November 2015
Basin Business
KLAMATH BASIN
Thursday, Nov. 19, 2015, Herald and News
Business
Regional economic conference coming to Klamath Falls
— Page 4
La Bella Casa
Let your neighbor feel the warmth — Page 5 Avista announces changes to officer team — Page 7
A publication of the Herald & News Chamber: www.klamath.org
1
Promoting local investing — Page 4
Designer-style gifts, home decor — Page 2
2
Thursday, Nov. 19, 2015, Herald and News
Basin Business
La Bella Casa offers trending styles in home decor, gifts By GERRY O’BRIEN H&N Editor
S
omething that has been lacking in the shopping scene in the Klamath Basin is a variety of designer-style gifts and home decorations, according to longtime home decorator Stacie Micka. That changes this week with the opening of La Bella Casa, a home décor and gift center located in the foyer of Legacy Furniture, 3250 Washburn Way. Address: 3250 Washburn Way — And it’s just in time for the holidays. inside Legacy Furniture “La Bella Casa is an extension of what Phone: 541-887-8557 we do at Legacy Furniture and Bedroom Contact name: Stacie Micka Gallery; they are our sister company,” said Micka. “We are expanding on the Hours: Mon-Fri 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; idea of home decorating (after people Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. have furnished their home). “The market for these items has always been here, but we’ve lost some of it with the store closures, such as RJ Classics,” Micka said. “That was a wonderful store. We want to offer upscale items so Basin people don’t feel like they have to travel to Medford to get them.” Long-term plans call for offering a complete home decorating package. Micka will act as a consultant, visiting homes if necessary, for a top-to-bottom home makeover. See CASA, Page 3
La Bella Casa
H&N photos by Gerry O’Brien
Stacie Micka shows decorator rug styles, above, in her store, La Bella Casa, located inside Legacy Furniture. At left, and above left, are examples of some of the trending styles that will be available in the store.
Basin Business
Thursday, Nov. 19, 2015, Herald and News
3
Retail coach surveys community for business wish list By HOLLY DILLEMUTH H&N Staff Reporter
Pictured here are some of the items that will be available at La Bella Casa, including packets of wine flavorings, above; a jar lamp filled with fruits that retain their color in an oil base, above right; and a selection of flatware and glassware.
What business would you like to see locate in Klamath Falls? The city, Klamath County, members of Klamath County Economic Development Association (KCEDA) and retail development firm The Retail Coach would like to know. The retail firm, hired collectively by the city, county and KCEDA, aims to bring more retail options to the Klamath Basin, and they’ve crafted a survey to find out more information in the process. City Manager Nathan Cherpeski said as of Thursday afternoon, about 350 people had filled out the survey. Those interested can respond through Tuesday, Nov. 17, he said. Survey results will help the firm market the area. “They’re interested in what people want,” Cherpeski said. Residents surveyed had a chance to share the top five retail and food places they would like to see here, as well as how often they currently shop in the Klamath Basin. Once a participant lists desired businesses, the firm looks at the retail business climate and which stores are open and able to expand. The city of Klamath Falls has conducted similar surveys this year, asking the public what two businesses it would like to see in Klamath Falls. The retail firm offers extensive expertise, analysis and connections to retail stores, according to Cherpeski, giving the city more of an advantage by having data to showcase to prospective businesses interested in locating in the Basin. The Retail Coach plans to also host a gathering in early 2016, where it will train local business owners how best to meet consumer needs. The survey can be filled out by going online at https://www.surveymonkey. com/r/KlamathFallsRetailSurvey.
Casa ...
