Accepted August 26, 2014
WALLOWA COUNTY NATURAL RESOURCE ADVISORY COMMITTEE
STANDING COMMITTEE MEETING
July 22, 2014
9 AM –OSU Meeting Room
NRAC Standing Committee Members Present
Bruce Dunn, Chairman
Jeff Fields, TNC
John Williams, OSU Extension
NRAC Members
Jeff Yankee, ODFW
Susan Roberts, Co Commissioner
Others
Brady Smith, Wildlife Specialist
Eileen Williams
Dereck Johnson, TNC
Katy Nesbitt, Observer
The meeting was called to order at 9:05am by Chairman Bruce Dunn.
The minutes were approved with correction of adding Mike Hayward to list of attendees.
Introduced Brady Smith, Wildlife Services
Old Business
Lower Joseph Creek Assessment
-The Lower Joseph Creek Assessment draft is complete and has been presented to the County
Commissioner to be adopted to county land use plan. It will be on their schedule to be publicly
presented the 4th and 18th of August.
-Appendix has not come from Nils yet, John suggested it be included in ruff form. Susan need’s it before
the 18th.
-Will take public comments prior to the 18th, and will adopt on the 18th unless there is a lot of
disagreement.
-Katy will put it in the newspaper and it will be available on John’s web site.
Wallowa Whitman Forests Collaborative
-There will a tour tomorrow on East Face between La Grande and Baker.
-Katy is going.
-On the 29th and 30th there will be a meeting of the Coalition of Collaboratives in John Day.
WC NRAC Standing Committee
July 22, 2014
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Accepted August 26, 2014
Lower Joseph Creek Project
-Met with Barb Wales and Paul Boehne.
-Went through roads, about 20 in question.
-They consider a road is closed if you can’t drive a full size vehicle down it.
-Our determination was that a road is closed if unable to drive any vehicle on it.
-Closed roads are for full size vehicle but can drive a 4 wheeler down it
-That would mean that we have a lot more roads closed and that would bring our numbers closer to
theirs.
-Need to make sure have the same terminology
-FS has different roads per square mile for fish and for wildlife.
-Our alternatives were split between their alternative 2 and 3.
-General discussion of meeting with ID Team about using #3 alternative vs. #4. Good portion was on
roads and terminology. Spent time comparing roads in question.
Blue Mountain Forest Plan Revision
-Comments need to be in by August 15th.
-We have about 110 pages of comments
-Need to approve our comments for the Co Commissioner today.
-Group reviewed some of the areas and comments.
-There is a lack of continuity throughout the document due to number of years and different writers
over the years in which this document was written.
-Plan does not fulfill the desired conditions.
-Jeff brought up letter out of John Day. He said he would forward it to us.
-FS wants sight specific in document comments.
-Need to forward to County Commissioners before August 4th.
-Susan commented that “We want what is good for the whole forest”.
New Business
Hurricane Fire
-Over 645 acres
-Sending in a hot shot team, adding more support; expect to be controlled by Thursday.
-Expecting wind and lightening the next couple days
-Keeping crews from the Bear Creek fire around for a day or two for support if needed.
Up Dates
Travel Management
WC NRAC Standing Committee
July 22, 2014
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Accepted August 26, 2014
Letter in Chieftain, could not follow, think it was confused with forest plan.
Salmon Plan/SP Implementation
Nothing.
Old/New Photos
Nothing, have been working on Forest Plan comments.
Wolves
New kill in Chesnimnus area, triggered new polygon and new pack.
New pack is referred to as the unknown pack at the moment.
Wentz kill attributed to wolf, but can’t attribute to specific pack.
The wolves are expanding.
Wallowa Lake Stream Stabilization
Anderson Perry is doing an assessment.
ODA-Water Resources, DEQ
John gave a summary of what it is about and the tour that was here, nothing new.
Received Senate Bill 1010, Water Quality off Ag Lands
ODA and DEQ don’t agree
TMDL Lawsuit – Judge ruled against on focus of historical standards.
DEQ is taking historic standard piece out.
Other
New County Water Master, coming in September from Deschutes area.
He is the Assistant Water Master from Bend.
He is a State employee.
Adjourned 11:05 am
Respectfully Submitted
Eileen Williams
WC NRAC Standing Committee Secretary
WC NRAC Standing Committee
July 22, 2014
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