Three people from RespectPDX get a chance to tell the Portland City Council how they really feel about a WiMax tower moving into their neighborhood. Colin O’Neill, Eric Winston, and Caitlin Johnson each get a few minutes to address the council during the public speaking time at the beginning of the Wednesday’s meeting. The group has been fighting Clearwire’s plans for a wireless internet antenna at NE 37th and Fremont.

• When: 9:30am
• Where: Portland City Council Chambers, 1221 SW Fourth Avenue, Portland

NW Portland Gas Terminals

Oregon DEQ holds a public meeting on renewing air quality permits for three gasoline terminals in Northwest Portland. They are the Chevron facility on NW Front St, and the Kinder Morgan Liquid and Shell Oil terminals on NW St. Helens Road. The terminals need air quality permits because they release air pollution, including benzene and ethyl benzene.

• When: 5:00pm
• Where: DEQ Northwest Region Office, 4th Floor, Room A/B, 2020 SW Fourth Avenue, Portland

Governor Kulongoski was in the region this morning for a meeting with area officials about what needs to be done now to prepare.

Senators Wyden and Merkley added to the urgency with a letter to federal officials warning of a “crisis of historic magnitude”, and asking the feds to take immediate action.

Numbers released today the Oregon Water Resources Department paint a bleak picture.

• Snowpack in the Basin is at 71% of average
• The elevation of Upper Klamath Lake is 4,140 feet, the lowest level in 33-years of record keeping. The amount of water stored in the lake is 62% of normal for this time of year – with no relief in sight. The Natural Resources Conservation Service predicts the inflow of water into the Upper Klamath will be about one-third shy of normal from April through September.
• The city of Klamath Falls is already nearly an inch and-a-half short on rainfall, and the year has just barely begun.

In 2002, tens of thousands of salmon died in the Klamath River after the Bush Administration decided to give farmers priority over fish and wildlife. Photo from WaterWatch.

The region is faced with the very real possibility that there simply isn’t enough water in the system for endangered salmon, sucker fish, wildlife refuges, and the farmers who use it for irrigation.

The Wyden-Merkley letter notes that Upper Klamath Lake is already two feet below the minimum required for endangered fish. The letter goes on to say, “There is very little chance Klamath irrigators will receive needed irrigation either on time, or at all.”  Kulongoski is asking the feds to be as flexible as possible with the water supply, without placing endangered species in jeopardy.

What Happens Now?

At the state level, the Water Resources Department is getting ready to issue emergency drought permits that allow irrigators to start using groundwater sources such as wells. But drought wells only cover about 20% of farmland in the basin. The permits also allow for emergency transfers of water from one parcel of land to another. The state Agriculture Department is preparing to give farmers and ranchers technical advice.

If a drought is declared, it would have to start with a request from Klamath County officials.

At the federal level, Wyden and Merkley outlined several actions in the letter they say might provide some relief. They are asking the departments of Agriculture, Interior and Commerce to take the following steps, at a minimum.

• Provide money to buy upstream water rights from willing sellers.
• Adjusting surface water management within parameters of the law and sound science.
• Releasing emergency funds for land idling through water banks or other programs.
• Activating emergency drought wells or other means of accessing groundwater.
• Establishing drought assistance for all farmers regardless of crop type.

This year may serve as the first test for the just signed Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement. While the agreement still needs to be ratified by Congress, environmental groups are watching to see if officials live up to their promises of making sure there’s enough water for salmon and sucker fish.

The Rocky Mountain Goat was first spotted in the Dry Canyon area east of Bend. Photo from ODFW.

In just a few months, a lone Rocky Mountain Goat has become one of the most popular celebrities in Central Oregon.

Often spotted along Hwy 20 east of Bend, the male goat was first seen last December. As far as anyone knows, he’s the only one of his kind in the area.

That’s enough for him to earn some special attention from Oregon Fish and Wildlife. Last week, ODFW captured and collared the goat so they can keep better tabs on him.

ODFW estimates there are about 800 rocky mountain goats in Oregon, mostly in Northeast Oregon. The largest population is in the Elkhorn Mountains.

So where ever this guy game from, he’s wandered far from home.

“This male is dispersing, and that is what Rocky Mountain goats do, looking for new habitat and for other goats,” says Steve George, ODFW Deschutes district wildlife biologist. “Goats tend to stay put in the winter, but we expect this one to continue moving once it gets warmer.”

He’s not the first. ODFW says other wandering goats have made it as far as The Dalles and the Deschutes River.

The goat was captured, collared and released on March 3. Photo from ODFW.

The department captured and put a radio-collar on him so they can keep track of his movements. It says he was in good condition and released back into the Dry Canyon area. DNA samples were taken which will allow ODFW to determine which herd he came from.

“ODFW staff saw the goat again yesterday,” says George, ” and it is doing fine and in the same general location where it was collared.”

It’s believed the rocky mountain goat was wiped out in Oregon more than a century ago by Native American hunters and European fur traders.

