Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, June 22,2005 - FIVE
BLM publishes final grazing regs study
The Bureau o f Land
M anagem ent
recen tly
announced the availability o f
a final environmental impact
study that con clu d es
upcoming grazing regulation
changes will produce long
term benefits for public
rangelands An official notice
of the study’s availability was
published in the Federal
Register on June 17.
“
T h i s
e n v ir o n m e n ta l- im p a c t
analysis
u n d e rsc o re s
grazing’s role as a vital use
of public lands in the rural
W est,” Rebecca W atson,
assistant secretary o f the
In te rio r for Land and
M inerals, said
“ The
re v isio n s will im prove
B L M ’s m anagem ent o f
public-lands ranching, an
activ ity th a t not only
supports rural economies but
also preserves open space
and wildlife habitat in the
rapidly growing West.”
The
final
environmental-impact study,
posted on BLM’s national
Web site ( www.blm gov/
grazing), analyzes the impact
o f the upcoming grazing-
re g u la tio n
rev isio n s,
including their ecological,
cu ltu ra l,
social,
and
econom ic effects. M ore
sp ecifically , the study
examines the impact o f a
grazing-management option
drat tra c k s w ith the
provisions o f the upcoming
grazing-regulation changes,
as well as the effects o f two
o th e r
m anagem ent
alternatives.
BLM
D irecto r
Kathleen Clarke said, “This
environmental-impact study
show s
th at
grazing
management under the new
regulations will produce
long-term rangeland-health
ben efits T hese b en efits
include increased vegetation
along stream banks, which
will reduce soil erosion and
provide more habitats for
w ildlife.” Under the new
regulations, she noted, the
BLM’s grazing-management
decisions will be based on
b etter inform ation about
rangeland conditions.
Clarke added, “Our
agency feels strongly that the
public lands should be
managed in partnership with
those closest to the land, and
th a t’s why we sought
extensive public input on this
regulatory initiative.” The
BLM received more than
18,000 comments on a draft
impact study and a proposed
set o f regulations, which
preceded the agency’s work
on the final version o f those
documents.
The new grazin g
regulations, to be published
next month in the Federal
R egister, are aim ed at
improving BLM’s working
relationships with public-
lands ranchers The revisions
also reflect the agency’s
commitment to managing
the public lands for multiple
uses, including g razing,
while ensuring the health and
productivity o f these lands.
The revisions will
retain key elements o f the
“ R angeland
R efo rm ”
initiative that revised grazing
regulations nearly a decade
ago
S pecifically, the
regulations will continue the
role o f B LM ’s R esource
A dvisory
C o u n cils,
composed o f citizens across
the West who advise and
make recommendations to
the agency on public-land
issues.
The
revised
regulations will also leave
intact tine rangeland-health
standards and guidelines
developed by the RACs
In gen eral, th e
fo rth co m in g reg u latio n s
seek to:
• im prove
the
a g e n c y ’s
w o rk in g
relatio n sh ip s w ith th o se
h olding BLM g razin g
permits and leases;
•
advance
the
bureau’s efforts in assessing
and protecting rangelands;
and
• ad d ress c ertain
legal issues while enhancing
administrative efficiency
In addition, the new
regulations will continue to
require the bureau to consult
with the interested public on
key m atters, such as
d ev elo p in g or changing
g ra z in g -a c tiv ity plans;
plan n in g
ra n g e lan d -
improvement programs; and
developing reports that are
used as the basis for BLM
decisions affecting grazing
permits or leases
The BLM manages
m ore land, 261 m illion
surface acres, than any other
federal agency. Most o f this
public land is located in 12
w estern states, including
Alaska. The bureau, with a
budget o f about T 1,$ billion,
also administers 700 million
acres o f sub-surface mineral
estate throughout the nation
The agency’s multiple-use
mission is to sustain the
health and productivity o f
the public lands for the use
and enjoyment o f present
and future generations. The
BLM accomplishes this by
managing such activities as
o u td o o r
recreatio n ,
livestock grazing, mineral
developm ent, and energy
p ro d u c tio n ,
and
by
c o n serv in g
n atu ral,
historical, cultural, and other
resources on public lands
Marriage
Licenses
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ers can spot a bargain in a
heartbeat. While the "I want
to sleep on it" prospects are
still evaluating the situation,
these shrewd individuals are
signing contracts for the best
Past Real Estate columns and
property listings are available
at wnnv.heppner. net/heritage
homes.
