Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, March 16, 2022 -- SEVEN
BROADBAND
-Continued from PAGE ONE duce the fire fuel risk at the Mitigating the floodplain’s until a replacement can be
lion federal infrastructure
bill approved by congress
last November.
Also included in the
local broadband funding
was money for a profes-
sional grant writer specific
to broadband grant writing,
digital inclusion and equity
to make sure all areas of
the county demographics
have access to broadband,
and legal expenses for the
broadband team if needed.
The local electrical co-op,
Columbia Basin Electric
(CBEC), was also recruit-
ed in the broadband effort,
as it agreed to handle the
money and be the fiscal
agent for the broadband
team. “We can provide the
accounting of the expendi-
tures,” said CBEC manag-
er Andy Fletcher who was
at the meeting. “Our object
is nothing more than fiscal
agent,” he emphasized.
The broadband effort
in the county is aimed
mainly at pushing fast in-
ternet availability out into
the rural areas, as the cities
have been seeing higher
speeds made available by
private businesses. As an
example, with the arrival
of GorgeNet in Heppner
and Ione there is now very
high speed affordable in-
ternet being offered for
every home and business
in those cities. The more
rural areas of the county,
however, still lack high
speed or even reliable and
affordable internet access,
which is where the action
team is focusing its efforts.
OHV grazing rights
In other business at
its March 9 meeting the
commissioners approved
a revised Grazing and Fire
Fuels Management Agree-
ment for the county-owned
9,000-acre Off Highway
Vehicle Park in the moun-
tains. The agreement is
similar to prior grazing
contracts the county has
with local cattlemen on the
property but does include
an increase in fees. Two
area ranches, Horseshoe
Hereford and Triangle
Ranches, will continue as
contracted ranches to graze
on the property.
County officials have
appreciated past close re-
lationships with the ranch-
ers in management of the
property including at cer-
tain times moving cattle
on and off the property to
accommodate park users.
Of the land approximately
7,700 acres are located in
Morrow County and are
included in the lease, while
the other 2,000 acres are in
Grant County. “Horseshoe
Hereford Ranch and Tri-
angle Ranches are willing
to work as partners with
Morrow County to provide
fire management grazing at
the Morrow County OHV
Park,” the agreement stat-
ed. The ranches “…have
shown an ability to work
collaboratively with Mor-
row County Parks to re-
OHV Park, while also pro-
viding feed for livestock,”
it stated.
Under the agreement
the ranches will pay the
county $11,680 annually
for the grazing rights, a
$3,000 increase over the
previous year. County Park
official Greg Close and
Commissioner Don Rus-
sell had done research and
talked with other ranchers
about common grazing
fees around the county to
come up with what they
said was an equitable
charge for the rights.
The agreement runs
from April 6, of this year
to November 1, however
county officials said be-
cause of the July Fourth
OHV camping crowds, the
cows usually don’t come
onto the property until af-
ter then.
Flood plain at old mill
site
In other action the
commissioners
voted
unanimously to write a let-
ter to the U.S. Economic
Development
Adminis-
tration (EDA) in support
of a $1 million Willow
Creek Valley Economic
Development Group (SC-
VEDG) grant application
for elimination of the flood
plain at the former Kinzua
Mill Site in Heppner. local
economic
development
officials believe the flood
plain at the site has kept
new businesses from locat-
ing there. The mill closed
in 1998 permanently, lay-
ing off 138 workers and
dealing a major blow to the
south county economy.
“Heppner is home to a
now abandoned industrial
lumber operation… that to
this day cannot be devel-
oped because of floodplain
restrictions there,” the let-
ter said. The letter sited the
closure of the coal plant in
Boardman as further im-
pact on lost jobs and neg-
ative economic impact on
the county.
The letter also said
WCVEDG has received
“roughly three calls a
month from companies in-
terested in developing the
Heppner industrial park
site, and during COVID,
they received 30 such
calls.” It said removing
the flood plain restrictions
would open up this large
area for business develop-
ment. “Not only will the
County’s general lack of
buildable industrial land be
addressed by opening up
almost the entire 80-acre
industrial park from flood-
plain restrictions, but it
will enable existing small
business entities to expand
and redevelop the area,” it
said.
“There has been con-
sistent and predictable
interest in the industrial
park/Kinzua Mill site for
siting commercial, manu-
facturing and other busi-
ness entities, but the flood-
plain restrictions severely
limit development options.
impact through individu-
al plans at each business
would be cost prohibitive,
and a barrier around the
entire site would be much
costlier than the planned
excavation, bridge remov-
al and grading,” the letter
concluded.
WCVEDG
presi-
dent Kim Cutsforth, who
is a local expert in flood
plain issues, told the Ga-
zette-Times if awarded
the $1 million grant would
need a 25 percent match,
or $250,000 from the mill
site owner Port of Morrow.
She said the port approved
the match at its meeting
last week.
Commission
discusses
resignations
In other business the
commissioners appointed
Robin Canaday, currently
Nurse Supervisor, as inter-
im Public Health Director
and Public Health Admin-
istrator. She will take the
place of Nazario Rivera
who recently resigned the
positions. The appoint-
ment will be for 90 days
found.
At their March 2 meet-
ing the commissioners
discussed the recent res-
ignation of both the coun-
ty Finance Director Kate
Knop and Financial An-
alyst Deanne Irving. The
county is entering its bud-
get season, so it is a busy
time for finance. Commis-
sioners also discussed who
would fill one of Knop’s
other rolls as administrator
and judiciary of the coun-
ty’s retirement plan. Knop
said she spends a lot of time
working with current and
retired county employees
answering questions about
their retirement. The com-
missioners talked about
either outsourcing some
of Knop’s duties or hiring
qualified people in the area
to work on a contract basis
until a new finance director
can be hired. The county is
also without a public works
director as he recently re-
signed his position also.
