Sweet Swinging Lady Mooks
Perfect Hard Cooked Eggs
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Headlight Herald
TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2022
TILLAMOOK, OREGON • WWW.TILLAMOOKHEADLIGHTHERALD.COM
VOL. 134, NO. 15 • $1.50
Proposed conservation plan projects would decrease acreage allotted for timber harvests I
Ashley Tike Staff Writer
n February, the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) shared their draft of the Western Oregon State Forests Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP). It outlines a forest management plan to fight against the potential harm of endangered species living in the Oregon forests and a variety of other environmental issues; the proposed plan will limit timber harvest dramatically. The HCP draft is a 70-year proposed plan that will give protection to 17 endangered species protected under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), including the Northern spotted owl, the coastal marten, the red tree voles, and the Oregon coast coho. It also projects improvement upon forest conservation strategies, generating $1 million per year in funding for habitat conservation efforts for endangered species. In addition, NOAA Fisheries prepared a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) evaluating the HCP draft’s environmental consequences of the National Marine Fisheries Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife issuing incidental take permits and they provided five alternative ideas. Alternative 1: No Action, Alternative 2: Proposed Action, Alternative 3:
Increased Conservation, Alternative 4: Reduced Permit Term, Alternative 5: Increased Timber Harvest. The State of Oregon is legally obligated to support the environmental, economic, and social values of the forest greatest permanent value (GPV) meaning healthy, productive, and sustainable forest ecosystems that last. According to a question/answer sheet provided by ODF, “The Oregon State Forests Division is predominately funded by the sale of timber. Funding strategies are an important piece in developing the HCP and the process will include an analysis to determine if the funding for restoration and monitoring is sufficient.” According to Laura Wilkeson of Hampton Lumber, the Tillamook State Forest generated approximately $30 million in revenue for Tillamook, Washington and Columbia counties and their special districts in 2021. After reviewing the HCP draft, Tillamook County Commissioner and Chair of the Council of Forest Trust Land Communities, David Yamamoto is raising red flags; noting the decreased timber harvest numbers in this draft are far worse than originally projected 3 years ago. “State timber harvest revenue provides consistent income for
our community, maybe even more important than that, it provides high wage, fully benefitted jobs for Tillamook County,” he said, “Timber related jobs like logging average $52K per year with benefits, mill workers average $57K per year with benefits and all of the truck transportation jobs that haul logs from the forests to the mill and from mill to the market average about $49K per year with benefits.” The list of organizations that benefit from timber harvest revenue is long; and includes county schools, the county district, all libraries, ports, heath districts, fire districts and transportation districts. Jason Cox, Public Affairs Specialist for ODF said, “We are proud of the financial contributions that we make for the services provided to the counties in Oregon like Tillamook, but sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in our cultural corners. The goal is reliable and steady production for timber harvest and right now we are gambling, proceeding without a long-term plan for addressing future species listings is a large risk.” Conservationist Jennifer Witherspoon from the Wild Salmon Center said, “The HCP is a responsible
n
See PLAN, Page A3
EXCLUSIVE A trail runner enjoys peaceful day in the forest. Photo courtesy of Nature Photographer Jen Baybee
ORIGINAL
Election Coverage
May 17 Primary Election: Get to know the candidates and measures A
Ashley Tike Staff Writer
ubrey Olson is running unopposed to replace longtime seat holder, William Porter as the Tillamook County District Attorney. Olson’s long-term goals: To protect and uphold citizens’ rights, to continue to seek justice for victims of crime and to improve and progress along the way. According to Olson the primary objective of any District Attorney is to hold criminal offenders accountable for their actions. “The most vulnerable in our community, who are victimized, deserve to be part of the solution, communicated to with respect, and as closely as possible, made whole for the harm done to them,” she said. Olson’s short-term goals: To recruit and retain talented attorneys, to engage with community leaders and citizens, and to ensure efforts from her office meet changing community needs, and to improve collaborative relationships with public safety partners to meet challenges in law enforcement and rising crime. “First and foremost, I have sworn oaths to uphold and defend the constitutions of the United States and the State of Oregon. This means ensuring that all citizens’ rights are protected and they are treated equally. One of my goals in ensuring those rights are upheld, is to increase the DA’s involvement with law enforcement to inform and train them regarding changes in the law. I plan to take that responsibility to a higher level to ensure our local police are meeting the community’s expectations,” Olson said. Shawn Blanchard is running unopposed to be reelected as the Tillamook County Treasurer.
EXCLUSIVE
ORIGINAL Pacific City Chamber of Commerce hosted a political forum last week. Chamber President Doug Olsen moderates the forum. Photo by Ashley Tike Blanchard’s long-term goals: Financial stability through stable revenue sources to ensure mandated and non-mandated services continue and thrive without interruption. According to Blanchard, during her first term as County Treasurer her office focused on efficiencies while maintaining a high standard for accurate, timely and transparent accounting and reporting of County and constituency funds. Blanchard’s short-term goals: Employee retention to better provide mandated and non-mandated services to Tillamook County residents. “I look forward to the opportunity to continue to serve the residents of Tillamook County. I am a native of Tillamook County with a background in accounting/finance and the timber/trucking industries,” Blanchard said. Mary Faith Bell is running for reelection for County Commissioner seat #3. Bell’s goals: Emergency preparedness in all its forms, from pandemic preparedness to fire and natural disaster preparedness, and cyber crimes preparedness. Helping our communities, businesses
and citizens become empowered to survive disasters and to recover from them. “I have served as your Tillamook County Commissioner since 2019. The difficulties we have faced in the past couple of years of the COVID pandemic, wildfires, floods and a cyberattack have honed my skills of leadership under pressure,” said Bell. In Bell’s second term she will be looking for opportunities to bring the community together to work on issues we all care about, and to promote unity. “I believe that we are stronger when we focus on what we have in common and demonstrate our care and compassion for our neighbors,” she said. Graydon Hallock is running for County Commissioner seat #3. Hallock’s goals: To get the government working for the residents of Tillamook County, to improve opportunities for small business owners and improve outcomes for families living here by providing safe housing, roads and buildings, to listen and gather input and feedback from the working-class community and work to not impose COVID
related restrictions. “I think my experiences as a businessman, a dairy farmer, a landlord, and a friend to many of those I’ve met is beneficial in understanding the struggles of our community,” he said, “As a longtime Tillamook county resident that personally has dirty boots, punched a time card and wrote paychecks, I think I can relate to many people of Tillamook County.” According to Hallock the top two issues facing the county are our county roads/bridges and our lack of housing for families. He thinks Tillamook is behind in looking for development of usable land and thinking outside of the box to come up with new areas of development and infrastructure. “Our master plan for the county growth is tourism and sustainable economic viability. We need to look and see which directions concerning these issues are most desirable for all involved,” he said. Governor Kate Brown signed new state legislative maps into law on September 27, 2021. The Oregon State Legislature, House District
n See ELECTION, Page A2
City plagued with sewer issues east of Miller Ave in Tillamook City leaders recommend getting coverage ASAP
O
Ashley Tike Staff Writer
n March 7, 2022, Tillamook City Council was presented with findings of a serious wastewater infrastructure problem existing on the east side of the City. The entire wastewater collection system east of Miller Avenue, which feeds into a twelve-inch sewer force main located near 12th Street and Pacific Avenue, is inadequate for further growth. “We need to fix the east side of town, man holes are actually popping up from time to time, it’s a concern,” said City Manager Nathan George. Engineering studies and calculations show that the capacity to add more wastewater has been met or exceeded. George said, “Development of this area of the city has not been
n See SEWER, Page A3