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The Newport Miner
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THE VOICE OF PEND OREILLE COUNT Y SINCE 1901
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
www.pendoreillerivervalley.com
Volume 110, Number 34 | 2 Sections, 20 Pages
Company to manage forest site Experiment on 54,000 acres put in hands of Vaagen Brothers Lumber; goal is more rehabilitation, more timber BY FRED WILLENBROCK OF THE MINER
COLVILLE – The Colville National Forest announced last week the awarding of a 10-year contract that will cost the company $1 million up front and give them the right to purchase $30 million worth of timber. This privatization of management to rehabilitate a large site from planning to implementation is a unique experiment not seen on this scale in any national forest. The stated goal of the Forest Service is to get more forest rehabilitation accomplished than its reduced staff can handle. Employment on the forest has dropped by 70 percent during the past 20 years. The timber industry and its supporters in Congress want more Forest Service timber heading to area mills while improving what they say is very poor forest health because of a lack of logging for a decade. “We’re willing to take a risk to show a better way to manage forests,” said Duane Vaagen, president of Vaagen Brothers Lumber Inc., the sole bidder on the 55,000 acre project in Stevens County. There could be up to 50 million board feet of timber to cut in the deal during the 10-year period. The forest sold 43 mbf in 2013. Vaagen has said the forest should be cutting close to 80 mbf a year.
How it works Russ Vaagen, vice-president, said they will pay for the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
and pre sale work. That could cost as much as $1 million. Then the Forest Service will appraise timber in the areas where logging is proposed and Vaagen will have to pay stumpage for it. How much money they make or lose will depend on the price of lumber at the time of the sale. Russ Vaagen is president of Northeast Washington Forestry Coalition, a local group that is made of all stakeholders including local environmental groups. He said this close connection will help them be successful when proposing what to do on the project and avoiding legal action. “Local community cooperation,” said Vaagen when describing how the project will work. “We will capsulate all user interests.” Duane Vaagen said he and Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., pushed the concept from the beginning. McMorris Rodgers is also sponsoring other legislation in Congress to increase timber harvest on the Colville National Forest. “The Colville National Forest is proud to be on the forefront of innovation in the agency and is looking forward to learning as much as we can from this project to help improve the pace and scale of restoration in the future,” Forest Supervisor Laura Jo West stated in a press release. “This approach will create capacity and flexibility on the forest by contracting out project work that would normally require additional appropriations if completed by Forest Service staff.” McMorris Rodgers stated in a
BY MICHELLE NEDVED OF THE MINER
MINER PHOTO|FRED WILLENBROCK
Newport/Sullivan Lake District Ranger Gayne Sears stands at the entrance of the Wolf trail where the Forest Service reduced stands and retained healthy trees to manage insects and diseases. Today it is a beautiful and popular hiking area and good example of what is being done in other areas of the forest.
West Bonner Food Bank suffers fourth break in
BY DON GRONNING
BY DON GRONNING
OF THE MINER
OF THE MINER
NEWPORT – Stratton Elementary School in Newport was put in a modified lockdown Thursday, Sept. 26, after a father became upset that bruises on his child were reported to authorities, as required by law. “It wasn’t much of an event,” Pend Oreille County Sheriff Alan Botzheim said. When bruises were found on a child, school personnel notified authorities. As mandatory reporters, whenever they have reason to believe the child may have suffered abuse or neglect, they are required by law to report it. When the father heard about it, he came to the
OLDTOWN – The West Bonner County Food Bank was broken into for the fourth time this year in early September. They broke into a boxcar the food bank used for storage.
SEE LOCKED, 9A BY DESIREÉ HOOD
A Pend Oreille County Sheriff deputy on the scene at Stratton Elementary School in Newport. The school went into a modified lockdown after a parent became upset.
