Oregon

Oregon wants to delay controversial wildfire risk mapping – again

Published

2 years ago

January 24, 2023

Oregon wants to delay controversial wildfire risk mapping – again

The Oregon Division of Forestry is trying to delay the revision of its controversial statewide wildfire threat map for a minimum of six extra months, this time whereas it awaits enter from lawmakers, a minimum of a few of whom wish to kill off the mapping plan.

Forestry officers withdrew the preliminary model of the danger map final August after intense public backlash following its launch in late June. The company subsequently mentioned it might ship an up to date draft March 1, adopted by six months of public outreach and schooling efforts, then one other three months to finalize the map and implement ensuing necessities.

Now it desires extra time.

Eleven payments have been launched this legislative session that might impression the mapping effort or scrap it, and the company’s chief and others instructed members of the Senate Pure Assets Committee final week that they want extra time to include any new course from lawmakers. Requested by the committee’s chair what timeframe he was considering for brand new draft, State Forester Cal Mukumoto mentioned it was unsure, however it made little sense to take a position a lot of employees time within the effort till there was extra certainty on potential modifications.

“My ideas have been late summer time or this fall,” he mentioned.

Subsequent public outreach, revisions and the discharge of a closing draft would add months to the method, and to the next implementation of latest necessities for property homeowners.

The wildfire threat map was collectively developed with Oregon State College, an outdoor marketing consultant and quite a few different consultants. It was the linchpin of an omnibus wildfire invoice handed in 2021 and was imagined to be a “science-based” planning software to information state investments and different mitigation and adaptation applications within the invoice. These included new constructing codes and so-called defensible area necessities for property homeowners in “excessive” or “excessive” threat zones.

However the map triggered an uproar when the division launched the primary model then despatched letters to landowners in high-risk zones warning them that their properties might be topic to the brand new necessities, which have been nonetheless below improvement by different state companies. The letters additionally knowledgeable landowners that they’d 60 days to enchantment their properties’ threat designations in the event that they thought they have been inaccurate.

After releasing the map and sending the letters final July, the company scheduled neighborhood conferences to elucidate the hassle. Nevertheless it ended up combining two scheduled conferences in Grants Cross and Medford right into a digital assembly after receiving bodily threats from opponents of the coverage.

Mukumoto instructed lawmakers final week that 1,700 individuals participated within the conferences, and that officers acquired 2,000 emails and 300 cellphone calls in response to the letters it despatched out. OSU acquired a couple of hundred emails as nicely, he mentioned.

Many complained they’d been blindsided by the company’s letter, that the map was inaccurate, that they’d be required to strip their land of vegetation or make costly upgrades to buildings, and would see their insurance coverage charges skyrocket.

Final August, the company withdrew the map and suspended the appeals course of. It has since acknowledged inaccuracies and mentioned it bungled its public communications effort because it struggled to adjust to the tight deadlines within the laws.

Mark Bennett, a retired Baker County commissioner who now chairs a 19-member wildfire advisory committee that was established by Senate Invoice 762, instructed lawmakers that his committee nonetheless feels strongly that the state wants a wildfire “publicity map” to information its prevention and mitigation efforts, however that the timeline must be prolonged so the company and its companions can ship a greater, extra correct package deal.

Tom DeLuca, dean of OSU’s Faculty of Forestry, agreed, saying among the information utilized in creating the map was lacking or incorrect or got here from information units that had not been nicely maintained.

“We wish to have further time,” he instructed lawmakers. “We ask for this extension.”

Sen. Fred Girod, R-Stayton, mentioned throughout the identical committee listening to that the map “has gone over like a lead balloon” together with his constituents, lots of whom have been victims of the fires in Santiam Canyon in 2020 and nonetheless hadn’t acquired permits to rebuild. “To say they’re indignant is an understatement.”

He contends the state can’t forestall insurance coverage firms from utilizing the map to set charges, and he has sponsored a invoice to take away the requirement for the Division of Forestry to develop a map in any respect.

The state insurance coverage commissioner issued a information launch final August saying insurance coverage firms weren’t and had no plans to make use of the wildfire map to set charges. He additionally issued a bulletin to insurance coverage brokers warning them that falsely blaming their choices on the state’s map is in opposition to the state’s insurance coverage code, and violators are topic to a penalty of as much as $10,000.

Laws has additionally been launched this session to forestall insurance coverage firms from utilizing the knowledge, although they’re undoubtedly conscious of the danger after main losses from 2020′s historic wildfires and have their very own information units to depend on in underwriting insurance policies.

Sen. Jeff Golden, D-Ashland, the chief sponsor of SB 762 and chair of the committee, instructed lawmakers he was nonetheless supportive of the mapping effort. He mentioned the legislation was a long-delayed response to a possible emergency that reemerges each summer time, and that the legislature wanted to each act quick and get it proper.

