ENTERPRISE — Wallowa County appears still equally divided over whether it should become a county of Idaho, as expressed Wednesday, Feb. 28, during the second public meeting on the issue held by the county Board of Commissioners.

About 25 people showed up in person with another dozen or so online. A show of hands gave a roughly even split between those favoring moving the state line to incorporate the county as one of Idaho’s as opposed to those who want to remain Oregonians.

Commission Chairman Todd Nash declared the special meeting open as required by Ballot Measure 32-007 passed by seven votes out of 3,497 cast in May 2023. The measure calls for the commissioners to meet twice a year “to discuss how to promote the interests of Wallowa County that would be relevant to a relocation of state borders, and to prepare the county for becoming a county of another state.” Although the measure does not specify the state, it’s presumed that it’s Idaho, which proponents of the move say is a better fit politically, economically and culturally for Eastern Oregon.

Nash first asked his fellow commissioners what feedback they had received on the issue since the first meeting, held in August 2023. 

Commissioners’ feedback

Commissioner Susan Roberts said she had received two emails on the issue. One suggested the commissioners send a letter to the Oregon Legislature asking it to begin discussions with their counterparts in Idaho.

“The other suggested that we do no such thing,” Roberts said.

“That email suggested it was a waste of time and I replied that, since we were directed to do so by the voters, the board will continue to do so,” she said.

The ballot measure does not specify how the commissioners are to discuss the matter, and it has no “sunset clause,” Nash said, so they may continue discussing it until either the state borders are moved or another vote repeals the ballot measure.

Commissioner John Hillock said he has had little conversation about the issue. He said he talked to one man recently who had been strongly in favor of joining Idaho when the measure was first passed.

“He’s now changed his mind completely and flipped the other way,” Hillock said.

Nash said he has had a conversation “with a fairly conservative senator from the state of Idaho and had a conversation about what took place over there. It was introduced in the Idaho state House. At this point there is not a will for Idaho to accept us.” Nash said she told him that the cost to Idaho to assume the counties involved in the Greater Idaho movement would be about $4.5 billion, which the state could not afford at this time.

Nash said he’s also talked to Oregon legislators.

“In talking to legislators in our state, when I went over to Salem, to see how many of them wanted to pursue this and I couldn’t find any,” he said. “It’s a very heavy lift at this point to try to do something like this. I just wanted to be based in the reality of what we could expect if we pursued trying to push legislation through in Oregon. At this time, it looks like a heavy lift and it looks like a heavy lift in Idaho, as well.”

A number of issues surrounding the Greater Idaho movement concern county residents. Nash said some discussions concern water rights issues. 

Land-use laws are different in the two states, which concerned some.

“There’s infrastructure here that belongs to the state, whether it be buildings or highway equipment or whatever the case, and the relinquishment of that is probably part of that $4.5 billion fiscal that was referred to,” Nash said.

He acknowledged that the issue is “extremely polarizing” in the county, and in opening the meeting to public discussion, urged those present to remain civil and remember that those who are speaking are their neighbors.

Public comment

Roger Averback reminded the commissioners that during the August meeting he had asked how they could be more effective at getting Eastern Oregon voices heard in Salem.

“I suggested some sort of a task force, whatever it is, what can we do to help make those voices heard rather than trying to move the borders,” he said. “Has there been any progress on that? Has the county taken any action? Has state government heard that concern?”

Nash said he’s talked with Gov. Tina Kotek, who has said she’s willing to listen. “We haven’t gotten a full test yet of being able to do that.”

Nash mentioned an open position on the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Commission created by a bill championed by Rep. Bobby Levy, R-Echo, in the 2023 session.

“But we’ve had a tough time trying to find someone for that from our area,” he said. “It’s a huge time commitment and travel and going over all of the materials that you’re required to on a monthly basis. If you know somebody who’s willing, that’s still out there. We would like to be able to fill that. … I would love to have somebody who reflected the values of Wallowa County and Eastern Oregon sign up for that, but it’s a huge time-sink.”

Nash also warned of hostility taking such a position garners.

“I’ll also warn you that if you look at the last time the governor tapped my own son for that position and what the environmental community did to him,” Nash said. “They raked him over the coals in everything from publications in Oregon clear back to national publications. It was because of the work that I’d done on wolves mostly. So fair warning, if you sign up for one of those things, you’ve got to be prepared for those things. We’ll have your back as much as we can, but it’s tough.”

Commissioner Susan Roberts said getting appointed to such a board or commission isn’t as simple as raising your hand and being willing to serve.

“You must submit a resume and if you fit the criteria, you may get selected,” Roberts said. “We are trying to get more of our voices on those boards.”

Commissioner John Hillock noted that he and the other commissioners often commit time to serving at the state or regional level. All three involved in the Association of Oregon Counties and in serve with a similar organization they helped form that’s more local and like-minded, the Eastern Oregon Counties Association. He said the bulk of Oregon’s county commissioners are from rural counties and understand the issues there. Hillock said 30 of the state’s 36 counties are rural.

“We’re doing what we can to advocate,” he said. “Todd spends a lot of time in the Capitol. I did last year. We’re doing what we can do.”

But one online attendee, Jason Mills, a supporter of Greater Idaho, quoted a lawmaker from Western Oregon who said: “It’s not that we don’t hear you, it’s just that we outvote you.”

Eastern and Western Oregon, Mills said, are “very much two different states.”

Issues

Others attendees brought up specific issues that would have to be dealt with in a border move. Ralph Swinehart of Enterprise said his family has owned property in Wallowa County since 1951 and also owns land in Idaho, so he’s familiar with the difference in how the two states tax property.

As Nash said, Idaho taxes property by its real market value, while Oregon taxes it based on its assessed value and limits the annual increase.

Mack Birkmaier, a 93-year-old lifelong county resident and rancher, sees the urban-rural divide as one of separate values.

The people who started the Greater Idaho movement “are patriots and started this as underdogs, really,” he said, “and I think patriotism and liberty and justice for all is what we’re looking for here,” he said. “We’re really in a trap down here; we can’t win a vote, ever. We can summon up 3,500 votes.”

He said Democrats have been running Oregon for decades.

Birkmaier had a folder full of newspaper clippings illustrating his points. He noted a couple of stories that said Idaho has only four new laws going into effect this year, while Oregon had 650.

“Look at the disparity. Our culture in Eastern Oregon is not at political as it is down there. They burn the buildings down and chase the police off, they burn the Rose City (Portland) that used to be so proud and beautiful, it’s just a junk pile down there now. They’re not us. I’ve tried to defend every land grab they’ve made here and I’m still trying to do that right now.”

Birkmaier certainly wasn’t eager to move.

“They can move a fence, but I can’t move my ranch to Idaho,” he said.