There may be dozens o f
homes for sale in any neigh
borhood. However, you can be
sure that there are a few ex
ceptionally well-kept or well-
priced homes that will be
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Fear o f making the wrong
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They are afraid that a better
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The best buy s go to the deci
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Heppner, OR 97836
REALTOR 03
541-676-9228
The fo llo w in g m arriag e
licenses were issued at the
M o rro w C ounty C le rk ’s
Office during the past week:
June 14: R obert Dean
Krogh, 30, Hermiston, and
Teri Lynn Stanger, 24,
Irrigon;
June 17: Chad Erin Robie,
32, Heppner, and Kari Anne
Morgan, 31, Heppner;
June 17: Bobby Gene Harris,
Jr., 38, Irrigon, and Senie
Larie Walls, 31, Irrigon;
June 17: S teven D aniel
Hoffert, 42, Hermiston, and
Amy Lyn Jew e tt, 30,
Hermiston
CUSTO M
BANNERS
Heppner
Gazette-Times
Caledonian Games planned July 9-10
F o r a fu n -filled
weekend, everyone is invited
to Athena for the Caledonian
Games July 9 and 10 The
opening event will be the
ceilidh dinner in the park on
Friday night. The ceilidh
(kay-lee) is a catered/benefit
d in n er fo r C aled o n ian
Games A Scottish menu will
in clu d e G u in n ess beef,
mashed potatoes and all the
trimmings and short bread
fo r d e sse rt p rep ared by
M u rp h y ’s
C orner
R e sta u ra n t/v e n d o r from
Spokane for $10 each.
The dinner will be
followed by a concert in the
park by Red McWilliams, a
Scottish Entertainer Red is
well-known throughout the
Pacific Northwest as he has
p erform ed at num erous
Games and festivals The
concert is $ 10 per Red is a
b a rito n e sin g er and a
MacMillan Those planning
to attend should “bring a
chair and settle in for some
fun,” said a spokesperson
The concert is outdoors in
the park and starts at about
7:30 PM Friday, July 8
A proclamation has
been signed by O regon
G o v ern o r K ulongow ski
proclaiming the weekend to
be Caledonian Weekend in
Oregon (The proclamation
may be read on w ebsite
wwwathenacaledoniangames org
)
Caledonian Games is
focusing on trees for its 2005
celebration T-shirts are
available for purchase that
have a Tree o f Life design
created by Milton Freewater
artist, Jean Mitchell Her
tree also appears on the
com m em orative lapel pin
and on the C aledonian
program cover (Caledonian
items may be purchased at
the souvenir booth.) Trees
w ere revered in ancient
Scottish societies as a link
between heaven and earth
T rees also m arked the
seasons. To honor trees, the
city park, Caledonian Games
and the founders, an aspen
tree is planted and dedicated
by the Caledonian Games
Association beside the cairn
The cairn was dedicated in
2002. Anyone coming to
Athena Caledonian Games
may place a stone at the cairn
in memory o f whoever they
wish It is dedicated to the
fo u n d ers o f A thena and
th o se w ho created the
Caledonian Games in 1899.
Saturday, July 9 the
festival continues featuring
piping, dancing, clan tents,
sheep dog trials, a parade,
5K and 10K run, vendors,
Scottish athletic games that
feature feats o f strength), a
horseshoe tournament, food,
Celtic harp, fiddling and a
story or two under the shade
o f a great tree Many events
START
COLLEGE!
