LOCAL
Wallowa.com
Wednesday, August 11, 2021
Commission approves purchase of new
property for Minam River Wildlife Area
The Observer
SALEM — The Oregon
Fish and Wildlife Commis-
sion approved the purchase
of nearly 5,000 acres of
land along the Minam River
on Friday, Aug. 6, accord-
ing to a press release.
The purchase, the release
said, is part of Phase I of a
project that will eventually
create an expanded 15,000-
acre Minam River Wildlife
Area.
ODFW, Rocky Moun-
tain Elk Foundation and
Hancock Natural Resource
Group are partnering on the
a project to purchase prop-
erty in Wallowa and Union
counties along the Minam
River. The move will per-
manently protect crucial
big game winter range and
provide habitat for salmon,
bull trout and Oregon Con-
servation Strategy Species
including
white-headed
woodpecker, Rocky Moun-
tain tailed frog and several
priority bat species.
Located about 30 miles
northeast of La Grande, the
property is currently man-
aged by Hancock Natu-
ral Resource Group with
a recent appraised value
FOR THE RECORD
AUG. 2
12:54 a.m. — Public assist.
6:01 a.m. — Civil dispute
in Enterprise.
6:10 a.m. — Report of an
unknown vehicle in Wallowa.
7:48 a.m. — Report of sus-
picious person in Enterprise.
8:53 a.m. — Stolen U-Haul
trailer reported in rural
Enterprise.
8:56 a.m.
—
Nonin-
jury traffi c crash reported in
Joseph.
9:48 a.m. — Report of
loud voices in rural Enterprise.
10:41 a.m. — Parking com-
plaint in Enterprise.
11:19 a.m. — Call for pub-
lic assist in Joseph.
12:31 p.m. — Commercial
burglary alarm in rural Joseph.
5:14 p.m. — Public assist
with lockout requested in
Enterprise.
5:18 p.m. — Disabled vehi-
cle reported on Highway 82 in
rural Enterprise.
7:12 p.m. — Suspicious
vehicle reported at Wallowa
Lake.
8:16 p.m. — Report of sus-
picious person in Wallowa.
8:30 p.m. — Report of
suspicious person in rural
Enterprise.
9:27 p.m. — Suspicious
person in Joseph.
11:24 p.m. — Traffi c com-
plaint in rural Wallowa.
AUG. 3
8:13 a.m. — Theft of ser-
vices in Wallowa.
8:24 a.m. — Report of a
theft in Joseph.
10:31 a.m. — Open door
in Wallowa.
10:36 a.m. — Animal com-
plaint in Joseph.
10:56 a.m. — Loose cow
reported in rural Enterprise.
11:04 a.m. — Public assist
in rural Lostine.
12:03 p.m. — Dog as
public nuisance reported in
Keith Kohl/Contributed Photo
The expanded Minam River Wildlife Area will protect habitat
and provide outdoor recreational opportunities along the
Minam River in Northeastern Oregon.
of $18.7 million. The fi nal
purchase price will be
determined by updated
appraisals, the release said.
The Rocky Mountain Elk
Foundation has committed
a minimum of $5.15 million
apportioned to both phases.
Phase I funding came from
RMEF and the Wildlife
Restoration Program, a fed-
eral excise tax on guns and
ammunition.
Completing Phase II
is contingent on securing
additional funding through
a USDA Forest Legacy pro-
gram grant, which will be
matched with RMEF funds
to purchase the remaining
10,964 acres. Oregon Hunt-
ers Association, the Ore-
gon chapter of Four North
American Wild Sheep and
other organizations are also
contributing funds toward
the purchase.
The properties will be
added to ODFW’s cur-
rent 440-acre Minam River
Joseph.
2:45 p.m. — Abandoned
vehicle reported in Joseph.
3:57 p.m. — Fire alarm
activation in rural Joseph.
4:25 p.m. — Trespass com-
plaint in rural Wallowa.
5:14 p.m. — Report of dog
left in vehicle in Enterprise.
6:27 p.m. — Public assist
in Enterprise.
6:45 p.m. — Wallowa
County Sheriff ’s Offi ce traf-
fi c stop in Enterprise. Vehi-
cle towed for driving while
uninsured.
6:54 p.m. — Dog bite
reported in Wallowa.
7:39 p.m. — Missing juve-
nile reported at Wallowa Lake
State Park. Juvenile found.