From Page 2 “For now, we are offering ‘giftable’ items,” Micka said. “The home décor theme will be present throughout the entire store, eventually.” Some of the name brands the store will offer include: Gracious Goods, Uttermost Lighting, Himalayas decorative pillows and Adams & Co. décor. Micka’s husband, Derek Micka, has been the general manager of Legacy for the last eight years. Legacy and Bedroom Gallery is owned by Ken Padilla. It has been in business for nearly 30 years. The 35,000-square-foot store has plenty of display space for a full-service furniture store. What was missing was the accent items for homes, such as throw pillows, custom rugs, shelf decorations, wall clocks and other décor. “La Bella Casa will focus on what is trending. We will be attending national shows and bringing back the latest trends for consumers here,” Stacie Mick said. “We’re really just offering a taste of everything.” The grand opening for La Bella Casa will be Nov. 27, Black Friday. A ribbon-cutting with the Klamath County Chamber of Commerce was held last week. “We want people to come in and celebrate what we’re doing on Black Friday, and get a feel for what we are about and will be about in the future,” Micka said.
Mark Fay, M.D. Scott Stevens, M.D. Physician/ Surgeon of the Eye Physician/ Surgeon of the Eye
Edwin Tuhy, O.D. Optometrist
Jennifer Sparks, O.D. Optometrist
New Patients Welcome
2640 Biehn St. • 541.884.3148 • www.klamatheyecenter.com
4
Thursday, Nov. 19, 2015, Herald and News
Basin Business
Promoting local investing Hatch Oregon: An economic engine for growing community capital By GERRY O’BRIEN H&N Editor Oftentimes people with bright ideas don’t know how to put them into action. Overcoming that hurdle has been a focus of local economic development groups such as IDEA, KCEDA and the Chamber of Commerce. The second hurdle a startup needs to clear is funding — finding a way to finance a project. A recently changed administrative rule in Oregon now lets the small entrepreneur meet the small investor. It allows the local investor to PEARL back a local start-up, thereby helping the local economy grow. We’re not talking large amounts of money here or large amounts of risk. The reward may be large or small, depending on the startup’s success. We’ve all heard of IPOs, or initial public offerings of stock. Wall Street regulators require firms wishing to join the stock market to do some heavy lifting to ensure they can compete in the economy and that shareholders aren’t taken for a ride. But oftentimes IPOs are out of the price range of the common investor and have no connection to the local economy. Oregon, the 16th state to do so, now offers CPOs or community public offerings. It’s easy to invest and benefits a local startup. And, if they are successful, you are successful. Amy Pearl, executive director and founder of Hatch Innovation is on a whirlwind tour of Oregon cities to promote the investor option. “The key word here is public. Public securities funding means anyone can invest. However, you must be a resident of
What is Hatch Oregon? Hatch Oregon is a brand new economic engine for growing community capital. It’s a result of the work of Hatch Innovation, the nonprofit that pushed through Oregon’s new law enabling community investing. Our team of educators and experts engage with local community leaders to build the missing infrastructure needed to accelerate community and economic development. Oregon,” she said. The limit one can invest is $2,500. Startups have to pass muster, too. They must submit a prospectus to Hatch that will reveal everything to a potential investor, such as a business plan, budget information and the risks involved in investing. “An investor has access to all the facts that are material to that company to make an informed, reasoned judgment regarding that company,” Pearl said. Under the so-called crowdfunding law, companies with fewer than 50 employees are allowed to offer investment opportunities to anyone who lives in Oregon. There are two kinds of crowdfunding. One is a donation or a no-interest loan, but not a security. For example, one could donate to a local bakery and get a box of doughnuts in return. The other is securities crowdfunding, which is real investing. It is an offer to invest and carries risk with it. “Are you going to get rich off of $2,500? Probably not. But what you are doing is investing in your community,” Pearl said. What difference could it make investing locally? According to the literature, if Oregonians invested only 1 percent of their savings in local businesses, it would add a billion dollars of needed capital into Oregon’s economy. “This is one of the potential funding opportunities to onboard some of our local people with local startups,” said Chip Massie, executive director of the Klamath County Chamber of Commerce. An example of this is Gro-Volution. The local startup that is employing shipping containers as a place to grow food in a sel-
What Hatch Oregon brings local communities ■ Education that strengthens social and local enterprise ■ Legal tools and practices for community investing ■ Connections across the state ■ Programs that unite community and economic development ■ Full SEC compliance and legal oversight
How it works on the ground We work directly with local leaders to embed new investment practices and tools into the fabric of the community. We are working with regional leaders to increase capacity to serve their constituencies via trainthe-trainers workshops and new professional resources. help people understand how to do community investments for tangible economic development. And, Hatch Oregon provides valuable community connections across the region, building and sharing regional strategies.
