The Gazette-Times. Heppner, Ore., Thursday, March 3. 1977 THREE
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Arctic Gas System
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Expansion of
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SEATTLE
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LOS ANGELES
BOSTON
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WASHINGTON, D.C.
COLUMBIA
TALLAHASSEE
Arctic Gas
Pipeline to
go through
Morrow County
Ross Woodward and Gary
McKinney of Pacific Gas
Transmission Company spoke
to the Heppner Chamber of
Commerce Monday on recent
developments concerning the
Arctic Gas Pipeline. The
proposed pipeline would bring
natural gas from Alaska into
the United States through
Canada with two legs at
Calgary.
One of the two legs would
move southwest through Mor
row County and parallel
existing transmission line in
the county. A second leg would
run to a point near Chicago.
In a slide presentation to the
Chamber, the men reported on
alternate proposals as well.
The Arctic Gas proposal is
now before the Federal Power
Commission with a ruling ex
pected about May 1. Thus, it
could reach Congress and the
President by September of
this year. With approval, the
major construction is geared
for completion in 1981 or 1982
delivery, it was reported.
Approval of this system,
backed by the largest study of
ecological impact ever con
ducted, would provide an all
land pipeline. In Morrow
County, the new pipeline
would be a substantial addi
tion to the tax base.
Pacific Gas Transmission
Company is one of the two
largest ad valorem taxpayers
in Morrow County, paying
$96,020.77 for 1975-1976 and
more in previous years.
The contention of Arctic Gas
is that the system they
propose will be faster, cheap
er and environmentally safer
than the nine alternative
transportation systems.
Arctic Gas is comprised of
about six Canadian companies
and about a dozen U.S.
companies, which together
are reported financially able
to finish the project and also
assure coordination between ,
the U.S. and Canada. f
Wildlife comes ; first at Umatilla Refuge
The meadow larks have been singing for a month. The does
are pregnant and when the ducks scatter they fly away in pairs.
Geoff Pampush, biological technician for the Umatilla
Wildlife Refuge, has begun to note these springtime events of
late. The residents of the refuge have long since begun their
yearly preparation.
All winter some 80,000 geese have been gathering in the
marshes and fields of the refuge. They migrate to neighboring
grain fields for daily meals. The Lesser Canada geese will soon be
leaving their wintering ground for northern temperatures. The
Great Basin "Honkers" will stay to raise their brood.
The main goal of the wildlife refuge system is for the
protection of its wildlife. Park visitor recreation is secondary to
the safe keeping of the animals that inhabit the 22,216 acres
bordering the Columbia River making up the refuge. The land,
located between Boardman and Irrigon primarily, was originally
purchased in 1965 under provision of the Fish and Wildlife
Coordination Act "of 1958.
Like the newborns soon to appear at the refuge the desert
ecology is equally fragile. Rough treatment of the land can take
several years for recovery.
i, "Some people don't seem to have as much respect for federal
land as private land," commented Pampush. Four wheel drive
vehicles and motorcycles are commonly run across the desert
lands. Continuous rough treatment uproots plants, destroys
animal burrows and nests and upsets the ecological balance of
everything in the path of the vehicles. Often the vegetation
never replaces itself and the affected area reverts to a sand blow.
"People are becoming more aware of non-consumptive
wildlife activity," said Pampush. Bird watching and nature
photography is increasing in interest, chiefly in the urban areas.
In comparison, rural populations are considerably more attracted
to the hunting aspects of wildlife involvement.
Umatilla refuge offers closed hunts, during respective
seasons, for people with that interest. By permit only, hunters
can occupy 32 waterfowl blinds located on McCormick Slough. ,
They may possibly be allowed, through permit, to participate in a
controlled hunt for the 150 deer roaming the refuge. That idea is
currently under consideration.
All animals on the refuge are under federal protection. The
only unprotected birds in the United States, also living on the
refuge, are the house sparrow and the starling. An estimated 100
swans are currently on the federal lands. A stiff fine is demanded
of anyone found shooting a swan. Two dozen snow geese have
Graces heading for Arabia
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(Continued from page 1)
allow American women to
wear short skirts and sleeve
less blouses. Moslem law still
dictates dress , along with
heavy penalties for narcotics,
liquor, pornography and
weapons. While these laws
'wouldn't seem to concern
Ray, they are strict enough to
require that he leave his
pocket knife at home. There
are also strict rules which
keep women off streets after
dark and prohibit women
i walking unless they are in a
group.