8:29 p.m. — Call reporting
a hillside fi re in rural Imnaha.
10:45 p.m.
—
Suspi-
cious person reported in rural
Enterprise.
several fi re starts on the Wal-
lowa River near Fisher Creek.
12:24 p.m. — Report of
criminal mischief in Wallowa.
12:40 p.m. — Public assist
in rural Enterprise.
1:07 p.m. — Report of
criminal mischief in Enterprise.
1:38 p.m. — Report of a
dog being shot in Joseph.
2:27 p.m. — Fire reported
in rural Wallowa.
2:32 p.m. — Public assist
in rural Lostine.
3:40 p.m. — Scam calls
reported in Enterprise.
5:45 p.m. — Agency assist
in rural Wallowa.
6:35 p.m. — 911 report
of lightning strike fi re near
Grouse Flats.
7:19 p.m. — Agency assist.
8:14 p.m. — Agency assist
requested in Pendleton.
9:59 p.m. — Call reporting
a suspicious person in Lostine.
AUG. 4
3:48 a.m. — Property
found in rural Joseph.
4:43 a.m. — Report of
crash activation in rural
Wallowa.
4:51 a.m. — Report of a
vehicle on fi re in rural Lostine.
1:17 p.m. — Noninjury
motor-vehicle crash reported
in rural Joseph.
3:53 p.m. — Public assist
rural Wallowa.
5:13 p.m. — Single-vehi-
cle, noninjury crash reported
in rural Joseph.
5:38 p.m. — Report of bad-
ger in Enterprise.
AUG. 6
12:52 a.m. — Public assist
requested in Joseph.
8:11 a.m. — Longhorn cat-
tle found in rural Enterprise.
8:04 a.m. — Sighting of
three puppies in Enterprise.
8:35 a.m. — Welfare check
in rural Joseph.
9:14 a.m. — Suspicious
vehicle reported in Enterprise.
9:34 a.m. — Public assist in
AUG. 5
7:51 a.m. — Report of ille-
gal burning in Wallowa.
8:30 a.m. — Report of
vehicle struck deer in rural
Enterprise.
9:45 a.m. — Call report-
ing lightning strike at Wallowa
Lake.
11:02 a.m. — A fi re started
by a lightning strike reported
in Flora.
11:14 a.m. — Report of
Wildlife Area, turning it
into one of the state’s major
wildlife areas providing
wildlife habitat and outdoor
recreation
opportunities.
Future management will
be determined through the
adoption of a Wildlife Area
Management Plan.
Managers envision the
property as a “working
landscape” where live-
stock grazing and active
forest management assist
with habitat management
goals. ODFW will con-
tinue to pay fi re protec-
tion and in-lieu of property
taxes for parcels in each
respective county.
Recreation opportuni-
ties on the new property
could include hunting, fi sh-
ing, hiking, birdwatching,
horseback riding, kayak-
ing and other activities. A
footbridge over the Minam
River is being considered
to facilitate improved pub-
lic access to the historic
Minam River Trail, which
travels for 6 miles through
the property. The trail con-
nects recreationists to the
Wallowa Mountains and
Eagle Cap Wilderness in
the neighboring National
Forest.
Wallowa.
9:35 a.m. — Traffi c com-
plaint in rural Enterprise.
11:34 a.m. — Public assist
in Enterprise.
12:59 p.m. — Report of
propane leak in Enterprise.
1:32 p.m. — Report of lost
credit card in Enterprise.
2:27 p.m. — Public assist
in Enterprise.
2:47 p.m. — Public assist
near Wallowa.
4:03 p.m. — Agency assist
in rural Enterprise.
5:15 p.m. — Public assist
in Enterprise.
7:55 p.m. — Suspicious
vehicle reported near Wallowa
Lake.
9:03 p.m. — Civil dispute
in rural Enterprise.
11:57 p.m. — Civil dispute
reported in Joseph.
AUG. 7
7:26 a.m. — Civil dispute
in rural Lostine.
8:57 a.m. — Request for
public assist in Lostine.
10:01 a.m. — Runaway
report in Wallowa.
11:04 a.m. — Report of a
burn in the city of Joseph.
12:33 p.m. — Report of
loose horse in rural Enterprise.
1:41 p.m. — Suspicious
vehicle in Enterprise.
