PressRelease:







PBWC REGULAR MEETING MINUTES

07 March 2007




Meeting was called to order at 5:30 p.m. by Ulee Yanok, facilitating for Chairman Tim Bliss.

Approval of Minutes: 02/07/07 –The minutes were approved as mailed by council consensus. The Council requested that the minutes and agenda sent to email receivers be attached as previously. The format of the documents on the website is not as user-friendly as those received directly from the office. The coordinator will attach the documents to the Council email but will continue to send notice of posting to the website to the Special Requests list.

Recognition of Guests / Unscheduled Business:

Guests: Ranchers, Dan Warnock and Lyle Defrees, introduced themselves, stating that they attended for the presentation on the Sumpter Valley Dredge Tailings. Since Mike McNamara had not arrived yet the Agenda was revised to proceed with general council business.

Clear Creek Fire ’06 Salvage Project: “No Action” option selected by the USFS after weighing the public comment received. Eric Schoenfeld observed that the best time for salvage is during the fire. Passing time decreases the timber value rapidly and increases vulnerability of the forest floor to environmental damage. Harvesting the salvage during the fire is difficult but the preferred practice.


GENERAL BUSINESS:

Membership Report:
Vicki Wares reported that the membership files were updated in February and coordinated with the County Commission files. Ulee, Vickie Valenzuela and Dan Weitz all have 2006 expirations according to the council files and they will be receiving County letters of intent in March.
Due to the membership file update procedure, current membership lists will not be distributed this month.
Membership diversity documentation was continued from the February meeting. Representation for Vickie Valenzuela was noted, “Schools” due to her service on the Educational Service District for Union and Baker Counties. Dan Weitz’ is “agri-business.”


Items for Council Approval:

 Council Effectiveness Evaluation was not scheduled.

 The Memorandum of Agreement between the Watershed Council and the Conservation Districts is now being reviewed by the Districts. The Commissioners indicated that there is no protocol existing pertaining to formal acknowledgement of MOA’s between County Committees and other government entities. The Council may either ask for a letter of approval or add a signature line to the MOA, itself.


Pine Creek Long-term Watershed Action Plan:

The Pine Creek Planning Committee reported that it convened the landowner meeting with an explanation of the goals and the time line for the Pine Creek Floodplain Restoration & Mitigation Plan. Jerry Franke briefed those present on the role of the Watershed Council both in the Powder Basin and in planning for Pine Creek Watershed. He stressed that the diverse interests in the watershed will be doing the planning, not the Council. “Those who show up will make the plan.”

Jim Young showed a PowerPoint Presentation on Pine Creek conditions. Then, the landowners presented their concerns and suggestions to the Planning Committee. Response was active and constructive. Five basic issues surfaced: formation of new river channels, bank erosion, sediment and debris deposition, low flows and less fish. The Committee will write and distribute a summary of local needs to send to agency stakeholders. The agencies will be asked for input on their needs as stakeholders and for their technical advice. Responses will be compiled with landowner needs into a Preliminary Overview Plan serving as the foundation for contracting a professional watershed analysis and plan.

Tim Bliss expressed congratulations to Jim Young on the March 26th Pine Creek Landowners’ meeting held in Halfway, February 26th. It was an excellent outreach and networking event. Ulee Yanok also complimented Jim on the meeting agenda’s effectiveness. The Council expressed appreciation to Sara Young who helped facilitate the meeting and to Bruce Lindley for hall reservation, set up and coffee. Those who missed the cookies missed a treat; Jim made them!



Steering Committee Report:

 Treasurer’s report was tabled due to treasurer’s absence.
 Kirkway Powder River Project: Our application was approved for funding in January by the Eastern Regional Review Team. It ranked 5/7. OWEB staff recommendations were posted this week (March 5th). Due to lack of funding only the top 3 projects were recommended for funding. Karen Leiendecker encouraged us to make a trip to the OWEB Board meeting in Eugene on March 14th to testify for the funding of this project. Dan Weitz volunteered to make the trip and the Steering Committee approved. Dan will have five minutes to make our case.
 Vicki Wares’ evaluation by the Steering Committee was tabled until April 4th.
 Draft policy on Council relationship with County Commission was revised and will be revisited April 4th for presentation to the Council.