Online Online, we provide the first statewide arena for listing, sharing, and investing in local investment opportunities of every type, resource-rich content, and community building tools. The regional nodes promote communications, marketing and press support, and education online. The management team provides oversight for legal and financial compliance. contained environment. The potential is to ship contained mini-farms to areas across the globe that cannot produce food themselves, such as in deserts or the Arctic. There are about 12 such small startups in the state seeking funding currently. GroVolution is one of them. It is seeking about $220,000 and is only at 5 percent of goal. Investors have until Jan. 22, 2016, to contribute, though that date may be extended. For more on investing and bios of the other companies seeking investors, see hatchoregon.org.
Regional conference coming to Klamath Falls Klamath Falls has been chosen as the location of the next Sitelink Forum, a regional conference that takes place in strategically chosen areas throughout the nation. The event, scheduled to be held at the Running Y Ranch Resort in May 2016, will be attended by seven site selectors from throughout the Western United States. “Hosting an event like this speaks to the vitality of Southern Oregon’s business climate,” said Greg O’Sullivan of the Klamath County Economic Development Association (KCEDA) in a news release. “And, it speaks volumes about Klamath County’s initiative to be in the game when it comes to aggressive business recruitment.” According to the conference organizer, Klamath County was chosen because of its stalwart commitment to economic development. “Klamath County is really proactive,” said Paige Webster, owner of Webster Global Locations. “They are forward thinking, and they care about getting more exposure to site selectors nationally.” That exposure is crucial to future growth and development opportunities for the county, Webster says. “Site selectors do 60 percent of all the binary employer and large manufacturer projects in the world,” he said. “Exposure to them can make a real impact for Klamath County, but it’s also going to be good for the state because we bring in economic development agency representatives from all over the country.” Attendees from California, Nevada, Washington and North Dakota will be onsite to see what southern Oregon has to offer. The Sitelink Forum conference will take place May 18-20 at Running Y Ranch Resort. For information, contact Paige Webster at (602) 621-0576. For information on economic development in Klamath County, contact Greg O’Sullivan at (541) 882-9600.
Basin Business
Thursday, Nov. 19, 2015, Herald and News
Ju n ior A ch ieve men t ’s Let your neighbors JA Fina nce Pa r k feel the warmth Program at fairgrounds in December to teach financial literacy
Who are we? The Klamath County District of Junior Achievement of Oregon and Southwest Washington, a Junior Achievement USA affiliate, is a nonprofit youth organization whose purpose is to empower young people to own their future economic success. We have been active in Klamath County since 1999. We partner with Klamath County K-12 schools and volunteers from the business community to provide programs that promote work readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy. JA’s time-tested, collaborative approach to teaching students the “economics of life” incorporates caring adult volunteers from the community to assist educators with the learning process. In the 2015-2016 school year, 2,032 students in 82 Klamath County classrooms will receive Junior Achievement programs, including JA Finance Park.
What is JA Finance Park? JA Finance Park was created to provide a portable, relevant, high-impact personal financial literacy program for middle and high school students across Oregon and SW Washington. It comes to the Klamath County Fairgrounds Dec. 7-11, and again in April 2016. JA Finance Park is designed to address the way students learn best, and it’s cost effective. It combines classroom curriculum with a hands-on, real-life simulation experience that tests students’ understanding of financial literacy and personal money management. JA Finance Park assists teachers and community mentors as well as students, giving them tools to help students meet the state board of education’s core financial literacy standards.
