Business
wallowa.com
Pot might
be state’s
top crop
Chamber tram party crammed
with business announcements
By Eric Mortenson
Capital Bureau
SALEM — Sales and tax
igures collected by state agen-
cies may inally solve one of
Oregon’s long-running farm
crop questions: whether mari-
juana is indeed the state’s most
valuable crop, as cannabis
advocates have always main-
tained.
Tight controls and reporting
requirements by the Oregon
Department of Revenue and
Oregon Liquor Control Com-
mission should result in ac-
curate information about pot,
said Bruce Pokarney, spokes-
man for the state Department
of Agriculture. The department
compiles an annual list of the
state’s most valuable crops.
The temporary sale of rec-
reational marijuana by med-
ical marijuana dispensaries
became legal in Oregon last
October. Dispensaries charge a
25 percent tax on sales. When
licensed recreational retailers
begin operating in January the
state tax will be 17 percent.
The information, however,
poses another head-scratch-
er. Most agricultural statistics
published by the ag depart-
ment come from the USDA’s
National Agricultural Statistics
Service, or NASS. Although
it’s now legal in several states,
the feds still classify marijuana
as an illegal drug. Dave Losh,
Oregon state statistician for
NASS, said the agency won’t
include marijuana in its annu-
al crop statistics due to federal
policy.
For the same reason, people
can’t use water from federal
projects to irrigate marijuana,
he said, and such things as
Natural Resources Conserva-
tion Service programs can’t be
applied to pot crops.
Pokarney, of ODA, joked
the department might have to
put an asterisk beside the pot
crop value in its annual report.
“We will have sales numbers,
but I don’t know how we
would report it,” he said.
Oregon crop statistics from
2014 list cattle and calves as
the state’s top agricultural
product, at $922 million value.
Greenhouse and nursery plants
was second at $829 million,
and hay was third, at $703 mil-
lion.
Seth Crawford, an Oregon
State University sociology
professor who teaches a pot
policy class, estimated in 2015
that Oregon’s marijuana crop
had an annual value approach-
ing $1 billion.
Meanwhile, the OLCC con-
tinues to process license appli-
cations as entrepreneurs seek
opportunities in the state’s rec-
reational cannabis market.
As of June 21, there were
723 applications to grow pot
in Oregon. Of those, 122 were
in Jackson County and 91
were in neighboring Josephine
County. Southern Oregon has
long been the state’s cannabis
production hotbed, legal or il-
legal. The tri-county Portland
area, including Multnomah,
Clackamas and Washington
counties, accounted for 250 of
the license applications.
June 29, 2016
A5
Wallowa County Chieftain
Winter Fishtrap,
‘Shake the Lake’
and ‘Music on
the Mountain’
announced
By Kathleen Ellyn
Wallowa County Chieftain
The 4th annual Wallowa
County Chamber of Com-
merce “Party at the Tram” was
held June 22, with approxi-
mately 120 attendees riding
the gondolas up to the Summit
Grill on Mount Howard.
The event was loud with
conversation and wide with
smiles. The party is a chance
for business owners and their
employees to enjoy them-
selves, network and hear
some great music — supplied
this year by the Janis Carper
and Carolyn Lochert duo “Je-
zebel’s Mother.” The money
raised through ticket sales
is used for marketing in the
Tri-Cities and other locations
outside the county.
“We do everything for our
tourists,” said Wallowa Coun-
ty Chamber of Commerce Di-
rector Vicki Searles, “This is
when we have an evening for
ourselves.”
Wallowa Lake Tramway
owners Mike Lockhart and
Bill Whittemore hosted the
party with Terminal Gravity
co-hosting this year and sup-
plying the brews.
After thanking everyone
who helped make the event
possible, Lockhart announced
that thanks to the work of
Carper and The Music Alli-
ance there would be “Music
on the Mountain” featuring
local talent at Summit Grill
from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. every
day through the summer.
Shannon McNerney, exec-
utive director of Fishtrap, was
invited up to announce the
return of Winter Fishtrap in
February 2017 with a theme
Kathleen Ellyn/Chieftain
Kathleen Ellyn/Chieftain
Business owners and employees gather and enjoy an evening at the Summit Grill on the top
of Mount Howard.
of “Who Owns the West?”
The event is planned to bring
writers and thinkers from all
over Oregon and will be held
at the Josephy Center. An-
nouncements will be sent to
university writing programs
throughout the region.
But Fishtrap is not just for
writers in programs or with
academic credentials. It’s for
everyone, and especially for
Wallowa County residents.
“Within ive years I want
to have everyone in Wallowa
County to have a relationship
with Fishtrap,” McNerney
said. “There’s a place for ev-
eryone at Fishtrap — every-
one has a story to tell.”
Winter Fishtrap is more
of thoughtful presentation of
book-worthy ideas and sub-
jects that will spark discus-
sion than a writer’s workshop
— although there will be
breakout sessions where writ-
ers can work with their notes
on the subject. Speakers have
not been inalized, so feel free
to contact Fishtrap at Chris-
tian@Fishtrap.org with your
suggestions.
Look for a whimsical
Fishtrap parade entry at the
Chief Joseph Days Parade as
well.
Searles also announced
that the “Shake the Lake”
ireworks event, again to be
managed by Bruce Lawson
of Homeland Fireworks, was
still not fully funded.
“This is for our friends and
family and not just the tour-
ists,” she said.
A coffee can was passed
for donations, resulting in
another $350 toward the
$12,000 goal — there re-
mains just over $6,000 to go.
Send your donations to the
Mike Lockhart welcomes the
crowd of business owners
and their employees to the
4th Chamber After Hours
Social Tram Party.
Wallowa County Chamber
of Commerce, P.O. Box 427,
Enterprise, OR 97828 or drop
by the ofice in the Tomas
building, 309 S. River St.
Contributors of $25 or
more are entered into a draw-
ing for a jet boat trip for two
on the Snake River, provided
by Hells Canyon Adventures.
24 Hour
Time for a Computer Tuneup?
Spyware Removal • 541-426-0108
103 SW 1st St., Enterprise
541-263-2460
Serving all of Wallowa County & More
Ride with us !
•
$5.00 coupon
Valid for round trip only • Expires July 31, 2016
Free Local Rides for Veterans
Summer Shuttle – Enterprise to Wallowa Lake
June 1 to Oct. 1, 6 round trips daily
$1.50/ride or $3.00 day pass.
Connection available from Wallowa/Lostine
•
Intercity Transportation to La Grande Mon-Tues and
Thursday Weekly ~ Cost $5 each way. Free access
for veterans medical appointments in La Grande.
• Mealsite Bus ~ providing transportation to Senior Center
for lunch ~ Cost $1 round trip.
For public transportation ~ call to make a reservation 541-426-3840
•
Tuesday & Thursday Shopping Bus
provides transportation for shopping and errands
throughout Wallowa County ~
Cost $3 from Wallowa/Joseph, $2 Enterprise only.
C OMMUNITY C ONNECTION
OF W ALLOWA C OUNTY
he Chieftain oice will be
CLOSED Monday, July 4
for Independence Day.
EARLY DEADLINE
To reserve space in our
July 6th edition,
the deadline is
5pm hursday, June 30
Breakfast on the Lawn
7:00 TILL 11:00 at Lostine Presbyterian church lawn
JULY Sat. 2 / Sun. 3 / Mon. 4
the SOUTH FORK GRANGE #605
PANCAKE FEED
ANNUAL FUND-RAISER