OF THE MINER
Priest River – The Spartan spirit comes alive as students
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NEWPORT – The Newport School District has spent
“This time was the one that takes the prize for stupidity,” said a disgusted Karen Squires, who volunteers at the food bank, located at Third and Montana in Oldtown. “They kicked in the door, moved a foam mattress in and lived there for several nights.” The burglars used candles for
light, drank pop and trashed several months of work that has to be redone, she said. “Then, when they decided to move on, they moved on with a generator, electric cord, garage sales articles and I don’t know SEE BURGLARY, 9A
Homecoming week ends with dancing
MINER PHOTO|DON GRONNING
Duo to serve as athletic director for a year
PRIEST RIVER – Take in some competitive rowing and try out a new beer or two this weekend in Priest River. The Priest River Oktoberfest and Head of the Pend Oreille Regatta are this Saturday, Sept. 28, in downtown Priest River. The Regatta starts at 10 a.m. on the Pend Oreille River, starting at Thama Shores and finishing at Bonner Park West. Oktoberfest is from 11 a.m. to dark based around the corner of Main and High streets. The Priest Community Cares Fun Run begins at 10 a.m., as part of Oktoberfest. Check in is at Priest River Elementary at 9 a.m. The Pend Oreille Rowing and Paddling Association, Nelson British Columbia Rowing Club Juniors and The Tri-Cities Boat Club are new additions to the Head of the Pend Oreille Regatta. The newcomers will join Gonzaga University, Washington State University, Coeur d’Alene High School, Coeur d’Alene Rowing Club, Palouse Rowing Club and Spokane River Rowing Association. “This is exciting to see on several fronts,” event chairwoman Patricia Sudick said. “Competition for the junior crew, expansion into areas outside the Inland Northwest SEE REGATTA, 2A
Stratton locked down after parent becomes upset
CUSICK – The Pend Oreille Public Utility District line crews will be performing maintenance on the Cusick Substation Friday, Oct. 4 through Sunday, Oct. 6, requiring a power outage Friday from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. Saturday morning. Customers to be affected by the power outage include the Kalispel Wellness Center, Vaagen Brothers, and some customers on Highway 211. As always, the PUD appreciates its customers’ cooperation and understanding during outages, staff said in a press release.
Oktoberfest, Regatta this weekend Downtown Priest River full of activities Saturday
SEE FOREST, 2A
PUD plans Cusick Substation outage
75¢
B R I E F LY
several months looking for a new athletic director without success. They have hired Steve Bryant, the head basketball coach, and Zac Farnam, the head football coach, to share the duties for the rest of the school year. Bryant will cover the athletic director’s duties during the fall and Farnam will cover the winter and spring sports seasons. Dennis Matson, the high school principal, will oversee the coaches and take care of the athletic department’s budget. “He will take care of any parent issues,” Superintendent Dave Smith said. Around April of next year, the district will post the position again, hopeful for a qualified candidate to hold the position for the next year. “I have pretty much exhausted everything. I have had it open twice,” Smith said.
spend the week celebrating homecoming. The Priest River Lamanna High School started homecoming week Tuesday, Sept. 24 with
camouflage day followed by American colors of red, white and blue, Wednesday. ThursSEE DANCE, 2A
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Smith said this is the best solution for the athletic program for this school year. He said Bryant and Farnman are a good fit for the position. Smith said the high school fall athletics are set to go without too many major hiccups. “We are in really good shape right now,” Smith said. The middle school athletic department is still in need of an athletic director. Smith said the position will open again shortly and that volunteers are currently doing the work.
Suspect arrested in stabbing NEWPORT – Two days after allegedly stabbing a 37-year-old man in the neck, Peter F. Heinen, 21, of Usk was taken into custody without incident the morning
of Tuesday, Sept. 24. Deputies responded to a reported stabbing Sunday, Sept. 22, at 9:49 p.m. at a residence in Usk. On scene, deputies found the man who had been stabbed in the neck. The victim was transported to Newport Hospital where he was treated and released for a stab wound to the neck. Subsequent investigation revealed that Heinen had been involved in an argument and was asked to leave the victim’s residence. The argument escalated to a physical assault where, according to the Pend Oreille County Sheriff’s Office, Heinen allegedly punched a 28-year-old male and threw a 35-year-old female to the ground before stabbing the victim and fleeing. Heinen is charged with second-degree assault and two counts of fourth-degree assault.
SPORTS 6A-8A - RECORD 6B - POLICE 6B - OPINION 4A - CLASSIFIEDS 7B-10B - PUBLIC NOTICES 9B-10B - DOWN RIVER 9A - LIFE 5B - OBITUARIES 6B