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About The Columbia press. (Astoria, Or.) 1949-current | View Entire Issue (April 6, 2018)
T he C olumbia P ress 1 50 ¢ C latsop C ounty ’ s I ndependent W eekly n eWspaper April 6, 2018 503-861-3331 Vol. 2, Issue 14 The cost of closing commercial fisheries New rockfish season provides opportunity Oregon fishermen have more opportuni- ties to catch rockfish, or groundfish, following NOAA Fisheries’ ap- proval of a new ocean fishery that uses selec- tive gear to target plen- tiful species off Oregon while avoiding over- fished species. NOAA Fisheries this week announced a final rule authorizing a new Oregon recreational fishery for groundfish, such as yellowtail and widow rockfish, at mid- water depths greater than 40 fathoms. Recreational fishing for rockfish off Ore- gon generates more than $14 million for the state’s economy annually and has been the largest recreation- al ocean fishery in the Fishermen lost jobs and as much as $9 million Closure of the com- mercial ocean salmon troll fishery last year cost an estimated $5.8 million to $9 million in lost income for fish- ermen, with the loss of 200 to 330 jobs. That’s according to a new model that de- termines the cost of John Holloway/National Fishing Alliance closures based on the Above: A fisherman using a line with a long leader choices fishermen make. pulls in a yellowtail rockfish off the Oregon Coast. Scientists hope the model, described for Below: Many commercial fishing boats remained at the dock last year with the closure of the ocean salm- the first time this week in the scientific journal on troll fishery. Marine Policy, will help policy makers antici- pate the economic toll of fisheries closures. Such foresight may be especially useful as conditions off the West Coast grow increasing- ly variable, leading to See ‘Rockfish’ on Page 4 Stories courtesy Northwest Fisheries Science Center and NOAA See ‘Closures’ on Page 4 Wendy’s flagship restaurant in Dublin, Ohio. Warrenton could get area’s first Wendy’s The Columbia Press A Wendy’s fast-food restaurant could be on its way to Warrenton. A representative of the company submitted plans to the city this week for a 2,400-square- foot restaurant in the Warrenton Highlands shopping center across from Home Depot. Plans submitted by Baysinger Partners Ar- chitecture in Portland include a drive-through window, 11 tables inside the restaurant and several more on a patio. At its busiest times, the restaurant could do up to 170 transactions per hour. The proposed Wendy’s location was in the plans for Warrenton Highlands as a spot for a drive-through restaurant when the 52,000-square-feet shopping center opened in late 2011. It is just under half an acre and zoned general commercial. The Highway 101/Ensign Lane intersection is the busiest in the city. Baysinger has asked for a pre-application See ‘Wendy’s’ on Page 6 Airport land a perfect fit for eco-business park B y C indy y ingst The Columbia Press What better place to study the ef- fects of tides and wetlands than in the thick of them? The Port of Astoria’s business park -- a concept devised long ago yet still an empty field – could be- come home to a Center for Envi- ronmental Studies. “One of the biggest things we face in our area is navigating the balance of living in a sensitive eco- logical area with our economic re- straints,” said Jim Knight, execu- tive director of the Port of Astoria. The port’s land adjacent to the airport could fit the bill. It’s been vacant for years and garnering no interest from devel- opers, perhaps because it’s in a sensitive area that could be affect- ed by tsunamis, wind, tides and wetlands. Not to mention Federal Aviation Administration restrictions. Enter the USDA’s Rural Develop- ment Business Grant program. The program targets anything that would promote small and emerging companies employing 50 or fewer employees making $1 mil- lion in gross revenue or less. Dead- line to apply is April 30. Grants range from $10,000 to $500,000. Cattle graze in the field behind the Airport Indus- Kevin Cronin, who was hired by trial Park sign across from the U.S. Coast Guard See ‘Eco park’ on Page 5 station.