USFS announces
Blue Mountain
Land Exchange
proposal
Besaie SatzölL
U o f J f i 3 * a p a o 3 r Li j ;
E u s s n e , *JR >i74Ji5
VOL. 122
NO. 1
8 Pages
Wednesday, January 1,2003
Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
County Court discusses proposed ATV park
A t the M orrow C ounty
Court m eeting o f December 18,
Public W orks D irector Burke
O ’Brien and Office Specialist
Karen W olff presented the ATV
P ark g ra n t a p p lic a tio n an d
reported having received eight
letters o f support for the project
from surounding counties and
M o rro w C ou n ty b u sin e sse s.
Wolff explained the grant funding
and the appraisal o f the property.
O ’B rie n e x p la in e d th a t no
county funds will go into the
project, though some em ployee
tim e will be used. The C ourt
approved the all-terrain-vehicle
program grant application for the
Kinzua reload ATV park. W olff
announced a public m eeting
conference call with the State
Allocation Committee for Friday,
D ecem ber 20, for review o f the
application. The Court offered
Wolffhigh praise for her work on
the project and thanked both her
and O 'B rie n for w hat “has the
potential to be the best thing” the
county has done in the recent
past.
R e p re se n tin g th e O S U
Extension Service, Bill Broderick
and M ario M agana spoke to the
C ourt about the 4H O utreach
position in Boardman, funding for
which will be reduce to half-time
in th e c o m in g fis c a l y e a r.
B roderick asked the C ourt to
consider funding the other half o f
the position.
Andrei Rykov, o f the US Forest
Service, presented a new Title II
p ro je c t fo r M a tlo c k A sp e n
restoration in the Ukiah District.
The project - using lodge-pole
fences to provide protection from
browse dam age - would restore
historic distribution o f aspen,
prom ote recovery o f decaying
aspen stands, improve habitat for
a variety o f species, stabilize
stream banks, and provide shade
to w ater courses. T he C ourt
a p p ro v e d th e p r o je c t a t a
medium priority.
Public Works Director O ’Brien
offered the com m issioners the
report and recom m endations
fro m P B S e n v ir o n m e n ta l
consultants on the mold issue in
the basem ent o f the courthouse.
PBS recom mended the hiring o f
a contractor w ith experience in
m o ld
r e m e d ia tio n .
The
commissioners agreed.
O ’Brien reported the opening o f
Juniper Canyon Road to traffic
on D e c e m b e r 13, th o u g h
finishing work will continue. He
also reported the dow ning o f
trees and road signs, as well as
the blocking o f roads by tumble
weeds, resulting from the recent
high winds. The crew is cleaning
up and piling the trees for the time
being. C om m issioner Brosnan
suggested a tree-planting project
at Cuts forth Park because o f the
losses there.
O ’Brien said that the crew was
grading Turner, N ichols, and
C arlson Lanes and L ovgren,
M iller-C utsforth, Piper, Dale
B row n, and L ib e rty S ch o o l
Roads. He discussed with the
Court a single bid received for a
used paver and will review it
before the next court meeting.
O ther actions o f the Court:
- approval o f the diesel, gas, and
antifreeze contracts;
- approval o f no -sp ray zone
permits to Michael Wetherall and
to the Burroughs Ranch;
- approval o f a perm it - after
f u r th e r
d is c u s s io n
and
c la r if ic a tio n - w ith T u rn e r
R anches to install a w ater line
along Sandhollow Road;
- a p p ro v a l o f p u rc h a s in g a
replacem ent com puter for the
undersheriff and two computers
in the 911 center;
- approval o f the plat for the
Donovan M eadows Subdivision
in Boardman;
- a p p ro v a l o f e x te n d in g the
B a k e r-M o rro w P a rtn e rsh ip /
G E O D C contract to June 30,
2003, with additional funding;
- approval o f a grant from the
D e p a rtm e n t o f A v ia tio n for
h a n g a r reco n stru c tio n at the
Lexington airport.
MCSO sponsors a Heppner
this description before co d e
City Clean-up enforcem
ent action is taken.
C ity
o f H eppner
residence are being offered the
opportunity to get rid o f their
abandoned vehicles, Jan. 18-19,
betw een 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.
City O rdinance 472 4-
5-88 defines abandoned vehicles
as “ a b a n d o n ed , w reck ed ,
dismantled, partially dismantled,
inoperative or junked vehicles.”
