Enterprise, Oregon
134th Year, No. 40
Wallowa.com
Wednesday, January 15, 2020
Lostine Corridor project gets go-ahead from 9th Circuit Court.
USFS wins in court.
Environmental
group will not
appeal further.
By Steve Tool
Wallowa County Chieftain
After several years of legal
wrangling, the Lostine Corridor
Public Safety Project has been
okayed. On Jan. 10th, the 9th
U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
ruled for the US Forest Service
and against conservation groups
Greater Hells Canyon Council
and Oregon Wild in their efforts
to halt the project.
According to the 9th Cir-
cuit Court’s decision, the agency
didn’t violate the Healthy For-
est Restoration Act when it con-
cluded that “extraordinary cir-
cumstances” allowed it to forego
doing an environmental study
of the thinning project, which is
aimed at reducing wildfire risks.
The Forest Service prop-
erly analyzed “resource condi-
tions” along the river in the Wal-
lowa-Whitman National Forest
in deciding the project was eli-
gible for a “categorical exclu-
sion” from such environmental
reviews, the 9th Circuit said.
“The Forest Service rationally
concluded the Lostine Project
had no effect, no adverse effect,
likely no adverse effect, or a neu-
tral or beneficial effect on each
applicable ‘resource condition,’”
the ruling said.
Likewise, the thinning proj-
ect is consistent with the land
and resource management plan
for the national forest, the ruling
said. “The Forest Service reason-
ably interpreted its plan, adhered
to its relevant processes, docu-
mented its findings, and made
rational conclusions based on
those findings.”
The groups filed suit against
the U.S. Forest Service and Kris
Stein as district ranger of the Hells
Canyon National Recreation Area
and the Eagle Cap Ranger Dis-
trict on May 31 of 2017. Wallowa
County applied for, and received
intervenor status in the suit.
The 2100 acre LCPSP
includes forest treatment, includ-
ing the removal of hazard trees,
some forest thinning, removal of
hazardous material and at least
one helicopter landing site along
some of the 11-mile corridor that
follows the Lostine River up to
the Two-Pan trailhead, one of the
most popular trailheads in the
Eagle Cap Wilderness.
See Lostine, Page A7
Ellen Morris Bishop
The Lostine River Canyon has heavily-forested lower slopes partly due to fire
exclusion. The 9th Circuit Court just upheld a USFS thinning project that will
treat about 2100 acres along the Lostine River Road outside of the adjacent
Eagle Cap Wilderness.
LET’S DO LUNCH
Ellen Morris Bishop
More than 300 people of all ages, occupations, and concerns
attended a presentation of the Governor’s Stakeholder report
on the four Lower Snake River Dams in Clarkston, Wash. Jan.
Clarkston Snake River dam
meeting draws big crowd but
reaches no conclusions.
By Ellen Morris Bishop
Wallowa County Chieftain
On Jan. 8 a crowd of more
than 300 people attended a
presentation on the State of
Washington’s new report
on the Lower Snake River
dams. The two-hour event in
Clarkston, Wash. included a
summary of the report fol-
lowed by a panel discussion
of what actions might come
next. The eight panelists
represented the variety of
regional interests, including
Nez Perce Tribal Fisheries,
coastal fishermen, agricul-
ture, barging and transporta-
tion, and energy.
The 107-page report,
Lower Snake River Dams
Stakeholder
Engagement
Report, summarizes the
positions of both dam oppo-
nents and dam advocates.
Topics include salmon
recovery, relevance to orcas
in the Salish Sea, impor-
tance of the dams to agricul-
ture, transportation options,
and economic effects on
regional communities.
At the Clarkston meet-
ing, moderator Jim Kramer
summarized the report and
then sorted through a thick
pile of papers bearing ques-
tions from the audience for
the eight panelists. He con-
densed the multitude of
questions into, essentially,
“What must we do to move
forward?”
Panelist’s
consensus:
there had to be more direct
discussions by all interests.