are open w ith no p re
registration required Those
attending may run in the 5K
or 10 K run, or join into the
Scottish caber toss, sheaf
to ss or rolling pin to ss
“Come early and stay late”,
says Sue Friese, Athena,
chairman o f the games
The
Saturday
ou td o o r concert called a
Tattoo (a military review, in
the S co ttish sense) will
featu re Five pipe bands,
which may be a record for
Athena! Athena’s own Tiger
S co ts pipe band will
perform The Boise (Idaho)
H ighlanders and D esert
Thistle Pipe and Drum from
the Tri-Cities will return
Newcomers to Caledonian
Tattoo are River City Pipe
Band and Oregon Trail Pipe
Band, both from Portland
1-84 overpass
repairs begin
“Ttey’re Irish but we don’t
c a re ,” said Friese. The
Tattoo, the only event that
has an admission asked, at $5
per person, will be at 6:30
p m in the high school
grandstands
Sunday
a fte r
community church service in
the park, coffee hour will be
held in the park sh elter
house The Weston McEwen
Pipe band perform s at 1
p m Red McWilliams will
perform as well as a new
group to Caledonian Games
coming from Spokane, The
C ro o k ed Kilt
The
C aled o n ian G am es w as
started in 1899 by Scots who
lived here and created the
Umatilla County Caledonian
Society.
The G am es
discontinued during w ar
years. The G am es w ere
restored in 1976 as part o f
the American Bi-Centennial
Celebration.
Eliminate
Interstate 84 will be
limited to one lane in each Puncturevine
Another cool spring
d ire c tio n
for
bridge
has
delayed
the emergence
construction at the Encina
o
f
Puncturevice,
Tribulus
interchange (milepost 313)
and A lder C reek Road terrestris L. or Goathead
overpass (m ilepost 315) P u n ctu rev in e is not a
southeast o f B aker City noxious weed, according to
starting Monday, June 20. M orrow C ounty W eed
The lane c lo su res will O rdinance, but it is
co n tin u e th ro u g h mid- obnoxious. Seedlings are up
and spreading “like a bad
August
weed”
. Some already have
Single lanes will be
flow
ers
that will become
in operation in the work
seedheads
in one to two
zones 24 hours a day, seven
days a week while repairs are • weeks. Now is the time to
being co m p leted this get out your shovel or back
summer, except for legal pack sprayer and eliminate
h o lid ay s and holiday these invaders just waiting to
w eekends Speeds in the unleash their wrath of pain
work zone will be reduced and misery on you or your
to 55 miles per hour Traffic pet If you’ve ever stepped
delays are expected to be on a goathead that was
tracked in on your carpet,
minimal
R em em ber
that you know what I mean
D iligence
and
traffic fines double in work
persistence
are
the
name
of
zones Please slow down and
this
game
When
digging
pay attention to the orange
construction traffic signs goathead plants, take care
Watch for roadside workers not to shake any seeds loose
and construction equipment and dispose o f the plant in
H a m i l t o n the trash or burn barrel You
Construction Company is should go back to the area
repairing three overpasses in a couple o f weeks to
along Interstate 84 southeast check for new sprouts and
o f Baker City. Work on the especially after a rain Each
P ritch ard C reek bridge goathead burr separates into
(milepost 325) begins in late five separate segments, each
July All work is expected to segment has tw o to four
seeds inside and can typically
be completed by October
remain
viable for 3-7 years,
The work is part of
patiently
waiting for just the
the Oregon Department of
right
conditions
to sprout
Transportation’s 10-year, $3
billion
O reg o n
lone Library
Transportation Investment
Act (O T IA ) program reading program
During the next decade, kick-off set
OTIA funds will repair or
The lo n e L ibrary
replace hundreds of bridges, summer reading program
pave and maintain city and kick-off dress-up party has
county roads, improve and been planned for Monday,
expand interchanges, add June 27, beginning at 2:30
new capacity to O regon’s pm
highway system, and remove
Kids are invited to
freig h t
b o ttle n e ck s com e dressed as th e ir
statewide About 18 family- favorite book characters.
wage jobs are sustained for
The party will also
every $1 million spent on feature snacks, games and a
transportation construction story time
in Oregon Each year during
For
m ore
the
O TIA
program , inform ation,
co n tac t
construction projects will librarian Kristy C row ell,
sustain about 5,000 family- 422-7564
wage jobs
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