Bullish Bovine Busts Banquet--Cow Pies join Canapes

•      A new kind of wedding crasher ?

     To some county residents attending a recent planning commission hearing  it could have made front page in a supermarket tabloid. Or maybe one of those humorous YouTube teasers  that pop up in e-mails or online news pages.

      But the speaker earnestly outlined the “smelly” scenario she warned could evolve if an errant cow marauded through a wedding on farmland.

      The comment was among an opening salvo in a back and forth dialogue Dec. 8 as the Deschutes County Planning Commission wrestled with planning staff recommendations for new “text amendments” that would allow commercial events on land zoned for exclusive farm use (EFU).

      For the most part supporters and opponents of the recommendations found some common ground in at least one idea—that it’s time “to get it done” one way or another. “It” has simmered for a contentious four years on the county’s planning agenda.

      Besides the potentially malodorous outcome laid out in the opening comments a number  of those speaking against the proposed  text amendments said noise from amplified music and traffic were their main objections. Some wanted no part of commercial events on farmland while others left open the door for compromises  to accommodate neighbors.

      As for noise, one speaker who has held weddings on his EFU property reminded those present that “farming is noisy, dusty and smelly.” He asked how a permit for six events as proposed in the “agri-tourism” amendment to the county code would create more impact than the typical farm activity.

      “Underlying the message in my testimony,” the speaker summarized, “would be to just adopt it.”

      A spokesman for the conservationist group 1000 Friends of Oregon’s regional office outlined the position that any event activity be “subordinate” to agricultural activity and “not disrupt the stability of the property.”

      Pam Hardy said 1000 Friends favored events such as “farm dinners” using agricultural products, and would like to see different standards for large and small events. Noise levels, she suggested, should be controlled by having amplified sound set back 1,000 feet from neighboring property lines or there should be a requirement that sound at the property line be no more than at conversation level. She also suggested that obtaining “waivers” from neighbors might be an option.

      Several speakers who plan or promote events, or supply equipment catering services, advocated adoption of the amendments as a way to encourage economic recovery in difficult times for business and agriculture.
      An event planner and manager emphasized that by “this going on and on we’ve lost many event based businesses,” and that events have gone elswhere, including across the Cascades.

      The text amendments proposed by county staff follow guidelines established in state legislation, SB 960, applying to “agri-tourism, HB 3280, events at wineries,  and conditional uses for private parks and events connected to home occupations.
      Weddings have been the focal point of most controversy in the county's long discussion of events on EFU land. The language of SB 960 is unclear as to whether weddings would come under the definition of "agri-tourism." 
      The staff proposal for agri-tourism would allow up to six events under a two-year limited use permit renewable after review to assure conditions had been met. Up to 18 events would be allowed on a four-year permit that would require public notice and comment for renewal.

      Events on EFU land with wineries are allowed as an “outright use” by HB 3280, The county has required that no more than 25% of a winery’s revenue be from events. The county can also require standards for “health and safety.”

      The other options to hold events on farmland would be under state legislation pertaining to private parks and home occupations, both of which would require the county to issue a conditional use permit.

      At issue with the private parks option is the definition of “recreation” use required by state law. County planning director Nick Lelack noted that the state Department of Land Conservation and Development has recommended that the county “tighten” any amendments so that events would not be permitted under more than a single measure.

      Should the county proceed with allowing events under the private parks method Lelack noted it could become a statewide “test case.” Crook and Benton counties have approved events in private parks without having the decisions appealed to the state level.

      Lelack said DLCD has suggested in requested  comments on proposed text amendments that the county  “don’t pursue” allowing events under the private parks or home occupation provisions.

      After closing nearly three hours of staff presentation, public comments and discussion, planning commissioners voted to close the oral comment period but leave open the opportunity for written comments until Jan. 5.

      During that time commissioners will weigh public testimony and written comments along with suggestions from the state Department of Land Conservation and Development in an attempt to fashion a final version to consider at their next session Jan. 12. From there the commission decision would go to the Board of County Commissions for action, which could include additional hearings.

Summary documents submitted by the county planning staff:

• PowerPoint-Commercial Events.pdf
• TA113 Memo, Attachments.pdf
• TA113 Public Comments.pdf

First 100% Central Oregon single grape wine now in the bottle

            This summer has been a busy time for Central Oregon’s viticulture industry.

            For the first time a commercial-quantity wine made from a 100 percent single varietal local grape is in the bottle.

And the favorable reviews point to a promising future for regional wine grape growers and vintners who have been working to diversify the local agricultural economy.

In an appropriate christening of the new all-Central Oregon wine a small group of Ranch at the Canyons residents popped the cork at a picnic along the Crooked River Aug. 27.