ODFW began a reintroduction program in the 1950s. Most of the goats were brought in from Washington and Alaska, but in recent years ODFW has been able to transplant goats from one area of the state to another.

A Whitebark Pine in the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. Photo by Dave Powell, U.S. Forest Service

Tomorrow, the Senate gets its first look at a compromise logging bill for Eastern Oregon.

Ideally, the bill is supposed to end years of timber wars. No more logging for the sake of logging. Instead, timber harvests happen as part of a greater effort to restore forests. Old growth trees are off limits. But Eastern Oregon lumber mills get a steady supply of smaller trees to help them stay in business.

The compromise came after 18-months of negotiations between Oregon environmental and timber groups. Senator Wyden, who helped organize the talks is sponsoring the bill and Senator Merkley has joined him.

The Senate subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests opens a hearing on the bill at 11:30am Pacific time, Wednesday.

Witnesses from Oregon include:

• John Shelk – Ochoco Lumber Company – Prineville
• K. Norman Johnson – Oregon State University – Corvallis
• Stephen Fitzgerald – Oregon State University – Redmond
• Larry Blasing – Grant County Public Forest Commission – Prairie City
• Andy Kerr – Senior Counselor to Oregon Wild

Oregon Wild released some of the pre-written testimony Kerr plans to make at the hearing.

“Enactment of this legislation can mark the end of the timber wars for the eastside forests of Oregon. When fully implemented, the new statute can result in the comprehensive conservation and restoration of forests and watersheds on over eight million acres of National Forest System lands.

In the isn’t-life-ironic department, the best available science tells conservationists that we need a right-sized timber industry to aid in the conservation and restoration of forests and watersheds. Conservationists also need a relevant and working Forest Service to be in service to forests.

Enactment of this legislation will result in new rules of engagement for national forest stakeholders. Confrontation can give way to collaboration. Walking and talking in the woods can become more prevalent that litigating and arguing in the courts.”

-Andy Kerr

Reaction from the timber industry, and from east side communities has been carefully optimistic. A “step in the right direction”, but no panacea according to an editorial in the La Grande Observer.

Oregon environmental groups are split. The Hells Canyon Preservation Council has come out against the bill, in part because logging will increase over the short term. During the first few years of the bill, citizens won’t be able to appeal Forest Service logging decisions.

The Oregon Sierra Club has also expressed reservations. While not yet taking an official position, an alert sent to members last week warns that the bill “threatens” Eastern Oregon forests. It says the bill doesn’t do enough to protect old growth, and does allow for the building of new roads. They’re asking members to write Wyden to get him to change the legislation.

Finally, the hearing will be available live at this link. If I can figure it out, I will also stream it on Natural Oregon.

Governor Kulongoski heads south Tuesday to Klamath Falls for a meeting about a potentially severe drought in the Klamath Basin. This year is looking a lot like 2001, when there wasn’t enough water in the system for both farmers and salmon. He’ll meet with federal, state and local officials, as well as representatives for farmers and tribes. The Governor could declare a drought emergency, which would provide financial aid to farmers who may not have enough water to irrigate their crops this year.

• When: 11:15 am
• Where: Klamath County Commission Hearing Room 219, 305 Main Street, Klamath Falls

Surfrider Meeting

The Portland Chapter of Oregon Surfrider holds its monthly meeting Tuesday night. Chair Stiv Wilson will talk about his recent trip to the Atlantic Gyre to help researchers document the damaging effects of plastics in the ocean. Members will also be briefed on upcoming elections.

• When: 7:30pm
• Where: WEND Media, 2001 NW 19th, Suite 103 B, Portland

If the timing is done right, spilling more water over dams helps young salmon migrate down river to the ocean. Conservationists compare it to the ride salmon used to get when they went over free flowing waterfalls. It speeds them along during a crucial phase of life, increases their survivability, and is a heckuva lot safer that being flushed through turbines.

In petitioning for the rule change, the groups argue that the benefits of increasing spills are backed up by sound science.

“This petition needs to be granted — and fast — to help our Northwest salmon economy recover and become strong again,” says Liz Hamilton of the Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association. “Spill is a proven, effective action that will help to ensure that there will always be sustainable salmon runs for the people and communities that depend on them.”

When I talk with fishery managers about the recent good runs on the Columbia River, and the good run we’re expecting this year, they say increased dam spills is one of the reasons.

Oregon has already approved rule changes to allow more spillage. These groups, which also include Earthjustice and the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations, say Washington should follow Oregon’s example.

Washington controls spillage not through volume of water, but by limiting how much dissolved gas is allowed in the river. By easing up on that by a little bit, the groups say it can mean several millions more gallons of water over dams.

The names will be released Tuesday and Wednesday on the OLCV home page.

The endorsements cover about 20 state House and Senate races, county commission races for Clackamas, Jackson, Lane, Marion, Multnomah and Washington counties, city council races in Beaverton, Eugene and Portland, plus a race for the Portland area Metro Council.

