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A6 BAKER CITY HERALD • THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2022 LOCAL & STATE Merkley touts forest improvement project Judge grants class- $1.8 million set action status to COVID- aside for Union sickened prisoners County project BY ALEX WITTWER EO Media Group LA GRANDE — Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley is setting his sights on fire protection and forest resilience in Eastern Or- egon. The Oregon Democrat pre- viously promoted The Valley West Joint Chiefs project in September 2021 as a way to “ensure the safety of our communi- ties, the resil- ience of our forests, and the Merkley conservation of our natural re- sources,” according to a press release from Merkley’s office. The project is a collaboration between the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Re- sources Conservation Service and the U.S. Forest Service. “I am very happy to be able to announce that I was able to secure $1.8 million for the La Grande Valley West Joint Chiefs project,” he said during a one-on-one interview Wednesday, March 30. “We’re talking about precommercial thinning, fuels reduction, pre- scribed burning (and) mow- ing, and all of it produces jobs in the woods, saw logs for the mill, and a more fire resilient forest, which I think is a tri- ple-win.” Mike McMillan/United States Forest Service, Contributed Photo Sun sets over a stand of burned trees from the Bootleg Fire in Oregon’s Fremont-Winema National Forest in the summer of 2021. that program.” ogy that keeps information sig- Merkley also said that he nals terrestrial. was looking into agricultural “Laying fiber becomes too research related to how to grow expensive for just a couple of Forest resilience and response crops that are better in drier houses,” Merkley said. “Many environments. counties are designing their to drought “The agricultural research Last year’s fire season was system using microwave re- one of the most explosive ones station is doing a lot more lays, which unlike satellites, work on how to conserve water can carry a much higher band- yet in Oregon, though East- ern Oregon was largely spared in La Grande for our dry wheat width at lower cost.” from conflagrations and wide- farming, and what versions of He also touched on the spread damage like that seen in wheat will do better in drier growing housing crisis and the southern parts of the state conditions,” he said. how it impacts rural Orego- that were hit hard by the Boot- nians who are getting priced leg Fire. Still, it’s a matter of Access to internet and housing out of the real estate market, when, not if, a fire breaks out Among those infrastructure or are facing homelessness as and threatens Eastern Oregon’s projects are increased access rents and real estate prices con- landscape. to broadband internet in rural tinue to increase. Those real es- “It is essential to recognize areas that have relied on satel- tate changes have also hurt the that with the drought, the lite internet connections. An economy as businesses strug- warmer temperatures and the increasing number of compa- gle to attract workers in areas longer season that we’re going nies are installing fiber-optic where housing costs have far to see a lot of problems, and we cables, but those solutions can outpaced wages. need to prepare wherever we be expensive and have a low “Almost every community is can,” Merkley said. “Particu- return on investment for net- wrestling with many aspects of larly we need to focus on areas work providers if they lay a housing. From housing home- close to towns because if that line to rural areas outside of a less individuals to services re- forest is treated, maybe we can municipality. A proposed solu- lated to some kind of addiction stop the fire before it gets to a tion, Merkley said, could be in or to mental health, or the fact town or city.” newly developed microwave that it’s getting too expensive Of those options, Merk- repeater networks and technol- for middle-class Americans ley said he was working to- ward training National Guard BACKED BY A YEAR-ROUND members to assist fire chiefs, CLOG-FREE GUARANTEE as well as fighting for better EXCLUSIVE LIMITED TIME OFFER! pay for fire teams to combat 1 % & % high turnover. Merkley also OFF OFF said that his team was trying FINANCING THAT FITS YOUR BUDGET! to see if “fire teams can be + % OFF hired to do forest manage- ment work when they’re not CALL US TODAY FOR A FREE ESTIMATE 1-855-536-8838 fighting fires so they can have year-round work.” Closely related to the fire season is the ongoing drought. The senator said that the ir- rigation district’s top goal has been to