“The answer we got here throughout was let’s get what we will on the bottom and course appropriate as we go, as a result of it’s going to want course correction in any variety of methods,” he mentioned. “The primary large instance of that was what occurred with the map, and albeit our insufficient communications with individuals who is perhaps affected by the map.”

– Ted Sickinger; tsickinger@oregonian.com; 503-221-8505; @tedsickinger

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Oregon

What Gonzaga’s Mark Few said after loss vs. Oregon State

Published

5 hours ago

January 17, 2025

Press Room

What Gonzaga’s Mark Few said after loss vs. Oregon State

Putting the ball in the basket didn’t seem to be a problem for Gonzaga during Thursday night’s battle with Oregon State in Corvallis, Oregon.

The issue for the Bulldogs (14-5, 5-1 WCC), however, was on the other end of the floor. Led by 29 points from Michael Rataj and 20 from Nate Kingz, the Beavers (14-4, 4-2 WCC) made 58.5% of their field goal attempts to outlast the Zags in a 97-89 overtime final from Gill Coliseum.

“[Oregon State] made shots and [isolated] guys and posted us,” Gonzaga head coach Mark Few said of the Beavers’ attack strategy after the game. “And when we did guard them well, they hit some tough shots [and] some tough pull-ups.”

Here’s more from Few after the loss.

On Gonzaga’s struggles defensively against Oregon State:

Oregon State Beavers guard Nate Kingz (7) shoots the ball against defensive pressure by Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Khalif Battle (99). / Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

“We played really, really good offense. We just could not get consistent stops for longer stretches. Came out in the second half with more intensity on the defensive end. [The Beavers] were still able to get some tough shots. I mean they had some real backbreakers, the bank 3 and contested 3. Even when we did play good defense, they were able to knock in some really tough shots. You almost have to play perfect on offense when you’re playing defense like that.”

On Graham Ike’s big night:

Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Graham Ike (13) shoots the ball over Oregon State Beavers forward Michael Rataj (12). / Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

“He was great. Graham was terrific. He delivered time and time again in a high-level game against a very good, physical, big postman. You know, you also got a guard at the other end too. So again, our offense wasn’t the problem — our defense was at pretty much all five spots.”

On the positives the Bulldogs can take from the loss:

Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Nolan Hickman (11) shoots a three point shot against Oregon State Beavers guard Nate Kingz (7). / Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

“We competed, great environment, fought, dug our way back in after our slow start; played some good ball there in the middle of the second half. We just had a couple of possessions, I think we missed a lay-up on one of those; and then again, just not even some of the stops, we foul a lot off the ball. We fouled on the ball. They were able to get critical free throws when they were in the bonus, and you just can’t do that.”

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Oregon State Men’s Hoops Stuns Gonzaga, 97-89 in OT

Published

13 hours ago

January 17, 2025

Press Room

Oregon State Men’s Hoops Stuns Gonzaga, 97-89 in OT

For the first time in 34 years, Gonzaga brought its men’s basketball team to Gill Coliseum.

Over nine thousand Beavers & Bulldogs fans joined them. The first sellout crowd for a Gill Coliseum men’s basketball game in five years got their money’s worth tonight: an overtime thriller that ended in a court-storming.

In the first four minutes, Oregon State raced ahead. A long-range elbow jumper from Demarco Minor gave Oregon State a 4 point edge, and then Nate Kingz stole a Gonzaga pass, drew a foul, and sank two free throws. At the first timeout, Oregon State led 13-7.

Gonzaga slashed the margin to 1 on a Ryan Nembhard wide open three-pointer, after two Oregon State defenders collided. Then, a Bulldogs’ fastbreak bucket after a Michael Rataj miss gifted Gonzaga their first lead of the night.

Teams traded buckets for the next few minutes. With 7:59 remaining, Josiah Lake stole a cross-court pass from Ryan Nembhard and flew down the floor for a Beavers layup, 25-21 Oregon State.

Late in the first half, Nate Kingz erupted. First, the former McNary HS standout spun free of a Gonzaga defender and drilled a jumper near the top of the key. Then, Kingz launched a three point bomb. The crowd surged, Gonzaga coach Mark Few hastily called for timeout, and the scoreboard lit up 35-29 Oregon State.

In the final moments of the opening period, Michael Rataj kept the pace. The German senior notched a second-chance putback layup, but Khalif Battle upset the Beaver wing’s efforts with a buzzer-beating three. At halftime, Oregon State led by the narrowest of margins, 46-45.

Gonzaga’s Graham Ike opened the second half with a game-tying layup, then seized the lead on a free-throw, and the Bulldogs went on a 9-3 run.

Oregon State pulled within 1 on a Demarco Minor stepback jumper with 12:49 left. Then, Parsa Fallah drew a pair of free throws, but the Beaver big couldn’t convert either attempt, and Gonzaga kept its advantage.

