A18
News
wallowa.com
October 19, 2016
Wallowa County Chieftain
Coal company dumps Morrow Paciic Project
the Morrow Paciic Project in
2011 as a way to reach Asian
markets via the Paciic North-
west.
But in 2014, the Oregon De-
partment of State Lands denied
a remove-ill permit needed to
build the Coyote Island Termi-
nal at the Port of Morrow. Ac-
cording to the state’s decision,
the dock would have interfered
with usual and accustomed trib-
al isheries.
Earlier this year, Lighthouse
also gained full ownership of
Millennium Bulk Terminals in
Longview, Washington, which
would ship roughly 48.5 mil-
lion tons of coal. The U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers re-
cently issued a draft Environ-
mental Impact Statement of the
project, which is expected to
generate more than 2,000 direct
and indirect jobs.
In addition, Lighthouse
started sending coal to South
Korea earlier this month
through Westshore Terminals
in Vancouver, British Colum-
bia. As a result, Lighthouse
CEO Everett King said the
company has decided to move
on from Morrow Paciic.
“Our ability to now ship to
our customers in Asia allows us
to achieve our short-term goals
while we continue to focus on
further long-term growth at
Millennium,” King said.
King said the decision made
by the Department of State
Lands was “unprecedented,”
and prevented Lighthouse from
adding trade, jobs and econom-
ic development in Oregon.
“Though we are disappoint-
ed for our Morrow Paciic
Project supporters, we are very
excited to commence delivery
of products to our customers,”
King said.
Though Lighthouse has
stepped aside, the Port of Mor-
row will continue to ight to
phen Wolfe, Wallowa Coun-
ty has received more than
$200,000 in grants and scholar-
ships over the years.
Saturday’s attendees en-
joyed live and silent auctions
of gun-related prizes, special
drawings, door prizes, a prime
rib dinner and plenty of conver-
sation with friends.
Scores of local business-
es and individuals support the
event through donations of
goods and money. Name-brand
manufacturers of irearms and
hunting-related items, along
with hunting guides from Af-
rica and Alaska, donate prizes.
The makeup of the crowd
might surprise some.
Auctioneer Luke Wanochil
of Hayden Lake, Idaho, rep-
resents a segment of the crowd
in that he is not currently an
NRA member. He is, neverthe-
less, a supporter of the work of
the NRA. “I love what it stands
for — the Second Amend-
ment,” he said.
Steve Rogers of Joseph,
who happens to be the Wallowa
County Sheriff in his profes-
sional life, attended the banquet
and auction as a private citizen.
He represents another segment
of the crowd. He’s not a mem-
ber of the NRA. He is, however,
an individual with a broad view
of irearm ownership. He’s got
a professional understanding of
the relationship between ire-
arms and crime, is one of the
founding members of the Ea-
gle Cap Shooters Association
so as to provide a safe training
site for shooters, and he under-
stands the rural relationship to
irearms.
“When I look out at this
crowd I see all my friends and
the people I work for,” he said.
“What I see is ‘normal.’ These
are just 100 percent, card carry-
ing, blue-blood Americans.”
The fact that many of his
friends and neighbors have
gun safes full of multiple ire-
arms does not alarm him in the
slightest.
“Personally, I think the gen-
eral populace should be able to
own any gun they want,” Rog-
ers said. “What business is it of
mine to mess with people who
are lawfully carrying a gun? It’s
their Second Amendment right.
Of course, I’m not in favor of
mentally ill or criminals having
guns.”
Ken Hauxwell of Enter-
prise, a signiicant sponsor for
the Wallowa County event, has
been an NRA member off and
on for nearly 40 years.
He recalled learning how
to shoot with his grandfather,
which lead to more memories
of great hunting and ishing
experiences. He gets to the Sec-
ond Amendment after he’s put
gun ownership and his relation-
ship with guns into that rural,
familial and responsibility-re-
lated context.
Port of Morrow
will continue
appeal for dock
By George Plaven
East Oregonian
After ive years of develop-
ment, Lighthouse Resources —
the company formerly known
as Ambre Energy North Ameri-
ca — announced Thursday it is
backing out of a $242 million
project that would have shipped
8 million tons of coal per year
to Asia through an enclosed ter-
minal at the Port of Morrow.
The port, however, is not
giving up yet on building the
dock and will continue to ap-
peal Oregon’s decision to re-
ject a key permit needed for
construction in the Columbia
River.
Based in Salt Lake City,
Lighthouse Resources owns
two coal mines in the Pow-
der River Basin, including the
Decker Mine in Montana and
Black Butte Mine in Wyoming.
Lighthouse began working on
FRIENDS
Continued from Page A1
Half of the money from all
the banquets in the state comes
back to the Oregon Friends of
NRA State Fund Committee
from which grants and scholar-
ships are funded.
Grants in Wallowa County
have supported shooting sports
and provided donations to Di-
vide Camp (a hunting camp for
disabled veterans) and Creating
Memories, a hunting an ishing
organization for disabled peo-
ple.
They’ve also funded range
improvements for Eagle Cap
Shooters Association and the
Wallowa Rod and Gun Club,
scholarships for local high
school seniors, youth awards
for kids to visit the state capital
(and maybe Washington, D.C.)
and more.
According to organizer Ste-
E.J. Harris/East Oregonian
Lighthouse Resources has abandoned their efforts to build a
coal terminal at this spot at the Port of Morrow in Boardman.
The Port of Morrow however is pursuing their efforts to build
an export terminal on this site.
build a new dock. Joe Taylor,
president of the Port Commis-
sion, said they have already
invested around $50 million in
rail infrastructure to serve the
site.