All of the Le Crescent variety grapes in the new wine were grown at the Ranch’s Monkey Face Vineyard under the tutelage of vineyard manager Kerry Damon,  and made for Faith Hope & Charity winery in the Lower Bridge area of Terrebonne.

“Wow, look at that intense color,” was the prevalent first-glance reaction of the Ranch residents as their wine glasses were held against a backdrop of the late afternoon sky. Then the comments shifted to “nice balance, clean wine.”

And there was an obvious pride that the juice came from Monkey Face Vineyard, the first in the region to grow commercial quality grapes.

It was the Le Crescent color that prompted Faith Hope & Charity owners Cindy and Roger Grossmann to select a clear bottle for the wine, which was made by Linda Donovan at her custom crush facility, Pallet, in Medford.

Just a few days later the Grossmanns put their new wine before a group of real estate brokers gathered for a continuing education class followed by a tasting at their winery-vineyard in the Lower Bridge area west of the Deschutes River. 

Attorney Laura Cooper of Ball Janik LLC in Bend followed her presentation on Oregon land use law with a tasting of the Le Crescent and other wines that are blended with some French-American hybrid varieties from Central Oregon.

Cooper also teaches a wine appreciation class in connection with the Culinary Institute of Central Oregon Community College and writes a wine column for the Prineville newspaper.

Again, the Le Crescent led off the tasting and, once more, the reaction was uniformly favorable.

When asked about food that would go with the Le Crescent she suggested proscuitto, perhaps a Caprese salad of tomato and mozzarella and even a chicken entree. Cooper will be working with the Culinary Institute on a series of wine pairing meals this Fall.

Also tasted at the class were Volcano Winery’s Bend White and Bend Red, the latter which also includes a small amount of the Le Crescent grapes from Monkey Face.  Scott Ratliff of Volcano blends Marechal Foch grapes, another variety gaining strength in Central Oregon, in his Bend Red.

Earlier in the month, on August 12 the Old Winery Clubhouse at Ranch at the Canyons was the venue for a meeting of the Wine Growers Association of Central Oregon that featured presentations by  Chris Lake, director of the Southern Oregon Wine Institute associated with Umpqua Community College’s Department of Viticulture, and Dr. James Osborne of the Oregon State University Department of Viticulture.

Lake highlighted the “opportunities” and “threats” that face a nascent viticulture industry in Central Oregon, emphasizing some of the factors that local growers well-recognize.

Weather extremes, fewer growing degree days, higher elevations, soil conditions and only 8-12 inches of annual precipitation are substantial challenges, Lake noted.

But Lake said the formative stage of the Central Oregon industry also has a major advantage.

“In a new wine region you have great opportunities to harness it and do what you want to do,” he stressed.

Growing red wine grapes will present the most challenges while whites will be more consistently pest resistant, Lake said.

Comparing the French-American hybrids being grown to those in Arkansas where he formerly worked in the viticulture industry, Lake said in the Razorback state there was one overriding principle:

“We had a baseline. The wine can’t suck,” a pithy observation that elicited guffaws from the more than 50 growers and others attending the session.

Dr. James Osborne of Oregon State focused on the expectations from hybrid grapes grown in Central Oregon and vitis vinifera grapes—such as Cabernet, Syrah or Chardonnay—that are better known on the West Coast.

Hybrids tend to be higher in acid and low in tannins more common to vinifera grapes that give wine the “mouth feel and astringency.”

“You’re not going to be making big huge cabernets with these hybrid grapes due to the lack of tannins,” Osborne said.

However, there is substantial potential to blend hybrids with vinifera grapes to achieve characteristics that appeal to wider markets and the addition of oak can also increase tannins, he noted.

             

• Hybrid grapes and wine featured at Aug. 12 Winegrowers session
• Leading the way in Central Oregon viticulture
• Kicking it up a notch...Central Oregon wine industry expanding from the vine to the bottle.
• Winery approval final: no appeals of earlier decision
• A look into the economics of Central Oregon viticulture
• Central Oregon wine growers thinking big
• Is that bouquet coming from the glass or the cow pasture?
• From vine to bottle: vineyards are a growing trend in Central Oregon agriculture

Hybrid grapes and wine featured at Aug. 12 Winegrowers session

            Hybrid wine grapes and wine will be the focus of an Aug. 12 session of the Winegrowers Association of Central Oregon (WACO) at Ranch at the Canyons in Terrebonne.

Featured on the program are Chris Lake, director of the Southern Oregon Wine Institute associated with Umpqua Community College’s Department of Viticulture and Dr. James Osborne of the Oregon State Department of Viticulture.

Laura Cooper, an attorney, wine columnist and instructor at Central Oregon Community College, will present a tasting and evaulation of hybrid wines.