But not for long. Soon, Demarco Minor sprang open. As the shot clock wound down, the Beavers guard nailed a game-tying three pointer with 11:08 remaining.

The two West Coast Conference foes resumed their battle. Following a Nolan Hickman layup that lifted Gonzaga back ahead, Nate Kingz tied it with two free throws. Gonzaga’s Graham Ike swung the lead back to the Bulldogs with consecutive makes, 69-65 with 9 minutes left.

Gonzaga seemed poised to land another blow, ahead 76-71 with 5 minutes remaining, but Ryan Nembhard walked. Possession went to the Beavers, who climbed within three on a Michael Rataj jumper. With two minutes left, Demarco Minor brought the crowd to a fever pitch with a game tying fadeaway. Then Michael Rataj hooked one from the right elbow, soaring the Beavers ahead 79-77.

Under a minute remaining, the game got even better. Michael Rataj extended Oregon State’s lead on a beautiful layup that kissed the top of the glass before dropping through the twine, but Clackamas’ own Ben Gregg answered with a Gonzaga three-pointer.

From there, Gonzaga quickly fouled Oregon State. A pair of Beavers free throws made it 83-80 Oregon State with :20 remaining. Needing a triple, the heavily-favored Bulldogs roared back on a game-tying Graham Ike three-pointer with 4 seconds left.

Overtime swung back-and-forth as the teams traded baskets. Leading 89-87 with 2:01 left, Michael Rataj drove inside, drew a decisive fifth personal foul on Graham Ike, and strolled to the charity stripe. The extinguished Gonzaga big finished with 26 points on 9-14 shooting. Rataj calmly hit a pair of free throws, as Oregon State moved ahead 91-87 with 2:01 in OT.

The next Gonzaga possession was denied by a Josiah Lake steal. As time dwindled under a minute, Gonzaga clawed within 2 on a Braden Huff jumpshot.

They never got any closer. Liutauras Lelevicius spun free for a layup, 93-89 Beavers. Then free throws from Josiah Lake and Michael Rataj shut the door. Fans stormed the floor at the overtime buzzer, and the Beavers earned a signature win.

Oregon State moves to 14-5 overall, 4-2 in West Coast Conference play. Gonzaga drops to 14-5 overall and 5-1 in the conference, a half game behind St Mary’s. The Beavers have now won thirteen consecutive matchups against Mark Few’s blue-chip program from Spokane.

Oregon

How to watch Gonzaga Bulldogs vs. Oregon State Beavers: TV channel, live stream WCC men’s basketball game

Published

20 hours ago

January 16, 2025

Press Room

How to watch Gonzaga Bulldogs vs. Oregon State Beavers: TV channel, live stream WCC men’s basketball game

Gonzaga and Oregon State kindle a new rivalry Thursday night when they square off for the first time as West Coast Conference foes in Corvallis, Oregon.

The Bulldogs (14-4, 5-0 WCC) and the Beavers (13-5, 3-2 WCC) haven’t met on the hardwood in over 34 years, though that’s set to change for the foreseeable future as both share WCC membership for this season and next. With both set to join the new-look Pac-12 Conference in 2025-26, they’ll be seeing each other multiple times per season after not having played each other in three decades.

The Zags enter the matchup coming off a victory over another future Pac-12 foe, Washington State, on Saturday. Graham Ike led the way with 21 points on 8-for-11 from the field, while Nolan Hickman stepped up with 19 points and seven rebounds in the 88-75 win over the Cougars. Gonzaga led by three points at halftime before putting its in-state rival away with a 15-5 scoring run to open the second half.

Ike leads the country’s fourth-highest-scoring offense at 16.6 points per game. The Bulldogs’ 87.8 points per contest is also on pace to be the third-highest in program history. Senior guard Ryan Nembhard has masterfully pulled the strings as the team’s floor general, as he leads the country in total assists with 169.

Oregon State entertains Gonzaga following a 91-55 victory over Pacific on Saturday. Parsa Fallah led the way with 25 points on 6-for-7 from the floor and 13-for-14 from the charity stripe. Michael Rataj put up 15 points and nine rebounds, while Nate Kingz added 20 points. The Beavers set a new program record by going 31-for-32 (96.9%) at the free-throw line, which marked the highest free throw percentage in a game with 30 or more attempts.

Rataj, a 6-foot-9 junior from Germany, paces the Beavers at 16.6 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Oregon State has allowed the fewest rebounds per game to its opponents (29.2 per game) in the WCC. Gonzaga, conversely, is No. 2 in the league at 40.2 boards per game.

Oregon State has been dominant at Gill Coliseum, where it’s 10-1 so far this season. In those victories, the Beavers outscored the opposition by 20.2 points. On the other hand, however, Gonzaga’s 11 straight true road wins are the second-longest active streak in the nation.