4A • February 16, 2018 • Seaside Signal • seasidesignal.com
SignalViewpoints
Elk on the estuary
as kayakers watch.
JOHN DUDLEY
When elk call, he listens
For North Coast officials seeking
answers to health, safety and prop-
erty concerns caused by elk, wildlife
biologist Herman Biederbeck the
Oregon Department of Fish and
Wildlife is the first point of contact.
This year, Gearhart officials and res-
idents again seek to find solutions to
a growing herd and what they say is
a health, safety and property damage
issue for visitors and residents.
double fence. The concept is to use
horizontal distance instead of vertical
height to preclude the elk out of the
golf course areas.
SEEN FROM SEASIDE
R.J. MARX
Q: Wouldn’t the elk get stuck
between the fences?
Biederbeck: The thought is to
have the fences the right distance
apart so the elk couldn’t negotiate
both fences with a single leap. Elk
have the ability to look at a fence sit-
uation to determine if they can clear
it or get over it.
♦ ♦ ♦
Q: What can the Oregon De-
partment of Fish and Wildlife do to
manage elk in Gearhart?
Biederbeck: We’re looking at all
the options before us to deal with elk
damage issues on the golf courses. As
you can imagine, with public opinion
on the elk divided and somewhat
polarized, it makes it very difficult to
come up with a cohesive universal
strategy that everyone will support.
We’re trying to work with individuals
that have problems with the elk in
light of that. We’re working with the
golf course interests. They have some
very specific thoughts on how to deal
with the elk issue. We want a more
comprehensive approach, so we’re
at a little bit of a standstill there.
Q: What would a “more com-
prehensive approach” entail?
Biederbeck: We came up with
a suggested list of different options
that could perhaps help deal with
this issue. They tend to emphasize
precluding access by the elk to the
golf courses, because we believe the
Golf
course
planners
were
unaware
in 1963
when they
installed fo-
liage that it
would prove
an invitation
to elk.
Q: How has the fence suggestion
been received?
JOHN DUDLEY
Biederbeck: The golf course
Elk in a Gearhart backyard.
interests lean to trapping and relocat-
ing, which has a number of challeng-
golf courses present a large attraction es. If we start looking at things that
affect the public in Gearhart, like
for the elk. It’s one of the reason
removing the elk, we have to involve
they’re hanging around there. The
golf courses are considered by the elk the public in any process like that.
as large forage areas. If we could get They have to make a decision on
the golf courses protected so that the how they feel about a larger public
process to even consider something
elk aren’t going in there any more,
we believe there’s a reasonably good like trapping and relocation, which,
again, I cannot stress enough, has
chance the elk will leave, because
there isn’t the forage base to support major challenges.
them.
Q: How did the herd grow so
Q: What do you consider to be a fast?
Biederbeck: Five or seven years
property owner’s best option?
ago, it seemed like another 50 or so
Biederbeck: We’re not saying
it’s the most viable, but we’re putting elk showed up from somewhere. My
guess is from the north where more
fences out as an option for consider-
ation.
development has been occurring.
While we have no way to prove that
Q: Could you fence off the golf
— we didn’t have elk radio-collared
course greens?
or deer tagged — we have noticed
Biederbeck: The city has a 6-foot the number of elk complaints from
fence ordinance. We’ve talked of a
further north dropped about the same
FILE PHOTO
time the elk showed up in the Gear-
hart/Seaside area.
Q: Could we see a shift?
Biederbeck: A lot of it depends
on what kind of land use goes on
there. There could be something that
changes, that draws the elk away
from Seaside and Gearhart and
reduces the number of elk there. A
lot of it depends on what kind of land
uses occur in and around that area.
Q: How do you track the elk?
Biederbeck: We did an experi-
mental drone project with Oregon
State University last winter in the
Youngs River area to look at the
efficacy of using drones to survey
elk. For some surveys, what you
buy off the shelf works pretty well.
For other types of survey work, you
need something with better optics.
It turned out to be pretty much of a
mixed bag. This was our first investi-
gation here in western Oregon to use
drones to survey elk. We didn’t have
any notion that this project would an-
swer all our questions. As usual with
an issue like this, some additional
questions and follow-up are required.
Q: Do you have numbers on the
elk herd?
Biederbeck: Our wildlife man-
agement unit manages our elk herds.
Clatsop County, Columbia County
and part of Tillamook County are
in the Saddle Mountain unit. Our
management goal is 7,800 elk in that
area. We’re a little below that. We
have had some excessive antler-less
elk issues that have just been ad-
dressed, so the expectations that the
elk population will recover and be
closer to that 7,800 figure.
Q: Is it likely that wolves or
other predators will return?
