Oregon Beach News, Friday 4/12 – SOLVE’s Oregon Spring Cleanup begins Saturday April 13: More than 100 Volunteer Opportunities are Open for Registration, Beached Bird Training Session Saturday 4/13 & Other Local and Statewide News…

Heritage Tree Dedication Ceremony will be held in Clatsop State Forest on Friday

SALEM, Ore. — The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) and the Travel Information Council and its volunteer Oregon Heritage Tree Committee will hold a Hertiage Tree Dedication Ceremony highlighting a giant grand fir tree that will become 84^th Oregon Heritage Tree.  The event will be held 11 a.m. Friday at Clatsop State Forest’s Northrup Creek Horse Camp. A heritage designation recognizes trees with statewide or national significance. The giant grand fir is 19.8 feet in circumference, 208 feet tall, and approximately 200 years old.

The tree is part of the Department of Forestry’s Big Tree Trail.

“ODF created the Big Tree Trail in 2012 when they identified numerous large conifer and deciduous trees in close proximity to one another. Inducting the Big Tree Trail as an Oregon Heritage Tree helps honor this special trail of trees that are believed to be among the top five largest in the state,” said Brad Catton, ODF’s Astoria District Operations Coordinator.

The Oregon Department of Forestry’s Northrup Creek Horse Camp is located at 87644 Northrup Creek Road, Clatskanie, Oregon, 97016.

The Oregon Heritage Tree Program is the first state-sponsored heritage tree program in the country. It was established in 1995 to increase public awareness of the important contribution of trees to Oregon’s history and the significant role they play in the quality of our daily life. The program is administered by the Oregon Travel Information Council and a committee of dedicated volunteers from across the state. For more information regarding the Heritage Tree program visit www.oregontic.com/oregon-heritage-trees.

For more information on recreation opportunities in Oregon’s state forests visit Oregon Department of Forestry : Recreation : Recreation : State of Oregon

Ten million in grant dollars help to create resilience in Oregon communities

(Salem) – Forest fires, heat domes, landslides, floods, drought, pandemics — all natural disasters that kill thousands of people and destroy billions of dollars of property and habitat each year. That’s why it’s important that each community builds up its resilience to these hazards.

Now, there is help for Oregon’s many communities. The Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) Office of Resilience and Emergency Management (OREM) has a $10 million grant called the Resilience Hubs and Networks Grant to give out to eligible people and organizations. The funding comes from the 2023 Oregon Legislature to build resiliency within communities.

“This grant money is part of a long-term goal of having our communities create resiliency so they can prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters. With this grant a community can design what they need to be resilient,” Ed Flick, OREM Director said.

“Applicants could be just about anyone — schools, cities, counties, non-profits, Tribes — if they can show how the funding would benefit their community. We’d like to get grant dollars out to populations and areas of Oregon that are not as prepared for climate impacts. Many rural and frontier communities don’t have the tools and resources as larger cities,” Jenn Bosch, OREM Grants Program Administrator, said.

“A Resilience Hub is a living, breathing part of the community already, such as a community center, a Boys and Girls Club, something that is part of their daily life, like a food bank. It’s place they would think to go to get help, such as shelter in an emergency. What they can apply for is very open,” Bosch said.

The things people and groups could apply for includes almost anything that would build and strengthen the communities’ resilience, such as medical supplies, child care, emergency communications equipment, generators, training, water purification, vehicles and more. It also includes things communities can apply for called “typed packages.” These packages are those big containers often used for storage, called Conex boxes. OREM will pack the Conex containers with emergency supplies specific to sheltering in-place or enduring a disaster until further relief arrives, and OREM will deliver to that site.

The network part of the grant is to help communities communicate and share resources more effectively.

“The goal is to break down silos. Here’s an example of what this is – Government doesn’t generally set up shelters – it’s the churches, non-profits and community groups. But often they don’t know what the group down the street is doing. We’re asking them to work together to apply for the grant. Let’s say church is opening shelter but they don’t have food, but in working together with other community groups, they would then know the food bank might have food ready to supply to them,” Bosch said.

