News
Blue Mountain Eagle
Re-vegetation project aims
to improve habitat, irrigation
By Rylan Boggs
Blue Mountain Eagle
The South Fork John Day
Watershed Council received
$114,279 from the Oregon
Watershed
Enhancement
Board for rapid riparian
re-vegetation of the Upper
South Fork John Day Riv-
er, according to a watershed
council press release.
The five-year project is lo-
cated along 4 miles of private
land on the Upper South Fork
John Day River, near Izee, and
is planned to begin in April
2017.
The primary objective of
the rapid riparian re-vegetation
planting approach is to achieve
canopy cover as quickly as
possible through the use of
woody plants and beaver dam
analogues. The project intends
to plant 2,300-2,500 plants/
acre and fight invasive vege-
tation that impede native plant
growth and regeneration.
The rapid riparian re-veg-
etation technique is regularly
Contributed photo
This stretch of the Upper South Fork John Day
River is scheduled for rapid riparian re-vegetation
after the South Fork John Day Watershed Council
received an Oregon Watershed Enhancement
Board grant.
used west of the Cascades in
wetter climates, according to
council coordinator Amy Stin-
er, but this will be the first time
the technique has been used in
the area.
The council is working
with ecologist Kendra Smith,
who is confident the technique
will work for this area.
“If it does work, we will
be able to vegetate all these
streams so much quicker and
make the water quality and
temperature so much better,”
Stiner said.
The project will also raise
the water table, allowing ir-
rigation fields to have water
longer into the summer.
Projects goals include im-
proving aquatic, terrestrial
riparian habitat, and wildlife
forage, by focusing on veg-
etation structure and species
diversity. Other desired out-
comes include the improve-
ment in water quality through
increased shade and buffering
of sediment and other pollut-
ants from entering the water
column, and improvement in
nutrient cycling.
“This project can add
powerful additional insight
in addressing re-vegetation
challenges in very dry con-
ditions,” Stiner said in an
email. “We view this project
as a thoughtful ‘experiment’
but based in a well-grounded
understanding of ecological
processes.”
Project partners include
the St. Clair Ranch, the IZ
Ranch LLC, Cascade Pacif-
ic RC&D, the Confederated
Tribes of the Warm Springs
Reservation of Oregon, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service’s
Partners For Fish and Wildlife
and consulting ecologist Ken-
dra Smith.
Electors cast votes for Clinton as party chairman objects to process
By Claire Withycombe
Capital Bureau
Oregon’s seven Electoral
College members cast their
votes Monday morning at
the Oregon State Capitol for
Democrat Hillary Clinton.
Frank J. Dixon, an elector
and chairman of the Demo-
cratic Party of Oregon, said
during Monday’s vote on
the Oregon Senate floor that
he spoke for all the electors
when he voiced objection to
the electoral process.
“I just want to, on behalf
of the entire elector group
here today, object to this pro-
cess to preserve the record to
allow further inquiry of the
electoral process given the
interference by the Russian
government in our election
process,” Dixon said.
Amid cheering from the
gallery, Atkins called public
attendees to order.
Dixon then added, “And
to preserve for the record our
objection, this process does
not honor the principle of
one person, one vote.”
Under the U.S. Constitu-
tion, the winner of the presi-
dential election is the candi-
date who wins the majority
of electoral votes, not the
winner of the popular vote.
Each state has a number of
electors that corresponds to
the number of members in
its Congressional delega-
tion, and it is those electors
who are chosen by the pop-
ular vote.
Generally, the winner of
the popular vote in any state is
awarded all of the state’s elec-
tors. All of Oregon’s seven
votes went to Clinton.
Groups gathered in state
capitols across the country
Monday to urge Republican
Party electors to not cast votes
for Donald J. Trump, who was
expected to win 306 of the
538 Electoral College votes,
but lost the popular vote Nov.
8 by about 2 million votes.
That effort was largely unsuc-
cessful, with only two Texas
electors bolting Trump. Four
electors in Washington and
four in the District of Colum-
bia pledged to Clinton voted
instead for other candidates.
Democrats and others on
the left have since criticized
the Electoral College system,
saying it undermines the prin-
ciple of one vote for each in-
dividual and that the system,
laid out by the U.S. Constitu-
tion, is antiquated.
In remarks before votes
were cast, Oregon Secretary
of State Jeanne Atkins said
this year’s election was “his-
toric” and that the election
process came under “unprec-
edented challenge and criti-
cism.”
