TUESDAY, AUGUST 24, 2021
BAKER CITY HERALD — A3
LOCAL & STATE
Fatal virus spreading in local deer
Valley about 12 miles north-
west of Baker City.
Based on that cluster of
An outbreak of an insect-
cases, the disease seems to
spread disease has killed
be spreading more rapidly
at least eight deer in Baker
than in previous outbreaks
Valley in less than a week,
and a state wildlife biologist in the valley, Ratliff said.
EHD can kill both white-
fears this outbreak could be
tailed and mule deer — the
much worse than previous
first two carcasses Ratliff
episodes.
examined this weekend were
The often-fatal illness
mule deer — but whitetails
is Epizootic Hemorrhagic
are much more susceptible to
Disease (EHD). It’s caused
the illness, he said.
by a virus spread by the
An outbreak of EHD
bite of midges that breed in
killed an estimated 2,000
stagnant water.
white-tailed deer in Umatilla
Brian Ratliff, district
County during the fall of
wildlife biologist at the
Oregon Department of Fish 2019.
Deer can’t spread the
and Wildlife’s (ODFW) Baker
virus, also known as blue
City office, said on Monday
tongue, to other deer or
morning, Aug. 23, that he
animals by direct contact.
received several calls over
the weekend from residents Midges carrying the virus
who found dead deer on their can infect other animals,
properties in the Pine Creek including mule deer, elk,
pronghorn antelope, sheep
and Ben Dier Lane area, at
and cattle, but the mortal-
the western edge of Baker
By JAYSON JACOBY
jjacoby@bakercityherald.com
ity rate is much higher with
white-tailed deer than with
other species, Ratliff said.
The virus poses no threat
to people, cats or dogs. Nor
can people become ill by
eating the meat of a deer or
other animal infected with
EHD.
The biggest recent
outbreak in Baker County
happened during the late
summer and early fall of
2015, Ratliff said.
He said ODFW didn’t
compile an official death toll
then, but he believes many
dozens of white-tailed deer
died in the county in 2015.
Ratliff said EHD out-
breaks typically start later in
the year, when water sources
are more scarce, forcing deer
to congregate in those places
and making them more
likely to either be infected by
midges, or, in the case of deer
that already carry the virus,
to spread it to midges that
bit them.
The virus can spread in
both ways, he said — from
infected deer to midges, and
from infected midges to deer.
That allows the illness
to spread rapidly in certain
conditions.
Ratliff said outbreaks
usually dissipate once freez-
ing temperatures have killed
the year’s crop of midges.
Although infected mule
deer are much more likely
to survive than white-tailed
deer are, Ratliff said the
virus, which causes blood
vessel constriction, can have
severe and in some cases
permanent effects on mule
deer.
The vascular constriction
can cause the testicles to
shrivel and eventually fall
off infected mule deer bucks,
which renders them incapa-
ble of breeding, Ratliff said.
RODEO
Continued from Page A1
With his second-place
ranking, he shouldn’t have
to endure any last-minute
anxiety about whether he’ll
qualify for the National
Finals.
“It’s definitely a different
spot than last year,” Brown
said in a phone interview
on Sunday, Aug. 22. “It feels
good.”
He’s also excited about
competing in Las Vegas,
Kathy Aney/East Oregonian File, 2019
where the National Finals
Bulldogger Jesse Brown wrestles his steer to the ground to clinch the steer
Rodeo returns after its one-
wrestling title at the 2019 Pendleton Round-Up. Brown’s time in the final round, 3.7
year move to Texas.
“It’ll be a completely differ-
This year, by contrast,
He helped his dad move
ent energy level,” Brown said. 73,000 others, had tested
Brown has been wrestling
some cattle recently, but
positive for COVID-19, they
most of the time he’s either
canceled the Rodeo on March steers since winter. He ex-
Back to normal
11.
pects to compete in about 85 competing in a rodeo or roll-
Having the National Fi-
“It was the domino effect
rodeos before National Finals. ing along a highway.
nals back in their traditional
He said competitors,
Brown said he occasion-
home in Las Vegas will cap a from there,” Brown said in a
and spectators, have been
rodeo season that Brown said 2020 interview.
ally takes an airplane flight
Most rodeos were canceled enthusiastic everywhere he’s from one rodeo to the next,
has been “pretty normal” —
traveled.
something that can hardly be during the spring of 2020.
but most often he drives
Brown, meanwhile,
“I think people are loving with a group of fellow com-
said of 2020.
it,” Brown said. “We couldn’t petitors.
