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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 6, 2023)
Candlelight vigil held for burned vehicle 50¢ VOL. 143 NO. 49 8 Pages Wednesday, December 06, 2023 Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon BOC talks solar projects and weed control By Chris Sykes During the special meeting of the Morrow County Board of Com- missioners in November, various discussions were held regarding mitigation projects related to the Sun- stone Solar Project. Tamra Mabbott, in col- laboration with Admin- istrator Matthew Jensen, referred to a memo they had drafted providing an overview of the Sunstone Mitigation Project. The Sunstone Solar Project, which encompasses a pro- posed 9,500-acre solar project in Morrow County, requires a mitigation proj- ect to minimize its impact on the local agricultural community. To quantify the project’s impacts, Sunstone provided an Economic and Agricultural Impact Anal- ysis (EAIA) conducted by ECONorthwest. Sunstone is proposing this mitigation SURMHFWZKLFKLVWKH¿UVWRI its kind, to obtain an excep- tion to Oregon Statewide Planning Goal 3. Kevin Gray, the Gen- eral Manager of MCGG, discussed the potential con- sequences that the Sunstone Solar Project may have on the Cooperative and its members. He stated that the loss of nearly 10,000 acres ZRXOGUHVXOWLQDVLJQL¿FDQW reduction in wheat produc- tion, estimated at 200,000 bushels, as well as a decline in crop input sales. Gray es- timated that MCGG would suffer an annual revenue loss of $15-20 million. He proposed utilizing mitiga- tion funds to improve the North Lexington concrete elevator, which requires Image of a solar panels similar to what would be used for the Sunstone Solar Project. - Contributed Photo electrical updates, repairs, productivity upgrades, and increased storage capacity. Upgrading the elevator would save travel expenses for farmers by providing a closer alternative to eleva- tors in Boardman. Christopher Clark, the Senior Siting Analyst at ODOE, acknowledged the uniqueness of the Sunstone Mitigation Project in terms of its scale and the type of land being used. Unlike other projects on Exclusive Farm Use (EFU) land, this project involves arable, cultivated land. Clark men- tioned ongoing wildlife mitigation studies and the H൵RUWVPDGHE\WKHSURMHFW applicant to quantify the project’s impacts. Logan Stephens, the Senior Director of Project Development at Pine Gate Renewables, expressed the current goal of narrowing down priority projects to provide a more detailed analysis. Sunstone Solar re- quested guidance from the County on how to respond to ODOE. Leslie McLain, a Land Use Planner at Tetra Tech, referred to the ECONorth- west analysis, which de- tailed the impact of remov- ing 10,000 acres of dry-land wheat production. This analysis covered direct job losses, indirect impacts on retailers selling to farmers, and the broader impact on the community. Sunstone DLPV WR R൵VHW WKHVH ¿QDQ- cial losses through the mit- igation project. In other business, Kev- in Payne, the District Man- ager of SWCD, mentioned being approached by Pine Gate Renewables to suggest potential mitigation proj- ects. After consulting with ORFDOIDUPHUVKHLGHQWL¿HG weed treatment as a major concern. Payne proposed the option of a precision weed sprayer, which could be provided as a service by SWCD, offered as a cost-share program, or in- centivized through rebates for landowners who pur- chase their own sprayers. The adoption of this new spraying technology could offset some of the losses caused by the solar project and improve productivity and efficiency. Another suggestion by Payne was the use of weed seed mills in combines to prevent the spread of unwanted seeds. SWCD also expressed interest in conducting a fea- sibility study for a ground- water recharge project around Willow Creek. This project would capture win- ter and spring surface water, injecting it into the ground- water to make it more avail- able during the later part of the season. Options for data monitoring, such as weather stations, were also pro- posed to provide real-time updates and alerts to users. Finally, SWCD suggested R൵HULQJ¿QDQFLDOLQFHQWLYHV for technology upgrades in equipment to enhance communication and func- tionality, thereby improving H൶FLHQF\ 9LUWXDO IHQFLQJ was another idea put for- ward to improve regener- ative grazing and livestock movement patterns. J.R. Cook, a Land and Water Consultant for NOWA, shared information about a mitigation trust ac- count co-managed with the Mid-Columbia Water Com- mission. NOWA proposed providing a permanent wa- ter source solution through a water recharge program, pumping water from the Columbia River to improve groundwater access for ap- proximately 150,000 acres. Funding from Sunstone would assist in retrieving ZDWHUPRUHH൶FLHQWO\DQG reallocating groundwater resources. Craig Reeder, a con- sultant, discussed the goal of improving groundwater TXDOLW\D൵HFWHGE\QLWUDWHV