2B — THE OBSERVER & BAKER CITY HERALD
THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2020
BUSINESS & AG LIFE
Small-business & Ag HAPPENINGS
EO Media Group
Grande Ronde
Symphony updates
brand
LA GRANDE —Grande
Ronde Symphony Asso-
ciation announced it has a
logo.
The new look for Ore-
gon’s longest continu-
ously operating community
orchestra gives a nod to the
unique characteristics of the
Grande Ronde Valley with
fl owing lines representing
the Grande Ronde River
underneath the silhouette of
Mount Emily.
“Of course the branding
of the Grande Ronde Sym-
phony is much more than
just a logo, but rather a
statement of our values
incorporated with our heri-
tage,” according to the sym-
phony’s announcement.
The organization also
has a new branding guide
to help in messaging and
to provide a road map for
“future watch-keepers of
the traditions and programs
of the Grande Ronde Sym-
phony Association.
OTEC holds meeting
virtually, announces
election results
BAKER CITY —
Oregon Trail Electric Coop-
erative held its fi rst-ever
virtual annual meeting
May 30 at its Baker City
Headquarters.
Board President Char-
lene Chase opened the
meeting, then turned it
over to the cooperative’s
attorney, Ron Williams,
who announced the election
results for three board of
directors positions:
Position 1 (Union
County) — George Gal-
loway 2,388 votes; Cory
Miller 1,956 votes
Position 2 (Baker
County) — Aletha Bone-
brake 2,965 votes; Tamyra
Keller 1,486 votes
Position 3 (Harney
County) — Robert Cargill
2,443 votes; Laurie Draper
Image contributed by Oregon Farm Bureau
The Oregon Farm Bureau is seeking photos for its calen-
dar. The deadline for submissions is Sept. 15.
2,048 votes
Oregon Trail Electric
Cooperative is a not-for-
profi t, member-owned elec-
tric cooperative that serves
more than 60,000 residents
in four counties in Eastern
Oregon. The organization’s
headquarters are in Baker
City. OTEC has district
offi ces in Burns, John Day
and La Grande.
Oregon Farm Bureau
seeks calendar
photos
SALEM — The Oregon
Farm Bureau invites the
public to submit their best
photos of agriculture for
the 2021 Oregon’s Bounty
Calendar.
The bureau’s award-win-
ning calendar celebrates
all aspects of Oregon agri-
culture: the products, the
people, the production, the
landscape, the enjoyment,
anything that depicts the
beauty, technology, cul-
ture, enjoyment or tradi-
tion of family farming and
ranching in this state.
“Spring is a great time
to look for photo opportu-
nities in Oregon agricul-
ture,” said OFB Commu-
nications Director Anne
Marie Moss. “Fields and
orchards are blooming,
farmers markets have
opened, and there’s lots of
spring activity happening
on farms and ranches.
Farm Bureau members are
#StillFarming and #Still-
Ranching, working hard to
provide food and other ag
products for society in these
challenging times.”
Horizontal-format,
high-resolution images —
both close-ups and pan-
oramic views — are sought
of all types of agriculture
in all seasons. The dead-
line for entries is Sept. 15.
Participants do not need to
be Farm Bureau members
and there is no limit to the
number of photos that can
be submitted.
Photographers with
images selected for month
pages in Oregon’s Bounty
will receive a photo credit
in the 2021 calendar, which
is mailed to 64,000 fami-
lies across the state, along
with copies of the calendar.
Everyone who submits a
photo will receive a compli-
mentary copy of the 2021
calendar ($20 value).
Photos can be emailed to
annemarie@oregonfb.org.
Find instructions as well as
examples of previous Ore-
gon’s Bounty Calendars,
photo specifi cations and
contest rules at OregonFB.
org/calendar.
Public can weigh in
on draft agriculture
drainage rules
SALEM — The public
can comment on draft
rules related to mainte-
nance of channels for agri-
RULE
Continued from Page 1B
cultural drainage.
House Bill 2437 directed
the Oregon Department
of Agriculture to create
a streamlined, notice-
based process by which
a person or water con-
trol district could engage
in maintenance of such
channels without a remov-
al-fi ll permit from Oregon
Department of State Lands
under certain conditions.
The ag department
worked with staff from state
lands, Oregon Department
of Fish and Wildlife and a
rules advisory committee to
develop the Oregon Admin-
istrative Rules to implement
HB 2437. These new rules
create the notice process
while ensuring any mainte-
nance protects, maintains or
improves ecological func-
tions of the channels and
upholds state objectives for
fi sh recovery and protects
wetlands, waterways and
fi sh and wildlife habitats.
The Oregon Department
of Agriculture has opened
the public comment period
for these draft rules, OAR
603-095-4000 through
603-095-4060. The period
opened June 1 and closes
June 30 at 5 p.m.
ODA also will hold two
virtual public hearings:
June 17 from noon to 2 p.m.
and June 18 from 6-8 p.m.
To access audio of either
meeting, call 1-844-766-
2282 (Pin 661241#).
Full rule text is available
in the Oregon Administra-
tive Rules Database or by
emailing abingham@oda.
state.or.us.
Public comments on
these draft rules may be
emailed to info@oda.
state.or.us. Include the fol-
lowing in the subject line:
HB 2437 Ag Channel Rule
Comments).
Written comments
may be mailed to Amy
Bingham, Public Records/
Rules Coordinator, Oregon
Department of Agricul-
ture, Offi ce of the Director,
635 Capitol St. N.E., Salem,
97301.
management activities
in the Pacifi c Northwest
have led to forests whose
composition and density
put them at greater risk
from wildfi re, insects and
disease than they were
historically, said Baker.
“The Forest Service is
considering science that
has emerged over the last
25 years to see if there is
a more contemporary way
to achieve the wildlife and
other restoration objec-
tives,” said Baker.
“Adjusting the 21-inch
limitation to refl ect
learning over the past 25
years would help stream-
line restoration of forests
in eastern Oregon and
make it easier to create
landscapes that withstand
and recover more quickly
from wildfi re, drought,
and other disturbances,”
he said.
The proposed amend-
ment to the Eastside
Screens would apply
to the Deschutes, Fre-
mont-Winema, Mal-
heur, Ochoco, Umatilla,
and Wallowa-Whitman
National Forests.
The decision to con-
sider amending the East-
side Screens is not new.
The Forest Service has
been meeting with col-
laborative groups and
partners on the issue for
decades, said Baker.
“Increasing fi re size,
longer fi re seasons, and
more interest from states
and other partners make
this a timely issue right
now,” said Baker.
Virtual public engage-
ments this summer are
likely to be scheduled
within a month, he said.
Loggers, trucking com-
panies, and wood manu-
facturers stand to benefi t
from a decision to remove
the ban, as it would result
in more work in national
forests.
The American Forest
Resource Council, which
represents logging inter-
ests, has shown its support
for removing the ban.
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