..NEW HEARING DATE..

..The Baker Rock Mining Application Hearing has been postponed again..The new date is November 10th at 1:00PM at the McMinnville Community Center..This gives us more time to prepare and more time to make more people aware of our fight..Keep the cards and letters flowing in to the Yamhill County Planning Board..Hope to see ALL of you there..Thanks..

THE LATEST TOUR

ON SUNDAY AUG. 29TH A TOUR SPONSORED BY MCMINNVILLE COOPERATIVE MINISTERIES AND YAMHILL COUNTY DEMOCRATS AND ORGANIZED BY LIZ STEIN CAME TO GRAND ISLAND. THE BUS WAS DRIVEN BY BEN STEIN. NEIL SVARVERUD ACTED AS TOUR GUIDE AND DID A GREAT JOB. THE TOUR ENDED AT THE SCOGGAN FARM, WHERE SAM SWEENEY GAVE AN INFORMATIVE TALK WITH MAPS AND AERIEL PHOTOS OF GRAVEL PITS ALREADY SURROUNDING US. THERE WERE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS AND SUGGESTIONS ALL AROUND. OUR GUESTS SEEMED IMPRESSED WITH AND CONCERNED FOR THE ISLAND. MANY HAD ALREADY COME OUT FOR A LOOK PRIOR TO THE TOUR. WE HAD A SNACK OF DELICIOUS GRAND ISLAND FRUITS VEGETABLES AND GOOD WELL WATER. THANK YOU, TO ALL THOSE WHO PARTICIPATED.

..Recent e-mail to The Yamhill County Planning Dept..

....It's seems our planning dept has no answers for us about this question..What kind of "pumps" are not listed anywhere in Baker Rock's application, nor were they even considered or added to their DEQ Noise Study that was submitted with their application for a zone change..Kerrie G. Standlee of Daly-Standlee & Associates ( they did the noise study for this application ) wrote..:In responce to your question about a dewatering pump, yes a dewatering pump could influence the ambient noise level in your area and the amount of sound generated by such a pump could depend on whether it was electric or diesel powered."


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I have forwarded your question on to the applicant. It would also be a good question to ask at the hearing. Ken Friday



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From: OrMaggie77@aol.com [mailto:OrMaggie77@aol.com]
Sent: Thursday, August 05, 2010 10:54 AM
To: Ken Friday
Subject: question/Baker Rock application


..Mr. Friday..Since I am sure that your office has read and studied the app, maybe you can answer my question or direct me to the part of the app that covers this..What does Baker Rock intend to use for pumping out the water from the mine cells..Are they using an electric motor or Diesel motor for their pumps..And will these pumps be running 24 hours a day..How many gallons per minute will they be pumping out?..Please place this e-mail into the formal record for the Commissioners Hearing for this application..Thank you..Margaret Scoggan

....The t-shirts are ready....

....We have t-shirts for sale to promote our cause..They are 8.00 and 10.00 ( for xl sizes). They have the web site on the back and our new logo on the front..To order just send me an e-mail to OrMaggie77@aol.com and tell me what sizes and how many you would like and we will get them out to you right away if you are local..We will also mail you one if you are from far away..We just have to add the postage..Thanks everybody..

....Questions for the County.??.

..This is the Yamhill County Tax Lot Map. You can see how large lot 5326-600 is. I live on tax lot #5326-700, so you can see why I oppose this zone change from Goal 3 farm use to Goal 5 mineral use. Also note the boundary lines for the tax lots. Do you see the lot next to #5326-600, the one without any lot #.? Do you also notice that this land is being farmed.? Being rented out by Baker Rock to a farmer, with no tax-lot, does this mean that Baker Rock is paying taxes on 174 acres but renting out more.? I don't know, maybe you should ask the County.? I got these photo's from Yamhill County's Planning Dept.'s web site.

..Our Elected Officals..

..Latest Update..