Last July through December, Bosch with Spencer Karel, OREM Policy Chief, and partner in the grant process, traveled Oregon on a listening tour. They met in-person or virtually with more than 80 community groups, ODHS programs, Oregon Health Authority, Oregon Department of Energy and other state agencies.

“We wanted to hear from them. It was an amazing opportunity to build the grant and really make it work for the communities. A Resiliency Hub in Grants Pass will look different than one in Wheeler, and those will also look different from one in Tillamook. We’re hopeful that the applications will reflect the broad need,” Bosch said.

She stressed that applying for this grant is easy. The application is a like a survey that the applicant can fill in what they are requesting, with six essay questions. OREM is also partnering with Portland State University to assist applicants that need help completing their application. Information about this help can be found on the OREM website.

“We want to make sure the people who generally don’t apply for or get grants feel like they have a fair opportunity to potentially receive a grant this time – small, rural, frontier areas especially,” she said.

So far there are more than 65 applicants for the grant money. Applications close April 30. 

Just to sum up why this grant money to create resiliency is important for communities throughout Oregon, Bosch said, “It saves lives and saves money.”

To learn more about the Resilience Hubs and Networks Grant and to find the application, visit: https://www.oregon.gov/odhs/emergency-management/Pages/resilience-grants.aspx.

ODOT Reminding The Public That Political Signs Posted Incorrectly Will Be Removed

The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) would like to remind the public that political signs posted incorrectly will be removed.

During election season ODOT tells us they receive complaints from the public and candidates regarding the improper placement of political signs on the state highway rights of way, where only official traffic control devices are allowed. Improperly placed signs can distract drivers and block road safety messages.

Wrongly placed signs will be taken down and held at a nearby ODOT district maintenance office for 30 days. To reclaim signs, go here to find the nearest ODOT maintenance office.

Signs are prohibited on trees, utility poles, fence posts and natural features within highway right-of-ways, ODOT tells us. They also are prohibited within view of a designated scenic area.

State highway width rights of way can vary considerably depending on the location. Check with your local ODOT district maintenance office to determine whether placing a sign is on private property or highway right of way. Local municipalities may also regulate the placement of political signs.

Political signs are allowed on private property within view of state highways with the following restrictions:

• Signs are limited to 12 square feet but can be up to 32 square feet with a variance from our Oregon Advertising Sign program
• Signs cannot have flashing or intermittent lights, or animated or moving parts
• Signs must not imitate official highway signs or devices
• Signs are not allowed in scenic corridors
• No payment or compensation of any kind can be exchanged for either the placement of or the message on temporary signs, including political signs, which are visible to a state highway

For more information go to ODOT’s Outdoor Advertising Sign Program.

House Bill 4156 is being signed into law by Governor Tina Kotek, modernizing Oregon’s Anti-Stalking law.

According to the Oregon Legislature, HB 4156 broadens the scope of the current stalking law, now covering electronic and internet harassment. This includes efforts to damage a victim’s identity and credit rating.

The law also increases the classification of Felony level stalking from a Class-C to a Class-B Felony, meaning an increase in prison time.

Oregon Representative Kevin Mannix wrote the original law back in 1995. He expressed is gratitude, saying “it is an honor to have been part of Oregon’s original anti-stalking law nearly 30 years ago, and now its modernization. I am confident that this legislation will help protect those who have become victims to stalking and ensure there are proper protections in place to get them the help they need.” This new law takes effect on July 1.

Proposal to federally list native turtle draws sharp divide among environmentalists, farm groups

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service seeks public comment about a federal listing which could affect farmers, landowners and large water users in the state

A move by the federal government to protect an inland turtle that lives in freshwater and wetlands mainly west of the Cascades is drawing support from thousands of environmentalists but opposition from farm groups that fear a potential listing would bring unwanted restrictions.