Monkey Face Vineyard at Ranch at the Canyons has produced many of the French-American hybrid grapes used in production of Central Oregon wines.

The program including the wine tasting runs from 1-4 pm. A fee of $15 payable at the door includes the wine tasting and appetizers.

For more information contact Kerry Damon, Monkey Face Vineyard manager, at khd@ranchatthecanyons.com, or Cindy Grossman, co-owner of Faith Hope & Charity Vineyard on Lower Bridge Way, cindy@faithhopeandcharityevents.com.

Leading the way in Central Oregon viticulture

 

            Monkey Face Vineyard at Ranch at the Canyons is generally considered the pioneer vineyard of Central Oregon’s newly emerging viticulture industry.

            Named for the imposing Monkey Face rock spire witch looms over it from across the Crooked River, the vineyard was first planted in 2004 with substantial improvements undertaken in 2007.

            Today the approximately 2.5 acres yield several varieties of French-American hybrid grapes that have made their way into first bottlings of wines with a distinctively high desert character. Several wineries in Central Oregon have blended the vineyard’s fruit into their wines, among them nearby Maragas Winery which won a Silver Medal at the San Francisco Chronicle’s Wine Competition for its “Beat Red” that included Monkey Face grapes.

           Moreover, founders of the region’s largest new vineyard, the 15-acre Faith Hope and Charity, are bottling wine made off site from one of Monkey Face’s varietals while their vines mature.

            The evolution of Monkey Face grapes has been guided by Kerry Damon, an experienced vineyard specialist who was recruited from previous positions in California’s Sonoma County wine country.

 Ranch at the Canyons & Monkey Face Vineyard

           

            Faith Hope & Charity Winery & Vineyard

Kicking it up a notch...Central Oregon wine industry expanding from the vine to the bottle.

      In its short history Central Oregon’s viticulture industry has proved several critical points and answered the skeptics.

      Now it’s taking another step on the way to becoming an integrated, vertical vineyard-to-bottle market.

      That was the scenario laid out at the Terrebone Grange in a recent gathering of the Wine Growers Association of Central Oregon.

      The meeting brought together WACO members as well as land use attorneys specializing in vineyards and wineries; Deschutes County planning officials and regional and state members of the Oregon Liquor Control Commission which enforces rules relating to wineries.

      Setting up the discussion, WACO moderator and vice president  Kerry Damon, noted that early on some members  joked that the group’s acronym was appropriate.

      Rhyming with  “whacko”  was an apt description, some observers thought, to describe any attempt  to grow wine grapes in Central Oregon.

      But Damon, a local pioneer as manager at the Monkey Face Vineyard at Ranch at the Canyons, said the doubts have been addressed.

      Local growers have answered the important questions, including whether vines will survive in Central Oregon, whether they will bear fruit and whether the fruit will ripen into quality wine grapes.

      The answers, Damon emphasized, are “Yes, yes and yes.”

      When the winegrowers association was formed in 2009 it focused mostly on the process of growing wine grapes, Damon explained. Now added to the agenda is a focus on making wine along with the legal, regulatory and economic considerations.

      In Jefferson County Doug Maragas has already established a reputation for his winemaking skills – including using grapes from local vineyards and experimenting with other varietals at his Culver vineyard.

      Just a few weeks ago Cindy and Roger Grossmann gained approval to establish a winery in association with their Faith Hope & Charity vineyard in the Lower Bridge area of Terrebonne, setting a precedent as the first permitted winery operation on agricultural land in Deschutes County.

      Scott Ratliff of Volcano Winery in Bend has been making wine from grapes sourced outside Central Oregon for several years.

      A number of other vineyards have been planted in northern Deschutes and Jefferson counties.

      A featured speaker at the June meetings was Chris Hermann, who directs the vineyard law group of Stoel Rives law firm in Portland.

      Hermann outlined some of the issues a fledgling winery must address, including options for business formation and methods register their brand, or label.

      Hermann said that since 2003 and 2004 Oregon has traditionally been the “promised land” for winery startup operations. However new state rules may tighten some aspects of running a winery, he said.

      Oregon wineries can now shop directly out-of-state without going through a wholesaler. But wineries with “custom crush” contracts can only sell wines made specifically for that winery and not from other vinters.

      Some vinters may have multiple locations in “club type” facilities open to members.

      “People are doing every imaginable thing,” Hermann observed, which in turn has brought  the industry under more legislative scrutiny.

      “I don’t think legislation is the way to go,” Hermann said. But he acknowledged that, “were going to see more and more people object to wineries in terms of the impact on rural areas.”

      Doug Maragas recounted his experience in getting his winery permit in Jefferson County just north of the Deschutes County line. Unlike the Grossmann’s winery in Lower Bridge which was permitted as an “outright use” through state law, ORS 215.452, Maragas followed the path of obtaining a conditional use permit for commercial activity on his exclusive farm use, EFU, acreage.

