Klickitat County Commissioners will probably make a decision Tuesday on whether to pursue further legal avenues in the wake of the recent ruling by a panel of three federal Ninth Court of Appeals judges that “Tract D” in the Glenwood area is a part of the Yakama Nation Reservation.  The County can either seek consideration from the full Ninth Circuit panel or the Supreme Court, or accept the ruling from the trio of judges.  Commissioner Jacob Anderson serves as the liaison to the Yakama Tribal Council, and he says relations with the tribe are a key component in the decision making process, along with cost and the likelihood of winning the case.

The Forest Service has closed the Herman Creek Trailhead in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area through July 29.   The closure area includes the Herman Creek Trailhead, Frontage Road, Herman Creek Horse Camp, and the section of Herman Creek Trail between the trailhead and intersection with Herman Bridge Trail.  The campground has a history of active laminated root rot, which is the most damaging root disease of forest trees in Oregon and Washington and one of the most hazardous to people and property in developed sites.  Infected trees can appear sound visually and then fail unexpectedly, placing people and property in danger.  A contractor removed the hazardous trees in 2020 and is now removing slash and debris from the area.  Following the clean-up, the trailhead will open, and the campground will remain closed until additional design and construction work is completed.  During the closure, visitors may access Herman Creek Trail from the Pacific Crest Trail using the Herman Bridge Trail #406E.

There were some fires reported in the region over the weekend, but firefighters were able to bring them under control.  The largest was a fire estimated at 1,000 acres in size on Sunday afternoon about seven miles south of Grass Valley and west of Highway 97.  The Sherman County Sheriff’s Office reports crews were able to knock the main fire down, but there was a flare-up this morning that was quickly put out, and the area will continue to be monitored.  Fire crews and farmers stopped the fire’s progress at Finnegan Road.  There was a nearly seven acre fire on Friday night along Interstate 84 near Rowena at milepost 76.  Two fires were reported over the weekend in the White Salmon area, Friday on Snowden Road and Sunday on Wilkes Road.  On Saturday there was a small fire at the exit 63 on ramp to Interstate 84 in Hood River.

With continued hot temperatures and the potential for stronger winds later in the week, fire officials continue to emphasize the need to be careful in regard to fire, even in urban areas.  Hood River Fire Chief Leonard Damian points out there are a number of wildland-urban interface areas in Hood River and other local communities.  Damian notes topography is another element that adds to fire danger in the Gorge.

Washington 14th District State Representative Gina Mosbrucker has been named to the state’s new Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People Task Force.  Speaker of the House Laurie Jinkins made the appointment.  The 21-member task force within the Washington attorney general’s office will assess causes behind the high rate of disappearances and murders of Indigenous women and people.  The task force will include tribes and tribal organizations, as well as policymakers at local, state, and federal levels.  Mosbrucker introduced House Bill 2951 in 2018, which created a study to increase state resources for reporting and identifying missing Native American women throughout Washington, and in 2019 the Legislature passed and the governor signed Mosbrucker’s House Bill 1713 to establish two tribal liaison positions within the Washington State Patrol to build relationships between governmental organizations and native communities.    

Wrestling Two Hood River Valley wrestlers earned second place finishes in the Oregon high school girls’ wrestling tournament in Cottage Grove over the weekend.  Emily Sullenger was second at 120 pounds, and Lauraine Smith also finished second at 155 pounds. Both won two out of three matches in the tournament.   Carson Farlow of Hood River Valley had a fourth place finish at 132 pounds to lead the local effort at the Oregon Class 5A high school boys’ wrestling tournament in Cottage Grove.  HRV’s Abraham Tinajero finished sixth at 195 pounds.  Jamie Rodriguez of HRV split four matches at 126 pounds, as did Taylor Morehouse of The Dalles at 185.     American Legion Baseball The Columbia Gorge Hustlers had a great weekend at a tournament in Pendleton, winning all five games they played.  The Hustlers finished the weekend with a 9-1 win over the Walla Walla Bears, as Hunter Hough and Diego Gonzalez drove in two runs apiece, and Riley Brock pitched a three-hitter.

Oregon Governor Kate Brown Friday signed an executive order lifting all remaining COVID-19 health and safety restrictions issued under Oregon’s emergency statutes by Wednesday at the latest.  Restrictions could be lifted earlier if Oregon achieves a 70% first dose adult vaccination rate before Wednesday, which the state as of Thursday was just over 35,000 people away from.  Brown signed the order during a press conference Friday morning.  With restrictions lifted, Brown says the state will shift to a focus on helping Oregonians and communities recover from the impacts and the economic toll of the pandemic.  The Governor’s remaining emergency authority will be limited in focus to COVID-19 recovery efforts, similar to what is currently in place for 2020 wildfire season recovery.  Brown says emergency authority continues to be necessary to provide flexibility and resources for vaccination efforts, health system response to COVID-19, Oregon’s access to federal aid, to allow the continued operation of certain emergency child care providers through the summer, unemployment insurance claim processing, and more.  The recovery order does not provide authorization for agencies to renew restrictions based on emergency authorities.  Some statewide mask requirements may stay in place in specialized settings following federal guidance, including airports, public transit, and health care settings.  The Governor’s office says the Oregon Department of Education and the Oregon Health Authority will be issuing updated advisory guidance for the upcoming school year, but added the lifting of the state’s restrictions will mean a shift to the more traditional local decision-making model in regard to schools.

Air support helped to knock down a brush fire along Interstate 84 at milepost 76 near Rowena.  A helicopter and water dropper based in Dallesport and two air tankers out of Redmond made significant progress on the fire detected around 10:45 Friday morning.  The fire led to traffic delays through the area on Interstate 84, and the Wasco County Sheriff’s Office issued evacuation advisories in the area of the Historic Columbia River Highway, Rowena River Road, and Mayer State Park.  As of early this afternoon the aerial support were returning to their bases, while firefighters from numerous area agencies were doing mop-up.  There was the potential for more freeway delays while that work takes place.  

Mid-Columbia Community Action Council has partnered with the City of Hood River, St. Vincent DePaul of The Dalles, Hood River Shelter Services, the City of Hood River, Hood River County Emergency Management, Hood River Public Health, Columbia Area Transit, and LINK Public Transit to offer cooling centers for those who need them.  Hood River County’s cooling center will be the Hood River Fire Station Community Room behind the Hood River Aquatic Center on 1785 Meyer Parkway.  In Wasco County, it will be St. Vincent DePaul on 315 West 3rd in The Dalles.  Both locations will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. today through Tuesday.  Guests of the Cooling Centers will be required to comply with COVID-19 guidelines and face covering requirements.  Transportation to and from cooling centers will be offered by Columbia Area Transit.  The City of White Salmon will operate a cooling shelter in its Fire Hall at 220 NE Church from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday through Tuesday.  Washington Gorge Action Programs will have a cooling center open Saturday through Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Hegewald Center in Stevenson.

Crews continue to report good progress on the S-503 Fire on the Warm Springs Reservation, with containment Thursday evening moved up to 50 percent.  No growth was reported, with the fire remaining listed at 6,679 acres in size and remaining in its current footprint.  Kurt Solomon of Northwest Interagency Team 8 says the fire perimeter is completely lined.  Two hotshot crews, three engines, and miscellaneous overhead resources from the S-503 Fire responded to assist the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation with a 600 acre fire in Warm Springs. Solomon said that fire was in mop-up.