The northwestern pond turtle or western pond turtle ranges from coastal Washington, through western Oregon and to central California, an area that includes several national parks and forests as well as Indigenous nations. Living up to 55 years in the wild, the turtles are mostly found in Oregon in streams, ponds, marshes and lakes west of the Cascades. They are threatened by drought, habitat loss and introduced species like bullfrogs and largemouth bass that eat the turtle’s young. They also face competition from non-native pet turtles that are released outdoors.

There are only two freshwater turtles native to Oregon, the pond turtle and the western painted turtle. They play a unique role in the ecosystems they inhabit. Young pond turtles are mostly carnivorous, preying on insects and other invertebrates. But as they age, they switch their diet mainly to plants. They help control insect populations, disperse plant seeds and maintain the ecological balance of their environment for several other species.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service does not consider the turtle to be on the verge of extinction: An assessment last April found that the turtles have up to a 15% likelihood of going extinct in the next 25 years. But over the long term – by 2100 – their chance of extinction rises to as much as 60%.

In the 1990s, there were only about 200 of the turtles in the Columbia River Gorge area of Washington state, prompting authorities there to list them as endangered. The state listing has led to a partial recovery: Washington state officials estimate there are about 800 of the turtles now in the same area.

Authorities in Oregon, however, have listed the pond turtle and the state’s other native turtle, the painted turtle, as “sensitive,” meaning they have a small or declining population or are in need of management. California authorities have listed the pond turtle as a “species of concern.” Both designations offer lower levels of protection than an endangered or threatened status.

Environmentalists have pushed for federal protection for pond turtles for more than 30 years. In 1992, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rejected a petition for their listing, citing a lack of evidence of their decline. But last September, after years of studies and a lawsuit accusing the government of taking too long to make a ruling, the agency proposed listing the turtles as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. A “threatened” status means a species is likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future, and could lead to regulations limiting some activities that might harm the animals,like draining ponds or destroying nesting habitat.

Thousands comment on proposal — As part of the listing proposal, the agency has asked for public comment. So far, more than 16,000 individuals and organizations from all three states have weighed in about a potential listing. The majority, including from Oregon conservation groups, favor protecting the turtle.

“The best available scientific data clearly shows that the (northwestern pond turtle) faces many threats like habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation with impacts exacerbated by climate change,” wrote Alijana Fisher, wildlife program associate for the Portland-based nonprofit Oregon Wild.

But several farming and ranching organizations, including the Salem-based Oregon Farm Bureau, oppose the protections. They argue that farmers would face new costly regulations if the listing were to go through.

“We are concerned with negative impacts on ongoing agricultural activities, particularly irrigated agriculture, where agricultural producers and water managers could – overnight – become exposed to legal liability for ordinary and necessary practices,” the farming and ranching groups wrote in their joint comment.

The Oregon Farm Bureau represents over 6,600 farms and ranches around the state. It did not respond to our request for further comment.

Large water users like farm owners could be the most affected by a listing, though pond turtles also spend much of their life on land. Biologists have found their nests up to a quarter mile away from water, so owners of property near water might also face new restrictions. A federal listing could add time and costs to a construction project but the risk of projects being canceled due to a threatened species listing would be extremely low. A 2015 study found that out of more than 80,000 construction projects, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found that only two posed a significant risk to the listed species. Both eventually went forward with changes to reduce their impact.

Anne Mary Myers, wildlife strategy species coordinator for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, told the Capital Chronicle that the state agency prefers to do most of its conservation work before a federal listing to avoid the need for a listing at all.

“There is less ‘red tape’, so to speak, when managing for a species before it receives federal threatened or endangered species designation,” said Myers.

The Oregon agency can determine a state listing but only advises the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service when it comes to a federal designation. State agency officials also work with landowners to help protect pond turtle habitat on their land, and if the turtles are listed, they would help landowners cope with new regulations, including helping them by applying for tax incentives to reward conservation actions on private land.

“Private landowners in Oregon have a key role in turtle conservation here in Oregon and can be proud to host this species on their properties,” added Myers.