      Maragas, now in his fourth year of production at the Culver facility, has experimented with different grapes including viniferas such as Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir, but also making wines from French-American hybrids sourced from nearby Monkey Face Vineyard at Ranch at the Canyons.

      One of Maragas’ wines, the “Beat Red,” from Central Oregon grapes won a Silver Medal at the San Francisco Chronicle’s prestigious wine competition.

      Approaching vineyards and wineries from the county regulatory perspective, Deschutes County planning director Nick Lelack said the majority of land use applications are approved at the staff level – rather than through the “complicated and expensive” public hearing process.

      A notable exception was the Grossmann’s application, which became a matter of interpreting state law as to what qualifies as a vineyard eligible to have an associated onsite winery on EFU land.

      The eventual decision, favorable to the Grossmann’s, “was really at the Grossmann’s expense,” Lelack acknowledged. At issue was whether the Grossmann’s Faith Hope & Charity vineyard, which met minimum planting requirements of 15 acres, had to be in grape production or qualified under state law if the grapes had only been planted.      

      With the hearing officer’s decision, Lelack concluded, “many of the obstacles (to wineries) are resolved...”

      The winegrowers association is planning a summer meeting Aug. 12 at the Ranch at the Canyons clubhouse. The session will include tasting a Le Crescent wine made from Monkey Face Vineyard grapes under contract to Faith Hope & Charity. The Le Crescent was made at Pallet, a Medford custom crush facility,  by winemaker Linda Donovan.     

• Winery approval final: no appeals of earlier decision
• A look into the economics of Central Oregon viticulture
• Central Oregon wine growers thinking big
• Is that bouquet coming from the glass or the cow pasture?
• From vine to bottle: vineyards are a growing trend in Central Oregon agriculture

Ranch at the Canyons and Monkey Face Vineyard

http://www.rleehicks.com/Ranch%20at%20Canyons%20presentation%20REVISED%20July%2020%202011.pps

Winery approval final: no appeals of earlier decision

            The approval of  Deschutes County’s first winery on agricultural land became final May 25 with no appeals filed during a 12-day period following a hearing officer’s favorable decision.

            But the following day the Deschutes County Planning Commission discussed the county’s potential role in regulating activities and events associated with the winery. 

The answers, commissioners and county staff acknowledged, are not clear cut and assistant county attorney Laurie Craghead was instructed to further research state law related to wineries on land zoned for Exclusive Farm Use.

County planning director Nick Lelack and Craghead both explained to commissioners that hearing officer Karen Green’s decision approving the winery could not be modified.

Faith Hope & Charity vineyard
Lower Bridge Way in Terrebonne

Green found in favor of Cindy and Roger Grossmann’s proposal to establish a winery in Terrebonne adjacent to their existing vineyard under state law, ORS 215.452. The legislation authorizes wineries on EFU land as an “outright use” if associated with a vineyard of at least 15-acres.

The county planning staff had initally concluded that the Grossmanns’ existing Faith Hope & Charity 15-acre vineyard did not qualify as a vineyard in that grapes have yet to be produced. As their vineyard matures the Grossmanns have purchased on contract grapes from nearby Monkey Face Vineyard in Terrebonne that are being made into wine at a Medford facility.

Following a March hearing by Green, planning commissioner James Powell had written to the planning staff raising issues related to traffic and access to the winery site during special events, which are authorized under an amendment to the winery legislation.

But Craghead pointed out that no comments by county staff could be added to the record “ex parte” after the March public hearing,” explaining that any county staff involvement after the hearing “opens them up to claims of bias.”

Powell said his concern was “not about the winery per se” but that the winery approval under state law “lacked any oversight of local jurisdiction.” Among the issues he cited were access for emergency vehicles and regulation of food service and the county’s authority over the “timing and magnitude of events.”

Powell acknowledged that the Grossmanns have made a “huge investment and we would like to see that recaptured.” However, in the future Powell said he’d like to see the county develop a policy addressing events “that would be applicable across the county including wineries” while recognizing the need to support landowners attempting to derive income on farmlands.

Craghead said she would, “study this to see how we can restrict events. It’s a state statute and we’re limited on what we can regulate.”

“I don’t think we have the same authority to regulate it as we would, for example, a public park.”

Lelack explained that the issue events at wineries on farmlands is separate from those at non-winery venues. There are several bills in the legislature to address the events issue, including one that would exempt wineries approved prior to the bill. He termed the legislative process, with amendments being added to bills, “a quickly moving target.”

Lelack  pointed out that the hearing officer’s decision on the Grossmanns’ winery included conditions which the county could address as needed under its code enforcement authority.