Biederbeck: That’s a good ques-
tion. Wolves have shown themselves
to be pretty adaptable. They do get
into trouble, especially with livestock
operations, but it’s hard to say. They
may end up inhabiting the North
Coast. They just have to get through
some barriers, like the Willamette
Valley and I-5 to do that. We have
no confirmed sightings of wolves
anywhere near the North Coast yet.
The risks and rewards of Valentine’s Day
Officers thank
community
y the time you are reading this,
Valentine’s Day will be over, fini,
done for, yesterday’s news. Unless,
like me, you’re not hung up on the actual
date and are more inclined to extend any
Valentine celebrating into the weekend.
Or perhaps you’re the forgetful, not-quite-
organized partner in your relationship and
you just plumb forgot. Never fear. Luckily
in Seaside, they sell candy and cologne all
year.
I have a love/hate relationship with Val-
entine’s Day. For starters, it’s not a pretty
backstory. St. Valentine was a martyred
Roman temple priest who, because he broke
Emperor Claudius II’s ban on Christianity
by helping couples wed, was beheaded.
Then there was the St. Valentine’s Day
Massacre, which occurred in 1929. On
a more positive note, Oregon officially
became a state on Valentine’s Day in 1859;
Arizona followed suit and became a state on
the same date in 1912. Wearing a red wool
dress, in 1962, Jackie Kennedy showed off
the White House to CBS newsman Charles
Collingwood on Valentine’s Day. Someone
told me this morning that Valentine’s Day
this year falls on Ash Wednesday, which is
also the start of Lent. If you’re an observer,
depending on what you chose to give up,
you might have to forgo that chocolate.
On a ladies’ only closed Facebook
page of which I am a member, quite a few
women expressed their Valentines’ Day
frustration. Mostly they’re peeved when
their husbands buy them candy after they’ve
On behalf of the Seaside Police Depart-
ment, we would like to thank those who
attended the remembrance gathering on
February 5, 2018 to reflect on the two-
year anniversary of Sgt. Jason Goodding’s
line-of-duty death. Several members of
the community came out and braved our
coastal drizzle, while paying respect to
Sgt. Gooding’s life and legacy. We would
also like to thank those police officers from
other communities who were gathered
with us. We thank you for your continued
dedication and service to others.
The SPD knows and appreciates the
support our community has shown over
the years. Our department would not have
been able to begin the healing process
without the help of many professionals
and the overwhelming support our citizens
have given to us. Your understanding and
patience has allowed us to know that your
support is always there, even when we
cannot see it.
As a member of the department which
had to personally face this horrific event,
the shock and recovery thereafter, I know
that our journey is far from over. How-
ever, we will continue to grow from this
and become even stronger in our service
and dedication to our profession, and to
those we swore to protect. Thank you to
our community for being there for us. We
do need you and greatly appreciate your
unwavering support.
Bruce Holt, Lieutenant
Seaside Police Department
B
PUBLISHER
EDITOR
Kari Borgen
R.J. Marx
VIEW FROM
THE PORCH
EVE MARX
already been clear they don’t want candy
because they’re on a diet. A woman on her
second marriage said she suspected her
husband buys her whatever he bought his
first wife, as if all wives want the same
things. Some women expect to be taken out
to dinner. I get that since unless it’s a joint
effort and you’re cooking a romantic meal
together, what woman on Valentine’s Day
wants to bang those pots and pans?
It’s long been my contention Valentine’s
Day means more to the unmarried. My son,
for example, used to spend weeks agonizing
and emailing ideas back and forth to me
what to get his sweetheart. They’re getting
married next month. So far, I haven’t heard
a peep from him.
Admittedly I am not the easiest person to
shop for on Valentine’s Day. I’ve received
chocolate (meh), flowers (I like roses but
they better not be red), jewelry (risky)
and once a Coach handbag I picked out in
advance. My husband is so fearful of giving
me something I don’t like he often ignores
the holiday altogether. And that also annoys
me.
This year I have no plans whatsoever for
Valentine’s Day. I’m thinking I might bake
a cake, or break open that bottle of cham-
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Brenna Visser
CONTRIBUTING
WRITERS
Skyler Archibald
Rebecca Herren
Katherine Lacaze
Eve Marx
Esther Moberg
Jon Rahl
EVE MARX/FOR SEASIDE SIGNAL
Valentine’s Day wishes to all.
pagne that’s been in the refrigerator for
six months, waiting for a special occasion.
Maybe my husband will surprise me, which
would be a surprise. In the interest of full
disclosure I’ve already told him what I
want, which is a bottle of Tokyo Milk No.
10, Honey and the Moon. Hint hint, they
sell it at Sesame & Lilies in Cannon Beach.
I haven’t asked him what he wants, but
that’s only because men always want the
same thing.
Seaside Signal
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