..It's seems as soon as the Commissioners hearing was scheduled for the Baker Rock Mining application, it has now been cancelled and is set to be held "sometime" in September. We don't have a date yet, and really no explanation as to why it has been postponed. This doesn't mean that we can rest in our war,this just gives us more time to prepare for the battle. We are not going to sit by and let Baker Rock or Yamhill County treat us like our lives and homes and farms don't matter. We need to intensify our efforts in sending letters, e-mails and phone calls to let our elected officials know that enough is enough. We will no longer stand by and let them make decisions that effect peoples lives without thinking or caring. Every taxpayer in Yamhill County has a stake in this fight. You will be the ones to pay for the repair of our roads and the replacement of our bridge. You will bare the cost of rising food prices when there is no longer anymore local farms to grow and supply your food. We Islanders invite you to come out and drive to the southern end and see for yourselves just how large this piece of Prime Willamette Valley farmland is that Baker Rock wants to gobble up. And don't forget to write your letters, make the phone calls, send your e-mails and let our commissioners know that we care, even if they don't.

Update on Tonights Community Meeting

Joining us for our meeting were Rep. Jim Weider, who attended so that he could learn more about the serious issuses we Grand Islanders are facing. Rep. Weidner, who grew up in Yamhill county and stated he had spent alot of time on the Island in his youth also took a short tour of the Island after the meeting was over. Also attending were his chief-of-staff and Mary Starrett, who is running for Yamhill County Commissioner in November. Mary has been interested in our plight for some time now.We were glad to have them all join us. The group discussed ways to promote our cause. Neil made a great flyer and Katie had the postcards ready, along with the stamps to mail them with. If anyone wants any flyers to pass out let me know and I will get them to you. Also contact Katie for the postcards. If you would like a 2 square foot magnetized sign for your car or pickup or tractor the cost is $10. Beth is taking care of that. We also discussed having t-shirts made for people to wear at the Commissioners Hearing.

....The Record Has Been Opened....

Yamhill County Commissioners have opened the Record and are now accepting letters and written comments concerning the Baker Rock Mining Permit. Baker Rock wants a zoning change to be allowed to open a third gravel pit on 174 acres on Grand Island. Let your voice be heard on this important issue..Please write to our commissioners.. Mary Stern..Leslie Lewis..Kathy George..Submit written testimony to the Yamhill County Planning Department (525 NE 4th St, McMinnville, OR 97128) — remember to reference the quarry application number: PAZ-01-10/WRG-01-10..We are also holding another Community Meeting on Wed. July 7th, 7PM at the Unionvale Countryside Church on Wallace Rd. 7 miles south of Dayton. Mary Starrett will be joining us for this meeting..