Although some neighbors may be concerned about events at the winery, Lelack emphasized the operation is an “outright permitted use. There’s no consideration for compatibility” (with neighboring uses).

“There’s no question that should code enforcement be an issue it’s going to be very, very difficult.” Lelack concluded.

Winery approval marks a milestone in regional viticulture

Winery approval marks a milestone in regional viticulture

            Although it will be a while before they’ll pop a cork on wines produced from grapes at their Terrebonne vineyard, Cindy and Roger Grossmann have a reason to celebrate. And the good news came on Friday the 13^th .

            In a decision dated May 13 Deschutes County hearing officer Karen Green found that the Grossmann’s Faith Hope & Charity vineyard qualifies to establish an onsite winery on part of a 164 -acre parcel.

It would be the first approved for Deschutes County under a state statute allowing wineries associated with vineyards as an “outright use” on agricultural land zoned for Exclusive Farm Use, or EFU.

At issue in the decision was whether wine grapes already planted on the Grossmann’s farm in the Lower Bridge Way area met the statutory minimum requirement of 15 acres for a vineyard.

The Deschutes County planning staff had interpreted the law to require that grapes already have been produced to qualify.

However, Green wrote that, “I have found there is no requirement that the winery produce wine from grapes grown on site, but that the onsite vineyard must be maintained as a viable farm use on the subject property.”

Green also found the Grossmanns could meet a requirement that  revenue from  “incidental” goods and services, such as wedding and other events, not exceed 25 percent of those from wine sales, and that there is “direct access” by a road and easement that would not require mitigation to protect adjacent farm operations.

The proposed winery location already meets minimum setback requirements by a large margin, Green concluded.

View to proposed "barn" winery across vineyard
 at Faith Hope & Charity

Some opponents had claimed the winery would be a “pretext to create a lucrative wedding venue” Green noted. But she said that was unlikely given that the Grossmanns provided evidence of spending more than $1 million to develop their vineyard, including $375,000 for purchase and planting of vines and a drip irrigation system.

To monitor sales ratios, Green said the Grossmanns must submit an income statement to the Deschutes County Planning Division by April 15 each year to verify that not more than 25 percent of gross income is derived from sources other than wine sales.

Contracts for events such as weddings must also require that guests purchase a minimum 10 cases of wine.

The decision came five months after the Grossmann’s filed their application and followed a March 8 public hearing on the county planning staff’s report. At that hearing and in submitted comments some opponents of the winery argued that the winery and associated events would not be compatible with neighboring agricultural uses.

But Green found that, “the statutory standards applicable to wineries do not authorize the county to consider the proposed winery’s compatibility with surrounding land uses.”

She said those issues had been addressed by the legislature when it amended ORS 215.452, which authorized wineries as an accepted use on EFU land, to also allow events such as weddings.

Green also concurred with statements by the Grossmann’s attorney, Andrew Stamp, that lawmakers did not intend to require wineries produce wine only from grapes grown from their onsite or adjacent vineyards, “exclusively or at any particular time.” The legislature recognized the “apparent practice” in Oregon of acquiring grapes from other sources as their vineyards mature, she wrote.

The namesake "Three Sisters" from
Faith Hope & Charity Vineyard

The Grossmanns have a contract to purchase grapes from Monkey Face Vineyard near Smith Rock State Park . The wine will be made from those grapes for the Faith Hope & Charity label by Pallet Wine Company in Medford until their vineyard, planted in 2010, reaches production maturity—probably in three to five years. The also have a working relationship with Zerba winery in the Milton-Freewater area.

One opponent of the winery questioned whether the vineyard could produce grapes on a sustaining basis given climate and soil conditions. Green concluded that the 15 acre vineyard must remain in production for the winery to qualify as an outright use on the EFU property.

The Grossmanns have planted French-American hybrid varietal grapes similar to those which have successfully produced wine grapes for several years at Monkey Face, which is at a higher altitude. Monkey Face has also supplied some grapes used in wine made by Maragas Winery, which was approved in Jefferson County under a different standard than the Grossmann’s operation. As yet Maragas does not have 15 acres in vineyards.

French-American hybrids, such as Marechal Foch, Le Crescent, Frontenac and Leon Millot, have been found to thrive in colder climates such as the Northeast and Upper Midwest.

Other findings in the hearing officer’s decision included a requirement that food service be confined to that allowed for a “limited service restaurant.” The winery can only serve food prepared and pre-packaged in individual portions “completely enclosed in those packages.”

The decision said conditions related to the county’s approval of a guest ranch on part of the winery and vineyard parcel would remain in effect. A site plan for the property calls for the proposed winery be moved from a “barn” to another location on the 164 acres. The site would eventually include guest ranch cottages and other amenities.