Some panelists proposed
more specific solutions, or
pointed out unresolved prob-
lems. Sam Mace of the Save
Our Wild Salmon Coalition
said, “We need one-on-one
informal conversations. We
need to get to know one-an-
other. Solutions can’t just
happen in a vacuum. We
need politicians and elected
leaders to help make those
conversations happen.” She
specifically praised Idaho
Sen. Mike Simpson and
Washington Gov. Jay Ins-
lee for their efforts to start
meaningful discussions.
River outfitter Dustin
Aherin, who has guided
on the Salmon, Snake, and
Owyhee Rivers for more
than 25 years, noted that in
1962 there were 23,000 Chi-
nook salmon redds in the
Middle Fork, Salmon River.
In 2019 there were only 161.
“We need to start working
on infrastructure improve-
ments,” he said. “That
should include updated rail
and highways. We haven’t
spent any money on infra-
structure, to improve these,
since the dams were built.”
Such improvements, he
noted, would benefit timber
and all other industries, and
keep young people here.
Panelist David John-
son, manager of the Nez
Perce Fisheries Program,
See Dam, Page A7
Bill Bradshaw
From left, Paul Stangel and Enterprise School cook Randy Garnett serve lunch to Enterprise Police Chief
Joel Fish, left, and Wallowa County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Fred Steen. The officers were two of the local
law enforcement officers to have lunch with the students Thursday, Jan. 9, for National Law Enforcement
Appreciation Day.
Enterprise
School hosts
National Law
Enforcement
Appreciation
Day
By Bill Bradshaw
Wallowa County
Chieftain
Visibility and devel-
oping positive relation-
ships were on the minds
of area law enforce-
ment officers who vis-
ited and ate lunch with
kindergarten through
sixth-grade
students
at Enterprise Elemen-
tary School for National
Law
Enforcement
Appreciation Day on
Thursday, Jan. 9.
Officers represent-
ing the city of Enter-
prise, Wallowa County
and Oregon State Police
joined the kids for lunch
and to receive artwork
made by the students
expressing
students’
appreciation to the
lawmen.
“This is fun,” Wal-
lowa County Sher-
iff Steve Rogers said.
“We’re making sure
young people know that
especially in an emer-
gency they can call 911
“I was talking with
one officer’s wife and
we did a brainstorm on
how we could show our
appreciation for Law
Enforcement Appreci-
ation Day,” Pinkerton
said, with the luncheon
and artwork being the
outcome.
She said many offi-
cers are part of a school
district safety com-
mittee and gave rec-
Bill Bradshaw ommendations to the
Enterprise School Superintendent Erika Pinkerton school board on how to
serves brownies to Oregon State Police Trooper make the campus safer.
Justin Goldsmith and a student Thursday, Jan. 9, on Such recommendations
National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day.
included:
• fencing to allow
– in an emergency. Lit- I’ve ever worked in,” movement
within
tle kids may have a ten- Pinkerton said.
campus.
dency to think they can
• access-control card
She noted that offi-
call to get help with cers often visit class- readers for key interior
their arithmetic, but it’s rooms to tell students doors.
about their jobs and dis-
for an emergency.”
• security cameras.
Enterprise Schools cuss relevant issues.
• sensors on key
Officers attending doors to show when
Superintendent Erika
the luncheon included they’re open or closed.
Pinkerton agreed.
“The kids are say- Enterprise Police Chief
• reducing visibil-
ing thanks,” she said. Joel Fish; Officers Jacob ity in first-floor exterior
“The kids respect police Curtis, Kyle Hacker and windows.
• make vestibules at
officers and we want Cody Billman; Sher-
to continue to enhance iff Rogers, Undersher- entrance to main build-
iff Fred Steen; and OSP ings more secure.
that.”
Though these rec-
A regular presence Troopers Mark Knapp
ommendations have not
at the school is one way and Justin Goldsmith.
Pinkerton said this yet been implemented,
the officers enhance that
was the first year the they were passed on to
relationship.
“They have a really school welcomed the the district’s long-range
strong presence in our officers for an appreci- facilities planning com-
school and have a really ation luncheon and she mittee to be included
good relationship, more plans to make this an
See Police, Page A7
than in any district annual event.