Students and Volunteers Open CCC Campus Trail

Upward Bound students at Clatsop Community College, along with community volunteers from the CCC Trail Committee, have completed the first phase of trail restoration that could eventually link Astoria’s River Walk to the Astoria Column and Cathedral Tree trail system. Under the leadership of CCC board member Jim Scheller, volunteers completed a previously closed section of the CCC campus trail.

Project participants included: Upward Bound students McKenzie Peters, Jessica Morrow, Cecilia Giles, Gracie Ogren, Samuel Wittman, Brianna Lamping, Yasmine Mahon, Taylee Gittins, Dani Sellars, and Will Leroux; Program staff Stephen Tokarski, Moria Golub, Robert McClelland and Ben Chambers; and community volunteers Matt Crichton, Jamie Attig and Bob Goldberg. Technical assistance was provided by Andy Rasmussen, National Park Service Ranger from Ft. Clatsop.

Work accomplished in early July included stabilizing and re-graveling the trail segment that connects Jerome Avenue to the CCC east parking area. This work allowed the College to re-open this trail that had been closed for safety reasons. The group also worked to improve the upper segment of the trail linking the CCC campus to the Astoria Column. Invasive species and litter were removed along both segments.

Future plans include additional trail improvements, the installation of interpretive and safety signing and the construction of safety and vehicle barriers. Once completed, visitors and residents alike will be able to hike from the RiverWalk to the Astoria Column, enjoying and learning about the local environment. This work supports a key goal of the CCC Trail Committee - - To promote a vision for creating a forest/trail network for greater Astoria. It also contributes to the College’s vision of an open and welcoming campus with access for the community by creating a nature trail experience for pedestrians.

Future trail restoration and improvement is dependent on funding received through grants and contributions. Contributions to support this project can be sent to: Trails - CCC Foundation, 1651 Lexington Avenue, Astoria, OR 97103.

FISHING AND CONSERVATION GROUPS CALL FOR GREATER PROTECTION FOR SALMON HABITAT AND OLDER FORESTS ON OREGON STATE LANDS

Fishing and conservation groups continue to call on the Board of Forestry to establish permanent conservation areas for the protection of fish, wildlife, recreation and older forests on state lands in the wake of the State Forester's decision to approve a new 10-year management plan for the Tillamook and Clatsop State Forests.

The 10-year Implementation Plan approved by State Forester Doug Decker yesterday allows increased clear cutting on tens of thousands of additional acres of state forestland between the Portland area and the coast. Decker also, however, opted to slowly phase in harvest increases in order to make room for the Board of Forestry to re-examine their forest management strategies.

The new 10-year plan has proven particularly controversial due to the highly critical review of the plans from scientists with Oregon State University's Institute for Natural Resources in April. The scientists, in a 110-page report, determined the Oregon Department of Forestry consistently failed to use the best available science in developing its plans to increase logging. For example, the scientists found that the increased harvest carries a high probability that some species could reach a tipping point in their ability to survive, and that none of the limiting factors that ODF used in its analysis were consistent with existing science.

"It is disappointing that the State Forester has approved the plans without fully incorporating the best available science at the front end, but we are encouraged by the State Forester's interest in seeking a new approach. Any balanced plan needs to have long-term protected areas on state land to ensure that critical salmon streams and older forests are conserved for generations to come," said Ivan Maluski, conservation director with the Oregon Chapter Sierra Club.

"Salmon and steelhead fisheries form a critical part of the North Coast economy, and that fish habitat needs long-term protection and restoration," added Ian Fergusson, resource director with the Association of Northwest Steelheaders.

The groups are calling on both the Board of Forestry and Governor Kitzhaber to show more active leadership to protect key habitat on state forests. In an April 2009 letter to the Board of Forestry, Kitzhaber called for a strong emphasis on restoration and science in state forest management.

"Oregon needs a balanced approach to the management of our state forests, and this isn't it," said Bob Van Dyk with the Wild Salmon Center. "Governor Kitzhaber has a history of leadership on state forests, and we hope he will take advantage of the State Forester's interest in examining new management approaches. Oregon needs the Governor's help to bring people together around a plan that protects the best habitat on our state forests for the long term while providing a predictable stream of revenue and forest products over time."

OREGON LOWERS REGENCE RATE INCREASE TO 12.8 PERCENT/COMPANY REQUESTED 22.1 PERCENT

The Department of Consumer and Business Services (DCBS) on Tuesday rejected a 22.1 percent health insurance rate increase request from Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon and instead approved a 12.8 percent increase.

