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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 24, 2016)
The COWKIDS RUSTLE UP FUN – PAGE 9 Blue Mountain EAGLE Grant County’s newspaper since 1868 W EDNESDAY , A UGUST 24, 2016 • N O . 33 • 16 P AGES • $1.00 www.MyEagleNews.com Solar eclipse countdown begins Preparing for ‘the most observed astronomical event in human history’ By Angel Carpenter Blue Mountain Eagle The Eagle/Angel Carpenter Darlene Yan, program coordinator for Multiverse, speaks to a Grant County audience in Canyon City about next year’s solar eclipse. Rail Fire expands to 32,170 acres After seeing his fi rst total solar eclipse in Scotland in 1999, Mark Bender has traveled the globe to see the “mind-blow- ing” astronomical event. Rainy weather with visibility like “pea soup” almost prevented the photog- rapher and fi lmmaker from witnessing a life-changing event, he said, but just before the moon passed between the sun and the Earth, casting a shadow that turns daytime to darkness, the clouds parted. “Because of all the water in the atmo- sphere, it not only had the corona, but the corona had all these little rainbows shooting off it — it completely changed my life,” he said. “I needed to see more of that action.” Since then, he has traveled to Africa, Indonesia and near the North Pole chas- ing eclipses. A little less than a year from now, on Aug. 21, 2017, the rare “totality” — when the moon completely covers the sun — may bring people from around the world to Grant County. Not only will the eclipse travel right over the rural county, the lack of lighting compared to urban ar- eas will enhance the viewing experience when the sun goes dark. In Oregon, the last total solar eclipse was almost 100 years ago, and the last one to pass over the continental United States was 37 years ago. This eclipse will travel coast to coast in the United States, in a line, from Newport, Oregon, to Charleston, South Carolina. Bender said many people will travel to see the once- in-a-lifetime event. “There will probably be 10 million people who want to come into the path — the whole path — and that’s a small estimation,” he said. “It’s unparalleled. ... This will be the most observed astronom- ical event in human history.” See ECLIPSE, Page A3 NOTHING EASY ABOUT EASEMENTS Firefighters have blaze 40-percent contained, but it’s still growing By Rylan Boggs Blue Mountain Eagle Firefi ghters have contained more of the Rail Fire near Unity, but it continues to grow. The fi re now encompasses 32,170 acres and is 40-percent contained, according to a Tues- day update from the management team. As a precaution, County Judge Scott Myers said a level one pre-evacuation notice has been is- sued for Summit Rock, Elk Creek Campground and Hunter’s Camp Area. Level one means residents and visitors to the area should be ready to leave if conditions wors- en. The areas under advisory are 2 to 3 miles southwest of the Rail fi re, Meyers said. The area ex- tends from Summit Prairie Road east to the Grant County line and south from the Grant County line 3 miles to Tub Springs. Windy conditions fanned the fi re Monday night, testing con- tainment lines, but fi refi ghters were able to extinguish small spot fi res, the management team re- ported. Cooler temperatures, high- er humidity levels and air support have helped fi refi ghters along the fi res southeast fl ank. Mop-up operations are the primary concern on the western, northern and eastern edges of the Eagle photos/Sean Hart Roger Ediger describes his difficulty with easements at his Mt. Vernon ranch with McClellan Mountain in the background. Easement acres by holder ... (More than 24 million U.S. acres have been placed in easements.) Unknown holder: 551,061 or 2.2% Jointly held: 1 million or 4.1% Local government: 1.1 million or 4.4% Federal: 5.3 million or 21.5% Other*: 191,491 or 0.8% By Mateusz Perkowski Non-governmental organization: 10.3 million or 42% (As of July) *Includes regional agency, private holder and Native American. State: 6.1 million or 24.9% See FIRE, Page A16 Other*: 342,216 or 1.4% Ranch: 795,813 or 3.2% Other open space: 1.4 million or 5.8% Farm: 1.7 million or 6.8% Forest: 2.1 million or 8.6% Unknown: 8.1 million or 32.9% Source: National Conservation Easement Database Anxiety surrounds conservation agreements and making them work ... And by category Environmental system: 10.1 million or 41.2% EO Media Group R ancher Roger Ediger has no problem giving up the ability to subdivide his nearly 2,700-acre property near Mount Vernon. Development is the biggest threat to ag- riculture, wildlife and open space, Ediger believes, which is why he decided to place a conservation easement on the land that will preserve its current condition in perpetuity. “If we don’t look farther than our own lifespan, then we’ll have nothing,” he said. However, Ediger still faces a dilemma. He is reluctant to have an environmental- ly oriented land trust or similar entity impose conditions on how he operates the ranch in exchange for “holding” the easement. Since no third party holds the easement, though, it’s possible that a future landowner will simply ignore the prohibition against de- velopment if nobody’s there to enforce it. “An easement is only as good as it is en- forceable,” said Mike Running, executive di- rector of the Coalition of Oregon Land Trusts. A microcosm Ediger’s situation is a microcosm of the anxiety surrounding conservation easements in the agricultural community. Some farmers want to extinguish devel- opment rights to protect the landscape while reducing property values to cut inheritance taxes, but they’re worried about someone forever looking over their shoulder. “I have no desire to be micro-managed. I have no desire at all,” said Ediger, who hopes that Grant Soil and Water Conservation Dis- trict will ultimately agree to hold his easement. *Includes recreation, education and historical preservation. NOTE: Sums may not equal 100 due to rounding. Alan Kenaga/Capital Press “ If someone comes around with the right amount of money, they can keep you tied up in court until you holler uncle.” Roger Ediger Mt. Vernon rancher Roger Ediger’s cows graze on his Mt. Vernon ranch. See ANXIETY, Page A16