Approved 7/10/12
Wallowa County Technical Committee
June 12, 2012
OSU Extension Conference Room
Present:
Bruce Dunn, Forestry
Harold Black, Planner
Lance Burton, Range
Russ McMartin, Engineer
Cynthia Warnock, Conservation
John Williams, Range
Jamie McCormack, Range
Coby Menton
Jamie McCormack, Range
Katie Nesbitt, Guest, Reporter
The meeting was called to order at 8:30 a.m. by Bruce Dunn.
Minutes
There were no corrections to the May minutes and they stood approved as mailed.
Projects
Variance Permit
Applicant: Patrick Dunroven
Watershed: Grande Ronde
Description: Mr. Dunroven would like to put a structure up in place of an old trailer on his property in
Troy and update the septic system. The property line from the river is 73 feet and the Wallowa
County Land Use Plan said it needs to be 75 feet from the river and so a variance permit is
needed. This property is also located in the Troy community section of the Wild & Scenic River
Corridor so the landowner needs to notify the Oregon State Parks & Recreation. The new septic
system would be a sand filter. According to the map this is not in the 100 year flood plain.
Findings: In the Wallowa County Salmon Habitat Recovery Plan it states under the Grande Ronde River
– Wildcat to the State Line it states that water quality is a high priority and under septic it says
there may be some leakage in older septic systems and encourages replacing these with
improved systems. (pg. 73)
Recommendations: The committee did not have any concerns with this project and saw it as an
improvement.
FEMA Biological Assessment
The group that LCDC formed to look at the Biological Assessment that FEMA has done for flood plains
are using Lane and Umatilla Counties to review. Wallowa County had written a response to this issue
saying we have the SRP and planning documents with updates to goals 5 and 6. FEMA will be
negotiation with NMFS to come up with something that will work for all. The flood plain maps also need
to be changed. It won’t be considered the 100-year flood plain but the special flood hazard areas. There
has to be an endangered species in the area of the flood plain. These regulation will kick in when going
to the Planning Department for any development as well as any landscaping, berming and fence that will
be done in the flood plain would also fall under this. It will take about 5 years to get implemented. If a
person in the flood plain wants to renovate their house and it cost more than 50% of the house value
then they have to get their house in compliance with this ruling.
Agency report
Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD)
 The SWCD began their water quality monitoring in Prairie Creek. Because BOR has agreed to do the
lab work the samples will be taken every month instead of 4 times a year.
 Cynthia has been working with the landowners on Parsnip Creek and Larry Davis in setting up a
grazing time for the goats to beging grazing on the leafy sprurge infestations.
Approved 7/10/12
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Cynthia is still working on annual budgets and plans since the SWCD fiscal year ends in June.
The 6th Grade Conservation Tour was May 31st,. The weather was nice and everyone seemed to
enjoy it. For 3 of the stations there were new presenters, the other stations had returning
presenters.
Lance and Cynthia have been getting soil monitors out.
The SWCDE hired an engineer to design the big bend ditch pipeline so that will be getting underway.
NRAC
 A forest collaborative has been formed for the Wallowa Whitman. This collaborative process is
being used in other forests and is resulting in large area projects. It is not sure where it will go or
even if it will result in on-the-ground projects. A su committee was formed to develop a mission
statement. There is not a lot of private ownership representation on this collaborative.
 On June 19th, the NRAC Travel Management Plan subcommittee will meet with the USFS to hear
how they will proceed with the TMP.
 Bruce does not know when the Forest Plan Revision will be out. There have been rumors that there
is concern of acceptance after what happened when the TMP decision was announced. Stay tuned.
 Don’t know when the forest plan revision will be out. Have heard rumor that they are concerned
after the TMP went out.
 At the next County Commissioners’ meeting, Lindsey Wagner will be giving a presentation on
forestry and the economic impacts in Wallowa County.
 There have been two Lower Joseph Creek Assessment integration meetings. Still need to come up
with concern areas and proposed projects.
OSU Extension
 The Weed tour will be June 29th. The group will meet at Wallowa Resources at 9:15 a.m. The
agenda is out and in the OSU newsletter.
 The Pacific NW Society of Range Management will be in Burns on June 22-24.
 The Youth Range Camp begins on June 17th for youth interested in learning more about range.
 The OSU Range Field Day will be Tuesday, June 26th.
 The tri county wool pool will be July 8th, 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.. For those in Wallowa County that
want to donate the wool to 4H, they can bring it to the extension office.
 On June 21st the OSU Winter Elite Yield Trials and CPS Winter Wheat Variety Trials Field Tour
will take place, 9-11 a.m..
 On July 21st there will be a tour to look at the grazing paddocks on the Nature Conservancy ground.
These paddocks were done to look at cattle impact on ground nesting birds at different grazing
intensities. Need to meet at 8:00 a.m. at extension.
Wallowa County Planning Department
 Permitting is still slow. They did have a meeting about the solar panels Lew Perry is installing about
compliance.
Wallowa County Road Department
 The county is making asphalt and laying it down at the new clinic. They only run the asphalt plant
when there is a need for it.
 Dust abatement is being done on some of the dirt roads.
 On June 16th there will be a paint collection at the dump
 The State Highway is closing the substation on the North Highway anymore so this portion of the
highway will not be plowed in the winter as fast as it has in the past.
Approved 7/10/12
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
 Lance reported that they submitted their implementation strategies to the state office.
 They are working on CRP contracts that were just approved. Most of them are renewals, but there
are some new ones. Lance is making field visits checking the stands.
Grande Ronde Model Watershed (GRMW)
 The GRMW has been participating in a program with BPA looking at the past and future and seeing if
the metrics have been met. Through the Pisces Database it is being analyzed on what was said to
be done and what was actually done and then, based on the outcome, what fish beneficial projects
could be done, where they are and is it worth the cost. Coby did this for Wallowa County based on
discussions with ODFW and the NPT. From the NPT survey, there were 800 fish passage problems
identified. Bill Knox took the survey to verify and came up with 25 projects that would be a benefit
to the fish. BPA’s funding priority is Catherine Creek and the Upper Grande Ronde River, however
the GRMW continues to persuade BPA to use some of the funding in Wallowa County.
 Coby is working on getting funding for the gauging stations from BPA and OWEB. He will renew the
contracts for 12 gauges.
 The Alpine Meadow Golf Course has a final design, but it is not stamped yet. There is a question on
whether the effluent from the sewage is suitable to put back on the golf course. Enterprise has one
of the best sewage systems and the return is good water. Stay tuned.
 The landowners are now in agreement for the Lostine Diversion fish ladder. There was an access
and easement issue and the easement had to be enlarged. Bids were accepted for this project, but
it could not be awarded until the easement was obtained. It has been some time since the bid and
they are not sure if the contractor can still do it this year.
U.S. Forest Service
 Jamie went through the top 10 projects that were laid out by the region. The Lower Imnaha Range
Analysis and the Puderbaugh vegetation project were included in this. There are numerous smaller
projects that they will work on when they can.
 On the range side, permittees are getting cows turned out.
 On the weed side, they are making sure all the paper work is completed so they can have some
aerial spraying done for weeds.
With no further business the meeting adjourned at 10:15 a.m.
Respectfully Submitted By
Cynthia Warnock