Grand Islanders raise rock quarry concerns

By HANNAH HOFFMAN
of the News-Register

Much of the testimony against Baker Rock's proposal to mine gravel on Grand Island spoke to the power of the Willamette River: the power to flood, to shift, to surprise.
But that Baker Rock proposal has shown a power of it's own; to unite, to light a fire of opposition.
Members of the Grand island, Dayton, and Unionvale communities met Wednesday at the Unionvale Countryside Church to discuss the possibility of a gravel quarry on the Island and what that could mean for their farms.
The event was organized by farmer Sam Sweeney, a member of the Yamhill Soil and Water Conservation District; Ron Schindler, a Grand Island organic farmer; and Kris Bledsoe, Grand Island resident and chair of the Yamhill Basin Council.
More than 40 people, who ranged from seasoned old-timers to Casey and Katie Culla's son, Rusty, about 6 months old, to everyone in between. Politicians from both sides of the aisle were represented and Jim Johnson came from the state Department of Agriculture to discuss the issues surrounding gravel mines on farmland.
Citizens concerns varied but touched on common issues. Many worried about traffic. They said gravel trucks would clog the narrow Island roads and damage the already-worn bridge that connect the Island with the rest of Yamhill County.
Island residents said they had always considered their community a safe place for children to play and people to walk, but intense quarry traffic would jeopardize that peace. They said the narrow bridges particularly worried them.
Baker Rock had proposed putting up "narrow bridge" signs, which complies with the Oregon law, but most residents said that wouldn't be enough to eliminate safety hazards.
Water also raised concerns.Some people said the mining operations could draw down the groundwater table that provides the well water.Others worried mining could exacerbate the prevalent flooding on the Island.
Baker Rock hired Colorado geomorphologist Chris Lidstone,who testified at the May and June Planning Commission meetings and said neither groundwater levels or flooding patterns would be affected.He said the mine was designed to work with the existing water behavior,not change it.
But the most overwhelming concern was the cumulative impact an approval of the application could create.Another quarry,owned by Bernert Towing,was approved on the Island in 2004,and citizens worried that the entire Island would systematically be taken over by quarries.Gravel deposits likely exist under the entire land mass.
Johnson,who has worked in land use planning for 30 years said the number od acres of farmland in the Willamette valley shrinks every year.He said gravel quarries have a lagal advantage over other uses when it comes to taking a plot of farmland.
Most applicants seeking to rezone cultivated Exclusive Farm Use tracts need to justify an exception to Goal Three,the farmland protection goal in Oregon land use guidelines.And Goal Three exceptions are hard to come by.
But that won't be the case here,as mining fulfills another of Oregon's land use planning goals-Goal Five_which encourages development of mineral and aggregate resources.
However,Johnson told the crowd to keep fighting.He cited a 2003 case in Lane County in which the Lane County commissioners denied a gravel quarry based on it's potential negative impacts to farming.
Lane county Assistant County Counsel Stephen Vorhes said the farmers in that case were very organized.He said they brought in experts,economists from the University of Oregon and two lawyers to argue the case.
Vorhes said the expert testimony ultimately swayed the Lane County commission.
Johnson encouraged the crowd emphatically."You can win this," he said.He said the land use process is as much political as legal.
Bledsoe said it was "probably guaranteed" commissioners Kathy George and Leslie Lewis would vote in favor of the quarry.She said both have received campaign donations from Meisel Rock Products.
Bledsoe lost campaign bids against both Lewis and George in 2008 and 2010,respectively.
But the rest of the political clout in the county seems to be falling on the side of the Grand Island farmers.
Rep. Jim Weidner,R-Yamhill,whose chief of staff attended Wednesday's meeting,said,"I'm concerned about the impact on available farm land,the property rights of existing operating farms in close proximity to the proposed mine location,and the strain placed upon the bridge by large truck traffic.
His oppnent,winemaker and Democrat Susan Sokol Blosser,attended the meeting and said she fully supports the farmer's cause.
"The cornucopia of diverse crops on the Island represent the future of our local agriculture and present an opportunity for new families to grow the fruits and vegetables that are the bounty of our county,"she said."There are other places that gravel pits can go.There is only one Grand Island."
County commissioner candidate Mary Starrett said she hasn't made up her mind about the application.She said she has talked to county Planning Director Mike Brandt and understands the facts of the case.She said she realizes the need for gravel,but also has serious concerns about the quarry's impacts on traffic,quality of life and the neighbors ability to farm.
Her opponent Mary Stern,could not comment because the application will soon appear in front of her,George and Lewis in a quasi-judicial capacity.
The next morning after digesting everything discussed at Wednesday's meeting,event organizer Sweeney summed it up this way:
"To see their Island carted away in large,noisy,belly dump trucks is a horrible thought.But also to realize that their families and livelihood will be altered forever by a consumptive industry only caring about it's bottom line is angering,frightening and devastating."

..The Record has Been Reopened..

....Yamhill County Commissioners have opened the Record and are now accepting letters and written comments concerning the Baker Rock Mining Permit. Baker Rock wants a zoning change to be allowed to open a third gravel pit on 174 acres on Grand Island. Let your voice be heard on this important issue..Please write to our commissioners.. Mary Stern..Leslie Lewis..Kathy George..Submit written testimony to the Yamhill County Planning Department (525 NE 4th St, McMinnville, OR 97128) — remember to reference the quarry application number: PAZ-01-10/WRG-01-10..We are also holding another Community Meeting on Wed. July 7th, 7PM at the Unionvale Countryside Church on Wallace Rd. 7 miles south of Dayton. Mary Starrett will be joining us for this meeting..

....Bravo To The Yamhill County Planning Board....

..The Planning Board of Yamhill County voted 5-2 this evening to deny Baker Rock's app to mine gravel on Grand Island..They sited various reasons for going against the advice of the planning staff which was to approve the permit.. They showed great courage and wisdom in taking all the evidence into consideration before casting their votes..We here on Grand Island and the surrounding community wish to thank them for their fairness and attention to this very important matter..This however is just the first step in the process, we still have to go before the commissioners and plead our case..We are prepared to fight this to the end, doing whatever is necessary to stop this continued destruction of our Willamette Valley farmland....

....Notice of Community Meeting....

