The ;jzctt' Times, Heppner Oregon, Thursday, August 31, 1978 NINE
Public opinion sought on
Environmental statement riot broad
so
esigna
R
Id
OOIi
Cont. from page J
After the period for public
input ends Oct, 1, the Forest
Service will analyze'the com
ments and prepare its recom
mendations. The final envi
ronmental impact statement
will be issued by January, 1979
and will propose the roadless
area for inclusion in one of the
three classifications listed
above.
In making comment to the
Forest Service, it is important
to read the Draft Environmen
tal Statement (DES), the state
and area supplement and
map. When referring to an
area, the appropriate number
must be used for identification
of the area and comments
should pertain to 1) individual
roadless area, 2) approaches
for developing a decision, 3)
criteria to be used for develop
ing a proposed course of
action plus any other com
ments or information you feel
would be helpful to the Forest
Service.
Following is a brief descrip
tion of each of the roadless
areas in the Heppner Unit of
the Umatilla National Forest,
including information about
wildlife, resouces and acre
age. The number follow
ing the name of the area is
that used by the Forest
Service in the DES.
TEXAS BUTTE-06258
An area covering 14,039
acres, Texas Butte is the
largest undeveloped area in
the Heppner Unit. It is
estimated to have 266 million
feet of timber with fir stands
on the north slopes and high
quality pine and other species
Logging, big game can
co-exist in Rare H areas,
industry reps say
Calling for a non-wilderness
designaton for each of the six
RARE II areas in the Heppner
Unit, industry believes that a
land management plan can be
developed that will allow
select logging and still pre
serve big game habitat.
"Industry has and continues
to support the wilderness
program," said Allen Nistad,
General Manager of Kinzua
Corporation in Heppner. But
Nistad points out that "half of
the area's timber supply is
threatened with the wilder
ness designation proposals."
Based on Forest Service
timber volume figures, if all
six RARE II areas in the '
Heppner Unit were classified
wilderness, it would result in a
possible loss of 204 jobs; an
annual loss of 9 million board
feet of timber.
Nistad points out further
economic loss to the commu
nity if the areas receive
wilderness designation, as
Morrow County receipts from
timber sales could be cut in
half. The county received
about $350,000 as its 25 percent
share of timber receipts from .
national forest lands in 1977
and Nistad projects that
receipts could reach one-million
dollars annually because
of the projected increase in
stumpage prices.
Mountain Pine Beetle infes
tation in the Blue Mountains
worries the lumber industry
and conservationists alike and
most fall behind the theory
that only select cutting of
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on the south slopes. The area
has an annual programmed
harvest of 4.2 million board
feet providing 95 jobs annual
ly. A major Rocky Mt. Elk
summer range, over 1,000
animals use the area for
solitude, breeding, feeding,
resting and rearing their
young. A watershed for Upper
Rhea Creek, the area also
drains into Wall and Skookum
,ir.i-BiHiii.rnwT-ii.niiiiiiiinii.irs
infested areas will stop the
beetle.
Kelly Prarie, Texas Butte,
Potamus and Skookum are
infested with the pine beetle
that is destroying a large
amount of lodgepole pine and
showing up with frequency in
old-growth ponderosa pine
stands.
"We've adapted our logging
practices to move our. loggers
to wherever the infestation
occurs," said Nistad.
With Kinzua Corporation's
new $5-million' sawmill in
Heppner starting operations
this week, the company will be
able to utilize the small,
beetle-infested logs in its
operation rather than let the
timber lay wasted and further
spreading the beetle.
Nistad feels the area and its
people can best be served with
a non-wilderness rating for
each of the RARE II areas,
putting them into the Heppner
Unit land management plan.
"In this way, local input
from professional resource
people such as Fish & Wildlife
agents, hydrologists, soils spe
cialists and others would
provide protection of all the
associated resources," said
Nistad.'
He draws an example from
the 554 million feet of timber
on the six areas under review:
Democrat For State Rep.
