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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 25, 2015)
SHARP SHOOTERS Lady Pros advance to Round 1 – PAGE A10 Grant County’s newspaper since 1868 W EDNESDAY , F EBRUARY 25, 2015 • N O . 8 • 18 P AGES Contributed Tanni Wenger • $1.00 www.MyEagleNews.com Revising the revision Battle looms over Zone 1 lands &RXQW\3DUWQHUVH\HZD\VWRFUDIWEHWWHUSODQ 3UHVHQWLQJ KLV SURSRVDO WR WKH County Court Feb. 18, Britton said WKH WZR ORFDO FROODERUDWLYH JURXSV ± CANYON CITY – Grant County the Forest Partners and the Harney Commissioner Boyd Britton wants County Collaborative – would be the Blue Mountains Forest Partners uniquely suited to the task. WRVWHSLQDQGZULWHDQHZZRUNDEOH He noted they already have in- alternative for the ongoing regional volved stakeholders from the com- IRUHVWSODQUHYLVLRQ munity, industry, county government %XWZKLOHWKH)RUHVW6HUYLFH¶VSUR and the conservation community to SRVHGUHYLVLRQZRXOGFRYHUWKUHHQD ¿QGDJUHHPHQWRQSURMHFWVWKDWEHQH tional forests, Britton’s idea is to draft ¿WWKHIRUHVWDQGWKHHFRQRP\ DQDOWHUQDWLYHWKDWDSSOLHVMXVWWRWKH ,Q D ZULWWHQ SURSRVDO WR &RXQW\ Malheur National Forest. Judge Scott Myers and Commission- By Scotta Callister Blue Mountain Eagle er Chris Labhart, Britton called the FROODERUDWLYH SURFHVV ³DUJXDEO\ WKH most effective method of dealing with and working with our federal land PDQDJHPHQWSDUWQHUVWRGDWH´ Britton said the Forest Service’s SURSRVHGIRUHVWSODQUHYLVLRQ³ZDVD wreck to begin with,” as it was devel- RSHGRYHUPRUHWKDQDGHFDGHZKLOH key elements changed. 8QYHLOHG WR WKH SXEOLF LQ HDUO\ WKH SURSRVHG UHYLVLRQ GUHZ See PLAN, Page A9 Boyd Britton Ranchers say ODF must take new approach By Scotta Callister Three standouts honored for service The Eagle/Angel Carpenter American Legion Auxiliary ladies JoAnn Johnson, left, Evelyn Ogilvie and Ruth Harris were honored Feb. 16 for their many years of service through the organization. Event notes their teamwork, contributions Blue Mountain Eagle JOHN DAY – A Feb. 16 “Sweet- hearts’ Dinner” honored a trio of sweethearts known for long service to their community. Held at the Legion Hall in John Day, the event honored JoAnn John- son, Evelyn Ogilvie and Ruth Harris, longtime members of the Ellis Tracy Post and Unit of the American Legion and Auxiliary. Johnson has been an auxiliary member the longest, joining in 1946. Her son, Larry, told of her devotion to her family and her work on many DX[LOLDU\SURMHFWV Mrs. Ogilvie’s daughter Tam- P\ 2JLOYLH GLVSOD\HG WKH PDQ\ SLQV her mother received in her years serving on the local, district, state and national levels since joining in 1950. She served many years as local DX[LOLDU\SUHVLGHQW Joyce Nodine noted the teamwork that has characterized the efforts of WKHWKUHHZRPHQDQGSUHVHQWHGHDFK one with a Portland Trail Blazer hat as members of the “team.” Auxiliary member Jessie Lewis DQG&RPPDQGHU$UW3HUHLUDSUHVHQW HG FHUWL¿FDWHV RI DSSUHFLDWLRQ WR WKH honorees. 