A14
Wallowa County Chieftain
LOCAL/REGIONAL
Wednesday, July 7, 2021
Alex Wittwer/The Observer, File
A herd of elk roam through a fi eld at sunset in Elgin on Tuesday, April 14, 2021. Oregon
Department of Fish and Wildlife are proposing changes to the 2022 big game season, with
more details coming soon.
IN BRIEF
ODFW sets
meetings to discuss
proposed hunting changes
SALEM — Staff from the Oregon
Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW)
will present proposed changes to 2022 hunt-
ing seasons, and answer hunters’ questions,
during a series of local meetings scheduled
in July at agency offi ces across the state.
The only major potential change for
2022 big game seasons being considered is
to archery elk seasons. Controlled hunting
is being considered for certain Blue Moun-
tains units where there are ongoing con-
cerns with low post-season bull ratios, high
archery harvest and hunter density, accord-
ing to a press release from ODFW.
A more detailed proposal should be avail-
able at the local meetings, and the Fish and
Wildlife Commission is expected to make a
decision about 2022 archery elk hunting at
its Aug. 6 meeting. For more information on
what is being discussed, see the big game
hunting review page, https://myodfw.com/
articles/big-game-hunting-season-review.
Meetings scheduled in Northeastern
Oregon:
• La Grande, Riverside Park, July 12
from 6-8 p.m.
• Enterprise district offi ce (outdoors
meeting), 65495 Alder Slope Road, July 12
from 6-8 p.m.
ODFW limits fi shing
hours in some areas
SALEM — The Oregon Department
of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) has enacted
emergency fi shing regulations, as of July 1,
to protect salmon, steelhead, trout and stur-
geon that are at risk due to severe drought.
The regulations will be in eff ect until
Sept. 30, but could be lifted earlier, or
extended later, depending on conditions.
In some rivers and streams, fi shing for
salmon, steelhead, sturgeon and trout is
not allowed from 2 p.m. until one hour
before sunrise. This “hoot owl” regulation
is designed to protect fi sh from stress when
water temperatures are warmest, according
to a press release from ODFW.
“There is a tough summer and early fall
ahead for fi sh, and we want to take steps to
help them survive,” said Shaun Clements,
ODFW deputy administrator for inland fi sh-
eries. “We appreciate anglers following the
regulations and being fl exible with their
plans to help fi sh this year.”
In Northeastern Oregon, rivers and tribu-
taries that have the hoot owl regulation are:
• John Day River and all tributaries.
• Umatilla River and all tributaries (not
including reach within the Confederated
Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation,
where ODFW does not have jurisdiction).
• Willow and Butter creeks.
• McKay Reservoir, McKay Creek and
tributaries (hoot owl applies to steelhead
only).
• Walla Walla River and all tributaries.
For full details, see the emergency
regulations for your angling zone at
https://myodfw.com/recreation-report/
fi shing-report/
ODFW also urges anglers to use these
practices when fi shing in areas where catch-
and-release is required:
• Use appropriate gear and land fi sh
quickly. The longer the fi ght, the less likely
the fi sh will survive.
• Avoid removing the fi sh from the water.
• If taking a photo, cradle the fi sh at water
level and quickly take the picture.
• Remove hooks quickly and gently
while keeping the fi sh under water.
• Use long-nosed pliers or hemostats to
back out a hook.
• If a fi sh is hooked deeply, cut the line
near the hook.
• Revive fi sh (point them into slow cur-
rent or move them back and forth until gills
are working).
• When possible, let the fi sh swim out of
your hands.
— EO Media Group
Jessica Stucki/Contributed Photo
Several youths age 2-14 turned out for the inaugural Airplane Flying Contest, an event part of
the Wallowa Public Library Summer Reading Program, on Thursday, July 1, 2021, at Evans Park.
Airplane contest a success,
‘Colorful Storytime’ next
Chieftain staff
WALLOWA — “Colorful
Storytime” is the next event
on deck as part of the Wal-
lowa Public Library Summer
Reading Program. It takes
place at 10 a.m. Saturday,
July 10, at Wallowa Memo-
rial Park.
“It’s going to be several
stories, (and) one story is also
going to be read by a kid,”
said Holly Goebel, Wallowa
Public Library director. “In
going with the summer read-
ing theme, which is ‘Reading
colors our world,’ we are add-
ing in color art activities.”
The activities will include
scratch-art pinwheel kits and
some chalk-art activities. It’s
open to all youth up to age 18.
“I think it will be a good
activity,” she said.
It comes on the heels of
a highly successful inau-
gural Airplane Flying Con-
test, which took place Thurs-
day, July 1, at Evans Park in
Wallowa.
“This event was such a
surprise hit,” Goebel said in
an email to the Chieftain. “It
started as an impulse idea and
just grew and grew as more
kids signed up. We’ll defi -
nitely be doing it again next
year.”
In all, 36 airplanes were
registered for the contest,
which was for youths ages
2-14, and 21 kids took part
in the activity on July 1. The
contestants fl ew their way
through a single-elimina-
tion bracket. Airplane kits
were provided for free by
the library, with the only rule
being to use the kit, though
children were allowed to add
their own fl are. The focus was
to have the farthest-fl ying
plane, or the most creative.
Thirteen-year-old Vander
Stucki had the plane that fl ew
the farthest, with a plane that
was turned into a baseball,
Goebel said. Calvin Stucki,
8, Vander’s brother, had the
plane voted most creative —
one that was decorated with
fl ames.
Goebel said there are
more activities planned this
summer.
“I defi nitely have some
more youth-centered activi-
ties in the works,” she said,
adding that they include
events to involve pre-teens
and early teens.
Commissioners adopt budget for 2021-22
Half-million less
than last year
Chieftain staff
ENTERPRISE — A bud-
get of $25,608,575 for the
fi scal year 2021-22 was
adopted by the Wallowa
County Board of Commis-
sioners at a meeting in the
late afternoon Wednesday,
June 30, a decrease of about
a half-million dollars from
the previous year.
Details of the budget can
be found in a legal adver-
tisement published in the
Chieftain.
The largest items in the
budget include:
• General Fund of
$7,642,152.
• Video Lottery/Eco-
nomic Development Fund of
$154,051.
• Land Use Planning of
$121,210.
• Solid Waste of $371,360.
• Solid Waste Closure of
$143,517.
• Public Transit of
$206,953.
• County Parks of
$306,271.
• 911 Emergency of
$603,000.
• County Fair Board of
$1,340,799.
• Weed Tax Levy of
$177,979.
• Courthouse Repair
Reserve of $126,400.
• Computer Reserve of
$250,321.
• Vehicle Replacement
Sinking Fund of $296,500.
• Vacation/Sick Leave
Sinking Fund of $140,800.
• Unemployment Sinking
Fund of $145,150.
• Building Codes of
$619,900.
• Public Works of
$9,053,024.
• Road Equipment Sink-
ing Fund of $404,929.
• Road Vacation/Sick
Leave Sinking Fund of
$135,798.
• Community Complex
Sinking Fund of $125,129.
• Museum Fund of
$123,531.
• Community Corrections
Fund of $769,384.
The commissioners also
levied taxes at $2.5366 per
$1,000 of assessed property
value and a weed levy of
$0.19 per $1,000.
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