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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend April 8, 2006 Troopers and tui chubs By CHRIS CONRAD Mail Tribune Oregon’s Legislative Emergency Board on Friday approved funds to add 10 new Oregon State Police troopers and to help rid Diamond Lake of a tui chub infestation, officials said. The board allocated $900,910 to establish the OSP positions, which will join the 10 additional evidence technicians funded through an E-Board session in January. In a statement, House Majority Leader Wayne Scott, R-Canby, said Friday’s decision will make OSP a more efficient, effective and accountable agency. "We are taking steps to improve this agency, but more importantly today’s decision will help improve safety on our roads," he said. The additional troopers will bring May’s recruit school to 35 — 25 of those positions will fill vacancies brought about through retirement, OSP Capt. Kurt Barthel said. Advertisement Though appreciative of the 10 new troopers, Barthel says OSP is far from having 24-hour patrols. He also did not know if Jackson County would get any of the new trooper positions. "We would need about 10 additional positions (based in the Central Point office) to get back to 24-hour coverage," he said. "But every little bit helps." Meanwhile, the E-Board voted unanimously in favor of funding the remaining costs of restoring Diamond Lake, clearing the way for the Oregon Division of Fish and Wildlife to eliminate a tui chub infestation from the former champion trout lake. Illegally introduced in the early 1990s, the small, plankton-eating chubs now number in the millions and have altered the lake’s ecosystem. The degradation has reached a point where trout cannot survive and toxic algae blooms close the lake to recreation at times in the summer. The E-Board vote gave ODFW an additional $852,000 to spend on restoration. The lake level is being lowered and the poison rotenone will be introduced to kill off the chub. ODFW crews will then refill the lake and restock it with rainbow trout. Reach reporter Chris Conrad at 776-4471, or e-mail Troopers and tui chubs ">[email protected] .. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Absinthe Supply Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Computer Security Discount Hotel Reservations online casinos news Debt Consolidation California Casinos GMAT Windermere Van Vleet Deep Muscle Stimulator Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Hammocks Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Online Casino Fundraisers Sudoku Online Casinos Canada King of Spirits Email Security Advertisement s Advertisement