The turtles’ dependence on both aquatic and upland habitat makes it more difficult to protect them than a freshwater animal like trout. Their breeding cycle also complicates their prospects for recovery. Pond turtles do not breed until they are 5 to 10 years old, so it takes them a long time to recover from the loss of breeding adults. which means it takes that long for a pond turtle to reproduce.

Oregonians can help monitor the status of all Oregon turtles by reporting sightings on this page. (SOURCE)

Oregon Lottery Says Verifying The Historic $1.3 Billion Powerball Win And Handing Over The Cash Could Take Weeks

It could take several weeks before the Oregon Lottery can hand over cash to the winner of the historic, $1.326 billion Powerball jackpot, because of necessary — if opaque to the public — security measures, an agency spokesperson said Tuesday.

“We can’t get into too many specifics,” Melanie Mesaros told a group of newspaper and TV reporters gathered in the parking lot of the Northeast Portland Plaid Pantry convenience store that sold the winning ticket Saturday. “We have a process to vet the claimant. We have a process that would look at the ticket itself and the retail purchase.”

A person has come forward to claim the jackpot. The Oregon Lottery hasn’t yet publicly identified the winner.

Mesaros, the Lottery spokesperson, confirmed that the security process includes looking at the person’s physical ticket, checking their government-issued identification and reviewing the store’s security camera footage. But she repeatedly declined to elaborate on other steps the lottery takes to ensure the money goes to the rightful winner.

“We have security processes that we just need to keep close in order to make sure the process is able to operate properly,” Mesaros said.

Mesaros did say that anyone who plays the lottery should sign the back of their ticket. Otherwise, whoever holds the ticket essentially owns it, she said.

An added complication before the winner is handed the cash is the fact that there’s just so much of it, and that it’s funded by multiple states’ lotteries, not just Oregon’s. That means, Mesaros said, the agency has to go through several steps to meet the requirements of the Multi-State Lottery Association to get all the money transferred to Oregon.

The $1.326 billion jackpot has a cash value of $621 million if the winner chooses to take a lump sum rather than an annuity paid over 30 years. The prize is subject to federal taxes and state taxes in Oregon.

Governor Kotek Issues Notice of Potential Vetoes

The notice relates to budget items in Senate Bill 1530 and Senate Bill 5701

Pursuant to Article V, section 15b, of the Oregon Constitution, Governor Tina Kotek provided notice to the Legislature that she is considering line-item vetoes for budget allocations from the 2024 legislative session.

The potential vetoes primarily relate to a series of one-time funding allocations in Section 9 of Senate Bill 1530, pending the receipt of additional information regarding new housing production resulting from the direct appropriations and related infrastructure projects.

“The legislative intent of this funding is to support shovel-ready projects that are essential for new housing production,” Governor Kotek said. “After the legislative session, my office began a review of each of the projects to confirm project scope, cost, timeline, feasibility, and the nexus to housing production and affordability.

“Before making final decisions, I am giving cities and districts the opportunity to provide more information to my office to confirm whether these funding allocations will result in the production of new housing within an acceptable timeline. This is part of my ongoing commitment to transparency, accountability, and outcomes with public funds, including direct appropriations.”

The Governor’s Office has identified seven projects where more information is needed to confirm a direct nexus to specific housing development sites or projects, in order for the projects to be supported moving forward.

The following funding allocations, totaling $14 million, are being considered for potential line-item vetoes.

• $3 million to the Oak Lodge Water Services Authority for wastewater treatment facility upgrades
• $3 million to the City of Siletz for wastewater treatment plant upgrades
• $3 million to the Tualatin Valley Water District for upgrades to the pump station on SW 189th Avenue in Beaverton
• $1.5 million to the City of Butte Falls for wastewater treatment plant and lift station upgrades
• $1.5 million to the City of Shady Cove for development of the city drinking water system
• $1 million to the City of Creswell for wastewater treatment facility upgrades and connections to a regional treatment facility
• $1 million to the City of Gold Hill for replacement of a water distribution main line and improvements and upgrades to water treatment facilities

Additionally, Governor Kotek provided notice of a potential line-item veto of Section 499 of Senate Bill 5701. The section of the bill allocated $2 million to the Old Town Community Association to support the Made in Old Town development project.

