Serving North Tillamook County since 1996
Seasons Greetings Special Section
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Citizen
Inside:
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by Tillamook County students Headlight Herald
Citizen North Coast
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December 19, 2019
northcoastcitizen.com
2019
Volume 24, No. 25
Chinook deaths lead to salmon angling closure F
ollowing a recent die-off of fall Chinook salmon in the Wilson River, excessive pre-spawn mortality of fall Chinook in other nearby rivers has prompted fishery managers to close the entire North Coast to all salmon angling effective Dec. 13-31. According to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), the closure includes all North Coast basins from the Nestucca River to the Necanicum River. Angling for steelhead is unaffected by this change and remains open under permanent regulations. Monitoring of North Coast basins, in response to the recent die-off observed in the Wilson River and by reports from the public of similar mortality events in other
rivers, revealed substantial deaths of fall Chinook salmon (more than half of the carcasses sampled in the Nestucca, Trask and Kilchis rivers this week) prior to spawning. Additional pre-spawn mortalities have been observed in the Wilson River since last week’s closure as well. The mortality is attributed to the spread of cryptobia, a naturally occurring parasite which only affects certain fish species and poses no risk to humans. The closure is necessary to protect remaining fall Chinook adults to allow them to reach spawning grounds, according to Robert Bradley, district fish biologist for ODFW’s North Coast Watershed District. “The observed pre-spawn mortality is on top of a reduced run of fall Chinook this
year,” Bradley said. “We need to protect the remaining spawners to help provide for future runs of fall Chinook on the North Coast.” Angling for all salmon is closed for the remainder of 2019 in the following areas: Necanicum River basin, Nehalem Bay and River, including the NF Nehalem, Tillamook Bay and rivers (Tillamook River, Trask River, Wilson River, Kilchis River and Miami River), and Nestucca Bay and River, including Three Rivers and the Little Nestucca River. The pre-spawn mortality event appears to be limited to the North Coast. Assessments of other basins further south have
Photo: Metro Creative Outlet
not revealed any incidents of this kind. Due to this, no angling regulation changes are being made in other locations.
Burning down the house: Joint fire training environment, then put it out several times before totally burning down the house. The process starts with lighting small fires one room at a time, bringing in an attack line and a backup line, each with an instructor, to practice suppressing the flames. Pyrotechnicians also have a water line just in case. Communication and teamwork are major components for working inside and outside the house. Tillamook Fire Department Training Officer Alan Christensen said the “burn and learn” exercise went well by all accounts. He said both experienced and new personnel had their chances to learn. Christensen said joint training sessions such as this one serve to promote interagency operability, which is key because standing mutual aid agreements mean working
Cody Mann
headlightnews@countrymedia.net
N
umerous fire agencies held a training burn at a house on North Main Avenue in Tillamook at the end of November. Firefighters took turns working the burning home all morning and afternoon, drawing a crowd of bystanders to the scene. Tillamook Fire led the training exercise and had 30 personnel at the fire. Another dozen firefighters from the departments of NetartsOceanside, Nehalem, Garibaldi, and Nestucca participated in the burn. The focus of the training was studying fire behavior and fire control, allowing a combination of new and seasoned firefighters working the same scene to maximize the learning potential. Crews get a chance to watch the fire build and spread firsthand in a totally controlled
Cody Mann/Headlight Herald
n See Burn, Page 2
Recall against State Rep. Tiffiny Mitchell fails A
Hilary Dorsey
headlightreporter@countrymedia.net
recall effort against an Astoria-based congresswoman has fallen flat. Timber Unity announced Wednesday, Dec. 4, that the effort to recall State Rep. Tiffiny Mitchell (D-Astoria) from her elected position representing District 32 in the Oregon House of Representatives failed to gather the required number of signatures to force a recall election.
The effort to recall Mitchelll was launched on Sept. 6, in response to Mitchell’s votes in support of House Bill 2020’s cap and trade taxes, among other issues. Supporters of the recall had up to 90 days to collect 4,883 signatures needed to force a recall election. The signatures were due by Dec. 4. “Up here on the North Coast, we were shocked to learn how Rep. Tiffiny Mitchell voted against her constituents,” the recall campaign’s chief petitioner, Darren Mead, said on Timber Unity’s social media
account. “She hasn’t been elected more than a year yet proved she will
put Portland’s agenda over our working-class families and small businesses,” Mead said. “We are not ‘well-connected’ people, and we responded in one of the only ways we knew how.” Mitchell responded by email to a Headlight Herald request for comment on the recall’s failure. In her email, she said she was relieved that recall effort had ended, adding that she is pleased to serve the people of her district in the work she was sent to Salem to do.
“In preparation for the 2020 short session, I am working on several concepts designed to help working people and to increase access to primary care in rural areas like ours. I look forward to securing those wins for our district and the state,” Mitchell said in the email. Mitchell will be hosting a series of constituent listening sessions in January. The Tillamook listening session is set for 10 a.m. to noon Sunday, Jan. 5, at Tillamook Bay Community College in room 214.
Razor clamming closed on Oregon Coast 7
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he Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) announce the entire Oregon coast is closed for commercial and recreational razor clamming due to elevated
levels of the marine biotoxin domoic acid. Mussel harvesting is closed from the south jetty of the Coquille River at Bandon to the California border for elevated levels of paralytic shellfish toxin. Mussel
harvesting is open from the Columbia River to the north jetty of the Coquille River at Bandon. Bay clams and crab are open for recreational harvesters along the entire Oregon coast. Contact ODFW for
recreational license requirements, permits and rules. For more information please call ODA’s shellfish safety information hotline at 800-448-2474 or visit the ODA shellfish closures webpage.
Fraser Road: A river runs through it Cody Mann
headlightnews@countrymedia.net
S
easonal high water returned to Fraser Road this past week, giving drivers a free car wash in some cases. A recent meeting of officials from local, county and federal agencies discussed annual preparations and expectations for the coming winter season. The meeting began with a winter forecast from senior service hydrologist Andy Bryant of the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration (NOAA).
Bryant said those who are local to Tillamook County already know it’s not going to be dry and sunny all winter long. Before March, it’s possible there will be high winds, floods, snow, and other difficult wintry weather. It’s predicted that 2019 could be similar to 2018 in terms of winter weather, though not necessarily for the same reasons. The overall outlook is a bit on the dry side, and winter temperatures are expected to continue being
n See River, Page 3