Why is personal finance education critical? JA Finance Park’s curriculum and simu-
lation focus on personal finance in direct response to a clear and present need for increased financial literacy. Teens report that the recession has motivated them to learn more about their money. But what do they know now? Consider these facts: ■ 65 percent of teens are unsure how to use a credit card effectively ■ 62 percent are unsure how to establish good credit ■ 65 percent are unsure how to balance a checkbook ■ 62 percent of 12th-grade students failed a recent national financial literacy survey — From Teens & Money survey, Charles Schwab & Co., 2011
Pacific Power, KLCAS team up to help families keep warm this winter Too many families in Klamath and Lake counties need to choose between staying warm, staying fed and paying other bills. You can help see them through the coming cold season by donating new oil-filled heaters and new (or gently used) blankets. “We all know some neighbors who are at risk each winter,” said Rob Petchell, community service manager of KLCAS. “This year we are teaming up with Pacific Power to help as many people as we can get through winter
safe and warm.” “We’re asking people to buy new oil-filled electric heaters and drop them off at our office,” said Todd Andres, regional business manager. “Ideally, these units would still be in their boxes with instructions. New or gently used blankets will help, too.” Bring the donations to the Pacific Power Operations Center, 1950 Mallard Lane. Donations will be accepted 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the week through Friday. Donations are tax deductible. After all the donations are collected, KLCAS will distribute the heaters and blankets to households that need help. Contact KLCAS to apply for assistance at 541-882-3500.
JA Finance Park offers critical resources to schools and communities so that young people have the opportunity to develop sound financial skills for life.
How does JA Finance Park work? The program space is a structure similar to a high-end trade show exhibit, designed as a mini-city with “businesses” that correlate to 17 personal budget lines. The materials themselves have been designed to appeal to the way teens learn best. Students first study the JA Finance Park curriculum in the classroom. Then, they test their knowledge in the transportable simulation environment. There, students make tough, realistic budgeting decisions about everything from food, housing and health care to transportation, utilities and investing as they progress through the simulation. The on-site activities allow students to put into action what they have learned in the classroom. To volunteer as a student group leader at JA Finance Park or to learn about sponsorship opportunities, contact Anne Hiller Clark, Klamath County District Manager at ahillerclark@ja-pdx.org or 541-884-1190.
Grand Opening
Friday, Nov. 27 ‑ Black Friday Located inside 3250 Washburn Way | 541-887-8557 | 9:00am-6:00pm
5
6
Basin Business
Thursday, Nov. 19, 2015, Herald and News
Blue Sky over Steen Park Solar pavilion will help cut sports park’s electric costs By SAMANTHA TIPLER H&N Staff Reporter Steen Sports Park is going solar. With funding from a Pacific Power Blue Sky Renewable Energy program grant, the privately funded nonprofit sports park plans to build a solar pavilion which will help with electric costs. “It’s an opportunity to reduce our carbon footprint — we already are geothermal — and in other ways it’s going to allow us to reduce our costs,” said Mike Reeder, Steen Sports Park Board vice president. One of the biggest costs in running the park is electric costs. With solar, Reeder and the board believe the budget will run in the black. And money saved on electric bills means money for making the park and its programs better. “We won’t be struggling any more to survive,” Reeder said. “We’ll be enhancing things. More programs. More recreational opportunities. This is a significant thing.”
H&N PHOTO BY SAMANTHA TIPLER
Members of the Steen Sports Park board and supporters stand where the new solar pavilion will be built. From left to right: board members Holly Stork, Margot Durand and Mike Reeder; Eric Andrews, owner of EcoSolar and Electric, Dave Steen, executive director of the park, Mark Dodson, Basin Unlimited Soccer Club president and board member, and Todd Andres, regional business manager with Pacific Power.