WATER
POLICY
"Developing agricultural
water resources must have
top priority and CHUCK
BENNETT will fight for
local control over water
policy and full develop
ment of the Columbia
River's irrigation potential."
t .. 1 II ilk v n 1
foci ll Pril
needs."
CHUCK BENNETT WILL BE IN SOUTHERN MORROW COUNTY
SEPT. 7-14 HE'LL BE KNOCKING ON YOUR DOOR. ' "
Paid Advtaml. Morrow County Neighbors For Chuck Bennett,
Dit. 55 Reo ,
Mtltq Sweeney Ch
creeks where minor steelhead
and trout fisheries are loca
ted. The old growth forest also
provides habitiat for numer
ous wildlife species including
the great grey owl, pileated
woodpecker, goshawk, Cooper
hawk, bear, cougar, and
others.
KELLY PRAIR1E-0C257
A 9,500 acre tract containing
146 million feet of timber
"If the lands were in full
timber production, the allow
able cut could be projected at
22.16 million feet annually.
"However, the Forest Ser
vice computes an annual
harvest of 9-million feet an
nually from these lands. The
difference can be accounted
for by removing from timber
production the thickets needed
for wildlife habitat, stream
bank protection, scenic road
easements, soil concerns and
unique areas."
"Each of the areas have
been subjected to intensive
study to determine whether or
not they meet the criteria for
wilderness or non-wilderness
classification," said Nistad,
"using the ratings established
by the Forest Service along
with industry rating systems
we recommend all six areas
for non-wilderness classifica
tion." i
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MUSIC BY
PAPPY & HIS
FENDER BENDERS
f i-. . i i o r i o I
v-uumry vvesiern kock oupper oervea
believes a legislator should
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EOT
Dist. 55
BIG -
GOVERNMENT
"Solutions to society's var
ious needs must be found
outside government. Per
sonal and cooperative ac
tion by citizens must be
encouraged. Government
must again become the tool
of last, not first, choice in
meeting community
rmn
volume with an annual har
vest of 2.5 million board feet
providing 57 jobs annually.
Kelly Prairie is very similar
to Texas Butte in wildlife
values, as elk summer range
and watershed for Wilson and
Potamus creeks. The area in
the north is predominately
lodgepole pine with ponderosa
located in the southern half.
Mountain pine beetle infesta
tion is heavy and industry
feels it may reach epidemic
proportions. The area is the
largest prairie in the area
about 400 acres and is used
heavily by elk and deer for
calving and rearing the young.
SKOOKUM O6270
Containing 11.229 acres of
land, Skookum is estimated to
have an annual timber har
vest of 400,000 board feet
providing about nine jobs
annually, the area serves as
important winter range for
both elk and deer and is one of
the last remaining natural
areas for that uS Pine beetle
infestation is heavy.
POTAMUS-6269
Potamus is comprised of
5,197 acres with about 24.5
million feet of timber volume
with an annual harvest of
about 400,000 board feet provi
ding nine jobs annually. The
area is comprised of steep
canyons and stringers of
timber used by elk and deer
for winter range with excel
lent forage. High quality
ponderosa pine and old growth
fir line the canyon bottoms
and draws. Pine beetle infes
tation is moderately high.
BALONEY BASIN 06561
A tract containing 4,849
acres of land and about 16
million feet of timber volume.
Annual harvest from Baloney
Basin is estimated at 200,000
board feet annually, providing
for four jobs. Some old growth
timber of not particularly high
quality, the area is winter
range for elk and deer, again
with excellent forage. ,.
HELL'S HALF ACRE-06268
Located at the headwaters
of Willow Creek, southeast of
Cutsforth Park, Hell's Half
Acre is comprised of 2,975
acres. The area has an annual
programmed harvest of 1.3
million board feet and pro-,
vides about 29 jobs annually.