Upper Powder Watershed – Sumpter Valley Dredge Tailings:

Michael McNamara, USFS, briefed those present on the proposed stream/floodplain restoration planned for the county tailings. Mike is the project lead working very closely with Lorrie Harvey, Baker County Parks and Recreation. ODFW, PBWC and the Sumpter Valley RR are also partners in this project.


Through use of a PowerPoint Presentation, Mike presented the goals of the project:
o Enhancing fish & wildlife habitat,
o Increasing recreational opportunities,
o Reducing sediment deposition and
o Slowing water movement through the valley by widening the floodplains.

Give-and-take comments included:
o Sediment, currently, is not evident in the river as it flows through the tailings; the water emptying into the reservoir is clearer than that at Sumpter.
o It is important to document the sediment loads in the Upper Powder, especially in consideration of the proposed hydroelectric project at Mason Dam.
o Gravel recovery opportunities should be evaluated and options proposed.
o Could river sinuosity be increased by strategically directing the river into the old dredged channels?
o Rancher leases are active on the tailings: Dan practices managed grazing for weed control and fire prevention; Lyle maintains a winter feeding program to revegetate the rocky piles.
o The lower reaches of the Powder River (where the river empties into the reservoir) exhibit a high degree of sinuosity.
o Restoration work is needed to reduce sedimentation but the potential for leaching should be specifically defined throughout the area.
o Intact floodplains increase water infiltration.
o Elevation drop from upper end of tailings to the reservoir are estimated at 200-300 feet.
o The Farmers Ditch is an irrigation diversion on the proposed tailings project area.
o Landowners are currently identified as Gerald James, McLaughlin and Warnock. Private land is primarily on the fringes. The river is mostly on County land.

Project objectives defined:
o Rebuild the channel and widen the river corridor
o Establish meanders and river floodplains
o Replant with riparian vegetation
o Control weeds
o Maintain off-channel ponds.

Mike is proposing a pilot project in 2008 for the very upper section of the tailings. Challenges are more extreme in the upper areas; piles reach 25’ high. Data from this summer’s LiDAR flight will generate a 1’ contour map which will be used to develop a 30% design. A 30% design will identify “typicals”, e.g. channel width, depth and meanders. An engineering design will be integrated with community comments. The RR and the ranchers will be given particular consideration. Also of high importance is weed control; an aggressive revegetation plan is proposed.

The Council thanked Mike, Lyle and Dan for attending and sharing their knowledge and views.
Meeting adjourned at 7:20 p.m.

Council Attendance: [7 members, 7 voting] 7 = Quorum
Dan Weitz Eric Schoenfeld
Jim Young Timothy Bliss, Chairman
Ulee Yanok, Vice Chair Jerry Franke
Marion Crow Vicki Wares, Council Coordinator

Others Attending:
Lyle Defrees, Rancher/Private Forestland, Upper Powder River Watershed
Dan Warnock, Rancher, Upper Powder River Watershed
Michael McNamara, USFS Forest Hydrologist

Attachments: None

Follow-up:

Pine Creek Floodplain Restoration & Mitigation Plan
o The Committee will send a summary of local needs and letters of request to agency stakeholders.

The Coordinator will send WC Minutes & Agenda as attachments to Council members.

The Steering Committee will perform staff evaluation of the WC Coordinator.

The Council will update the status & define the next steps for the Kirkway Powder River Project.

The Council will evaluate the Mission Statement.

One Month old:

Update membership database and distribute new membership lists.

Older:

Council Draft Work Plan will be reformatted and presented in 2007 for Council approval.

Communication Plan – send Union and Wallowa County SWCD’s invitations to be represented on the PBWC. Contact John Binford and selected Snake tributary landowners.

Steering committee should address issue of more logical basin boundaries for Snake River tributaries.

Next Council Meeting
April 4, 2007
5:30 – 7:30 PM
School District 5J Supervisor’s Office
Corner of 4th and Broadway


 UPCOMING EVENTS FOR YOUR CALENDAR 

 Steering Committee  April 4, 2007 @ 1230 hours, USDA Service Center
 5 Point Diversion Design  Project Deadline - March 31st
 BCACD 2007 Quarter I Meeting  March 26, 2007 @ noon, USDA Service Center