0XVLFZDVSUHVHQWHGE\&DWK\$O tnow, who sang the national anthem and the song “United We Stand,” written by Harris. The Rev. Al Altnow gave the invo- cation and benediction. The Big Mosquito Project takes shape that include logging, thin- QLQJ ULSDULDQ HQKDQFHPHQWV Blue Mountain Eagle Grant County Court meeting. DQGKDELWDWLPSURYHPHQWV 7KH )HE SUHVHQWDWLRQ Blue Mountain Ranger CANYON CITY – Forest was the latest of several set to District Ranger Dave Hale- 6HUYLFHRI¿FLDOVSURYLGHGPDSV GHWDLOWKHQH[WSURMHFWVLQWKH meier called Big Mosquito DQG DLUHG SODQV IRU WKH %LJ Malheur National Forest’s WKH ¿UVW EURDGEDVHG ZDWHU Mosquito Project at last week’s slate of restoration efforts shed-scale restoration effort Forest Service rolls out more work for MNF undertaken on the Malheur National Forest. 7KH SURMHFW DUHD VSDQV 36,000 acres around Galena on the Middle Fork of the John Day River. Blue Mountain Eagle CANYON CITY – A re- bellion is simmering over the so-called Zone 1 lands, as ru- ral landowners brace for an LQFUHDVHLQD¿UHSDWURODVVHVV ment that’s unique to Grant County. 7KH ODQGRZQHUV SD\ ¿UH SDWURODVVHVVPHQWV±LQHIIHFW taxes that are billed along ZLWKWKHLURWKHUSURSHUW\WD[HV ±WRWKH2UHJRQ'HSDUWPHQW RI )RUHVWU\ IRU SURWHFWLRQ RI WKHLUSULYDWHODQGV In Grant County alone, landowners are assessed not just for forest and range lands, EXW DOVR IRU WKH OHVV SURGXF WLYH EXW VWLOO ¿UHVXVFHSWLEOH ODQGVFODVVL¿HGDV=RQH This year, Grant Coun- W\ ODQGRZQHUV SDLG SHUDFUH rates of 169.45 cents for timber land, 76.51 cents for grazing land, and 30 cents for Zone 1. The Grant Coun- ty Court is scheduled to hear IURP 2') RI¿FLDOV 0DUFK RQDSURSRVHG=RQHUDWHLQ crease. Area ranchers this month DSSHDOHGWRWKH&RXUWWRFKDO lenge any rate hike, but also WR SUHVV 2') WR WDNH D PRUH SURDFWLYH DSSURDFK WR ¿UH management. Mark Webb, a Mt. Vernon area landowner and former county judge, told the Court last week the basis of the SUREOHP LV WKDW 2') ZLOO UH quest an assessment increase WR FRYHU WKH FRVW RI ¿UH¿JKW ing for those lands, but “we suggest the cost does not war- rant it.” Landowners say the Zone 1 money has in effect gone to off- VHW¿UH¿JKWLQJFRVWVHOVHZKHUH and to bolster the state agency’s budget – and that the situa- tion amounts to a tax on Grant County landowners unlike any- thing elsewhere in the state. 7KH VLWXDWLRQ KDV GHHS roots, dating back to the 1940s ZKHQ WKH VWDWH SURSRVHG WKH Zone 1 category to encour- DJH SURWHFWLRQ IRU DOO ODQGV and safeguard the timber and UDQJH DVVHWV E\ DGGLQJ SUR tection for the more marginal DGMDFHQWSULYDWHODQGV See LAND, Page A9 S TUDENT A RT See MNF, Page A9 Walden talks issues with MV crowd Blue Mountain Eagle MT. VERNON – Nearly 50 residents turned out last week for a Grant County town KDOO KHOG E\ 86 5HS *UHJ Walden (R-Hood River). The event, held Feb. 17 at the Mt. Vernon Community &HQWHU LQFOXGHG DQ XSGDWH on his efforts in Congress to grow Eastern Oregon’s econ- RP\ LQFOXGLQJ SURSRVDOV WR increase active management RQ QDWLRQDO IRUHVWV LPSURYH forest health and grow jobs in rural communities. Walden took questions on local and national issues, rang- LQJIURPSUREOHPVDW9HWHUDQV Administration to combating terrorist threats to curbing the national debt. :DOGHQVDLGKHDSSUHFLDWHG all those who turned out for the event, his 86th town hall in three years. “It’s another way to get feedback and hear about the Contributed photo LVVXHV DQG FRQFHUQV SHRSOH KDYH´KHVDLG³$WHDFKVWRS U.S. Rep. Greg Walden discusses federal spending at the town hall in Mt. Vernon last week. my ‘to do’ list grows.” ‘Zentangle art’ By Emilee Myers Fifth grade Teacher: Georgia Boethin Humbolt Elementary
