Wallowa County Chieftain
CREEK
TO LEARN MORE
Visit the USFS project page
at http://tinyurl.com/hbfa7z5
Continued from Page A1
Road densities will remain
about the same at about 200
miles, although 17 miles of
additional roads will open
with 14 miles of roads slated
for closure due to resource
concerns.
Wallowa-Whitman Forest
Supervisor Tom Montoya
released the documents for
administrative review last
week. According to USFS
public affairs oficer Dar-
cy Weseman, the review is
the objection process and 45
days must pass before Mon-
toya can sign the inal deci-
sion.
The project is a collabora-
tive effort between the Wal-
lowa-Whitman Collaborative
and the USFS. The Wallowa
County Natural Resources
Advisory Committee con-
ducted a watershed assess-
ment of the area with the help
of other stakeholders.
The original draft environ-
mental impact statement was
unveiled in November 2014,
followed by a USFS open
house about three weeks later.
The draft statement examined
three alternatives for manag-
ing the area with the USFS fa-
voring the second alternative.
The inal draft kept largely
to the favored alternative,
although 260 acres of forest-
PLAN
Continued from Page A1
Brown said she plans to
propose legislation in 2017 to
close the so-called “Charles-
ton” loophole, which allows
a gun purchase to move for-
ward if law enforcement
hasn’t determined the buyer’s
eligibility within three days.
She said she also intends
seek to close the “Boyfriend
Loophole,” which expands
the types of relationships that
qualify for gun dispossession
when convicted of domestic
violence charges. Her third
proposal would outlaw future
purchases of extended-capaci-
ty gun magazines. These mag-
azines enable iring repeated-
ly without having to reload.
Brown also plans to issue
an executive order to require
Oregon State Police to retain
irearms transactions for ive
years and to require the Or-
egon Health Authority to re-
port annually on gun deaths
and their effect on public
health and to recommend
policy changes.
She also is establishing a
work group to review coun-
ties’ gun relinquishment pro-
tocols and recommended a
statewide policy to enhance
the safety of domestic vio-
lence survivors.
Brown made the an-
nouncement Friday at the
Veterans Memorial Coliseum
here lanked by U.S. Rep. Su-
zanne Bonamici, other elect-
ed oficials and gun safety
advocates.
After her announcement,
Pastor Mark Knuston of the
Augustana Lutheran Church
announced that he and other
faith leaders plan to circulate
an initiative petition to ban
assault weapons and high-ca-
News
wallowa.com
land is off the table for treat-
ment because of its status as
moist forest or its inclusion in
Inventoried Roadless Areas.
Along with the restoration
project, the USFS plans to
create two Research Natural
Areas in the northeast corner
of the county: The 418-acre
Haystack Rock RNA and
the 334-acre Horse Pasture
Ridge RNA. The USFS des-
ignates RNAs for permanent
protection and they are main-
tained in natural condition.
The areas can include unique
ecosystems or areas with
singular ecological features.
The comment period for the
RNAs is 60 days.
The Lower Joseph Creek
project is expected to last ive
to 10 years and possibly pro-
vide 30-50 jobs for the area
during the period.
Eagle Cap District Ranger
Kris Stein said none of that is
set in stone, though.
“If the stars don’t line up it
may take longer,” Stein said.
“But if everything lines up
perfectly, it could be a little
bit shorter. There’s still quite
a bit of work to do. this is just
the planning part.”
Work is not expected to
start on the project until next
year.
pacity magazines in Oregon.
House Minority Lead-
er Mike McLane, R-Powell
Butte quickly issued a state-
ment calling for bipartisan
dialogue on any gun control
measures.
“Oregon House Repub-
licans welcome a conversa-
tion about how to address
violence in our communi-
ties, but it is absolutely crit-
ical that those conversations
maintain the appropriate lev-
el of respect for Oregonians’
constitutional rights and the
thousands upon thousands of
gun owners in this state who
responsibly exercise their
Second Amendment rights
and Article I, Section 27
rights every day,” McLane
said. “Sadly, this element of
the conversation is all too of-
ten an afterthought for politi-
cians in Salem.”
By Kathleen Ellyn
Wallowa County Chieftain
For the last 37 years, Fam-
ily Nurse Practitioner Theresa
Russell has lived and worked
in rural northeastern Oregon.
Her dedication to her profes-
sion and her community has
drawn accolades from her
congressional delegation and
the business community, but
she was still surprised when
the American Association of
Nurse Practitioners (AANP)
contacted her to announce she
won its 2016 State Award for
Excellence.
“It’s something I’m very
proud of to be recognized in
this corner of the state by my
state governing body Oregon
Nurses Association and then to
be recognized nationally. ... it
just awed me,” she said. “I was
pleased but I wanted to know
what I did.”
What Russell has done is
build a unique rural practice in
Wallowa County that address-
es her patients’ and the com-
munities’ needs.
After working at a clinic in
Washington for many years,
Russell began searching for a
position in her hometown six
years ago.
“I wasn’t happy where I
was,” said Russell. “I had fan-
tastic job offers, but I didn’t
want to commute. So I had an
idea to start a small clinic.”
After discussing her plan
with friend Polly Devore, the
idea grew from dreams of a
small home practice to con-
structing a new clinic with an
integrated pharmacy, drive-
through, ambulance access,
life support and specialized
equipment. In 2010, Olive
Branch Family Health clinic
in Enterprise was born.
“It came together like it
was meant to be,” Russell said.