“This has continued into
the post-election period,”
Atkins said. “The nation has
been roiled by a significantly
greater debate than usual over
the appropriateness of the
Electoral College process in
our modern age and over the
obligations of those chosen as
electors.”
Atkins voiced confidence
in the state’s voting system
and Oregon’s election results.
Dixon said after the cere-
mony that he and the party in-
tended to “get their foot in the
door” to preserve the possibil-
ity of further inquiry when it
came to possible Russian in-
terference in the election, and
to take a closer look at “legal
issues involved” in the 14th
Amendment’s Equal Protec-
tion clause.
“I’m not a Constitution-
al scholar,” Dixon said. “I
don’t know what the outcome
would be of any legal chal-
lenge, but it’s simply, if we
can preserve the record rather
than remaining silent, and just
say, state our objection, it may
be a way to allow further in-
quiry ... it’s nothing more than
that at this stage.”
Despite Trump’s likely
victory and the Democratic
Party of Oregon’s objections,
Dixon said that he hoped that
he and his fellow electors
were “preserving democracy”
by participating in the Elec-
toral College process.
Wednesday, December 21, 2016
A3
John Day residents
will see increase in
water, sewer bills
Council approves
agreements to
provide water,
sewer services
to Canyon City
By Rylan Boggs
Blue Mountain Eagle
John Day residents will
see small increases in their
water and sewer bills in
2017.
The John Day City
Council voted unanimously
to approve resolutions in-
creasing the cost of both ser-
vices by $1 each to combat
inflation and depreciation
of the infrastructure during
a Dec. 13 meeting. At pre-
vious meetings, councilors
discussed solutions to the
problem that the amount
currently charged is too low
for the city to qualify for
state grants, or even loans,
to make needed repairs or
improvements.
One of the resolutions
also contained an agreement
to establish a rate of $6 per
1,000 gallons of water pro-
vided to Canyon City.
At the meeting, John
Day City Manager Nick
Green said declining popu-
lation is one of the biggest
problems facing John Day
and surrounding cities. He
suggested the city research
utilizing unused water rights
and infrastructure to attract
growth. Green said the city
could “use water to attract
thirsty industries.” The
councilors reached a con-
sensus to begin researching
options.
The council also dis-
cussed partnering with
The Eagle/Rylan Boggs
Kent J. Bailey of Guyer
and Associates explains
the 2016 audit to the
John Day City Council
Tuesday, Dec. 13.
Oregon Solutions to work
towards a community-en-
hancing project. The part-
nership would include a
two-day meeting between
community leaders and Or-
egon Solutions to choose a
project benefiting the com-
munity. The cost of consul-
tation would be $9,800, a
cost which Green proposed
splitting between the city,
county and school district.
The council also:
• approved five-year in-
teragency agreements to
provide water and sewage
treatment services to Can-
yon City.
• adopted a resolution
to authorize expenditure of
a FEMA assistance to fire-
fighters grant.
• accepted the 2016 au-
dit for the city of John Day
done by Guyer and Associ-
ates that showed no major
problems.
• approved a motion to
allow the city manager to
live outside of John Day city
limits.
A TTENTION G RANT C OUNTY V ETERANS :
Debbie Ausmus
245 South Canyon Blvd.
John Day, OR 97845
OPEN WED. & THUR.
9 am - 5 pm
541-575-1113
24 hrs/7 days wk
Did you know Grant County
Veterans Services Officer is available
to assist YOU in applying for all VA
benefits you may be entitled to?
See your Grant County Veteran Services
Officer today for more information,
located at Grant County Court House.
Open: Mon, Wed, & Fri 10 am - 4 pm,
by appointment.
Call 541-575-1631
debbie.ausmus@
countryfinancial.com
There’s No Place Like Home
For The Holidays
331 W. Main, John Day
541-575-2710
1-800-575-2710
Fax 541-575-2610
www.RMLS.com
eastoregonrealestate.com
cbjohnday@centurytel.net
We’d like to deliver our sincere best wishes to your door
this holiday. May the season bring much happiness,
health and good fortune to you and your loved ones.
If you’re looking for a home for the holidays and
beyond, please keep us in mind. We’ve been
helping area residents find the perfect place to
call home for over 10 years.
Baker City
2830 10th St.
541-524-0122
Every other Monday
in John Day at
Blue Mountain
Hospital
170 Ford Rd.
541-575-1311
Amy Denman
Principal Broker
503-577-7029
Mike Moore
541-620-1645
Al Denman
503-709-0425
Fred Winegar
541-820-3589
05021
OPEN Tuesday thru Saturday 11am to 9pm • 541-575-1387 • 417 W. Main • John Day