Partners in power Pacific Power’s Blue Sky program is providing $175,000 for the solar project, which has a total price tag of $225,000. “This is just an example of what Blue Sky really is. It’s specific power users who choose to invest in renewable energies,” said Todd Andres, regional business manager with Pacific Power. Over the last few years, he said, the Blue Sky program has committed $400,000 to the region in renewable energy projects like the one at Steen Sports Park. The sports park board plans to apply for funding from Energy Trust of Oregon and private donations to fund the rest of the pavilion’s costs. “We’re really truly happy that this is going to help this organization out,” Andres said of Steen Sports Park. “This needs to survive for years and years to come. Hopefully this is just a little part, a little part that helps you guys do well.”
Solar pavilion The solar pavilion will be a sheltered picnic area with 200 solar panels on the roof. Unlike the other buildings at Steen Sports Park, the pavilion is designed to get the maximum amount of rays. The panels will face south and are expected to be 97 percent efficient. Oregon Energy Green, of Medford, helped with the grant application and EcoSolar and Electric, of Klamath Falls, will build it. The pavilion will serve a dual purpose by providing a place for people to
gather. It’ll be a nice place for people to be between games,” Reeder said. The pavilion will be built in the grassy area just south of the south parking lot, near the playground, baseball fields and the batting cages building. “This type of thing is going to help us move further on with our work here,” said Dave Steen, the park’s namesake and executive director. Power costs at the park run about $100,000 a year, Steen said. Some of the biggest costs are the power to run the pump and well for irrigation in the summer and the costs to run Mike’s Fieldhouse year-round. That’s where the solar power will go. Steen estimates it will save the park $800 to $900 a month. “If we keep building on this, we can become free of any bills of power at all,” Steen said. “We can always keep the costs of using this facility a lot better.” There is a one-year timeline on the project, and it is anticipated to be completed by December 2016.
Unemployment tax rates for Ore. employers to decrease Unemployment tax rates for most Oregon employers will decline Jan. 1, 2016, according to a news release from the Oregon Employment Department. Employers that pay into the system will move from Schedule 5 to Schedule 4, saving the average Oregon employer about $69 per employee annually. Tax Schedule 4 includes an average rate of 2.26 percent for the first $36,900 paid to each employee. The specific rate each employer will pay under the new schedule depends on how much they have used the unemployment insurance system. The Oregon Employment Department is mailing notifications to businesses today regarding their individual tax rates. The tax structure for Oregon’s unemployment trust fund consists of eight schedules. Movement between the schedules of tax rates is one of the selfbalancing aspects of Oregon’s unemployment insurance trust fund law. Each schedule has a range of tax rates based on an employer’s previous unemployment insurance experience. Employers with more unemployment insurance claims have a higher tax rate than those with fewer claims. Oregon law requires the Employment Department to use a statutory formula to determine employer payroll tax rates for the upcoming year. These taxes go into the unemployment insurance trust fund used to pay unemployment benefits. At its lowest point in 2010, the trust fund had a balance of just under $700 million, but as of Oct. 31, the balance stood at more than $2.7 billion. Oregon’s self-balancing approach results in the state having one of the strongest trust funds in the nation. The trust fund provides an important support for temporarily unemployed workers, their families and communities while minimizing the impact on employers.
Basin Business
Woodland Lighting and Home Décor launches children’s line Woodland Lighting and Home Décor introduces Woodland Baby, a unique assortment of clothes and toys for that special baby in one’s life. MudPie, just one of the noteworthy clothing lines is an award-winning manufacturer of innovatively designed and affordably priced gifts since 1988, according to a press release. Among the new toy lines is JuraToys, a manufacturer of contemporary and modern wooden toys, which designs wooden games and toys.
“Our goal in expanding our store’s offerings was to help Klamath Falls find extraordinary gifts without having to drive out of town or shop online. Our quality children’s lines are well-made, unique and affordable,” said Cindy Schmeck, owner of Woodland Lighting and Home Décor. A full viewing of the new lines will be available at Woodland Lighting and Home Décor at 735 Commercial St., suite 2000, Klamath Falls; 541-273-7495.
