State Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, March 30, 2016 A9 Oregon FFA convention offers students view to future By Eric Mortenson EO Media Group CORVALLIS — If the 1,400 students attending the Oregon FFA state convention had some questions about career prospects, Alexzandra “Alex” Murphy was offering some answers. Murphy teaches a new precision irrigated agricul- ture program at Blue Moun- tain Community College in Pendleton, and she said ag employers are clamoring to hire people trained in new technology. “People have been asking me for students,” she said while stationed at a college information booth. “There is a huge demand for workers. Everywhere I go, they say, ‘We want more good work- ers.’” Students with FFA ex- perience are particularly at- tractive to employers, she Shea Booster Alex Murphy said, because they’re already tuned into multiple facets of agriculture. And it hasn’t been dif¿cult recruiting stu- dents to study precision ag applications, Murphy added. “I don’t know too many kids who don’t get excited about technology,” she said with a laugh. “Turning off your (irrigation) pivot with a cell phone is awesome.” Blue Mountain Communi- ty College was among the ca- reer vendors participating in the convention, held March 18-21 at Oregon State Uni- versity. Students from Future Farmers of America chapters Hailee Patterson Liberty Greenlund across the state attended. Among many activities, they took part in public speaking and parliamentary procedure competitions, heard from guest speakers and had a lit- tle fun on the side, such as a session on western dancing. State of¿cers for 2016-1 were selected as well. They are: President Shea Boost- er, of Bend; Vice President Hailee Patterson, of Imbler; Secretary Liberty Greenlund, of Yamhill-Carlton; Treasur- er Raymond Seal, of Joseph; Reporter Zanden Unger, of Dallas; and Sentinel Bryson Price, of Sutherlin. Bryson Price Raymond Seal Zanden Unger While advisers such as Murphy of BMCC were avail- able to offer career advice, other convention speakers had something to say about life in general. Kelly Barnes, a motiva- tional speaker from Oklaho- ma, used a fast-paced pre- sentation to suggest students should examine their lives and make changes. Barnes, who grew up on family dairy and beef opera- tions, said he found his call- ing during an FFA leadership conference and now spends his time talking to corporate and educational groups. Kelly Barnes To the Oregon FFA stu- dents, Barnes listed three ar- eas for consideration. He asked them to realize they have ingrained habits or daily routines, things they do without thinking that may be wasting time or even holding them back. “When we do things a certain way, what happens when someone asks you to change?” he asked. “The an- swer is no.” Barnes said students should review what he called their “inputs,” the music, movies, books or organizations such as FFA that inÀuence their lives. While many students will say they don’t act badly because of coarse entertain- ment, for example, they will acknowledge that other inputs make them feel sad, happy, excited or inspired. “You put good things in, good things come out,” Barnes said. Last, Barnes talked about the “rule of ¿ve.” He asked students to think of their inter- actions with ¿ve friends. Of that group, he said, who is the smartest, has the most goals, makes the best decisions and is looked at as a leader. “The rule of ¿ve says you are the average of the ¿ve people you spend the most time with,” he said. “If you’re the smartest, who’s pushing you to be smarter? “Find people who are go- ing to push you,” Barnes con- cluded. “Surround yourself with people who are better than you.” Sharp disagreements mark path as Oregon begins wolf plan review By Eric Mortenson EO Media Group SALEM — Opposing sides in Oregon’s continuing wolf argument both believe some aspects of the state’s management plan should be reviewed by independent par- ties. Speaking March 18 to the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife Commission, conser- vationists repeated their view that an external scienti¿c re- view should have been done before the commission took wolves off the state endangered species list last November. Livestock, hunting and farming interests, meanwhile, suggested a third-party should make the call on whether live- stock attacks are listed as con- ¿rmed wolf depredation or only “probable,” which don’t count toward lethal control decisions. On just about every other aspect of wolves in Oregon, however, the two sides dis- agree. Panelists representing both sides were invited to meet with the ODFW Com- mission and stake out their positions as the state begins what is expected to be a nine- month review of the wolf management plan. The review begins as cattle and sheep producers, hunters and the Oregon Farm Bureau have scored a couple of key victories. First was the com- mission’s delisting decision Eric Mortenson/Capital Press Michael Finley, right, chair of the ODFW Commission, discusses wolf management with Rob Klavins, left, of Oregon Wild and Amaroq Weiss, second from left, of the Center for Biological Diversity. in November, and the Oregon Legislature followed that up by passing a bill that protects the decision from legal chal- lenge. Since then, the state’s annual wolf survey showed the state population grew 36 per- cent in 2015. Wildlife biologist Russ Morgan, ODFW’s wolf recovery manager, said the numbers represent a continuing success story as wolves expand in number and range. Panelists from Oregon Wild, Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife and Cas- cadia Wildlands repeated their view that delisting was prema- ture and not supported by inde- pendent scienti¿c review. Rep- resentatives said they oppose a state population cap or range limits on wolves. They also op- pose sport hunting of wolves, which some think could be an eventual result of delisting and plan revision. Amaroq Weiss, of the Cen- ter for Biological Diversity, said some Oregon actions un- dermine wolf protection. The Legislature passed a bill in- creasing the ¿nes for poaching, she said, but excused “uninten- tional take.” “The law provides an abso- lute defense for someone who shoots a wolf and claims he thought it was a coyote,” she said, noting the case of an Ore- gon hunter who was prosecuted for a 2015 incident. “The state is saying, claim it was an acci- dent and we’ll turn our back.” Rob Klavins, Northeast Or- egon ¿eld coordinator for Ore- gon Wild, said wolf poaching has increased, the delisting and legislative action was “unfair and unethical” and discussions Recognizing our Local Dentists on are marked by “renewed con- Àict and controversy” even as a majority of Oregonians favor wolf protections. “We’re skeptical, but we are here again,” he told the com- mission. The other side had points to make as well. Mary Anne Nash, an at- torney with the Oregon Farm Bureau, said conservationists’ complaints about transparency and scienti¿c review are “in the eye of the beholder.” “They mean their preferred outcomes, and their science,” she said. Dave Wiley, with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, said ODFW must protect Oregon’s deer and elk herds as wolf packs expand. Jim Akenson, conservation director for the Oregon Hunters Association, said it’s “wonder- ful” to restore wolves to the ecosystem, “But at some point there needs to be management. We’ve reached that point,” he said. Wallowa County rancher Todd Nash, head of the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association wolf task force, said ODFW has too high a bar for con¿rming wolf attacks and an outside party ought to do it instead. He and others also favor establishing geographic management zones in which wolves could be con- trolled on a more local basis. 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