LOCAL
Wallowa.com
Wednesday, September 29, 2021
A15
Chieftain claims 10 awards in ONPA Better Newspaper Contest
Chieftain staff
ENTERPRISE — Cur-
rent and former staff mem-
bers of the Wallowa County
Chieftain received recogni-
tion in the annual Oregon
Newspaper Publishers Asso-
ciation’s Better Newspaper
Contest.
In all, the Chieftain won
10 awards, including four
fi rst-place nods, in the 2021
contest for material pro-
duced in 2020. The sub-
missions were judged in
Arizona.
Leading out the win-
ners was reporter Bill Brad-
shaw for his piece “Dialysis:
A necessary fact of life for
many.” The article earned
fi rst place for Best Lifestyle
Coverage.
Former reporter, editor
and current WCC freelancer
Ellen Morris Bishop/Wallowa County Chieftain, File
This roping photo taken on July 18, 2020, was the winner of the Best Feature Photo award in
the ONPA Better Newspaper Contest.
Ellen Morris Bishop won
fi rst place for Best Feature
Photo for her roping photo
taken July 18, 2020, during
Mel Coleman’s annual
round-robin rodeo. It was
one of four awards won by
Bishop.
Also getting fi rst place
was former reporter Steve
Tool, garnering the top sports
story of the year with his arti-
cle “Coach of the year builds
character and winners,”
about Joseph boys basketball
coach Olan Fulfer.
The fi nal fi rst-place
award was for Best Page-
One Design, highlighting
layout work by former WCC
designer Andy Nicolais.
Bishop, in addition to the
fi rst-place photo, earned sec-
ond in Best Feature Photo for
a shot she took of the comet
NEOWISE as it toured the
skies in July 2020. She also
took third place for Best
Feature Story on her piece
“Enterprise students spark
Holocaust, hate speech
awareness.” An adjoining
editorial by Bishop, “Bat-
tling the other pestilence that
besets us,” won third place
for Best Editorial.
“Discover
Wallowa
County,” the visitor guide
put out by the Chieftain,
won second place for Best
Special Section or Issue.
The Chieftain staff won sec-
ond place for Best Edito-
rial Page. And Bradshaw
and Ronald Bond earned
third place in Best Coverage
of Business or Economic
Issues with the article “Feel-
ing the ‘freeze.’”
The Chieftain was placed
in Group E for weekly
newspapers.
Hancock pilot program for campsites gets largely positive reviews
By RONALD BOND
Wallowa County Chieftain
WALLOWA — A pilot
program by Hancock Forest
Management on some of its
Northeastern Oregon camp-
sites is receiving an overall
positive response.
The natural resource
group started researching
fee camping in 2019, and in
that summer and the spring
of 2020, began charging
rental fees on a handful of
its sites for overnight use,
according to region man-
ager Joe Justice.
Currently, there are 22
sites enrolled through the
camping reservation com-
pany Hip Camp.
Justice said in an email
to the Chieftain that since
2017, “Hancock Natural
Resource Group’s NE Ore-
gon forests have been a part
of the Access and Habi-
tat Program through Ore-
gon Department of Fish
and Wildlife (ODFW). This
has allowed Hancock to
maintain open recreational
access to the public while
still maintaining safety
protocols on our prop-
erty and meeting our fi du-
ciary responsibility to our
clients.”
Justice said that in 2019,
Hancock began research-
ing fee-use camping “with
the idea that they would
be primarily used by hunt-
ers during archery sea-
son starting in September
through rifl e season ending
in November.”
“The original pilot pro-
gram’s goal was to gain
a better understanding of
what hunter’s desired in a
campsite, what the price
point should be, and the
amenities we would want to
provide,” Justice said. “The
intent of this program is to
enhance a hunter’s expe-
rience by providing the
opportunity to drive into
and park their vehicle in
an area that has no drive-in
access for day use, and
allow hunters to take better
advantage of early hours in
the day to start their hunt.”
Justice said all the sites
Hancock rented in 2021
were in the Sled Springs
hunting unit north of
Wallowa.
“Historically, there were
campsites on the prop-
erty. Therefore, we opted
to select those historical
are priced higher for this
reason. We did learn in the
pilot that hunters desired
lower price points for
smaller groups. Based on
that feedback, we now have
“THE INTENT OF THIS PROGRAM
IS TO ENHANCE A HUNTER’S
EXPERIENCE BY PROVIDING THE
OPPORTUNITY TO DRIVE INTO
AND PARK THEIR VEHICLE IN
AN AREA THAT HAS NO DRIVE-
IN ACCESS FOR DAY USE.”
Joe Justice, region manager with
Hancock Forest Management
locations for our sites as
we knew they were more
likely to be used,” he said
of which sites Hancock
elected to rent out. “Prices
were set on presumed desir-
ability of each site, and the
amount of people that each
site could hold. The high-
est priced sites are located
inside the vehicle travel
management area, which
allows a camper to drive to
the campsite but not hunt in
a motor vehicle. Many of
the sites are very large and
can accommodate many
campers. These large sites
several sites for rent that are
smaller and at a lower price
point.”
The prices of the 22 sites,
according to hipcamp.com,
range from $35 per night to
as much as $300 per night
at two locations — Mud
Springs and Howard Butte.
Half the sites run for $75
or less a night, and nine of
those run for $50. Seven
more sites are at $100.
Price has been the
most-discussed point with
users, Justice said, but on the
whole the project, he said,
has been well-received.
This month, in honor of Grandparent’s Day
(Sept 12), we are honoring all grandparents
who are active in their grandchildren’s lives.
From being primary caregivers, to taking them
to their extracurricular activities, or just being
another loving, trusted adult they can count
on, we thank you!
“In general, the feed-
back has been positive,” he
said. “Most feedback we
have received has been on
price. Last year, we off ered
larger sites that could
accommodate more peo-
ple at a higher price point.
However, some have indi-
cated that they would pre-
fer smaller campsites at a
lower price. Based on that
feedback, we have added
those types of sites to the
program to better accom-
modate user’s needs.”
The sites are still free
for day use. Hancock does
monitor the sites, and will
ask someone camping over-
night who hasn’t made a
reservation to make one or
leave.
“Hancock
managed
lands are private property.
Unlike most private prop-
erty in Oregon, our lands
are open to the public for
a variety of recreational
activities. If a member of
the public chooses to dis-
regard the rules we have
in place that help maintain
safety on our lands and for
our recreational users, we
can take legal action if nec-
essary. This is extremely
rare. Most members of
the public are respectful
and appreciate the oppor-
tunity to recreate on our
properties.”
Hancock is still process-
ing feedback on the sites to
determine how it will han-
dle them in the future.
“As we receive feedback
on our sites, we will be able
to adjust to meet the needs
and wants of those using the
sites,” Justice said.
Wallowa County
FREE
Chess Club
No meeting until further notice
but look forward to seeing you soon!
Black to play and win (The power of checks).
“Play golf for your body. Play chess for your mind.”
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Than up k p y o o rt u ing
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News ucation
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In Ed
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