Other requirements in Green’s findings included compliance with existing state liquor license rules; county plan review and building permits; adequate off-street parking; directional signage; and providing staff to control event traffic.

The Oregon Liquor Control Commission approved a liquor license for the winery in late April.

• A look into the economics of Central Oregon viticulture
• Central Oregon wine growers thinking big
• Is that bouquet coming from the glass or the cow pasture?

A look into the economics of Central Oregon viticulture

Papers filed in the application to Deschutes County to establish a winery associated with the existing Faith Hope & Charity vineyard in Terrebonne give a glimpse into the economics of viticulture.

In a March 22 memorandum, attorney Andrew Stamp representing the vineyard owners, estimated that a one-acre vineyard would yield approximately 3 tons of hybrid grapes. A single ton of grapes could produce 160 gallons of wine, or about 69.56 cases at 2.3 gallons per case.

By that math an acre of grapes could produce 208.68 cases, and a 15-acre vineyard which meets the minimum size for a commerical winery on land zoned for agriculture might yield 3,130 cases.

At a price of $25 per bottle, or $300 for a 12 bottle case, the 3,130 cases could result in gross sales of $939,000, according to Stamp’s calculations.

The numbers are important in the approval of the winery for Cindy and Roger Grossmann and their Faith Hope & Charity vineyard and winery. The hearing officer who approved their application found that no more than 25 percent of the winery’s gross sales could come from non-wine items and events, such as weddings.

Assuming the potential wine sales of $939,000, the winery would be allowed to gross $234,750 from other sources if the vineyard yielded three tons of grapes an acre, or 45 tons for 15 acres. If the yield were only half that, or 1.5 tons per acre, the allowed income would be $117,375 from incidental goods and services or events.

Stamp noted that arguments by winery opponents that weddings could be held every week were exaggerated. More likely, he wrote, the number would range from 10 to 20 annually.  Hearing officer Karen Green wrote she was “persuaded by this evidence”  that the winery could meet the limitation on gross income from events and other non-wine sales.

Forest Serivce to consider environmental impacts of Bend water project

             

             Public comment on the City of Bend’s proposed $58 million water system upgrade is being solicited by the Deschutes National Forest as part of the federal agency’s required assessment of the project’s potential environmental impacts.

            The Bend-Ft. Rock District office said the process will consider comments and conduct surveys that will focus on the water project’s effects on fish and wildlife, sensitive plants, wetlands and other resources.

            The agency said it will accept comments through June 6 of this year and that a report on the project analysis is expected to be completed by Spring of 2012.  At that time comments on the proposed action would also be accepted.

The city is planning to replace its existing two surface water diversion  pipelines built in the 1920s and 1950s with a single 10-mile line that would follow Forest Road 4603 from a point of diversion in the Bridge-Tumalo Creek watershed.

The project would require removal of trees along a 500 foot distance within the national forest to reach the longest stretch that would follow FS 4603 and Skyliners Road. The line would cross Tumalo Creek twice from its origin to a new membrame treatment plant.

Any impacts must be reviewed by the Forest Service under the National Environmental Policy Act. The impetus for the new water project has been a requirement for the city to meet new federal clean water guidelines. And the city wants to rebuild the pipline concurrently with Forest Service plans for construction improvements on Skyliners Road scheduled to begin in 2012.

            Some business and civic leaders have questioned the cost of the system, which would be one of the most expensive in the city’s history.

            They have suggested that a system based more on groundwater wells would be more reliable, less costly and have fewer impacts on stream flows and  fish and wildlife habitat.

            A value engineering study conducted for the city by a Florida firm

concluded the water system should continue to rely on both surface and well withdrawals. However, under guidelines of city officials the firm did not consider an all-well system.

            The city has also signed contracts with the engineering firm HDR for design of the sytem and another firm for construction management.

            It’s unclear what effect the Forest Service review and recommendations would have on the city’s decision and schedule to proceed with its system upgrade.      

The district office is accepting comments by e-mail to comments-pacificnorthwest-deschutes-bend-frock@fs.fed.us. Or comments may be submitted by mail to: Bend Surface Water Improvement Project, Project manager, Rod Bonacker, PO Box 249, Sisters, OR  97759; Tel: 541-549-7729, Fax: 541-549-7746; e-mail: rbonacker@fs.fed.us.

Central Oregon wine growers thinking big

             An AVA for Central Oregon?

            The acronym might draw a quizzical “What’s an AVA?” response for many people. But to winegrowers and others who gathered recently at Faith Hope & Charity Vineyard it’s an important question.

Some are confident that  Central Oregon will one day be designated an American Viticultural Area, a prestigious recognition that would put it—for example--on a level with regional wine appellations such as Yamhill and Willamette AVAs in Oregon, and Columbia, Yakima and Walla Walla valleys in Washington.