Farmers’ Concerns

So, what’s the big deal? There are many real issues at stake here beyond simply “Not in My Backyard” type of stuff. Here are the concerns that some farmers on the island have about yet another quarry being approved on Grand Island:

Traffic on Grand Island roads — The traffic report included with this application only takes into account current traffic use. However, a quarry has already been approved on the north end of the island with similar volumes of truck traffic, thus potentially doubling the new increased truck traffic on island roads and bridge.

Island bridge performance — There is only one route on and off the island: the narrow bridge on the west side of the island, built many decades ago for use by farming vehicles. There are continued concerns about the long-term bridge performance given the proposed increase in heavy truck traffic from three large operating quarries. Dozens of farm business and residents rely on this bridge for their continued livelihood and farm practices. Significant for people beyond Grand Island — if the bridge fails because of gravel quarry truck traffic, who will pay to fix it? Should the tax paying citizens of Yamhill County have to pay?

Bridge visibility & safety — The current Grand Island bridge is too narrow to allow two gravel trucks to pass at one time. The application proposes that trucks would visually check for oncoming traffic and only one truck would be on the bridge at a time. However, the curves at the top and bottom of the bridge make it impossible to see oncoming traffic until on is actually driving on the bridge, creating a real potential driving hazard for frequent use by wide gravel trucks.

Floodwater movement — Given Grand Island’s history of unpredictable and damaging flood waters, there is continued concern that even a minor shift in floodwaters could negatively impact farms or residences on the island. Quarries disturb ground and can lead to significant shifts in water movement. In 1996, 17 quarries in western Oregon were “captured” by rivers, meaning that they (and adjacent properties) became a permanent part of the main channel. Here on Grand Island, farmers are worried that disturbing the ground at the south end of the island (upstream from everyone else) could cause the island to be cut through by the Willamette along what is currently a seasonal waterway, Sutter Creek. This could cause irreparable damage to many farms along Sutter Creek and potentially increase the unpredictability of any future flood events. In such a scenario, who would be liable for the permanent losses to farms and individuals?

Dust — Several properties adjacent to the proposed site and/or along the truck route produce fresh market fruits and vegetables. Keeping those fruits and vegetables clean is an integral aspect of these farms’ practices, and there are concerns about the potential dust created by the operation itself and the high volume of gravel truck traffic on the road. Also, studies have shown that dust can dramatically reduce the effectiveness of agricultural sprays and also the photosynthetic capacity of leaves (thus reducing yields and impacting plant health).

Impact on nearby wells — There are many shallow irrigation and residential wells near to the proposed site. Farmers and residents are concerned that the quality and quantity of the ground water could be negatively affected by the mining operation.
Insufficient studied “impact area” — Once again, given that the site is upstream from the rest of the island, some farmers believe that the studied “Impact Area” in the application is too small to be accurate. The application only considered properties within 1500′ of the proposed site rather than any property downstream or along Sutter Creek.

Loss of farmland — Since this is the third large quarry proposed on Grand Island, there is a concern among farmers about the continued loss of prime farmland. According to the Yamhill County Comprehensive Plan, section F (Economic Development): “The economy of Yamhill County is largely based on agricultural and forestry related industries” and “Yamhill County will encourage economic development projects which do not conflict with the predominant timber and agricultural character of the county” (emphasis added). Agriculture represents a sustainable, long-term economic base that can provide jobs into the future. Grand Island is uniquely suited to successful agricultural ventures — good soil, good water, close to infrastructure and markets. The island is currently home to dozens of diverse thriving farm businesses, many of whom are constantly evolving and expanding their operations. Expansion of operations is a common and necessary farm practice and requires the continued availability of suitable farmland in close proximity to existing farms. The loss of any farmland on the island represents the loss of future opportunities for farmers today and tomorrow.

Lack of demonstrated market need for aggregate — Yamhill County Zoning Ordinance 404.90 (MR Zone Change Criteria) part A reads that approval of a zone change shall be based on the following critera: “That a sufficient quality and quantity of mineral resource exists at the proposed site to fulfill a market need” (emphasis added). The application does not make the case for a market need for said resource, especially given that a larger mining site was approved in 2004 but has yet to be developed. And a smaller mining site was approved but has been shut down by Baker Rock because of problems with flooding and erosion of the site.

....Gravel Pit Site....