In early March 2020, when returned to Baker City and
do a lot last year. I think peo-
They share the driving —
most people weren’t familiar went back to work at Lew
Brothers Les Schwab Tires,
it could hardly be otherwise
with the word coronavirus,
ple are dang sure glad to be
when they sometimes have
Brown was competing at Ro- the business his dad, Jim, co- out and having fun. There’s
deo Houston in Texas, a three- owns with Jim’s brother, and been a lot of people at almost to drive all night to make it
Jesse’s uncle, Rocky Brown.
to the next event.
every rodeo I’ve been to.”
week event that normally
After more than two
Here’s a brief itiner-
draws hundreds of thousands
months away from competi-
of spectators. The top steer
ary for Brown starting on
On the road again ...
wrestler wins $50,000.
Thursday, Aug. 19:
tion, Brown drove about 15
and again
• Thursday at 8 p.m. he
hours to enter a rodeo in Cave
But when organizers
With a full slate of rodeos,
was in Gooding, Idaho.
Creek, Arizona, in late May
Brown hasn’t spent much
learned that a man who
• Friday at 8 a.m. he was
2020.
time in Baker City this year.
attended a barbecue cookoff
455 miles away, in Moses
He was on the road for
“I’ve been rodeoing hard
associated with the rodeo
Lake, Washington.
much of the summer.
from the start,” Brown said.
on Feb. 28, along with about
runs south for several miles along the east slopes
of the Elkhorns to Elk Creek.
Continued from Page A1
The watershed, which is public land managed
by the U.S. Forest Service, includes the streams
“The LPFC team has a good track record with and springs from which the city gets most of its
the City and excellent knowledge of city-owned
drinking water.
forested property,” Owen wrote.
Owen noted in her report to councilors that
The first project the city is proposing under
logging in the watershed, which is closed to
the new contract is a timber sale on the city’s
public access and has few roads, would be more
102-acre property that includes the site where
complicated since the land “has far greater re-
strictions than the city-owned Goodrich property.”
water from Goodrich Creek is diverted into the
In other business during tonight’s meeting,
city’s water supply pipeline.
The water comes from Goodrich Lake, a natu- councilors will:
ral lake high in the Elkhorns that is one of the
• Consider applying for a grant from the
city’s two supplementary sources of water.
Oregon Department of Land Conservation and
The Goodrich Creek property was last logged Development to have a housing production strat-
egies report written.
during the winter of 2002-03, according to
Owen’s report.
As a newly designed “medium-sized” city due
The city advertised a Request for Proposals
to exceeding 10,000 population in the 2020 U.S.
for forestry consulting in July and received only Census — the city’s official population is 10,099
one response — from Lane Parry — by the Aug. — the city is required by Oregon law to adopt a
12 deadline.
housing production strategy by Dec. 31, 2023, ac-
Owen wrote that Parry’s proposal meets all
cording to a letter to councilors from Holly Kerns,
the city’s requirements. She proposes a five-year director of the Baker City/County Planning
contract with the option to renew for two ad-
Department.
ditional five-year terms.
The Planning Department would hire a con-
sultant to craft the housing production strategy,
“Forest health and evaluation is a long-term
commitment and having the ability for one pri-
Kerns wrote. This would include open houses
mary consultant to manage the lands for several and a community survey that solicits comments
years will be advantageous to the City and the
from city residents about housing needs and how
forest,” Owen wrote in her report to councilors.
to address them.
Lane Parry Forestry Consulting, in its
• Discuss new state mandates requiring face
proposal, estimates that logging on the Goodrich masks to be worn in indoor public spaces, includ-
ing Baker City Hall, and requiring health care
Creek property would yield a net profit to the
workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
city’s water department of $50,000 to $65,000.
In a report to councilors, City Manager Jon
Consulting fees for the project are estimated at
Cannon wrote that the vaccination requirement
$8,850.
If councilors approve the contract, “a more
applies to the Baker City Fire Department,
complete evaluation of the project” would hap-
where firefighters also work as paramedics,
pen, Owen wrote.
operating the city’s ambulances.
Over the past few years, city officials have
• Discuss Baker County’s Request for Propos-
als for operating a visitors center in Baker City.
been discussing a much larger forestry project
Councilors are slated to meet with county
that, like the proposed logging at Goodrich Creek,
commissioners to discuss the topic on Wednesday,
would be designed to thin crowded forests and
Aug. 25 at 6 p.m. at the Baker County Event
reduce the risk of a large wildfire.
The larger project is in the city’s 10,000-acre
Center, 2600 East St.
watershed, which starts at Goodrich Creek and
• Appoint a member to the city golf board.
COUNCIL
PROTEST
Continued from Page A1
“And if you don’t get a
vaccination, the person
who manages those
employees is personally
liable for a $500 fine per
week per employee.”
Johnson said the fire-
fighters’ union believes
its members, and other
health care workers,
should have the freedom
to decide whether to be
vaccinated.