This is an opportunity to clean up
your property o f vehicles that fit
V e h ic le s s h o u ld be
brought to the H eppner C ity
Yard, located next to Jay Coil
Fabrication. You will need to
bring the title or bill o f sale for
the vehicle. M orrow C ounty
Sheriffs will take the vehicle at no
cost to the owner.
Any questions should be
directed to Senior Deputy Randy
Rayburn, at the M orrow County
Sheriffs Office, Monday through
Thursday, at 676-5317.
Fiddlers plan beverage can drive
The local Shenanigans
fiddle group is having a can drive
to help earn m oney to fund a
music trip to Ireland. They will
be covering as much o f the town
o f H e p p n e r as p o s s ib le on
Friday, Jan. 3 from 1 -3 p.m. to
pick up empty beverage cans.
The group will start with
G ale, Court, C hase and Rock
Streets, and the area by the high
school. You can leave bags or
boxes o f cans out for them to
pick-up, or drop them o f f at
group m em ber M att H olland's
h o u s e a t 2 4 0 S. C a s e S t.,
H e p p n e r. In lo n e, th e y are
collecting cans at K ara C la y ’s
hom e at 330 E. Main.
If you w ant your cans
picked up from any location you
m ay call M att H olland at 676-
5067.
ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEMENT DEADLINE:
MONDAYS AT 5:00 P.M.
Local boy wins Devin Oil’s Christmas
Stocking
T he F orest S ervice is
b e g in n in g to c o n s id e r an
exchange o f lands whereby non-
tederal in holdings, private lands
located w ithin N ational Forest
b o u n d a rie s , w o u ld b e c o m e
N ational Forest System lands
and move the Malheur, Umatilla,
and Wallowa-Whitman National
Forests tow ard land ow nership
patterns idenntified in their Forest
Plans.
The project, called the
Blue M ountain Land Exchange
involves lands w ithin Baker,
Grant, Morrow, Umatilla, Union,
Wallowa, and Wheeler Counties.
The proposal will consider the
e x c h a n g e o f a p p ro x im a te ly
20,600 acres o f federal lands in
the three N ational Forests for
approxim ately 37,000 acres o f
non-federal lands, according to
Linda Vore, Lands Specialist on
the W allowa-W hitman National
Forest. The exchange w ill be
com pleted on the basis o f equal
v a lu e s , n o t e q u a l a c re s , as
d e te r m in e d b y re a l e s ta te
appraisals.
The proposed exchange
responds to a Forest S ervice
objective o f consolidating federal
land ow nership patterns in the
three N atio n al F orests. T his
consolidation w ould enhance
land m anagers’ ability to protect
habitat for several threatened,
e n d a n g e r e d , a n d s e n s itiv e
species; and preserve segm ents
o f the Im naha, Lostine, Eagle
C reek, and N orth Fork John
Day W ild and Scenic Rivers. It
w o u ld a ls o c o n v e r t th e
ow nership o f current private
parcels o f land within the Eagle
C a p , H e lls C a n y o n , a n d
Wenaha-Tucannon Wildernesses
and the H ells C anyon N ational
R e c re a tio n A re a to fe d e ra l
o w n e r s h ip . A d d itio n a lly ,
consolidation w ould facilitate
public access to federal lands,
d e c re a s e th e c o m p le x ity o f
maintaining property boundaries,
reduce the num ber o f access
perm its to private in-holdings,
and im prove the efficiency o f
r e s o u r c e m a n a g e m e n t by
focusing the Forests’ funding and
staff on consolidated ownerships.
The exchange proposal
a ls o a d d r e s s e s g o a ls a n d
o b j e c t iv e s o f n u m e r o u s
landow ners o f the private lands
to be considered for acquisition
b y th e F o r e s t S e r v ic e .
C le a rw a te r L an d E x c h a n g e
Oregon, a third party facilitator,
has been w orking for several
years to draft a proposal that
m eets both the Forest Service
and private land m anagem ent
o b je c t iv e s .
A ll
p r iv a te
landow ners are willing partners
in the transaction.
All the parcels for the
e x c h a n g e a re w ith in th e
geographic area o f ceded lands
and/or area o f interest o f local
tr i b e s .
G o v e rn m e n t
to
gov ern m en t co nsultation has
been initiated with each o f these
tribal entities and will continue
concurrent with the development
o f the land exchange project.
The Forest Service will
be preparing an environm ental
im pact statem ent on the land
exchange proposal to disclose
effects on natural, cultural, and
s o c ia l r e s o u r c e s . A le g a l
description o f the lands to be
considered has been published in
Eastern Oregon newspapers and
can be accessed at this tim e at
h ttp ://w w w .fs.fe d .u s/r6 /w -w /
planning.htm or by calling John
D enne at (541) 523-1246.
