NEWS Wallowa.com Wednesday, August 21, 2019 A5 A proposed compromise solution for Lostine River Corridor E astern Oregon Legacy Lands, spon- sor of Wallowology Discovery Cen- ter, has watched the Lostine River Fuels Reduction project unfold over sev- eral years. The confl ation of values, sci- ence, politics and strong emotions has left little room for productive dialogue. None- theless, everyone agrees they love the Los- tine River and Eagle Cap Wilderness. The Lostine provides us with an abundance of cold, clean water, rich fi sh and wildlife habitat, a riverine paradise, and access to our state’s largest Wilderness Area. It would be benefi cial to fi nd a solu- tion to this problem and avoid actions that would cause lasting divisions in our com- OTHER VOICES David Mildrexler munity, or a lost sense of place for the Los- tine River Corridor. For whatever rea- son, relatively low interest in the project resulted in at least one bid that was even- tually withdrawn. While a slightly mod- ifi ed version of the sale has already been advertised, there is still time for a different course of action. In the spirit of solving this problem in everyone’s favor, we’d like to proffer a compromise. Move forward with an 8-inch diameter limit and remove the smaller, most fl ammable trees where appropriate. This approach will save the mature and older trees with their thick fi re-resistant bark, large carbon stores, and cool understory microclimate. It will also protect valuable fi sheries and wildlife habitat, and reduce impacts on the sensitive cool-adapted for- est understory species. This way we can move forward reducing tree density and fi re risk where it matters most (small trees and fl ashy fuels) while retaining the large, older structures, in this cool, moist, riparian forest environment. Local fi re crews do an excel- lent job removing small-diameter trees, and could provide an effi cient way to get this important work done. This simple approach would reduce fi re risk, provide employment opportuni- ties, and largely maintain the character of the Lostine River Corridor we all cher- ish. It might also help soothe the wounds and scars many people on both sides of this issue have experienced, and provide opportunities for everyone to move forward together in a more unifi ed manner.    David Mildrexler is a systems ecologist for Eastern Oregon Legacy Lands in Joseph. Increasing threatened or endangered species can deliver economic benefi ts By Chris Branam Oregon State University CORVALLIS, Ore. – A new study provides evi- dence that increasing the abundance of a threatened or endangered species can deliver large benefi ts to the citizens of the Pacifi c Northwest. The study, published today in the journal PLOS ONE, fi nds that a two-thirds increase in the average annual number of return- ing coho salmon to the Ore- gon coast would generate up to $518 million per year in non-market economic benefi ts to residents of the region. The study comes the same week that the U.S. Depart- ment of Interior announced that it will implement a new rule that stipulates that eco- nomic impacts for listing a species be considered under the U.S. Endangered Spe- cies Act (ESA). “When we think about actions to protect endan- gered and threatened spe- cies, we often focus on the costs,” said David Lewis, an economist in OSU’s College of Agricultural Sciences and corresponding author on the study. “The bene- fi ts of protecting threatened species are diffi cult to esti- Oregon State University Coho salmon spawning in the Tillamook River. mate since they are consid- ered to be non-market and arise from the public’s val- ues for things like the exis- tence of abundant salmon in the wild. This study gives us a way to evaluate the benefi ts.” “If an agency is consider- ing a policy or program that would increase the num- ber of salmon by a certain amount, our study translates the benefi ts for that amount of salmon to a dollar value,” said Steven Dundas, study co-author and economist in OSU’s College of Agricul- tural Sciences and Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment Station. “This provides evi- dence of the economic value Pacifi c Northwest residents place on protecting threat- ened and endangered spe- cies,” Dundas said. “We can compare it to how much we actually spend on salmon restoration activities, to see if there’s a net benefi t to more investment.” The study, a collabora- tion between OSU and the Alaska Fisheries Science Center in Seattle, also found that the public attaches a sub- stantial value — up to $277 million a year – to achieving conservation goals sooner rather than later. “There are sizable bene- fi ts to achieving conserva- tion goals quickly,” Lewis said. “That has real implica- tions for conservation pro- grams, showing that there’s signifi cant value to the pub- lic in up-front investments.” Another key study fi nd- ing: People benefi t from Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla and others establish Pacifi c lamprey exhibit at the Oregon Zoo The ancient, eel-like fi sh are settling into the Great Northwest habitat The Oregon Zoo’s new- est residents are also its old- est. Five Pacifi c lamprey moved into the Cascade Stream building in the Great Northwest area earlier this month, and the ancient fi sh are making themselves right at home. Older than dino- saurs and even trees, this 