‘Built in the Basin’ video series to highlight local craftsmen Impressions Design + Marketing has recently launched “Built in the Basin,” a video series that features local businesses that make and sell items in the Klamath Basin. The series comes at no cost to any of those being featured, nor is it being paid for by a third party. The videos are being introduced on a weekly basis from the Impressions Design + Marketing Facebook page, according to a press release “This is a celebration of our business’ anniversary. It has been three years since we opened our agency and one year since we moved from being a home-based business to having a storefront,” says Sara Irvine, owner of Impressions Design +
Marketing. She goes on to say that the agency is honored by those Klamath Falls businesses that continue to choose them as their advertising agency. “As a small token of gratitude, we wanted to feature amazing local businesses that create awesomeness right here in our backyard,” said Irvine. The businesses being featured are not necessarily clients of Impressions Design; however, the “labor of love” is proof of the agency’s public support of small business and invitation for local residents to appreciate local shops by shopping local, the release said.
Thursday, Nov. 19, 2015, Herald and News
7
Get your affairs in order You may be quite willing to plan an investment strategy for your retirement years. However, once you do retire, you’ll need to “shift gears” somewhat to focus on your legacy. Specifically, to protect your loved ones and ensure your intentions are clear and carried out, you’ll need to do some more planning — and you’ll need to share your thoughts with your family. Here are some moves to consider: ■ List your assets and debts. Your family needs to be aware of your assets and debts, so share this information with them while you are alive and well. ■ Create a durable power of attorney. Give a trusted friend or family member a durable power of attorney to pay bills and make financial choices on your behalf if you are unable to do so. ■ Choose and executor. An executor is the person or entity you name in your will to carry out your wishes. An executor has a variety of responsibilities, so pick someone who is honest and capable of dealing with legal and financial matters. Talk with an attorney about how best to name your executor. ■ Update your will. You might have written a will many years ago, but, over time, many aspects of your life may have changed. Review your will with your attorney to ensure it reflects your current wishes. ■ Review benefits of a living trust. A simple will may not be enough to accommodate your estate-planning needs. You
might want to consider establishing a living trust, which provides you with significant flexibility in distributing your assets and can help you avoid the timeconsuming, expensive and public process of probate. To create a trust or other estate-planning documents, you will need to work with a qualified legal professional. ■ Review your beneficiary designations. The beneficiary designations on your financial accounts (401(k), IRA, etc.) and your insurance policies can even supersede the directions on your will, so it’s essential that you update these designations to reflect events such as divorce and remarriage. And make sure your beneficiaries have the facts they need to claim their benefits. ■ Share location of your legal documents. Your loved ones should know where you keep documents such as your birth certificate, will and living trust. If you keep these items in a safe deposit box, tell your family where you keep the key. As you can see, you’ll need to take several steps to fulfill your intentions. So plan carefully, engage the appropriate team — financial advisor, attorney, tax professional — and put your plans in motion. By being proactive, you can greatly ease the burden on your loved ones in the future. MEREDITH HOFFMAN Financial Advisor, Edward Jones 1307 S Alameda Avenue, Suite B Klamath Falls, OR 97603-3601 Phone: 541-273-2483
Avista announces changes in its officer team SPOKANE, Wash. — Avista Corp. (NYSE: AVA) has announced changes in its officer team, approved by the board of directors. Don Kopczynski, vice president, Energy Delivery and Customer Service, has announced plans to retire on Dec. 1, after serving the company and its customers for 36 years. Heather Rosentrater, currently Avista’s director of Electrical Engineering and Grid Modernization, has been selected to fill Kopczynski’s role upon his retirement. Rosentrater will have responsibility for Avista’s electric and natural gas engineering, operations and customer service. “We are proactive and rigorous in the development of leaders, and we are well-positioned to continue meeting our business objectives in this dynamic energy industry environment,” said Avista Corp. Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer Scott Morris. “We want to thank Don for his 36 years of service to Avista. His leadership has led to important advances in
our company and the utility industry across broad areas of energy operations, engineering, safety and leadership development. We appreciate his service and we wish him the very best ROSENTRATER in his retirement. KOPCZYNSKI “Heather’s proven engineering and leadership experience paves the way for a smooth transition. She is a valuable addition to the officer team as we continue moving forward with new technologies and company growth.” Rosentrater has worked for Avista for 19 years in various leadership roles on some of the company’s most
important grid modernization initiatives. She received a degree in electrical engineering from Gonzaga University and in recent years has served her community as an adjunct professor at her alma mater, Gonzaga, to train young people in power engineering. She also serves on the advisory council for Washington State University’s School of Engineering and Computer Science and on the boards of the Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery and the West Valley Education Foundation.