Today, Russell and clinic
director Devore work with a
team of registered nurses and
receptionists and an indepen-
dent pharmacy. Employing
RNs in their clinic allows
nurses to do jobs other staff
can’t; including health assess-
Kristopher Azevedo, MD
7/5/16- 8/3/16
Hours:
Monday - Friday
7:00am to 7:00pm
Saturday
9:00am to 1:00pm
603 Medical Parkway
Enterprise, OR 97828
Message by ARCHIE HOOK
We Look Forward to
Seeing You There!
SUN-TUES AUGUST 7-9
Live Music By
NKLE
K . C. K U
12 at 5pm
MON. AUGUST 8
nea
B r ia n a R e 6p
m
4-H Exhibits to Cloverleaf
Open Class Non-Perishable to Cloverleaf
Sat. Aug. 6 at
TUES. AUGUST 9
Open Class Perishable to Cloverleaf
WED.-SAT. AUGUST 10-13
THURS.-FRI. AUGUST 11-12
BULL AND BUCK TAGS
To be donated to
local charities
by the
Nature Conservancy
Fri. Aug.
Live Music By
Special Events
8am Sun-Tues 4-H Horse Show
SAT. AUGUST 13
OHSU Resident
Music by SOUL RENOVATION
9am 4-H Dog Show
8:30 am 4-H/FFA Livestock Show
7 pm Grand Champion Classes
ments and blood draws and of-
fering health care advice over
the phone. This team-based
approach helps patients get the
information they need quickly
and saves Russell time.
While Olive Branch has
embraced a modern team-
based primary care home
model, it continues to offer
traditional rural provider ser-
vices, including home visits.
“I’ve done home visits as a
part of my practice since 1988.
When you see patients in their
home environment you see a
part of them that you wouldn’t
see otherwise,” Russell said.
Russell’s focus on increas-
ing access and reducing barri-
ers for patients has allowed her
to build a special bond with
her community.
“I realized I’m not the sort
of person who goes home at
answer my questions. Theresa
combines patient needs with
current clinical practices to
achieve optimum patient out-
comes.”
Russell’s passion for nurs-
ing and learning doesn’t stop
with students. She also hosts
students in Rotary-sponsored
job-shadowing programs.
“I believe in the importance
of education. When a 12-year-
old tells me they want to be-
come a nurse, I get excited
and invite them to the clinic,”
Russell said.
Russell’s success engaging
her community shows.
In a town with a population
of 1,900, she serves 1,700 ac-
tive patients from Enterprise
and the surrounding commu-
nities, including a one-day-a-
week satellite clinic in Wal-
lowa, which lost its permanent
health care clinic a few years
ago.
“When health care goes
away, people don’t feel vali-
dated and they don’t feel they
are a part of a community. Re-
opening a clinic revitalizes the
community,” Russell said.
July 31, 2016, 9:00AM – Joseph Arena
SAT. AUGUST 6
2-6 pm 4-H/FFA Livestock Entries
Russell
the end of the day and just
forgets everything,” she said.
“Nursing is my passion.”
That passion is noticeable.
“Theresa is always avail-
able. She’s amazing with pa-
tients,” Devore said. “Today
for example, a male patient
we see weekly came in for
his appointment. We knew we
were going to spend extra time
with him because he sees us as
friends and extended family.
Theresa takes those relation-
ships seriously and plans her
schedule accordingly.”
Russell also inds time to
precept Nurse Practitioner stu-
dents at Olive Branch. If vis-
iting students need a place to
stay, she evens offers them an
apartment on her property.
Family Nurse Practitioner
Lacey Wilson is a former stu-
dent of Theresa’s.
“Theresa has been a tre-
mendous preceptor,” Wilson
said. “I’m working my irst
year as an nurse practitioner at
Olive Branch while I complete
my doctor of nursing practice
clinicals (on the job work un-
der supervision required as
part of a nurse’s study) with
Theresa,” Wilson said. “It is a
gift to be able to work in the
clinic and not a hospital. Re-
gardless of how busy she is,
Theresa always takes time to
Sunday Service
Country Pride Shared County Wide
Schedule of Selected Events
WED. AUGUST 10
A9
Nurse Practitioner wins
award for excellence
WALLOWA COUNTY FAIR
10 am Cloverleaf Hall Opens
July 20, 2016
WED. AUGUST 10
9am Planter Contest Entries
THURS. AUG 9
The Nature Conservancy is currently seeking
applications from Wallowa County charitable
organizations interested in receiving
a Landowner Preference Tag (LOP) for Bull Elk
or Buck Deer on the Zumwalt Prairie Preserve
property for the 2017 season.
Applications will be reviewed by a committee of
community members and ranked based on the
following considerations: the beneit to the
community; the marketing plan for raising funds
with the LOP tags; and the ability to use the tags
to leverage additional funds or support.
1 pm Grange Pie, Ice Cream
FRI. AUG 12
5-7 pm K.C. Kunkle LIVE
8-10 pm Teen Dance
SAT. AUG 13
Benny Beaver Day at the fair
10 am Pee Wee Showmanship
11 am Games on the grass
4-H/FFA LIVESTOCK SALE 6PM
8 am Small Animal Show
For a full schedule call 541-426-4097 or go to extension.oregonstate.edu/wallowa
Interested organizations should
request an application from
Justin Jones at 850-982-9224
or e-mail jjones@tnc.org.
The application deadline is
August 14th, 2016.
Each year The Nature
Conservancy donates
LOP tags to qualiied
local organizations.
The LOP tags for the
2016 season were
donated to
Community
Connections, Friends
of the Wallowa School
Foundation, Rotary
Club of Wallowa
County, and Wallowa
County Search and
Rescue. Since 2002,
this program has
raised over $375,000
to support charitable
organizations in
Wallowa County.