improve the efficiency Get strong, fast Wi-Fi to work and of their distribution systems FEEL THE SPEED, play throughout your home. across Oregon. EVEN AT PEAK TIMES. No annual contract. “I have worked to get about $130 million in Oregon for Power multiple devices at once— piping for irrigation systems,” everyone can enjoy their own screen. Merkley said. “Obviously, the Over 99% reliability. task of piping is much larger $ 45 than that, but that is still a huge effort of an unusual pos- 888-486-0359 sibility for that much fund- ing to help irrigation districts. (We’ve) really been focused on ’S TH NATIO N E 15 2 TE RD GU T R GU A 10 SENIORS & MILITARY! YOUR ENTIRE PURCHASE * 1 Promo Code: 285 1 Subject to credit approval. Call for details. 5 WE INSTALL YEAR-ROUND! TO THE FIRST 50 CALLERS ONLY! ** LIFETIME WARRANTY Mon-Thurs: 8am-11pm, Fri-Sat: 8am-5pm, Sun: 2pm-8pm EST For those who qualify. 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CSLB# 1035795 DOPL #10783658-5501 License# 7656 License# 50145 License# 41354 License# 99338 License# 128344 License# 218294 WA UBI# 603 233 977 License# 2102212986 License# 2106212946 License# 2705132153A License# LEAFFNW822JZ License# WV056912 License# WC-29998-H17 Nassau HIC License# H01067000 Registration# 176447 Registration# HIC.0649905 Registration# C127229 Registration# C127230 Registration# 366920918 Registration# PC6475 Registration# IR731804 Registration# 13VH09953900 Registration# PA069383 Suff olk HIC License# 52229-H License# 2705169445 License# 262000022 License# 262000403 License# 0086990 Registration# H-19114 ^ PORTLAND (AP) — A federal judge has certified a class-action lawsuit in Oregon over state leaders’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic in- side its prisons. A group of adults in custody who contracted COVID-19 first sued the state in April 2020, alleg- ing culpability by Gov. Kate Brown, Corrections Depart- ment Director Colette Peters and Health Authority Di- rector Patrick Allen, among other state officials. The law- suit acknowledges Correc- tions has taken some mea- sures but argues they have not been enough. “This really is quite a groundbreaking order, and decision, and it could poten- tially be a model for advocates in other parts of the country where they’re having similar problems,” Corene Kendrick, deputy director of the Amer- ican Civil Liberty Union’s National Prison Project, told Oregon Public Broadcasting this week. In Oregon, 45 people in the Department of Correc- tions custody have so far died after testing positive for COVID-19, and more than 5,000 people have tested positive for the virus while in custody. Magistrate Judge Stacie to buy homes, or there’s just no homes built,” Merkley said. “There’s no easy solution. We need to provide a lot of sup- port for rural housing.” Build Back Better Noting the omnibus in- frastructure spending plan approved by the Senate, the Build Back Better act, Merk- ley said he is fighting to get projects approved in rural ar- eas of the state. “The question is how many applications can we get in,” he said. “I’m going to fight to get those applications funded, and we’re hoping there will be projects throughout rural Or- egon as a result of the infra- structure bill.” Beckerman signed off on a wrongful death class that will include the estates of 45 adults who died in the state’s custody and “for whom COVID-19 caused or con- tributed to their death.” The other is a damages class that would include anyone in- carcerated after Feb. 1, 2020, who was diagnosed with COVID-19 at least 14 days af- ter they were incarcerated. The state could appeal Beckerman’s ruling, settle, or take the cases to trial. Spokes- persons for the governor’s office, the Oregon Depart- ment of Corrections and the state’s Department of Justice declined to comment on the pending litigation. Attorneys bringing the lawsuit have already used it to secure vaccines for adults in custody in February 2021 before vaccines were widely available. In her ruling, Beckerman said she found the theory of the case was sufficient to cer- tify classes. Other questions, she wrote, could only be an- swered by a jury, should the cases go to trial. For example, Beckerman did not answer whether the state acted with deliberate indifference, or whether that indifference was the reason thousands were sickened with COVID-19. Your guide to arts and entertainment around Eastern Oregon Read more at GOEASTERNOREGON.COM One solution for oxygen at home, away, and for travel Introducing the INOGEN ONE – It’s oxygen therapy on your terms No more tanks to refi ll. No more deliveries. No more hassles with travel. 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