About Avista Avista Corp., incorporated in 1889 and based in Spokanem is an energy company involved in the production, transmission and distribution of energy as well as other energy-related businesses. Avista Utilities is the operating division that provides electric service to 371,000 customers and natural gas to 330,000 customers. Its service territory covers 30,000 square miles in eastern Washington, northern Idaho and parts of southern, eastern Oregon.
8
Basin Business
Thursday, Nov. 19, 2015, Herald and News
Paid Advertisement
November 2015 Newsletter for Oregon State Senator Doug Whitsett, District 28 Senator Doug Whitsett
R-Klamath Falls - District 28 I represent the citizens of Senate District 28, which includes Klamath, Lake and Crook, as well as parts of Jackson and Deschutes Counties. As Senator of one of the largest Senate districts in the state, it is extremely important that my constituents remain in contact with me about the issues and concerns that affect their lives. You and I must work together to protect the common interests of rural Oregonians. I encourage you to contact my office by either email or telephone so that I can know how to best serve you. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Best Regards, Senator Doug Whitsett
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, S-311 Salem, OR 97301 Capitol Phone: 503-986-1728 Newsletters: www.leg.state.or.us/whitsett Email Senator Doug Whitsett: sen.dougwhitsett@state.or.us
ENVIRONMENTALISTS CRY “WOLF” OVER OREGON ESA DELISTING Some of the first governance meetings held in Oregon were convened in 1843, due to concerns over wolves killing livestock. It required more than 100 years of concerted effort before the last Oregon wolf was presented for bounty in 1946. Due entirely to their ill-advised reintroduction, the same issue is being actively debated today, more than 170 years after the first control efforts began. Last week, the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission voted 4-2 to delist the Canadian Gray Wolf from the state’s endangered species list. The Commission’s decision came following an entire day of testimony from more than 100 people who signed up to sound off on the matter. People from throughout the state attended the meeting, including wolf advocates primarily from Portland and Eugene. Their perspective was countered by representatives of the Oregon Hunters Association, the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association and many other residents of eastern Oregon. Recent Commission appointee Jason Atkinson was once again absent from the proceedings. The Commission heard presentations from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (ODFW) wolf program coordinator, as well as one of the program’s original architects, a biologist who has since retired. The presentations included maps of the areas in which wolves are known to exist in Oregon. It clearly showed that the apex predators are found nowhere near Portland or Eugene, but largely in the northeastern part of the state. The Commission then began hearing arguments representing both sides of the issue including oral testimony from my office. We testified that according to recent press accounts, constituent operators of a century ranch located in northern Klamath County awoke on three consecutive mornings to find that wolves had maimed or killed their cattle. Also placed into the record by my office was written testimony provided by representatives of Oregon Wild and the Sierra Club during a meeting of the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee last April. That committee had considered a bill that would have authorized the Legislature to be in charge of the wolf delisting decision. At that time, environmentalists testified they believed the Legislature did not have the expertise to make a delisting decision and that the Fish and Wildlife Commission was the only body capable of making such a determination: “Managing our state’s wildlife is the role and responsibility of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and decisions regarding listing or delisting species are entrusted to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and decisions regarding listing or delisting species are entrusted to the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission. These entities have the necessary scientific, policy and legal expertise to make these decisions, and the processes to ensure full compliance with the law and opportunities for public participation.” Now that the Commission has made its decision, we believe it