400-million year old native species is an important part of the history and culture of the Pacifi c Northwest. “We’re thrilled to wel- come Pacifi c lamprey to the Great Northwest,” said Shelly Pettit, the zoo’s senior fi sh keeper. “It’s a great opportunity for peo- ple to see them up close and learn about this unique species.” The Pacifi c lamprey is an eel-like fi sh with a jaw- less mouth, third eye and no scales. Since the zoo’s lam- prey can often be seen suc- tioned onto the glass of their habitat displaying rings of sharp teeth, it’s no wonder Pettit and the rest of the lam- prey care team like to point out the slimy fi sh’s “cute” A Pacifi c lamprey swimming in its new home at the Oregon Zoo. The lamprey exhibit is a collaboration among the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and others to help acquaint the public with the Pacifi c lamprey’s life cycles and value to both ecosystems and tribal fi sheries. factor. “Lamprey have a lot of charm once you get to know them, even if they aren’t your typical cuddly critter,” Pettit said. “We’ve been say- ing ‘the cuteness is com- ing’ to get visitors ready to meet these fi sh. The cute- ness is here now, and it’s been really fun to introduce people to a different type of adorable animal.” The fi ve Pacifi c lam- prey came to the zoo from the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reser- vation as part of a tribal led effort which collects lam- prey that are returning to fresh water below the three lowest dams on the Colum- bia River. Their new hab- itat in the Cascade Stream building was paid for in part by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. When the fi sh are ready to spawn, the tribal team will transport them to their original range on tribu- taries of the upper Columbia River and the Snake River. Pacifi c lamprey have sur- vived three ice ages and fi ve mass extinctions, but in the past 70 years their numbers have declined due to a com- bination of habitat loss, cli- mate change and lack of food. Now designated as a Species of Concern by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and by Oregon’s and Washing- ton’s departments of Fish & Wildlife, the lamprey are disappearing from their native ranges in the Pacifi c Northwest. Native American tribes are collaborating with Fed- eral, State and local agen- cies to aid Pacifi c lamprey recovery. These groups are installing passage structures, removing dams to ease pas- sage and restoring dam- aged streams to help lam- prey spawn and rear young. By moving lamprey to areas where they used to live — above the dams along the Columbia — they allow the industrious Pacifi c lamprey to rebuild their own habitat. nario or a status quo option with $0 cost. Twenty-one percent of the surveys were returned. By analyzing the responses, the researchers determined the public’s average house- hold willingness to pay for salmon conservation, which is then multiplied by the number of Pacifi c North- west households to get the fi nal benefi t numbers. “The surveys create a sit- uation for someone to make a decision about a pub- lic good — as if increases in salmon abundance were something they could choose off the shelf at the grocery store,” Dundas said. Lewis, Dundas and co-author David Kling are all on the faculty in OSU’s Department of Applied Eco- nomics. Co-authors also included Daniel Lew at the Alaska Fisheries Center and Sally Hacker in the Depart- ment of Integrative Biology in the College of Science at OSU. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin- istration funded the study through its National Cen- ters for Coastal Ocean Sci- ence Competitive Research Program. Oregon Coast coho salmon conservation even if the fi sh aren’t declared recovered and removed from listing under the ESA. “That’s an important concept,” Lewis said. “This indicates that we shouldn’t evaluate ESA activities only by whether a species is recovered or not. It’s not all or nothing.” For the study, the researchers mailed sur- veys to 5,000 randomly selected households in Ore- gon, Washington, Idaho and northern California in the fall of 2017. The surveys included scenarios with lev- els of attributes associated with improving the abun- dance of Oregon Coast coho salmon: how many fi sh come back from the ocean, how quickly they come back and what their conservation status would be under the ESA. Associated with these scenarios was an annual per-household cost from a combination of additional taxes and higher prices for lumber and agricultural products, ranging from $10 to $350 per year. Survey respondents then chose their preferred conservation sce- Great Summer Read Unforeseen by Molly Gloss 107 E. Main St. 541.426.3351 Always open at www.bookloftoregon.com • bookloft@eoni.com Fantastic Fall Finale! Flower Power! Come visit Irene in the garden for all your nursery needs! Huge Selection of Late Summer and Fall Blooming Perennials 118 Fish Hatchery Lane • Enterprise Open 7 days a week • 541-426-8733 BARGAINS OF THE MONTH ® While supplies last. JOIN US FOR OUR Customer Appreciation BBQ YOUR CHOICE 12.99 Duracell® 16 pk. AA or AAA Alkaline Batteries AUGUST 22ND 11:30-1:30 PM E 137 963, 962 B12 8 pk. C and D or 4 pk. 9V Alkaline Batteries, 13.99 Bank of Eastern Oregon E 137 963, 962 B12 ENTERPRISE BRANCH 101 Hogan Street M-F 8AM-6PM • SAT 8AM-5PM • SUN 9AM-3PM Member FDIC Sale Ends 8/31/19