“This new dock will allow
us to ship commodities in the
same manner as our existing fa-
cilities,” Taylor said. “Without
this dock, hundreds of jobs and
millions of dollars are at stake
for Morrow and Umatilla coun-
ties, and Oregon.”
Gary Neal, the port’s gen-
eral manager, said he feels the
state’s decision to deny the
dock permit was politically
motivated. Coyote Island Ter-
minal would be built along a
stretch of river in the port’s East
Beach Industrial Park, between
two existing terminals: one to
ship grain, and another to ship
biofuels.
Neal is not sure what com-
modities might be handled at
the new dock, but unless they
build now, he said companies
will continue to take their busi-
ness elsewhere.
“If you don’t have some-
thing available, those opportu-
nities pass you by,” Neal said.
“It’s unfortunate we lost Light-
house for the jobs and capital
investment. That commodity
is moving. It’s just moving
through Canada now.”
Chuck Sams, spokesman for
the Confederated Tribes of the
Umatilla Indian Reservation,
said the tribes maintain their
stance that the project would
harm tribal ishing rights guar-
anteed by the Treaty of 1855.
“Again, we’re not against
economic development in any
way, unless it interferes with or
infringes on our treaty rights,
which are guaranteed by both
the treaty and the U.S. Consti-
tution,” Sams said.
The Coyote Island Terminal
is just one of two remaining
sites for major industrial devel-
opment in the John Day Pool of
the Columbia River, Neal said.
The Department of State Lands
found the proposal did not ad-
equately consider alternatives
that would have less impact on
the river and tribal isheries.
“We just need to convince
the (state) they were incor-
rect,” Neal said.
“I think the most important
thing to me is that the NRA
stands for our Second Amend-
ment rights,” he said. “They are
defending our rights to have
freedoms and constitutional
rights — and the right to have
guns to protect my family. The
irst amendment gave us the
right to have the religion of our
choice and the second gave us
the right to bear arms. These
are our rights — the rights that
this country was founded on. In
the past the real threats to the
country came from outside, but
I think anymore (the right to
bear arms) could be necessary
for protection from threats on
the inside.”
The ability to grasp the nu-
ances of gun ownership issues
is not absent in the Wallowa
County Friends of the NRA
crowd. But the approach to any
management of those nuances
is predicated on protection of
Second Amendment rights.
Wolfe knows the balance of
individual viewpoints is what
makes the Wallowa Coun-
ty event such a success. The
Friends of NRA are the non-
proit, non-partisan branch of
the NRA, so it’s no surprise
that those family traditions of
hunting and ishing often are
mentioned irst by attendees of
the event. From an economical
standpoint, hunting and ishing
also count for a lot nationwide.
Back in 2012, Wolfe said, he
did a little research on the eco-
nomic impact of hunting and
ishing and found the sports
accounted for $38 billion in
business.
“In the process of protecting
our Second Amendment rights
we all come together from ev-
ery walk of life to enjoy the
camaraderie of other gun own-
ers,” Wolfe said. “We have
a lot of fun and we’re very
grateful for all the support we
receive.”
“Our guys go out daily
with a lot of STIHL products
on their truck.”
Jeff Jones | Bud Jones Landscaping
ON THE JOB AND AT HOME...
SAVE $ 20!
DOUBLE
YOUR LIMITED
WARRANTY
WHEN YOU PURCHASE
EITHER STIHL HP ULTRA OIL
(SIX BOTTLES)
OR STIHL MotoMix ®
PATENTED PREMIXED FUEL
(ONE GALLON MINIMUM)
Double limited warranty
protection applies to most STIHL
gasoline-powered products
purchased and registered for
personal non-income producing,
family and household purposes
only. Other restrictions apply.
See dealer for details.
MS 311
CHAIN SAW
$
499
95
MS 271
FARM BOSS ®
$
429
20” bar †
20” bar †
“The saw has a lot of power and
cuts very well. The anti-vibration
is very well designed and the
starting procedures and
usability are great.”
CHAIN SAWS STARTING AT $ 179 95
– user Tommy80
Indicates products that are built in
the United States from domestic
and foreign parts and components.
BLOWERS STARTING AT $ 139 95
CARRYING
CASE KIT
WITH PURCHASE OF
SELECT CHAIN SAWS
“I have owned other saws in
this class and the MS 271
has the best power to weight
ratio that I have owned.”
– user jonohio
Check out these reviews and others on the product pages at STIHLdealers.com.
95
FREE
SH 56 C-E SHREDDER VAC/
HANDHELD BLOWER
NOW JUST WAS $219.95 SNW-SRP
199 95
$
Up to a $79.00 SNW-SRP value.
Offer valid through 11/27/16 at
participating dealers while supplies last.
Offer valid on purchases through
11/27/16 at participating dealers
while supplies last.
“Surprisingly quiet, light, and
engine starts on the irst pull.”
– user HighPlainsDrifter
JOIN US.
TRIMMERS STARTING AT $ 129 95
†
All prices are SNW-SRP. Available at participating dealers while supplies last. The actual listed guide bar length may vary from the effective cutting length based on which powerhead it is installed on. © 2016 STIHL SNW16-1321-131502-6
STIHL
THE OFFICIAL
HANDHELD OUTDOOR
POWER TOOLS OF THE
Wallowa County Grain Growers
911 South River Street | Enterprise | 541-426-3116
WallowaCountyGrainGrowers.com
STIHLdealers.com