“We don’t believe it’s
lawful for the governor to
mandate this,” Johnson
said on Monday, Aug. 23.
“I myself am vaccinated
(but) it still is infuriat-
ing to me that she would
supersede the law with
a work around and go
through OSHA and the
Oregon Health Authority
to enforce this.”
Johnson said Baker
City firefighters will be
joined in the protest by
local nurses, firefighters
from La Grande, and
potentially local teachers,
who also are required to
be vaccinated by Oct. 18.
Dustin Alam, presi-
dent of the La Grande
Firefighters Local 924
union, said he and other
members of that union
will participate in the
demonstration at Baker
City Hall.
“There are a lot of
people out there that
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife/Contributed Photo
White-tailed deer, which are found throughout
Northeastern Oregon, are especially susceptible to the
Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease, which is spread by
biting midges.
The loss of testicles
also means the bucks can’t
produce testosterone, the
hormone that causes bucks to
shed their antlers every year,
generally in late winter.
When that happens the
buck can have antlers for the
rest of its life, and the antlers
typically remain in the velvet
stage constantly.
Ratliff said he has seen
several mule deer bucks that
apparently were infected with
EHD in 2015, survived the
virus but lost their testicles.
• Friday at 7 p.m. he was
340 miles away in Kalispell,
Montana.
• Saturday at 1 p.m. he
was 624 miles away in Baker,
Montana, hard on the North
Dakota border.
• Saturday at 7 p.m. he
was 224 miles away, this time
retracing part of his route of
the previous day, in Billings,
Montana.
• Sunday morning he was
680 miles away in Kenne-
wick, Washington.
This week Brown’s
schedule has him competing
in Tremonton, Utah, on Tues-
day, Aug. 24, in Bremerton,
Washington, on Wednesday,
and then back to Kennewick
on Thursday.
“There’s a lot of driving,”
he said, with the well-honed
sense of understatement
typical of people who leap off
a horse at 25 mph to tussle
with several hundred pounds
of stubborn steer.
“It’s part of the job.”
In the midst of a
great season
Brown doesn’t have any
specific explanation for his
strong season, in which he
trails only Jacob Talley of Ke-
atchie, Louisiana, in earnings.
Talley has won $113,039.
“I’ve been more consistent,
with a higher win percent-
age,” Brown said. “I was more
streaky last year.”
He had some of his stron-
gest performances at Prin-
eville, Joseph and Eugene in
Oregon, and at Price, Utah,
and Great Falls, Montana.
He credits the two horses
he rides.
His primary horse is Ty-
son, owned by Curtis Cassidy,
a Donalda, Alberta, Canada,
steer wrestler who is in 18th
place in this year’s standings.
The Professional Rodeo
Cowboys Association named
Tyson the steer wrestling
horse of the year for 2020.
Brown also bought a horse,
named Gunner, about three
months ago.
“Usually guys will ride
a couple different horses,”
Brown said.
Besides the National
Finals, a highlight of the year
is just a few weeks away, and
less than 100 miles from home
— the Pendleton Round Up.
“That’s one of my favorite
rodeos,” Brown said. “It’s good
to have it back.”
The Round Up, which
started in 1910, was canceled
in 2020 due to the pandemic,
the first cancellation since
World War II.
Brown has another reason,
besides the event’s reputation
in rodeo, to be excited about
returning to Pendleton.
In the 2019 Round Up
he set an event record by
bringing down his steer in
3.7 seconds. That broke the
Round Up arena record of 3.8
seconds set in 2002 by K.C.
Jones and equalled in 2014 by
Casey Martin.
don’t agree with these
mandates and people
forming together to
make coalitions and
show that there’s a lot of
people that aren’t for the
mandates is important to
make sure that the state
understands that people
are in opposition to this
and that it could end up
being detrimental to the
state if these mandates
come to fruition,” Alam
said.
Johnson said he has
reached out to Baker
County’s state legisla-
tors, Sen. Lynn Findley,
R-Vale, and Rep. Mark
Owens, R-Crane, but
had not heard back
from them as of Monday
morning.
Findley and Owens
did send a letter to
Brown recently objecting
to the requirement that
students, teachers and
other school staff wear
face masks when classes
start next week.
Johnson said union
members hope to raise
awareness for “the fact
that this is government
overreach and laws
should not mandate per-
sonal choice.”
“We believe that it is
the individual’s right to
make an informed deci-
sion,” Johnson said.
Johnson said that the
government, instead of
mandating vaccination,
should focus on educa-
tion, information, and
helping empower com-
munities to get the word
out about the pros and
cons to any vaccination.
“Really, what the main
focus that we’re going for
is that it is government
overreach and it’s chip-
ping away at our civil
rights,” Johnson said.
“So much of who we are is
where we have been.”
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