AVAs are recognized by the federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau after reviewing petitions from a wine region. Oregon now has 16 AVAs and Washington nine according to the non-profit Wine Institute trade group.

The AVA optimism may be a few years premature for the fledgling local viticulture industry. But members of the Winegrowers Association of Central Oregon, along with guests, were as upbeat over the future prospects as the recent weather—a rare warm day with a light breeze, puffy clouds and blue sky in this latecomer Spring.

            The snow-laden Three Sisters peaks for which the vineyard is named provided an appropriate backdrop for the 15 acres of grape vines that could be the  first in Deschutes County qualifying as a commercial vineyard. A few more weeks of sun and heat  would stimulate canopy growth in the vineyards and the crucial “bud break.”



Faith Hope & Charity vineyard with its
namesake peaks in the distance



            Featured on the program were Laura Cooper and Linda Donovan, a one-two combination of wine appreciation and winemaking knowledge. And both encouraged the winegrowers’ optimism over the future of the local effort.

            Cooper, a land use attorney, recently took time off from her position at the Ball Janik law firm to study at a London wine school and to visit vineyards and wineries  throughout Europe to enhance her skills.

            Donovan is a principal in Pallet, a Medford business that crushes grapes and makes wine for vineyards across the state. A graduate of the highly-respected enology program at the University of California at Davis, she is now making wine on contract to Faith Hope & Charity from grapes grown at Monkey Face Vineyard at Ranch at the Canyons near Smith Rock State Park.

            Cooper’s presentation covered the basics of recognizing characteristics of wine in the glass and on the palette—from color and clarity to the nose and taste, acids and tannins, and length of the finish.

            Although appreciating and recognizing wine attributes can be charted and quantified, “Winemaking is really an art,” Cooper emphasized.

            Acknowledging Donovan’s role as a contract winemaker, “it’s not unlike someone who has hired a surrogate to have their baby,” Cooper explained.




Standing, l-r, Linda Donovan, Laura Cooper,
Kerry Damon and Cindy Grossmann

 

            But the quality of the grapes is essential, she said.

            “You can make a bad wine out of good grapes, but you cannot make a good wine out of bad grapes.”

            Donovan focused on the winemaking process—from the harvest in the vineyard to the crush, fermentation, barrel racking and the continuing analysis of brix, or sugar content, and other factors as the juice gains unique attributes before bottling.

            At times the dialogue slipped into technical details—indigenous yeast profiles of individual vineyards; the intensity derived from “dead yeast” and the desired levels of malalactic fermentation.  

            But the give and take of questions to Cooper and Donovan amply demonstrated the higher knowledge level and serious intent of the regional winegrowers.

            At one point an association member observed, “this (the local industry)  has an AVA potential.”

            That enthusiasm found support  from Donovan, who recounted her recent learning curve with the American hybrids now being grown in Central Oregon.

            Both Donovan and Cooper said that American hybrids, rather than vitis vinifera grapes grown in warmer climates, will likely be the signature varietals of Central Oregon.

            Donovan acknowledged that as a Californian she was unfamiliar with the hybrids until receiving the contract shipment of grapes grown at Monkey Face Vineyard and purchased by Cindy and Roger Grossmann at Faith Hope & Charity.

            As the grapes started fermentation she called in her Medford colleagues to observe the difference in the process from more familiar vinifera grapes such as Pinot Noir.

            In particular, Donovan said, “Le Crescent is really, really unique. I think you guys are really going to be surprised.”

            Vineyard manager Kerry Damon of Monkey Face at Ranch at the Canyons also noted that Central Oregon grapes are gaining a reputation.   A red dessert wine, Beet Red, made from a blend of area grapes at Maragas Winery on Highway 97 in Jefferson County recently won a Silver Medal in the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.



Participants take a break during recent
Central Oregon Winegrowers event



            Damon is known as a mentor to other winegrowers in Deschutes County, arriving in 2007 to refine and build on an existing vineyard started in 2004 at Ranch at the Canyons, a gated agricultural preserve community.

            Damon, and other regional winegrowers, recognize the climate challenges of growing wine grapes in Central Oregon, especially late and early frosts making for a shorter season.

            But they also say that mesoclimates, or the weather of an area as small as a few acres, mean certain varietals will thrive. Some growers, such as Doug Maragas of Maragas Winery and Vineyard near Monkey Face, are also experimenting with vinifera grapes including Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon to see what might be successful.

Most growers, however, are concentrating on the hybrids, among them Frontenac, Leon Millot, Marquette and Marechal Foch in reds, and Vignole, Frontenac Gris and Le Crescent in whites.