“I appreciate the intent of this project to help revitalize the Old Town neighborhood in Downtown Portland,” Governor Kotek said. “My office is awaiting more information from the development group about the viability of financing for the entire project before I make my decision.”

Governor Kotek will announce her final decision on these vetoes by April 17.

Babies, baby chicks don’t mix: OHA article highlights Salmonella risks of backyard poultry for newborns

PORTLAND, Ore. — Outbreaks of Salmonella infection linked to backyard poultry have been well documented, but a recent Oregon public health investigation highlights the risks of home chicken flocks for newborn babies.

An Oregon Health Authority (OHA) report in today’s edition of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) details an investigation into a case of salmonellosis – the disease caused by Salmonella bacteria – in a newborn whose parents kept backyard poultry.

OHA and Crook County epidemiologists investigated the case as part of a routine, multi-state review of backyard poultry-associated salmonellosis outbreaks reported to CDC from across the country during 2023.

According to the report, the baby boy was born at a hospital about 150 miles away from his parents’ home. The newborn was discharged with his mother to a relative’s home the day after his birth, but four days later was readmitted to a second hospital with bloody stool and lethargy, prompting health care providers to collect a stool sample for analysis. The sample tested positive for a strain of Salmonella known as Thompson.

Neither parent had symptoms of salmonellosis, nor had they been diagnosed with the disease. However, the baby’s father, who tended the family’s backyard poultry at the family’s home 150 miles away, was present at the hospital during the child’s birth and stayed with the child and the child’s mother at the relative’s home when the baby fell ill.

The newborn had not traveled to the home where the backyard poultry were kept during the time between his birth and his hospital admission for his illness.

Nearly a month after the newborn was admitted to the hospital with salmonellosis symptoms, state and county epidemiologists collected environmental samples from the chicken bedding in the family’s backyard poultry coop, where the child’s father had previously had contact. Two of the samples matched the Salmonella Thompson strain found in the child.

Paul Cieslak, M.D., medical director for communicable diseases and immunizations at OHA’s Public Health Division and co-author of the MMWR article, said epidemiologists don’t know the exact mechanism by which the newborn was exposed to the Salmonella Thompson strain. But it’s telling that the newborn’s family started keeping backyard poultry only about a month before the child’s birth.

“It’s possible one of the parents was shedding the organism even though they weren’t showing symptoms and exposed the baby during or after his birth,” Cieslak said. “The bacteria also could have been carried from the family home to the newborn on clothes, shoes or other belongings. Once it’s on surfaces, it can be transported and transmitted fairly easily.”

The case is a strong reminder about the importance of hygiene when tending backyard poultry, “especially when persons at risk for exposure are newborns and young infants whose intestinal flora and immune systems are still developing,” the article’s authors wrote. “In addition to adhering to recommended hygiene practices, families contemplating raising backyard poultry should consider the potential risk to newborns and young infants living in the household.”

The CDC has the following recommendations for backyard flock owners:

• Always wash hands with soap and water immediately after touching backyard poultry, their eggs or anything in the area where they live and roam. Use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not readily available. Consider having hand sanitizer at your coop.
• Don’t kiss or snuggle backyard poultry, and don’t eat or drink around them. This can spread Salmonella germs to your mouth and make you sick. Keep your backyard flock and supplies you use to care for them (such as feed containers and shoes you wear in the coop) outside of the house. You should also clean the supplies outside the house.
• Always supervise children around backyard poultry and make sure they wash their hands properly Don’t let children younger than 5 touch chicks, ducklings or other backyard poultry. Young children are more likely to get sick from germs such as Salmonella.
• Collect eggs often. Eggs that sit in the nest can become dirty or break. Throw away cracked eggs. Germs on the shell can more easily enter the egg through a cracked shell. Rub off dirt on eggs with fine sandpaper, a brush, or a cloth. Don’t wash eggs because colder water can pull germs into the egg. Refrigerate eggs to keep them fresh and slow the growth of germs. Cook eggs until both the yolk and white are firm, and cook egg dishes to an internal temperature of 160°F to kill all germs.
• Call your health care provider right away if you have any of these severe symptoms:
  • Diarrhea and a fever higher than 102°F.
  • Diarrhea for more than three days that is not improving.
  • Bloody diarrhea.
  • So much vomiting that you cannot keep liquids down.
  • Signs of dehydration, such as not peeing much, dry mouth and throat, and feeling dizzy when standing up.

