The INDEPENDENT, October 21, 2010
Young hunters must wear orange in 2011
The Oregon Fish and
Wildlife Commission has made
wearing hunter orange manda-
tory for youth 17 years of age
and younger. The rule will take
effect August 1, 2011.
The rule will require the
wearing of a hunter orange up-
per garment OR hat for youth
hunters while hunting game
mammals and upland birds (ex-
cept turkey) with any firearm.
The Oregon Fish and
Wildlife Commission also set
the 2011 Oregon Big Game
Regulations, which include
season dates, bag limits and
open areas, statewide youth
hunts, and other information.
There were several addi-
tions to the 2011 big game reg-
ulations, including allowing the
use of any legal weapon during
“rifle” pronghorn, deer and elk
hunts; and allowing hunters
who bought a Sport Pac to use
the deer voucher for 600 series
hunts.
Changes for 2011 include:
• Allowing any legal weapon
during “rifle” pronghorn, deer
and elk hunts (already legal for
other species).
• Allowing Sport Pac hunters
to use the deer voucher for 600
series hunts.
• Allowing limited tags sales
after deadlines.
• Implementing a winter
range closure at Phillip W.
Schneider Wildlife Area.
• Extend Murderers Creek-
Flagtail TMA so it begins 3 days
prior to archery season (cur-
rently begins 3 days prior to
buck deer rifle season).
• Replacing general late sea-
son archery cow hunts with
controlled hunts in Santiam,
Stott Mt., Alsea, McKenzie and
N. Indigo (due to declining elk
populations and to better dis-
tribute hunters).
• Allow additional deer hunt-
ing on William Finley National
Wildlife Refuge
• New “Wendling” Travel
Management Area in a portion
of McKenzie Unit on private
timberland (north of Hwy 126,
east of Marcola Road, south of
Mohawk River Mainline).
• Bridge Creek Wildlife Area
to open for public access April
15 (not May 1) to coincide with
spring turkey season and open-
ing of PW Schneider WA.
The Commission decided to
continue current regulations
and not allow archery hunters
to use lighted nocks or cam-
eras. It also decided not to be-
gin a pilot program that would
have allowed crossbows for
some hunters with disabilities.
ODFW seeks Salmon advisory member
The Oregon Department of
Fish and Wildlife is seeking
qualified candidates to repre-
sent the North Coast on the
Salmon and Trout Enhance-
ment Program (STEP) Advisory
Committee.
Oregonians who are in-
volved with local fishing
groups, have previous experi-
ence working with volunteers
and/or in community service,
and are able to travel at least
four times per year, are encour-
aged to apply. The ideal candi-
date should be a resident of the
area extending from Cannon
Beach north to Warrenton, and
up the Columbia River to West-
port including the communities
of Cannon Beach, Seaside,
Warrenton, Astoria and Vernon-
ia.
The major stream basins in
this area include the Klaska-
nine, Youngs, Lewis and Clark,
Necanicum, and Nehalem
rivers.
The successful candidate
will start on or before Jan. 1,
2011 and will serve a four-year
term, with the possibility of re-
appointment for a total term of
eight years.
STEP was created by the
Oregon Legislature in 1981 to
provide a way for volunteers to
participate in the restoration of
native stocks of salmon, steel-
head and trout. Since then,
thousands of volunteers have
assisted Oregon’s fisheries
through their involvement in
STEP, donating money, materi-
als, equipment, and countless
hours of time and labor.
The committee is comprised
of 13 members representing all
regions of Oregon. Members
are appointed by the Governor
and meet quarterly in various
communities throughout the
state to conduct STEP busi-
ness and advise ODFW and
the Fish and Wildlife Commis-
sion on issues regarding STEP.
Committee members are vol-
unteers; however, business-re-
lated expenses are reimbursed
Candidates are encouraged
to apply by October 29, though
this recruitment will remain
open until filled.
For more application materi-
als, visit the link below or go to
http://governor.oregon.gov/Gov
/boards.shtml and follow the
link to “interest form.” Informa-
tion on STEP can be found at
http://www.dfw.state.or.us/STE
P/index.asp or by contacting
Kevin Herkamp, ODFW Salmon
and Trout Enhancement Pro-
gram Coordinator, at (503)947-
6232 or kevin.herkamp@state
.or.us.
Page 15
Power of the People
By W. Marc Farmer, General Manager,
West Oregon Electric Cooperative
A groundbreaking ceremony was held for
the new WOEC headquarters facility on Oc-
tober 8. With State Legislators, a County
Commissioner, the City Administrator,
WOEC Board and Staff, Five Star Builders,
and Co-op members present, the project
was officially begun. Actual construction be-
gan this week. Depending on the weather
conditions during construction, the project
should take from eight to 10 months to complete. This facility will
be using local contractors, goods, services and vendors to create
and retain as much local employment as possible. The best part
is that it is out of the flood plain.
See picture from the groundbreaking ceremony on page 1.
BLM expands use of herbicides
The Bureau of Land Man-
agement (BLM) announced the
release of a Record of Decision
for the Vegetation Treatments
Using Herbicides on BLM
Lands in Oregon. Weeds are
currently spreading on BLM
lands in Oregon at an estimat-
ed 12 percent per year, or
144,000 acres per year. This
decision expands herbicide
use beyond noxious weed
treatments to include: the treat-
ment of all invasive plants; the
control of pests and diseases;
and the control of native vege-
tation in rights-of-way, adminis-
trative sites, and recreation
sites. The broader array of
herbicides available under the
selected alternative will help
slow the noxious weed spread
rate by half and prevent 2.2 mil-
lion acres from becoming in-
fested.
There is a 30-day appeal pe-
riod following issuance of the
Record of Decision before the
decision can take effect. Addi-
tional information, and a copy
of the Record of Decision and
Final Environmental Impact
Statement, is available online
a
t
:
http://www.blm.gov/or/plans/
vegtreatmentseis/
Columbia salmon fishing reopens
Chinook salmon fishing re-
opened on the lower Columbia
River downstream of the Lewis
River on October 15 and will
stay open through the end of
the year.
The Oregon and Washing-
ton departments of fish and
wildlife decided to reopen
recreational chinook salmon
fishing on the Columbia from
Buoy 10 upstream approxi-
mately 88 miles to the mouth of
the Lewis River.
This section had been
closed for chinook since Sep-
tember 12 to reduce impacts to
federally-listed wild “tule”-stock
chinook salmon destined for
See Salmon on page 20
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