.
The amendment also in-
cludes several provisions for
forest management, including
measures to fast-track thinning
projects recommended by a
collaborative working group.
Collaboratives must include
scientists, conservationists and
land managers, as well as local
governments, tribes and indus-
try.
Projects would still need to
comply with local forest plans
and federal laws, but could
move forward more quickly if
they meet certain criteria.
Finally, the amendment in-
cludes several environmental
provisions such as permanent-
ly authorizing the Forest Ser-
vice Legacy Roads and Trails
Sedimentation Program, which
lets the agency decommission
roads and replace other unnat-
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Wyden followed up Tues-
Wallowa County Chieftain
Forest Service initiates
Lostine Corridor project
Wallowa County Chieftain
The U.S. Forest Service is
seeking public comment on the
Lostine Corridor Public Safety
Project, located along an 11-
mile road corridor into the Ea-
gle Cap Wilderness in Wallowa
County. The road travels along
the Lostine Wild and Scenic
River and provides access to
popular developed recreation
opportunities.
The Lostine Corridor has
many historic and recreation
values, including seven camp-
grounds and three developed
trailheads. Private land with
residential developments is lo-
cated within the corridor. For
many decades the vegetation
in the corridor was only light-
ly managed. As a result, forest
stands are in decreasing health
and pose high risks to the pub-
lic.
Courtesy photo
The primary concern and
purpose of this project is to
address the public safety is-
day’s energy bill amendment sues in the corridor. Secondly,
with another on Wednesday, the project will address risks
this time working with fellow to the other values in the cor-
Oregon Democrat Jeff Merk- ridor including infrastructure
ley. They proposed requiring (homes, cabins, recreation im-
the Energy Information Ad- provements, roads), the natural
ministration to publish month- resource values. To reduce risks
O\ GDWD DERXW QHZ ÀDPPDEOH to these values the Forest Ser-
liquids carried by rail.
vice is proposing the following
The EIA already started within the project area bound-
publishing crude-by-rail data DU\DSSUR[DFUHV
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• Removal of hazard/danger
the program to provide the trees that pose a risk to people
same information for ethanol
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“Railroads have become
synonymous with shipping
crude oil and ethanol, and in
Wallowa County Chieftain
a few years may well become
synonymous with shipping
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)HE LV 6FKRRO ([FOX-
VDLG³7D[SD\HUVGHVHUYHWLPH- sion Day, and the Oregon
ly, transparent and reliable Immunization Program is
LQIRUPDWLRQRQÀDPPDEOHOLT- reminding parents that chil-
uids moving through different dren will not be able to attend
regions by rail, and the very school or child care starting
real safety concerns that go WKDWGD\LIWKHLUUHFRUGVRQ¿OH
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show missing immunizations.
The senators introduced
Under state law, all children
these amendments to the Ener- in public and private schools,
gy Policy Modernization Act, preschools, Head Start and
which the Senate is consider- FHUWL¿HG FKLOG FDUH IDFLOLWLHV
ing this week.
must have up-to-date docu-
traveling within the corridor,
historical sites, and infrastruc-
ture.
• Creation (through remov-
al of vegetation) of defensible
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Station).
• Remove fuels to increase
canopy spacing and decrease
both ground and ladder fuels
and to decrease the risk of po-
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• Thin dense forest stands
to improve forest health and re-
silience to insects, disease and
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The project also will assess
opportunities to provide wood
products for local markets, in-
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plementation.
The Forest Service encour-
ages those who are interested in
this project to become involved
in the planning process by pro-
viding comments on this project
and visiting with USFS staff.
Please submit written com-
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National Forest, Wallowa
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Lostine Public Safety Project
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Email comments to sit-
kapence@fs.fed.us. To submit
comments by telephone, or for
more information about the proj-
ect, please contact Sitka Pence at
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your comments by March 10.
Immunization updates due
mentation on their immuniza-
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For information about re-
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visit the division’s vaccine
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emption.
Additional information on
school immunizations can be
found at the Immunization
Program website at www.
healthoregon.org/imm. Fol-
low the Oregon Immunization
Program on Facebook.
Have a Happy
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Treat your sweetheart to
ice cream or a smoothie
and snuggle up with
a baked pizza to go!
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