The ReActions return to the stage
A9
Issue September
No. 21 Wallowa.com
7, 2016
Enterprise, Oregon
No major red fl ags in school water testing
Wallowa lead free; Imnaha ‘good,’ other schools awaiting final results
By Kathleen Ellyn
Wallowa County Chieftain
Lead testing in Wallowa county
schools is on track and all schools
plan to have their preliminary safety
plans fi nished soon. The State Board
of Education is requiring draft plans
for testing for both lead and radon
by Oct. 1, with a fi nal plan due by
Jan. 1.
Wallowa County ESD organized
the testing through Box R Water Lab
of Prineville, which sent a technician
out to assist the districts. The sam-
ples were then sent on to Neilson
Research Corp. in Medford.
Results are back for Wallowa
School District.
“We did our test in July and our
results are posted on the website.
We’re lead free,” said Superinten-
dent Bret Uptmor.
Joseph Charter School is a little
behind since they replaced plumbing
at the high school over the summer
and had no water on site to test. It’s
been tested now and came bak clear
on every site tested, according to Su-
perintendent Lance Homan.
“We’re all good,” Homan said
Tuesday. “We tested Imnaha and it
was good.”
See TESTING, Page A8
Joseph
OKs some
short-term
rentals
Council approves
three applications,
tables another
By Steve Tool
Wallowa County Chieftain
Only three of Joseph’s six City
Council members attended its Thurs-
day, Sept. 1 meeting, but they nearly
resolved a year-long struggle to reg-
ulate short-term vacation rentals. The
issue centers on short-term (less than
30 days) rentals located in residential
zones. Mayor Dennis Sands said the
problem had been a city concern since
spring of 2015.
The council passed an ordinance at
its Feb. 9 meeting forbidding the prac-
tice, but left an opportunity for those
already operating the rentals to resume
if they had paid their motel taxes to
both the county and state as of 2016.
A $300 registration fee and application
before Sept. 1 and proof that a property
manager or the landlord could respond
to any emergencies on the property
within 20 minutes also are required.
Property owners who applied for
the short-term rental registration in-
cluded Kathy Siebe of Enterprise,
Stephanie Stroup of Bend, Cindy
Brink of rural Joseph and Peter Barry
of Joseph, who currently lives in the
structure he plans to rent.
On Thursday, the council discussed
Siebe’s application. Upon questioning
from councilor Sharon Newell, Siebe
said she has operated her rental since
June 2015. Councilor George Ballard
made a motion to approve Siebe’s ap-
plication, and Tyler Evans seconded.
The motion passed with only Newell
voting against.
The council next considered
Stroup’s application, which came un-
der more scrutiny because she had
fi led late taxes with the county. Stroup
said the delay was caused by mailing
documents back and forth with the
county. The council approved Stroup’s
application, with Newell again voting
against.
Brink’s application was a rub-
ber-stamp affair as she had a condi-
tional-use permit issued by the city
some dozen years ago.
See RENTALS, Page A8
THE
EASEMENT
PUZZLE
Successful conservation agreements a matter of tailoring details to fi t all involved parties
By Mateusz Perkowski
EO Media Group
R
ancher Roger Ediger has no
problem giving up the ability
to subdivide his nearly 2,700-
acre property near Mount Vernon.
Development is the biggest
threat to agriculture, wildlife and
open space, Ediger believes, which
is why he decided to place a con-
servation easement on the land that
will preserve its current condition
in perpetuity.
“If we don’t look farther than
our own lifespan, then we’ll have
nothing,” he said.
However, Ediger still faces a
dilemma.
He is reluctant to have an envi-
ronmentally oriented land trust or
similar entity impose conditions on
how he operates the ranch in ex-
change for “holding” the easement.
Since no third party holds the
easement, though, it’s possible that
a future landowner will simply
ignore the prohibition against
development if nobody’s there to
enforce it.
“An easement is only as good
as it is enforceable,” said Mike
Running, executive director of the
Coalition of Oregon Land Trusts.
A microcosm
Ediger’s situation is a micro-
cosm of the concerns often sur-
rounding conservation easements in
the agricultural community.
Some farmers want to extinguish
development rights to protect the
landscape while reducing property
values to cut inheritance taxes, but
they’re worried about someone
forever looking over their shoulder.
“I have no desire to be mi-
cro-managed. I have no desire at
all,” said Ediger, who hopes that
Grant Soil and Water Conservation
District will ultimately agree to
hold his easement.
Meanwhile, organizations that
are familiar to farmers, such as
local soil and water conserva-
tion districts, are hesitant to hold
conservation easements precisely
because they may someday be
forced to litigate against future
landowners who violate the terms.
“If someone comes around with
the right amount of money, they
can keep you tied up in court until
you holler uncle,” Ediger said.
Soil and water conservation dis-
tricts have a long history of work-
ing with growers, so they’ve estab-
lished a level of trust that outside
organizations often don’t have,
said Jim Johnson, land use special-
ist with the Oregon Department of
Agriculture.
See EASY, Page A7
Easement acres by holder ...
(More than 24 million U.S. acres have been placed in easements.)
Unknown holder: 551,061 or 2.2%
Jointly held: 1 million
or 4.1%
Other*: 191,491 or 0.8%
Local government:
1.1 million
or 4.4%
Non-governmental
organization:
10.3 million
or 42%
Federal:
5.3 million
or 21.5%
(As of July)
*Includes regional
agency, private holder
and Native American.
State: 6.1 million or 24.9%
Other*: 342,216 or 1.4%
Ranch: 795,813 or 3.2%
Other open space:
1.4 million or 5.8%
Farm: 1.7 million
or 6.8%
... And by
category
Environmental
system:
10.1 million
or 41.2%
Forest:
2.1 million
or 8.6%
*Includes
recreation,
education and
historical preservation.
Unknown:
8.1 million or 32.9%
NOTE: Sums may not
equal 100 due to rounding.
Source: National Conservation Easement Database
Alan Kenaga/Capital Press
Mule Days promises packed weekend of events
Wallowa County Chieftain
Chieftain archives
Dick Walker of Union with mules
Lewis (right) and Clark at a
previous Mule Days.
With the passing of the Labor
Day weekend, it’s mule time again
in Wallowa County.
The 36th annual Hells Canyon
Mule Days is set for this weekend
(Sept. 9-11) at the Wallowa Coun-
ty Fairgrounds in Enterprise, with a
packed schedule that includes class-
es for every age group and skill level.
Gates open at 9 a.m. Friday with
a lineup of driving classes, including
singles and teams. The afternoon
events include the Trail Class in the
warm-up arena and the Timed Trail
Class in the main arena, followed by
the Progressive Mule Race and Team
Roping.
Highlights of the weekend in-
clude the Classic Jump-Off Chal-
lenge — always a crowd pleaser
— and fast-action events like pole
bending, barrel racing, mule races
and the Fast Ass Express.
There will be free mule clinics at
9 a.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. Sunday
with special tips on training your
mule.
The popular Kids Stick Mule and
Boot Scramble Races for kids ages
4-9 will be held prior to the Grand
Entry on Saturday. Everyone wins a
blue ribbon and special awards will
be given to the winner of each heat.
During the Saturday afternoon show
there also will be a contest for the
oldest spectator and the spectator
who has traveled the most miles to
attend the show.
See MULES, Page A7