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Snapshot of s Seasonal Event
Citizen North Coast
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2023
TILLAMOOK, OREGON • WWW.TILLAMOOKHEADLIGHTHERALD.COM
VOL. 135, NO. 39 • $1.50
NNSLWC completes habitat restoration projects in Sand Lake Watershed WILL CHAPPELL Headlight Editor
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he Nestucca, Neskowin, and Sand Lake Watersheds Council recently completed an extensive habitat restoration project for fish species, adding large wood to Sand Creek, Jewel Creek and Andy Creek. The project added logs to 74 different sites across 2.69 miles of the creeks, with each installation consisting of four to eight logs with around half maintaining their root wads. “Without good partners this project wouldn’t happen,” Nestucca, Neskowin and Sand Lake Watersheds Council (NNSLWC) Executive Director David Shively said. “It’s fun to work with everybody.” The project started following a 2019 study that investigated the limiting factors for coho salmon in the watershed and identified the sites on the three creeks where channel and gravel conditions could be improved. The Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) awarded over $84,000 in funding for the project in 2021 and the SEE NNSLWC PAGE A5
An ODFW official standing on one of the recently placed logs spanning Andy Creek that will help create new habitat for coho and other fish.
Commissioners declare drought state of emergency in Tillamook County WILL CHAPPELL Headlight Editor
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illamook’s Board of County Commissioners declared a local state of emergency because of drought conditions existing across the county on September 20. The declaration puts the county’s need for assistance on record, and should it be matched by Governor Tina Kotek, will allow additional state resources to flow to the county for drought relief. Tillamook County Emergency Management Director Randy Thorpe appeared at the meeting to discuss the need for the
declaration and resources available to the county. Thorpe said that the entire county is in severe drought conditions according to recent hydrological evaluations conducted by the state. Thorpe expects the governor to recognize the state of emergency, which will open the way for the Office of Resiliency and Emergency Management to supplement its efforts in the county. The agency is already delivering water to property owners whose wells have run dry, a service that can be coordinated through Thorpe’s office. All three commissioners
noted that it was a highly unusual situation for Tillamook County, which receives more than 100 inches of annual rainfall. They explained that the county does not provide water and that its only role is to step in in situations like this to request and coordinate state resources for those in need. Commissioners also noted the importance of increasing water resiliency as climate change might be changing the hydrological patterns on the north coast. They applauded planned work in north county to intertie the water systems of Nehalem and Manzanita and
mentioned that it might be time to consider promoting the installation of low flow plumbing fixtures and water storage tanks on properties with wells. Thorpe also mentioned the difficulty of contracting potable water delivery services, noting that there were no companies operating potable water tanker trucks on the north coast, and few statewide. Commissioner David Yamamoto also announced that the Port of Tillamook Bay will be withdrawing from Tillamook Lightwave. Yamamoto said that the departure was happening on amicable terms and came
as the port felt the group’s countywide mandate did not align with its special service district status. Yamamoto said that a business valuation will now be undertaken to determine Tillamook Lightwave’s assets’ value. Lightwave owns fiber cables, a transpacific, submarine cable landing site in Pacific City and other broadband assets across the county. It was founded almost 30 years ago to help bring internet access to residents. Yamamoto said that while it has not made money, Lightwave’s infrastructure was a point of pride and among the best internet-
supporting infrastructure on the coast. He said that following the business valuation, the group will look for a third governmental entity to partner with in its management, to join the county and Tillamook People’s Utility District. Commissioners began the interview process to select Yamamoto’s replacement on September 19, after the application window closed on September 14. Board of Commissioners Chief of Staff Rachel Hagerty told the Herald that 15 people had applied and that more information about them would be provided shortly.
Sheriff holds outreach events WILL CHAPPELL Headlight Editor
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illamook Sheriff Josh Brown held three outreach events at libraries across Tillamook County in the third week of September. Speaking at the main branch of the library on September 20, Brown told citizens that his office’s resources, especially his staff, are stretched thin leading to difficult choices about which enforcement activities to pursue. “We need more staff, plain and simple” Brown said at
the event. The last two years have been particularly difficult for the department, according to Brown, as department detectives are responsible for four, ongoing homicide investigations across the county. Brown said that these complicated investigations have put a huge strain on his deputies’ time, reducing their ability to respond to other incidents. Brown also pointed to tourists as a major pressure on the department’s resources. He said that call volumes increase by 25-30% during the summer months while tourists do not pay any taxes that contribute to the county’s emergency services. Brown acknowledged that
this was not his problem to solve but said he had been in touch with Tillamook commissioners and representatives in Salem discussing possible solutions. He said that he thought increasing the county’s transient lodging tax and directing the increased revenues towards public safety was a good potential solution and mentioned the possibility of forming a tourism improvement district. Brown also addressed several major concerns for county residents, including the proliferation of homeless people, increasing drug activity and lack of animal control. Brown acknowledged that recent laws and court rulings in Oregon have given homeless people expanded rights to shelter but that he
still wanted to see them held responsible for property damage or other crimes they might commit. “I don’t believe we need to punish someone who is experiencing homelessness but they do need to be held accountable,” Brown said. The sheriff is working with county commissioners to craft a new camping ordinance that will set up parameters for the time, place and manner in which people are allowed to shelter in the county. The Tillamook Police Department and city government are working on a similar ordinance and Manzanita passed one earlier this year. Discussion of increases in drug activity was prompted by several residents’ questions about how the department is addressing
“drug houses” across the county. Brown said that the passage of Measure 110 in 2020, decriminalizing possession of small amounts of drugs, “really changed the face of what drug enforcement looked like in Oregon.” While possessing large quantities of drugs and distributing them is still a crime, the change in the legal landscape severely curtailed law enforcement’s ability to prosecute those crimes. Brown explained that before the passage of 110, law enforcement officers were able to extract information from drug users about their suppliers by reaching favorable plea deals in exchange for cooperation. With the removal of penalties for possession, that tool has been removed from officers’
arsenal. Now, taking action against a suspected drug house requires a deputy to perform a stakeout or undercover operation to gather evidence of probable cause to search the premises, according to Brown. With high call volumes and other investigative responsibilities, Brown said his deputies do not have the time to perform that type of investigation. Brown’s response to a group of volunteers from Tillamook K9 Rescue asking for help handling runaway dogs was similar. Brown said that while the department had helped transport dogs to the shelter in the past, a scarcity of deputies made doing so logistically unfeasible now as patrol vehicles could not accommodate a dog and a SEE OUTREACH PAGE A10