The increase affects about 59,000 Regence customers who buy individual health plans directly from the company. It is an average, meaning some Regence members will see greater or lesser increases in their September bills.

The department disagreed with Regence's estimates of future claims costs, including some reform costs under the federal Affordable Care Act. Additionally, Regence had built into its rate request a 1.1 percent profit, which DCBS found unnecessary given that the company's current surplus is healthy.

"We hope this more modest rate allows Oregon policyholders to continue their coverage, leading to greater stability in rates and enrollment going forward," Insurance Division Administrator Teresa Miller said.

Regence's individual plan enrollment peaked at more than 100,000 members in 2007, the year after the company decreased rates by 16 percent. However, since 2007, Regence has sought a series of rate increases to stem losses on its plans, and individual enrollment dropped to less than 60,000 members.Regence estimates that it will continue to lose money on its individual plans with the lower amount approved by the department.

"Although we were able to reduce this rate increase significantly, ultimately, the key to stabilizing insurance rates is controlling the underlying costs of medical care," Miller said.

Because this increase affects so many Oregonians, the department held a public hearing on Regence's request on June 2. The department also received hundreds of comments online, as well as detailed analysis from OSPIRG on behalf of consumers.

Many Regence members asked why the company needed such a significant rate increase after changing its plans last year to allow members to choose reduced benefits for lower premiums. The company said that federal health care reforms required it to offer benefits - such as preventive care with no cost sharing for members - that it had not planned to offer. DCBS acknowledged this was correct, but adjusted the amount of additional expense Regence attributed to the reforms.

As it does for every rate decision, the department posted an explanation of its rate decision and a response to issues raised by OSPIRG. A federal grant administered by DCBS funds OSPIRG to review rate requests on behalf of consumers. Find these documents here: http://www.oregonhealthrates.org/?pg=public_hearing.html.

The department has taken many steps in recent years to strengthen its rate review process and make it more transparent. DCBS lowers health insurance rate increases in about 50 percent of requests but the amount varies greatly by company, depending on its unique financial situation. Visit www.oregonhealthrates.org to learn more about the rate process and to sign up for e-mail notifications when a company files a rate request or the department makes a decision.

The Regence increase that was approved this week does not affect small employers or those with Regence portability or Medicare policies. Rate requests for different insurance markets are filed separately.

Consumers who have questions about health insurance or other types of insurance can call the Insurance Division's consumers advocates at 1-888-877-4894 or, in Salem, 503-947-7984.

STRATEGIC PLAN LAYS OUT CLATSOP COUNTY’S LONG-RANGE GOALS

Comprehensive plan update. Levee certification. Highway 101 flooding. New or remodeled county jail.

The number and scope of projects on the to-do list for Clatsop County appears daunting. But County Manager Duane Cole is launching an effort to organize those tasks in a single Strategic Plan that enables the county to prioritize the projects and best allocate its resources to tackle them.

Cole presented a draft of the plan at a joint work session of the county board of commissioners and planning commission July 13. The county commissioners made the creation of a strategic plan one of their goals for the current year.

A tentative schedule calls for the draft plan to go to the planning commission for its review in August or September, followed by a series of community meetings around the county to gather citizen input. Cole hopes to have the plan go to the board of commissioners for its review and adoption in early 2012.

The draft plan contains 46 different projects. Most have been on the county’s radar for some time – replacement of the aging county jail, for example. Organizing them all in one comprehensive plan, Cole said, complete with estimated price tags and potential funding sources, will better allow staff, policy makers and the public to decide which project to assign higher priority, so that finite resources – staff time and funding – can be allocated to each in the most efficient manner.

“A strategic plan can lead to long-term results if the plan is a focal point for the board and staff priorities during the coming years,” Cole said in a staff report to the board. “It can also educate the community regarding important projects and provide the county with an overall sense of leadership and direction.”

The plan will focus on major, one-time capital and planning projects – not ongoing work such as road maintenance, Cole said.

Capital projects on the draft list include, in addition to the county jail, emergency communications improvements; a joint public works facility; household hazardous waste collection center; flood control on U.S. Highway 101 south of Seaside; and park and pedestrian improvements in Westport.

Proposed planning projects include an update of the county’s comprehensive land-use plan; Clatsop Plains water and sewer issues; ocean planning policy; transportation system plan update; certification of dikes and levees; and a housing quality plan.

Prioritization will take into account not only how much a particular project may be desired, but also what chances it has of being completed, Cole said.

“For example, a by-pass may be a high priority, but based on funding, the environmental impacts, and lack of agreement on a specific solution it may be years before the project is ready to proceed,” his staff report states.