But, we’re going to have to wait a little while longer for an endorsement in the Governor’s race. There’s a debate on environmental issues among the three top candidates for Governor on March 30th. OLCV is one of the groups sponsoring the debate and will hold off on making an endorsement until afterwards.

If you want to attend the debate here’s what to know.

• Starts 6:00pm on Tuesday, March 30
• Location: Third floor Ballroom at Smith Memorial Student Union, Portland State University, 1825 SW Broadway Avenue, Portland.

Reservations are required. You can do that here.

Democrats Bill Bradbury and John Kitzhaber, as well as Republican Allen Alley will debate environmental issues for about 90-minutes.

The other groups sponsoring the event are: Environment Oregon, Oregon Sierra Club and the Oregon Environmental Council as well as the Portland Mercury.

A Greater Sage Grouse near Burns, Oregon. Photo from BLM.

Faced with a difficult decision about protecting – or not protecting – the Greater sage-grouse, Interior says it’s going to split the difference.

Secretary Ken Salazar announced Friday morning that the sage-grouse deserves to be listed by the Endangered Species Act, but that’s not going to happen anytime soon. The official label is that listing is “warranted, but precluded.”

So it becomes a candidate species. The bird’s status will be reviewed yearly. But Interior says it can’t protect every species that deserves it, and it has to set priorities. The sage-grouse falls into the bottom third of the candidate list.

Like the bird, Interior is in a tight spot.

Listing the sage-grouse as threatened or endangered could throw a monkey wrench into plans for energy development across the West, including renewable energy such as wind, geothermal and solar, and transmission projects such as power lines and pipelines. Farmers and ranchers would also be affected. The potential for a political backlash was enormous.

But there is also the science showing the greater sage-grouse is in serious decline. Salazar says that the bird’s population has fallen 90% over the past 100 years. There’s about 160 million acres of habitat left. And while that may sound like a lot, it’s about half of what it once was.

Thanks to efforts in states like Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, the numbers of sage-grouse have stabilized over the past decade. Oregon is an exception, numbers here fell 50% from 2003 to 2008. Salazar says the scientists tell him the, “long term prognosis is not good.” But Assistant Secretary Tom Stickland adds that for now, there’s enough birds and they’re still widely distributed. He says, “The immediate threat of extinction is relatively low.”

Here’s what happens next.

Interior will work with states, local governments and tribes to map out areas that are important to the bird’s survival. The Bureau of Land Management oversees about two-thirds of sage brush habitat. Salazar says BLM will expand its efforts to make sure energy development, recreational access and grazing are done in ways that minimize impacts on the sage-grouse, and to keep these projects away from core habitat. But the primary responsibility for protecting the bird will remain with the states.

Salazar didn’t directly answer a reporter’s question if today’s announcement is a “warning” to state and local governments, and developers that if they better work harder to protect sage-grouse – or else. What he did say is, “This gives us a window of several years to make sure we have the plans.  The twin goals here are to make sure the sage-grouse is protected and doesn’t have to be put on the Endangered Species list, and it doesn’t go extinct.”

Too bad, because it sounds like it was an interesting event.

So I’ll point you to two stories about what happened. Both say the room was packed, mostly with anti-LNG people. They were supportive of DEQ’s decision not to rush the permitting process. Gary Coppedge with NorthernStar, the company developing Bradwood also spoke for about ten minutes.

Daily Astorian: Knappa LNG meeting heats up

Oregon Sierra Club: Activists Pack Hearing to Tell the DEQ: No Permit for Bradwood Landing LNG

A Greater Sage Grouse. Photo by Terry Steele.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has scheduled a news conference for 10:30am Pacific time Friday, when he’s expected to make an announcement about the status of the greater sage grouse.

This is one of the most highly anticipated environmental decisions ever for Western states.

The greater sage grouse has been in seriously decline for decades. In Oregon, the numbers are off 50% from 2005 to 2008. In Washington, they’re almost entirely gone.

What makes the decision so important is the impact it could have on a broad range of activities. Ranching, farming, logging, development for new homes and destination resorts, even wind and solar projects could be affected. The birds need a lot of area to nest and forage and their behavior can be easily disrupted.

Salazar has three choices. He can decide the sage grouse doesn’t deserve endangered species listing, or that it does. His third choice allows him to split the difference. He can say that listing is “warranted, but precluded”, meaning that it’s a good idea but for various reasons he’s not going to list it. Instead, the status of the sage grouse will be reviewed on an annual basis.

Why would Salazar pick option #3? Because it fires a warning shot to federal agencies, state and local governments, and anyone else involved in developing sage brush country. If they don’t consider how developments will affect sage grouse, and if they don’t mitigate for impacts, then Salazar may have no choice to but to list the bird.

For some good background see these stories:

Is This The New Spotted Owl?

Sightline: Will Sage-Grouse Get Listed?

Rocky Barker: Sage grouse is not the spotted owl of the sagebrush sea.