The plan involves removing polluted water, allowing it to dilute, and replenishing aquifers with clean water. Image of the candlelight vigil ad from ORA’s Facebook page. By Chris Sykes On November 29th, a candlelight vigil was held at the intersection of 0RXQWDLQ9LHZ 'ULYH DQG Pioneer Lane in Boardman to honor the Oregon Rural Action (ORA) pickup truck that belonged to Rafael Romero, a community or- ganizer for ORA, which caught fire on November 27th. No individuals were harmed in the incident, but ORA representatives sus- pect it may have been an act of violence. Currently, there is no HYLGHQFHWRFRQ¿UPZKHWK- er this was a criminal act. Firefighters acted swiftly to extinguish the flames, preventing further damage. The initial investigation conducted by the Board- man Fire Rescue District GHHPHGWKH¿UHVXVSLFLRXV but could not determine the exact cause. ORA, an organization based in La Grande, has been actively advocating for measures to address groundwater nitrate pollu- tion in Morrow and Uma- tilla counties. In response to the incident, ORA released a statement urging local and state authorities to conduct a thorough investigation and ensure the safety of their employees. Morrow County Sher- L൵¶V'HSXW\$QGUHZ0DUWLQ is currently leading the local investigation with 2UHJRQ6WDWH3ROLFHDQG¿UH marshals from the Oregon State Fire Marshals doing their investigation. They plan to collaborate on their reports, and Deputy Martin expects to provide updates by the end of the week. -Continued to PAGE SIX Zinter awarded )LUH¿JKWHURIWKH<HDU -Continued to PAGE SIX ODFW is seeking assistance in elk waste case in Lexington The OSP Fish and Wildlife Division is seek- ing public assistance in locating the person(s) re- sponsible for the waste of two Rocky Mountain Elk in Morrow County. On Nov. 27, 2023, troopers responded to a call of two elk that had been left par- tially to waste in a dry creek bed near Lexington. Due to the recent cold weather, it is believed the elk may have been killed in the past week. The Elk were found with no skin, except on their heads. A reporter for the Gazette called the OSP and F&WD, but they did not have any more in- formation or leads. There is a reward program for those who turn in poachers called the Turn in Poachers Program (TIP) which is a collaboration between state and local authori- ties and involves the Ore- gon Hunters Association. The TIP program of - fers preference point re- wards for information lead- ing to an arrest or issuance of a citation for the unlawful take/possession or waste of big game mammals. The TIP program also of- fers cash rewards for information leading to an arrest or issuance of a cita- tion for the unlawful take/ possession or waste of the Two elk found dead in dry creek bead near Lexington, Ore- gon - Photo by ODFW IROORZLQJ¿VKDQGZLOGOLIH species. Cash rewards can also be awarded for habitat destruction, illegally ob- taining hunting or angling licenses or tags, lending or borrowing big game tags, spotlighting, or snagging. The reward program as follows. Preference Point Rewards: 5 Points: Bighorn Sheep 5 Points: Rocky Mountain Goat 5 Points: Moose 5 Points: Wolf 4 Points: Elk 4 Points: Deer 4 Points: Pronghorn An- telope 4 Points: Bear 4 Points: Cougar CASH REWARDS Oregon Hunters As- sociation (OHA) Cash Rewards $2,000 Bighorn Sheep, Mountain Goat, or Moose $1,000 Elk, Deer, or An- telope $600 Bear, Cougar, or Wolf $300 Habitat Destruction $200 Illegally obtaining Oregon hunting or angling license or tags $200 Unlawful Lending/ Borrowing Big Game Tag(s) $200 Game Fish & Shell- ¿VK $200 Game Birds or Fur- bearers $200 Spotlighting $200 Snagging/Attempt to Snag Oregon Wildlife Co- alition (OWC) Cash Rewards $500 Hawk, Falcon, Ea- gle, Owl, Osprey $500 Cougar, Bobcat, Beaver (public lands only), Black bears, Bighorn Sheep, Marten, Fisher, Sierra Nevada Red Fox $1,000 Species listed as “threatened” or “endan- gered” under state or fed- eral Endangered Species $FW H[FOXGHV¿VK 2UHJRQ2XW¿WWHUV Guides Association (OOGA) Cash Rewards $FWLQJDVDQ2XW¿W- ter Guide for the Illegal Killing of Wildlife, Il- legally Obtaining Ore- gon Hunting or Angling Licenses or Tags, or ,OOHJDOO\2൵HULQJWR$FW DVDQ2XW¿WWHU*XLGHDV GH¿QHGLQ256 and 704.020. Chief Steve Rhea (L) presenting Katilyn Zinter with the )LUH¿JKWHURIWKH<HDUDZDUG- Contributed Photo 7KH+HSSQHU)LUH¿JKW- ers vote each year on their FKRLFHRI¿UH¿JKWHUVZLWKLQ the department that has gone above and beyond the call of duty for the year. This includes taking on tasks that are not normally assigned to them, doing exception- ally well on the tasks that are assigned to them, and proving their skills within the department. This year Katilyn Zinter received +HSSQHU 9ROXQWHHU )LUH- ¿JKWHURIWKH<HDU.DWLO\Q LV WKH QHZ WUDLQLQJ R൶FHU IRUWKH¿UHGHSDUWPHQW6KH KDVVWDUWHGWKH¿UHDFDGHP\ within the department and started training within the department to keep them up to date on new training. CALL 541-989-8221 ext 204 for more information