The county is now in the
process of searching for
his replacement also.
Boyer-McKnight
exchange vows
Tyler and Lindsey Boyer
Tyler and Lindsey Boyer
Tyler Boyer, Heppner, and
Lindsey McKnight, Gird-
wood, Alaska, were mar-
ried at the Alyeska Alaska
Resort, near Girdwood on
July 10, 2021.
Tyler, the son of John and
Kelly Boyer, Lexington,
is a graduate of Heppner
High School. He received
his bachelor’s degree from
Linfield College and his
master’s degree in psy-
chology from Lewis and
Clark College, Portland.
He is employed as an as-
sessment coordinator for
Community Counseling
Solutions in Heppner.
Lindsey, the daughter of
Jean McNight, was raised
near Anchorage, Alaska,
and graduated from the
University of Montana
with a master’s degree in
Human Resources. She is
employed as the human
resources manager for the
State of Oregon in Pendle-
ton.
Owner/Broker David Sykes
541-980-6674
188 W. Willow
P.O. Box 337
Heppner, OR 97836
david@sykesrealestate.net
Volunteer
campground hosts
being sought
The Umatilla National
Forest is looking for vol-
unteers to spend the sum-
mer as campground hosts
at the Jubilee Lake, Wood-
ward, Olive Lake, North
Fork John Day and Bull
Prairie Lake campgrounds.
A campground host greets
campers, provides infor-
mation on the surrounding
area, and generally makes
campers feel at home.
Hosts will visit with camp-
ers and day-use visitors,
clean and maintain re-
strooms, restock supplies,
occasionally clean up after
camp and carry out minor
maintenance as needed.
They keep an eye on things
and set a good example for
others in the campground.
Individuals or couples can
apply to be hosts. Retirees
often apply to the camp-
ground host program,
finding it the ideal way
to spend the summer in a
beautiful setting. Hosts
need to be friendly, flexi-
ble and responsible. Host
applicants may be subject
to a criminal background
check.
Those who apply will
need to supply their own
trailer, camper or motor
home. Campground hosts
will be provided a camp-
site, usually near the main
entryway to the camp-
ground. Though the host
program is a volunteer
program, a food allowance
and propane is offered, and
personal vehicle mileage
associated with hosting
duties is reimbursed.
Jubilee Lake Camp-
ground is located 12 miles
NE of Tollgate and is the
largest developed camp-
ground on the Umatilla
National Forest offering
53 campsites, four picnic
areas and a 2.8 mile acces-
sible hiking trail around
the 92-acre lake. This
campground is very pop-
ular for overnight camp-
ing as well as day-use
activities.
Campground
hosts are typically on-site
from early-July through
mid-September. For more
information on becoming
a Forest Service volunteer
campground host at Ju-
bilee Lake Campground,
please contact Kiyoshi Fu-
jishin at the Walla Walla
Ranger District (509) 522-
6277 or Kiyoshi.fujishin@
usda.gov.
Woodward
Camp-
ground is located right
off Highway 204 at Toll-
gate and offers 14 tent/
trailer sites, four picnic
areas, four accessible toi-
let facilities, and views of
Langdon Lake (however
Langdon Lake is a private
lake and access to the lake
is not allowed). Hosts are
typically on-site from ear-
ly July through the end of
September. The hosts at
this campground are also
responsible for taking care
of Target Meadows and
Woodland Campgrounds,
which are both located
nearby. For more informa-
tion on becoming a Forest
Service volunteer camp-
ground host at Woodward
Campground, please con-
tact Kiyoshi Fujishin at the
Walla Walla Ranger Dis-
trict (509) 522-6277 or Ki-
yoshi.fujishin@usda.gov.
Olive Lake Camp-
ground is located 12 miles
SW of Granite and sits on
the shore of a 90-acre high
mountain lake. This camp-
ground is typically hosted
from early-June through
Labor Day. The camp-
ground features 28 camp-
sites and seven accessible
toilet facilities. Other fea-
tures include a two-mile
accessible hiking trail
around the lake with near-
by access to wilderness and
scenic area trails, a boat
ramp and two docks. If you
are interested in becoming
a Forest Service volunteer
campground host at Olive
Lake Campground, please
contact Roy Vega at john.
vega@usda.gov.
North Fork John Day
Campground is located
eight miles N of Gran-
ite and is situated along
the beautiful North Fork
John Day River and is a
gateway to the adjacent
wilderness of the same
name. The campground
offers five tent sites, and
15 tent/trailer sites, as well
as horse handling facili-
ties and a trailhead. This
campground is typical-
ly hosted from Memorial
Day through mid-October,
though a shorter duration is
negotiable. If you are inter-
ested in becoming a Forest
Service volunteer camp-
ground host at North Fork
John Day Campground,
please contact Roy Vega at
john.vega@usda.gov.
Bull Prairie Lake
Campground is located 36
miles south of Heppner
and offers 30 tent/trail-
er sites, 12 picnic areas,
a beautiful 28-acre lake
with four floating fish-
ing docks and a 1.5-mile
paved accessible trail. This
campground is typical-
ly hosted from Memorial
Day through mid-October,
though a shorter duration
is negotiable. For more
information on becoming
a Forest Service volunteer
campground host at Bull
Prairie Lake Campground,
please contact Roy Vega at
john.vega@usda.gov.
Do you have property to sell?
Now is the time!
I have buyers looking for homes, land and
building lots in the
Heppner, Lexington and Ione area.
This is a good time to sell!
Call, text or email me.
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