Jaden Orr, 6, with father Jeff Orr, is a happy guy as he receives Devin Oil’s
Christmas Stocking holding approximately $100 worth of toys. Jaden won
the stocking in a drawing at Devin's.
Former Heppner grad joins LaGrande
accounting firm
B re n t G u n d e r s o n , a
1997 Heppner High graduate, is
c u r r e n tly w o r k in g w ith a
L aG rande accounting firm to
expand services into H eppner
and the surrounding area.
G u n d erso n graduated
from Eastern Oregon University,
L a G ra n d e , in 2001 w ith a
b ach elo r’s o f science degree in
accounting. He has been working
with Snyder, Seydel, Lewis, Poe
and M oeller, L L C , C ertified
Public Accountants, for one and
a h a lf y e a rs . G u n d e rs o n is
currently waiting for test results,
so that he can receive his CPA
license. A side from w ork and
t e s ts , G u n d e r s o n is a ls o
preparing for an August wedding
to his fiancée, Kimmie Baker.
A c c o r d in g
to
Gunderson, the firm would like
to expand its service region and
b e g in o f f e r in g s e r v ic e s to
H ep p n er on an a p p o in tm e n t
basis. Tax preparation, estate
p la n n in g , a n d c o m p u te r
accounting softw are setup, are
only a few o fth e m any services
the com pany offers. Currently,
the firm has a
s t a f f o f 12
in d iv id u a ls
and has been
in b u s in e s s
for o v e r 50
years.
For
t h o s e
interested in
the services
o f f e r e d by
the firm you
can c o n ta c t
Brent Gunderson
th e m
in
L aG ran d e, M onday th ro u g h
Friday, from 8 a.m .-5 p.m ., by
phone at (541) 963-4191, by
email at sslplcpa@ eoni.com , or
v is it th e m on th e w e b at
w w w .a c c o u n ta n t-c ity .c o m /
sslpm.
OWGL to hold workshop
T he O re g o n W h eat
G row ers League will sponsor a
w orkshop entitled “ E ffective
Lobbying for the Grassroots”, to
be held on Jan. 7, at the Port o f
M orrow Building in Boardm an
from 9 a.m. to 12 noon.
Speakers and topics will
include: “ R ealities o fth e 2003
L egislative Session", O regon
R e p re se n ta tiv e G reg S m ith;
“Strategies and Tactics— W ho
C ourts and W ho C ares”, M ike
Dewey, Legislative Advocates;
“ T e s tim o n y — F o rm in g an d
D elivering the M essage” , Don
Schellenburg, Associate Director
o f Governmental Affairs, Oregon
Farm Bureau; “ The Importance
o f th e G r a s s r o o ts V o ic e ” ,
Paulette Pyle, O regonians for
Food and Shelter; “ How D oes
Agriculture Gamer Support from
th e U rb a n L e g i s l a to r ? ” ,
R e p r e s e n ta tiv e J e f f K r o p f
(invited); and “ Identifying Issues
the Agricultural Community Can
Carry to Salem as One Voice.”
T h e re is a $ 1 0 p e r
person fee, with lunch provided.
P lease R SV P to the O regon
Wheat Growers league office on
or before Jan. 4 to assure a seat,
at 541-276-7330, or fax: 541-
27617.
Holly Rebekah Lodge announces card/
bingo party dates
The first Saturday night
F o llo w in g a h o lid a y
dinner for m em bers and guest,
Holly R ebekah Lodge held a
short business meeting. Year-end
p ro je c ts w ere d iscu ssed and
plans made for the com ing year.
A short session was held with the
members o flO O F to plan for the
u p co m in g lodge hall w iring
update. N om inations for 2003
officers were made, followed by
a gift exchange.
card party o f the new year will
be held on Jan. 4, at 7:30 p.m. at
the Hall. Bingo will be held on
S u n d a y , Ja n . 12 at 3 p .m .
Proceeds from both events will
go tow ard the w iring update
project. An interest has been
shown in having the Bingo parties
tw ice a m onth, and this is to be
discussed at the party on Jan. 12.
Both events are open to
the public.
HAPPY NEW YEAR
from a ll o f us a tM C G G
We w ill be closed New Year’s Day - Jan. 1st
Morrow County Grain Growers
Lexington 989-8221
•
1-800-452-7396
equipment, visit our web site i t www mcgg net
v