2:41 p.m. — Civil dispute
Enterprise council
extends moratorium
on vacation rentals
By BILL BRADSHAW
Wallowa County Chieftain
ENTERPRISE
—
Another 90-day moratorium
on new vacation rentals was
approved Monday, Aug. 9,
by the Enterprise City Coun-
cil, according to a press
release from City Hall.
The moratorium was the
extension of an earlier one
approved in May after con-
cerns were expressed that
the increase of vacation rent-
als in the city was decreas-
ing the availability of long-
term rentals, as well as other
concerns.
City Administrator Lacey
McQuead provided the
council with a breakdown of
a preliminary decision made
by the city’s Planning Com-
mission. She recommended
the councilors attend the
next Planning Commission
meeting in September or
prepare written statements
to be read there to share their
concerns.
The moratorium restricts
the vacation rentals in the
city’s R-2 zone, which is for
multifamily residences.
Councilor David Elliott
shared his concerns for con-
in rural Lostine.
2:44 p.m. — Lost property
in Enterprise.
3:38 p.m. — Parking com-
plaint in Enterprise.
3:59 p.m. — Civil dispute
in Joseph.
6:12 p.m. — Report of
smoke in the north end of the
county.
6:32 p.m. — Agency assist.
7:10 p.m. — Three horses
running at large in Wallowa.
7:32 p.m. — Agency assist
in rural Joseph.
8:01 p.m. — Report of an
assault in Enterprise.
9:05 p.m. — Agency assist
Agency
AUG. 8
9:21 a.m. — Agency assist
in Lostine.
9:51 a.m. — Injured deer
reported in Enterprise.
1:26 p.m. — Report of
down cable line in Enterprise.
1:42 p.m. — Vehicle vs.
dog accident reported in
Enterprise.
2:01 p.m. — Stolen wallet
in rural Joseph.
8:38 p.m. — Report of
injured deer in rural Joseph.
by Stephen King
107 E. Main St.
Enterprise OR 541-426-3351
bookloftoregon.com • manager@bookloft.org
WC Humane Society
DOG
WASH
Sat Aug. 14 • 11AM-3PM
In the alley behind new
Enterprise Fire Station
Big
Little
dogs
dogs
frozen
pizzas
$10 $5
while supplies
last
Shampoo and towels provided. You wash
or we wash but the price is the same
8AM TO 9PM: FRI & SAT
541 569 2285
Call 503-621-7352
for more information
Joe & Rita’s
Celebration
of Life
Memorial Mass,
Sat. Aug. 21st at 9am
St. Pius Catholic Church
407 South Pine,
Wallowa, OR 97885
Jack B. James (The Jackel)
“The only easy day was yesterday.”
in rural Joseph.
10:24 p.m. —
assist in Enterprise.
Billy
Summers
CDR, USN, Ret., US Navy Seal
Disabled American Veterans (DAV)
Veterans Services Officer (VSO)
Cell: 360-509 2985
Email: jackaljames15@gmail.com
ditionally allowing such
rentals in an R-2 zone.
In another matter, Police
Chief Kevin McQuead said
Saturday’s grand opening of
the refurbished Skate Park
was a considerable success.
(See story, Page A1.)
In other business, the
council:
• Passed a resolution hon-
oring and recognizing the
dedication and commitment
of former city Administra-
tor Michele R. Young in her
years of service to the city.
The resolution was read
by Mayor Ashley Sullivan
and was approved by the
council.
• Heard a report from city
librarian Denine Rauten-
strauch, who said the posi-
tion of library assistant is
open and she has three pos-
sible candidates. Applica-
tions for the position close
Thursday, Aug. 12.
• Held public hear-
ings on requests to vacate
Tejaka Lane and Highland
Drive. No public input was
received on either vacation
and the council approved
both.
The next council meeting
will be Monday, Sept. 13.
This week’s featured book
$ 5
8AM TO 8 PM
WED, THUR, SUN
A3
Saturday Aug 14th • 2:00 pm
Enterprise City Park
Please join us from 3-5pm on Saturday August 21st
to share memories and a toast to Joe & Rita!
Ian & Heidi Wislon’s residance
68593 JimTown Road, Lostine Oregon 97857
Come join us for this years
Grande Ronde Rodeo!
August 13 & 14
Mavericks Arena
SEE OUR FULL AD IN THIS WEEKS LA GRANDE OBSERVER