The article’s lead author was Stephen Ladd-Wilson, Acute and Communicable Disease Prevention Section, OHA. Other co-authors included Karen Yeargain, Crook County Health Department; Samuel Myoda, Ph.D., and Mansour Samadpour, Ph.D., Institute for Environmental Health Laboratories, Seattle; and Karim Morey, Oregon State Public Health Laboratory, OHA.

Owners of Local Debt Consolidation Service Indicted in Federal Court, Additional Victims Sought

PORTLAND, Ore.—The owners of ConsoliDebt Solutions, LLC, a debt consolidation service that operated in Oregon and other locations between April 2019 and April 2024, have been indicted in federal court for knowingly and intentionally defrauding their customers.

Javier Antonio Banuelas Urueta, 54, and Dalia Castilleja Saucedo, 38, both residents of Oregon and Washington State, have been charged in a seven-count indictment with conspiring to commit and committing mail and wire fraud.

According to the indictment, from approximately April 2019 and continuing until their arrests, Banuelas and Castilleja are alleged to have devised and carried out a scheme whereby they used ConsoliDebt Solutions to collect money and property from various clients in exchange for purported debt consolidation or reduction services. Banuelas and Castilleja directed their clients to deposit funds directly into ConsoliDebt bank accounts, transfer funds to the company, or mail in personal checks, cashier’s checks, or money orders.

Banuelas and Castilleja are further alleged to have used client funds to pay for various personal expenses such as car leases, loan repayments, residential rent, and various wire transfers.

Banuelas was arrested Tuesday in Portland, Oregon. He made his first appearance in federal court the same day and was arraigned, pleaded not guilty, and ordered detained pending further court proceedings. Castilleja is still at large.

Mail and wire fraud are punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison and three years’ supervised release per count of conviction.

Anyone with information about Banuelas, Castilleja, or ConsoliDebt Solutions, LLC, are encouraged to contact Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) by submitting a tip online at  https://www.ice.gov/webform/ice-tip-form or by calling (866) 347-2423.

This case was investigated by HSI. It is being prosecuted by Rachel K. Sowray, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Oregon Offers Electric Car Rebates Again – Apply Now Until June 3rd

Due to high demand and limited funding, OCVRP will be open for a short time in 2024. Vehicles must be purchased or leased between April 3, 2024, to June 3, 2024, to be eligible for a rebate.

Applicants have six months from their date of purchase or lease to apply. Low- and moderate-income households can prequalify for the $5,000 Charge Ahead rebate by completing the application now at https://apps.oregon.gov/DEQ/Voucher/apply.

Oregon to Honor Fallen Law Enforcement Officers May 7th, 2024

Every year, the Oregon Law Enforcement Memorial Ceremony honors the state’s law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty. This year’s ceremony will be held Tuesday, May 7 at 1 p.m. at the Oregon Public Safety Academy in Salem.

The annual event commemorates the more than 190 fallen officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to the state of Oregon since the 1860s. This includes law enforcement, corrections, and parole and probation officers from city, county, state, tribal and federal law enforcement agencies.

The Department of Public Safety Standards and Training is proud to host the ceremony in partnership with the Oregon Law Enforcement Memorial Fund, Oregon Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.), Oregon Fallen Badge Foundation, and various statewide law enforcement associations.