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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (May 6, 2020)
Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, May 6, 2020 -- SEVEN Mushroom picking free on Blue Hannah Palmer receives fifth trophy Mountains National Forests No commercial permits available this year due to coronavirus Hannah Palmer stands next to her piano with her trophy. Hannah Palmer, Hep- pner, recently received her fifth trophy from the Ore- gon Music Teachers Asso- ciation. Hannah, the daugh- ter of Jason and Jennifer Palmer, is a 4.0 student at Heppner High School and is active in many extracur- ricular activities. Students participate in several musical events during the year and have to memorize a piece to perform at a recital. After every 10 events, a trophy is received, with the trophy getting larger each time. Hannah played the piano in her 50 th event on Sunday, May 3 earning her trophy. Normally the recitals are held in Hermiston but due to social distancing rules, a home recital was held. Allison Blair chosen as ODF’s John Day Unit Forester For avid mushroom pickers, spring truly begins when friendly fungi return to the forest. Personal-use mushroom picking is free and does not require a per- mit or payment under the legal limits, which authoriz- es an individual to harvest, possess or transport less than a gallon in Oregon and less than five gallons in Washington. These free mushrooms are only avail- able for personal consump- tion and cannot be sold, bartered or given away. Those seeking to pick more than the free person- al-use limit are considered commercial gatherers. To help slow the spread of COVID-19, forest supervi- sors on the Malheur, Uma- tilla and Wallowa-Whit- man National Forests have postponed the issuance of commercial mushroom permits until 2021. Many commercial operations in- volve large crews that travel and camp together, which presents a social distanc- ing challenge during the pandemic. National Forest offi- cials urge visitors to un- derstand and follow state health orders for Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. At this time, all National Forest developed recreation sites – including camp- grounds, trailhead facil- ities, picnic areas, rental cabins, Sno-Parks, and boat ramps – are temporarily closed to slow the spread of COVID-19. While many forest roads, trails and areas remain open to the public, visitors are strongly urged to practice social distanc- ing. Mushroom picking is not permitted in any botan- ical area, research area or in other areas closed by the Forest Service, including developed recreation sites. To help care for the land while picking mush- rooms: -Carry your mushrooms in a net bag, allowing mush- rooms to spread their spores for future production. -Give wild animals plenty of space and leave newborns alone. -Practice “leave no trace” ethics and take your trash home with you. -Report any violations promptly to the Forest Ser- vice. Many forest roads are still not accessible due to mud and snow. Traveling on wet mountain roads and terrain can be dangerous and cause illegal resource damage. Further, tempo- rary road and area closures may still be in effect in last year’s wildfire areas where unsafe conditions, such as hazard trees, are still being mitigated. Contact your local Ranger District office for up-to-date information on road conditions and current closures. Here are a few tips to enhance your personal safe- ty in the woods: Plan ahead, pack the “ten essentials,” and travel with others (at a safe social distance). Also be sure to tell a friend or family member where you are going and when you expect to return. Keep in mind that many wild mushroom varieties are poisonous. When in doubt, just throw it out. It is the responsibility of the picker to properly identify a mushroom and determine whether it is edible. There are many guide books avail- able to assist with identi- fication. The local library, county agricultural exten- sion office and local my- cological society are good sources of information. Mushroom pickers and hunters often contact Na- tional Forest offices to learn where prescribed burning occurred last year. For ev- eryone’s convenience, those locations are now identified in an online prescribed fire map for the Malheur, Uma- tilla and Wallowa-Whitman National Forests. New Baby in Your Family? Engagement? Wedding? We want to share your life events! Stop in the Heppner Gazette office or email us with details and photos. All birth, engagement and wedding announcements are always free! 188 W Willow Street Heppner, OR editor@rapidserve.net Print & Mailing Services *Design *Print *Mail Sykes Publishing 541-676-9228 Allison Blair Allison Blair has been selected as the John Day Unit Forester for Oregon Department of Forestry’s (ODF) Central Oregon District. Blair has been serving as the interim unit forester since June of 2019 and officially began her new role on May 1. The John Day Unit Forester is responsible for managing fire protection on nearly 1.5 million acres of forest and rangeland, in addition to managing staff responsible for administering Oregon’s Forest Practices Act and forestry technical assistance for landowners in Grant, Gilliam, Wheeler, Morrow and Harney counties. In Blair’s more than twenty-year career with ODF she has served as a seasonal firefighter, dis- patcher, wildland fire su- pervisor and most recently as the Community Wildfire Forester for ODF’s West Oregon District prior to her interim role as the John Day Unit Forester. Her experiences on the fire line, managing fire crews, and working with landowners and the public provide her a strong foundation as she fills this role permanent- ly. Throughout her career Blair has participated in the statewide wildfire response effort and currently has qualifications as a Strike Team Leader, Task Force Leader and is a Division Supervisor trainee. “I am honored to have been selected to continue as the John Day Unit Forester and become a permanent part of ODF’s Central Ore- gon District,” says Allison, expressing her enthusiasm for beginning this new role. “I have always respected the fire program in eastern Oregon, so I was excited for the opportunity to tem- porarily fill the position last summer. I enjoyed the challenges and successes and building relationships with landowners and the community.” Previous John Day Unit Forester, Ryan Mill- er is now Central Oregon District’s Federal Forests Restoration Coordinator working with federal land managers to increase pace, scale and quality of resto- ration work on federal for- est lands in central Oregon. ODF’s Central Oregon District continues to serve landowners and the public as an essential service for Oregonians. Please call or email to talk with our staff or schedule an appointment. For additional information on ODF’s Central Oregon District, including contact information and unit offic- es, please visit www.ODF- centraloregon.com. Honesty • Integrity • Independent VOTE Cody High MORROW COUNTY TREASURER WORKING FOR YOU DEADLINE: MONDAYS AT 5PM County Commissioner, Morrow County, Position 1 Jim Doherty Nonpartisan Occupation: Commissioner, Cattle Rancher Occupational Background: Ranch Manager, Crops Manager, Ranch Owner Educational Background: Associates Degree in Production Agriculture, Bachelor of Arts in Business and History Prior Governmental Experience: President of the Association of Oregon Counties; Morrow County Commissioner; Governors Alcohol & Drug Policy Commission; Jefferson County SWCD chair; Morrow County SWCD; NACo Representative Re Elect: Jim Doherty - A voice for today, A vision for tomorrow I have a deep love and appreciation for the people of Morrow County. I don't want to be the candidate that professes, "I will work for the people," I want to be known for working with the people. I urge you to engage in your communities. I invite you to become part of the process. People are only voiceless when no one listens. I hear you! I have carried your message at home, in Salem and all the way to Washington D.C. A quote I admire from Theodore Roosevelt, "People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care." Family: I am a fourth-generation Irish immigrant. My great grandfather saw shades of Ireland in the rolling Morrow County hills. My mother raised along the banks of the Columbia River, in Boardman. I celebrate 34 years of marriage with my wife Kelly. My son and daughter-in-law have also made Morrow County their home. County: I built my cattle operation from the ground up, with sweat, blisters, honesty and personal relationships. I do the business of the County in the same fashion. I chair the N.E. Area Commission on Transportation, ensuring Morrow County receives funding for road and bridge infrastructure. I strive to make communities whole and craft healthy individuals by securing dollars to provide Arts and Culture to our youth. The Loop program, Wolf committee, Federal forest, Farm, Fair and Health continue as my priorities. Endorsement: "Commissioner Doherty has been great to work with. I am happy to lend him my support" - Senator Bill Hansell