If not, Ray will have ex
perience in building a city
about one-third the size of
Heppner in the space of less
than two years.
The couple have promised
the Gazette-Times a report
now and then on daily life in
Saudi Arabia.
Injuries sustained in one car wreck
Both Ray and Nona have to
consider a much higher cost of
jiving, a change to the metric
system and another day to live
in. They will be living 11 hours .
ahead of Heppner.
'i
,: One advantage is that Eng
' lish is the second language of
Saudi Arabia.
; . When Nona departs, her
daughter, Marsha Matthew
son, will occupy their home.
While they have no firm plans
for the future, they at least
know they will have housing
when they return to Heppner.
Richard Lyle Cox, 27, Rt. 1,
Blackhorse Canyon, Lexing
ton, sustained neck and shoul
der injuries early Saturday
morning, Feb. 26, when the
vehicle he was driving skidded
Lexington
council
moved
. The Lexington City Council
will hold its Tuesday, Mar. 8,
meeting at the Morrow County
Grain Growers' building in
Lexington.
The change of meeting place
was forced due to a furnace
backfire which deposited soot
all over city hall.
The council will meet in the
conference room at the Grain
Growers' building nex,t week
to allow time for soot cleanup
to be completed.
on ice and overturned 4.5
miles west of Heppner on
Highway 74.
Deputy Steven J. Sigurdson,
Morrow County Sheriff's De
partment, said the 1974 Dodge
Charger was westbound when
it hit an icy spot on the
highway, causing loss of
control. The vehicle slid side
ways about 90 feet into an
embankment and turned on its
top to slide another 60 feet
before coming upright in the
westbound ditch.
Speed of the vehicle was
estimated at 60 miles per hour
from 160 feet of skid marks
prior to hitting the ice patch
developed from moisture from
a farm sprinkler irrigation
system, it was reported.
The accident occurred about
3 a.m. Saturday morning. Cox
was taken to Pioneer Memor
ial Hospital by his sister. He
remained hospitalized this
week for observation.
Engineer hired
Since loosing its city en
gineer two weeks ago Board
man has gone without until
this week.
Steven Anderson of Ander
son and Perry Engineering,
La Grande, has stepped into
the position as inspection
engineer for the city at a
kci.ipuiary rale. Andersons
services were accepted by the
Boardman City Council Tues
day night.
Anderson is willing to work
on an hourly rate of $27 per
hour for engineering and $16
per hour for inspections. The
city will draw up a monthly
rate at a later time.
also been counted this year.
Eagles, both golden and bald, are known occupants of the
desert refuge. Four dead birds were turned into the Umatilla
office by farmers last month. None had been deliberately killed.
One had been hit by a car and the other apparently electrocuted
by power lines.
In past years the main concentration of management has
been focused on deer, pheasant, duck and goose management.
That scope is being broadened now to include song birds and
amphibians.
Refuge management has gone into co-operative alliance with
Washington and Oregon farmers like Clarence Ferguson. For the
past seven years Ferguson has leased 25 per cent of his land to
the refuge. The crop is not harvested. It remains in the field used
by the animals for shelter and food. The refuge leases 1100 acres
of land for this use.
Though geese have been known to tear up half a farmer's
winter wheat crop due to their grazing nature, they are also
viewed as a dividend by some. "By cropping sprouting grain off
at the base it grows back twice as thick," explains Pampush.
Geese and ducks are managed through a banding system.
This time of year ducks are marked for post (hunting) season
banding. After hunting season cages are set up to capture the
ducks which swim in the funnel openings for food and can't find
their way out. This year the Columbia Basin has been asked to
band 2000 or the 250.000 mallard ducks on the refuge. The cages
are checked daily and will remain in use until the ducks have
moved out. "We're mostly interested in where they are going
from here," noted Pampush. Preseason banding takes place in
August or September depending on the duck concentration.
Geese banding is done in July when geese are molting and
flightless. They are either rounded up with boats or nets are shot
from cannons to capture them while they are feeding.
"There are not as many ducks on the refuge as there were 10
years ago," stated Pampush. To keep that same statement from
holding true for the many other plants and animals of the refuge
means raising environmental consciousness. Now there is a need
for a better understanding of the delicate habitat that for years
has been referred to as "just the desert."
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Meagan Towler of Irrigon holds duck for banding.