is important for them to hear and understand that quote. It would be much more difficult to for environmentalists to successfully overturn a delisting made by the Legislative Assembly than a delisting made by the Commission. We understand that environmental organizations are unhappy with the Commission’s decision and believe they are likely to sue the Commission, even though they nuanced their delisting decision by suggesting that the Legislature should limit the delisting to Eastern Oregon and significantly enhance the penalty for killing a wolf. Under current Oregon law, that penalty is a $6,250 fine and up to one year in jail. Much of the testimony provided by environmentalists at the hearing appeared to be based on emotion rather than reality. A frequent argument was that the delisting would open the door for the wholesale slaughter of wolves. This is simply not true. Although a giant step forward for protection of some livestock, the state delisting does not allow the killing of any wolf in the area designated as Western Oregon, lethal action may only be taken against wolves in the area designated as Eastern Oregon, and then only when they are literally “caught in the act” of killing or maiming livestock. The Commission action will provide little help to reduce wolf depredation in Klamath County because, absurdly, Western Oregon is now defined to include most of Central and Southwestern Oregon. Therefore, only non-lethal means are being deployed to discourage the lone wolf that killed and maimed the Klamath County calves. The Oregon Endangered Species Act (ESA) requires conservation that brings a species to the point where measures are no longer necessary. It requires the Commission to base the delisting on scientific criteria related to the species’ biological status in Oregon and mandates the use of documented and verifiable scientific information. Oregon’s current wolf plan was developed in 2009, and was a collaborative effort directly involving all of the stakeholders, including environmental groups. It was approved unanimously in the Senate and had broad bipartisan support in the House. Under the plan, it was agreed that the delisting could be considered once the wolf population reached a specific threshold. That threshold was reached nearly a year ago. Ranchers and other people in Eastern Oregon upheld their part of the bargain. They endured the last several years abiding by the terms of the wolf plan, with the understanding that delisting would occur once the wolf population reached the milestone established under the agreement. Last April, ODFW issued a draft evaluation recommending delisting of the wolf. ODFW staff made the recommendation to delist the wolf last month based on their best science and reiterated the recommendation during the hearing.
They based their recommendation on the fact that Oregon wolves are not in danger of extinction, and that existing programs and regulations are adequate to protect the species and its habitat. In short, the plan was created, agreed upon, and the criteria for delisting has now been exceeded. The Oregon wolf plan does not allow for hunting or other unauthorized killing of wolves. It only allows for taking of wolves as a management tool, in response to depredation. Nonetheless, environmentalist organizations attempted to use their typical tactics to pursue their agenda. Their rhetoric is reminiscent of the disastrous 1994 Northwest Forest Management Plan, when stakeholders came to an extensive agreement that was almost immediately derailed by environmental groups failing to act in good faith. The lengthy trail of lawsuits and devastated rural communities is now the true legacy of those efforts. For wolf advocates, the delisting represents a major setback in their concerted, coordinated and continued efforts to eliminate the grazing of cattle and sheep on public lands. The most significant change resulting from the delisting is that environmentalists would no longer be able to use the Oregon ESA to file frivolous lawsuits under the guise of protecting the wolves. Within hours of the Commission’s decision, the Center for Biological Diversity was already using the delisting for fundraising purposes. They are promising to take the ODFW to court within days to overturn the delisting. Apparently, they now believe the ODFW expert scientists are incapable making a decision based on sound science. Last week’s delisting decision ultimately represents a hardfought victory for rural Oregonians who have lived under the constant threat posed by these dangerous and destructive predators. Hopefully, common sense will continue to prevail, and the organized wolf advocates will no longer be able to use the wolves to advance their agenda to deliberately destroy the livelihoods of people outside of the Willamette Valley. Please remember—if we do not stand up for rural Oregon, no one will. Best regards, Doug Follow the link below to subscribe to an electronic version of my weekly legislative newsletter updates: https://public.govdelivery.com/ accounts/ORLEG/subscriber/new?topic_id=ORLEG_30.