Court order prompts addition of spillage fee Customers of the Okanogan County Electric Co-operative (OCEC) will pay more for power starting Oct. 1 because of a surcharge implemented by the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA). The surcharge is the result of a federal court order requiring that additional water be spilled at federal hydroelectric dams on […]
County hears resounding ‘no’ on data centers
Residents fear negative impacts Okanogan County asked for input about proposed restrictions on data centers — and got an earful. Nearly 200 people submitted written comments, and dozens more packed a public hearing to provide testimony to the Okanogan County Planning Commission last week. Almost everyone who commented warned about the negative impacts of data […]
Confusion persists about ATV use in towns
Prohibitions still on the books for Twisp, Winthrop streets As ATVs (all-terrain vehicles) grow more popular and sophisticated — with some models resembling cars or jeeps — questions about where people can ride them have resurfaced, most recently in Twisp. Long-time resident Bob Ulrich attended his first Twisp Town Council meeting in his 55 years […]
Lawsuit seeks to halt U.S. Forest Service’s Mission Restoration Project
Three conservation groups have sued the U.S. Forest Service over the Midnight Restoration Project, which plans logging and thinning on 53,009 acres in the Twisp River drainage. The lawsuit by the Center for Biological Diversity, the Methow Forest Forum and the Kettle Range Conservation Group alleges that extensive clear-cutting of mature and old-growth forests threatens […]
Lookout Coalition grows, gets nonprofit status
Will add executive director, more needed services The Lookout Coalition, which has been providing free, in-home medical and social support to anyone in the Methow Valley facing difficult health challenges for 16 years, is evolving and expanding the services they provide. The coalition was founded in 2010 by people in the valley who believed that […]
Roadless rule proposal spurs widespread backlash
Forest Service action could cause severe damage, critics say The U.S. Forest Service is proposing to eliminate the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which has protected 44.7 million acres — 30% of all national forestlands — across the county from roadbuilding for 25 years. The proposal is open for public comment until Sept. 21 The Forest […]
Quick responses contain local wildfires
Notices alerting people to be ready to evacuate were issued just 20 minutes after a fire on Balky Hill Road was reported on Wednesday (Aug. 19), at already 10 acres in size and spreading fast in dry grass. About 22 firefighters from all four stations with Okanogan County Fire District 6 responded right away, along […]
U.S. Forest Service to evaluate vehicle access for roads and trails
The U.S. Forest Service is reviewing its policies for travel management, which include whether vehicles should be allowed on roads and in other areas in national forests — and, if so, what types of vehicles would be permissible. The Forest Service is preparing an environmental impact statement (EIS) that will evaluate revisions to simplify requirements […]
Successful fundraising assures preservation of Bonaparte Meadows
Bonaparte Meadows, a unique wetland east of Tonasket that supports rare plants, birds and butterflies will be preserved, now that the Okanogan Land Trust (OLT) has reached its fundraising goal to purchase the 745 acres, including approximately 265 acres of rare peat-fen habitat. The campaign raised $1.5 million, which supplements a $1.2-million grant to cover […]
Fire detectives unearth clues about origins
Rigorous process defines each investigation After a fire, everything is charred black or deep in ash, with burned remnants of grass and other vegetation. But investigators find vital clues amid all that destruction — minuscule bits of metal, fuel canisters and marks left on rocks or pavement. Marc Titus and Bruce Long, senior wildland fire […]