Astoria Woman Survives 100 Foot Fall off Cliff

A woman survives a 100 feet fall off a cliff near the Astoria Column. At 12:31am Astoria Fire & Rescue along with Astoria Police Department were dispatched to a report of a female had fallen over the side of a cliff. Astoria Police Officer Riley responded to the call and was flagged down by three friends on the roadway. She was taken about 200 feet off the roadway to the location where the female had fallen. As firefighters arrived in the area they assessed the situation and immediately requested assistants from the Clatsop County High Angle Rescue Team (HART).

The Clatsop County Sheriff Department assisted with blocking off the road allowing only fire and rescue personnel to the scene. The High Angle Rescue Team arrived on scene and quickly began setting up their ropes and lowered down the side of the cliff to assess the woman’s location and medical condition. Lewis & Clark Fire Department was requested for assists with the rescue. Two of the High Angle Rescue Team members lowered down over the cliff with a rescue stretcher and equipment to rescue the woman. The female was equipped with a harness and helmet then placed into a stokes basket. As the rescue members secured the patient in the basket, fire and rescue personnel worked to set up four rescue ropes. It took several fire and police personnel to raise the patient up the cliff. This was a slow and tedious process taking over 5 hours. Once the patient was safely at the top of the cliff, personnel carried her out of the woods to the roadway, where Medix and fire emergency medical personnel were able to assess her medical conditions and she was transported to Columbia Memorial Hospital where she was entered into the trauma system.

There were 20 personnel committed to this rescue from Astoria Fire & Rescue, Astoria Police Department, Lewis & Clark Fire Department, Clatsop County High Angle Rescue Team, and the Astoria Community Emergency Response Team. Off duty Astoria firefighters and volunteers were called in to cover the city during the rescue. Clatsop County Sheriff Department assisted with securing the area and Warrenton Police Department provided police coverage for the city. Medix assisted with medical treatment.

Oregon’s Marine Reserves Moving Forward

Under the leadership of State Representative Jean Cowan, the Oregon Coastal Caucus, and Governor Kitzhaber, Oregon is moving forward with the recommendations of the Ocean Policy Advisory Council (OPAC) to establish marine reserves at Otter Rock, Redfish Rocks, Cape Perpetua, Cascade Head, and Cape Falcon. The 2011 Legislature approved limited funding for the initial years of the program in the midst of difficult budget deliberations.

“Finding funding for the marine reserves program during a period of significant reductions in state spending demonstrates Oregon’s commitment to completing the hard work the public has put into this process” says Representative Cowan, the chair of the Coastal Caucus.

The Governor will work with legislators and OPAC to finalize the details of how state agencies will continue marine reserves implementation, and determine what additional legislative and administrative actions are needed to complete the work.

“The Coastal Caucus has provided great leadership in moving marine reserves forward,” said Governor Kitzhaber. “We will continue to work with them to develop the details of our next steps forward in a way that respects the broad input that has gotten us to this point.”

The details of the next steps for implementation are expected to be completed by early Fall, following consultations between the Governor’s office, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, coastal legislators, OPAC and other interested parties.

YOUTH ATV ENDORSEMENT PROGRAM OFFERED AT CLATSOP COUNTY FAIR

The Clatsop County Sheriff’s Office is pleased to announce it is adding the Oregon 4H Youth ATV Rider Endorsement Program to its ATV Safety Training Classes at this year’s Clatsop County Fair.

The 4H endorsement program satisfies the upcoming requirement that youth under age 16 demonstrate hands-on skills to operate an ATV on lands open to public ATV riding in Oregon.

The youth rider endorsement evaluation session lasts approximately two hours. These sessions will be offered on Aug. 3 and 5, beginning at 10 a.m., at the fair.

These sessions are geared toward youth with prior riding experience. Each participant is provided the required skills information in advance of the session and must demonstrate proficiency in seven key areas. Each key skill must be successfully demonstrated to obtain the endorsement.

A limited number of loaner ATV’s will be available for youth unable to bring their own to the session.

Prompt enrollment is important so the study materials can be sent to the enrolled youth prior to the session. Please enroll through the following website: www.oregonatvsafety.com.

Youth with little or no experience are encouraged to enroll in our ATV Safety Institute Ridercourse classes being offered on Aug. 2, 4 and 6 at the fair. Register for the Ridercourse classes by calling 800-887-2887. Be sure to request the Oregon Tuition Subsidy when registering, and if a loaner ATV is needed, reserve it when enrolling.

Contact Deputy Michael Nelson at (503) 791-4978 for questions and further information.