Damon believes Marechal Foch will be the varietal that will see much success in Central Oregon. Maragas has already produced the varietal with grapes grown at Monkey Face.

Ranch at the Canyons - an overview

Alliance kicks off effort to transform regional economy

            Clean air and water, beautiful lakes and streams, spectacular mountain views, creative restaurants, great skiing, biking, hiking, rafting and fishing. Are they really worth the price of walking a financial tightrope in a struggling Central Oregon economy?

            On the other hand, could it be that quality of life attributes and a productive economy with competitive wage jobs are not not mutually exclusive?

That’s the hypothesis underpinning the Deschutes Economic Alliance, a diverse group of business and community leaders who have mobilized in an effort to guide the region to economic recovery.

The DEA was co-founded by Lawnae Hunter, owner of Hunter Properties and Plus Property Management and Dave Lewis, chief executive of Jarno International of Bend.

The desired result, DEA leaders believe, should be an economy that extends beyond recent growth that mostly relied on housing construction driven by the retirement and vacation home markets.

Their objective is to leverage the region’s considerable natural attributes and human capital to target new businesses for the area as well as create an environment for growing existing ones.

Rather than “poverty with a view,” the pejorative label some stick on Central Oregon, they want to turn a new phrase, “possibilities with a view.”  

For the past three years the Center for Economic Research and Forecasting under the direction of Phd  Bill Watkins has presented forecasts for the Central Oregon economy.

In January of 2011 the center’s assessment was  presented in connection with a 1000 Day Road Map to Regional Transformation and Economic Vitality by Praxis Strategy Group, an national economic consultant with government and private clients.

             On April 30 the Deschutes Economic Alliance kicked off the first phase of the “road map” as leaders for teams focusing on six economic initiatives gathered in a training session for a 100 Day Jumpstart to Recovery lead  by former Deschutes County Sheriff Les Stiles, who teaches leadership development in the Concordia College masters program.

The six initatives identified in the recovery plan are:

·        A systems-built housing effort that would  focus on development of a systems-built, “green” housing industry.

·        A Warm Springs Tribes partnership to develop joint busines opportunities.

·        An applied research and creative activities center to promote professional development and support for for public-private research and partnerships.

·        A leadership roundtable to promote business, government, educational and civic cooperation to tackle new and emerging opportunites.

·        A task force to address DURT, or delay, uncertainty, regulations and taxes that impede economic growth.

·        An elite athletic initiative to explore and develop an industry drawing on the region’s recreational resources.

           

The teams will work on strategies to implement each of the initiatives and deliver their findings at an Action Summit scheduled for August.

The 1000 Day Road Map to Recovery

Salem bill aimed to streamline Central Oregon job-producing projects

            A bill sponsored by Central Oregon legislators could provide a method to streamline industrial development in “high-value employment sites” to attract job- producing companies in Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson counties.

            Senate Bill 792, sponsored by Sen. Chris Telfer and Rep. Jason Conger, R-Bend, and Rep. Gene Whisnant, R-Sunriver, notes that some Central Oregon cities and counties are now working on industrial development strategies for larger industrial sites.

            In the past, the bill notes, some projects have been held up through “technical flaws and lack of a clear state policy...”

            Among the key provisions of SB 792 is a requirement that county and city  governments create a regional economic development plan. 
            The bill directs the Land Conservation and Development Commission to revise existing state land use goals for "access and mobility" for high-value employment sites that comply with the regional plans.

            Another provision would prohibit retail and residential uses in the employment sites unless they follow objectives set forth in the overall economic development plan.

One effect of the bill would be to allow governments to identify land outside urban growth boundaries for industrial development if they follow state land use goals requiring 20-year plans to accommodate population growth. The employment sites would either need to have infrastructure and services in place, or a financing plan for them.

Economic development officials have said the region lacks read-to-build industrial land to attract major employers. They say several potential employers have decided to relocate elsewhere due to the time required in the permitting process.

The 1,500 acre Juniper Ridge industrial and mixed-use project on Bend’s northern boundary experienced delays related to transportation access in the Highway 97 and Cooley Road area. The project would be the largest in Central Oregon when built out, but thus far has only three major tenants, Les Schwab Tires, Suterra Corp. and PacificCorp.
            The city hopes Juniper Ridge could create as many as 15,000 to 20,000 jobs and also be home to a university campus, light industrial firms and a high quality residential community. About 500 of the 1,500 acres is now in the Bend Urban Growth Boundary.

            The legislation comes as the three-county Central Oregon unemployment rate is 13 percent, 3 percent higher than statewide. Crook County has the highest in the state at 15.4 percent according the state’s March 2001 statistics.

            SB 792 is now in the Senate Committee on Business, Transportation and Economic Development.

The Juniper Ridge plan map