Industry has classifed the
area as a high timber produc
tion unit, and, at the same
time is considered an ideal
natural setting for recreation
ists. The area has a high value
as watershed for a sizeable
drainage and the area also
contains a large amount of
unique geological features
such as fossils, Indian artifacts.
RUBBER
STAMPS
676-9228
Yr V)
-- - -
fur jrw-a-a -T"
Conservationists and propo
1 nents of a wilderness classifi
cation lor all or p;irt of the six
RARE II areas in the Heppner
Unit feel the Draft Environ
mental Statement (DES) re
leased by the Forest Service in
June, doesn't tell the whole
story.
Glen Ward, Oregon Depart
ment of Fish and Wildlife
Biologist, stated, "The RARE
II DES appears to be biased
and slanted towards total
resource development" and
points out what he considers to
be glaring ommissions.
"In the Oregon DES the
'Evaluation of Predominant
and Significant Recreation
Use Patterns' was completely
left out of the section dealing
with Morrow, Umatilla, Union
and Wheeler counties, even
though deer and elk hunter
expenditures amounts to SI,
$1,398,000 in the Heppner
Wildlife Management Unit
alone," said Ward, "These
values were not included as an
annual economical asset to the
area in the report so that these
values may be weighed with
development values."
Ward points out that no
economic values were given
for watershed areas; trout
and steelhead habitat and
production; grazing values
for deer and elk and recrea
tion. "Locally, RARE II alterna
tives that include low timber
producing areas into wilder
ness classification have been
rated low in the Wilderness
i fedd
1
Attribute Rating System and
consequently do not meet the
wilderness criteria deter
mined by the U.S. Forest
Service," said Ward.
"The- RARE II process
divides industry, livestock
growers, recreationists and
conservationists because of
the extreme alternatives pre
sented in the Draft Environ
mental Statement," said
Ward.
Ward doesn't think that
enough public input will be
received from private citizens
to result in a wilderness
classification lor any of the
areas in the Heppner Unit.
Ward feels that choices for
selecting some wilderness
designation are extreme and
the average citizen, uncon
cerned with resource develop
ment will find difficult to
consider any wilderness alter
natives. "If the alternatives can be
selected to be compatible with
1' al needs, then the RARE II
process will be beneficial for
most of the people living in the
vicinity of those public lands,"
said Ward.
Beryl Stillman of Heppner,
Project Manager for the Elk
Foundation Association,
agrees, "Portions of the Draft
Environmental Statement
weighing values of develop
ment are biased and slanted."
"Our local undeveloped
areas are quite small but they
have many values which we
cannot merely throw away to
be completely developed,
rum i i i i
VI XI T f- lift J
Aug. 31
i7n LL fJ
676-9157 Oft
roaded or logged," said Still
man. Conservationists agree that
if habitat is maintained for the
Rocky Mountain Elk, other
unique forms of flora and
fauna will survive too, and
Stillman maintains that unless
roadless, undeveloped areas
are preserved the elk popula
tion and hunting benefits could
diminish.
Five of the six areas Texas
Butte, Kelly Prairie, Skoo
kum, Potamus and Baloney
Basin are important elk win
ter and summer ranges.
Stillman says that elk have
shown time and again the need
for solitude and escape from '
human encroachment.
"The old growth timber in
these areas provide thermal
cover for the elk, much needed
in both winter and summer
ranges," said Stillman, "and
once it is gone you'll never see
the big trees again."
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Logging and development
also erodes special ground
cover, thickets and scrub
trees that wildlife use for
cover and feeding, according
to Stillman.
Ward and Stillman agree
that the area has reached its
peak in elk production with
current land management
practices. The Heppner Unit
herd totals about 3,000 ani
mals in the spring with a fall
population of about 3,800. The
conservationists are con
cerned that unless some of the
old growth timber and heavy
ground cover are left, the elk
population or hunting permits
would decline.
"Based on the scope of the
logging since 1972, input on
wildlife has been lacking,"
said Ward, "and we'll ask for
more emphasis on wildlife
preservation and road closures."
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