Concerns over tainted ground water possibilities:

The recent legal action surrounding Knife River's quarry in Crook County, Oregon which is a class-action lawsuit and environmental investigation regarding polluted well water, prompted questions about how the quarry activities would/could impact the wells and water quality in Perry. We immediately contacted our experts and full team and we have been told:

Per the Geologist.... "Your water flows downhill. From north to south... and in this case maybe a little NW to SE…. The aquifer that feeds the wells in Perry is not the same aquifer that is on the quarry site." For this reason we believe wholeheartedly that the quarry and mining activities will not impact the water or water quality in Perry, Oregon.

The blasting and quarry operations will cause sediment in wells and impact septic tanks

All of our prior blasting in the existing rock pit on the site did not impact the wells or septic tanks. In fact it was not felt, nor heard by anyone that we have asked.
And every one of the residences is located outside of the 1500 foot impact radius as defined by DOGAMI. We are having tests/studies completed that include Site Plan, Operations Plan, and Blasting Plans and Impact Report. When those studies/reports have been completed we will post copies of them on this website.

Homeowner’s Insurance will Triple
We contacted multiple local insurance agents that claimed to insure multiple homes in Perry. Per both Nate Conklin and Tristan Fergus at State Farm, there are no questions on a State Farm homeowner’s insurance application with regard to proximity to a rock quarry or mining operations of any kind. And Nate Conklin said that anyone insured with State Farm can rest assured that their premiums will not change.

The blasting will shake our homes off their foundations
No one in Perry felt any of the blasts in the existing pit which is closer than anything that will ever happen again. And the blasting is done on a very infrequent schedule just a few times a year. Blasting is done deep under ground and will not be a massive above ground blast.

There will be 47 new trains go by Perry every day.
There might be an average of ten to a dozen new “cars” added to daily passing trains... but there will not be 47 new trains a day.

Dust from the quarry will reduce air quality in Perry and cause brown outs on I-84
Dust mitigation study will be completed and a Dust Mitigation plan is required by the state of Oregon…. Does anyone really believe that we could permit a rock quarry without a dust mitigation plan in the I-84 corridor? We will have a comprehensive study done and followed.

"The quarry wants Robbs Hill Road closed!”
NO WE DO NOT - Per the Railroad Staff... this was their reply when we applied for a Rail Crossing Agreement back in 2020... "We researched the 1921 Petition your customer forwarded. The County forfeited any rights to this crossing under the 1958 Old Oregon Trail Highway Reconstruction agreement (2nd pdf, Section 9). Therefore, this private crossing remains private between UP and ODOT as ODOT took over maintenance/use of the road forfeited by the County."

This was only a rumor that we wanted to close the road... nothing could be further from the truth.

The rock crushing noise from the quarry will be overwhelming
We completed a comprehensive noise study… we hired a third party. You won’t even hear it… I-84 is louder. The trains are louder… Plus we are using the overburden to burm around it. This will block a lot of the visual aspect of the quarry, block noises, and even contain some of the dust.
And a copy of the Noise Study will be posted to this website.

Dirt, Mud and debris will flow into the Grand Ronde River
We have to complete a ground water study… there will be a surface water plan that we have to follow. Debris of any kind would never be allowed to flow into the Grand Ronde River. This is also a prime opportunity to capture ground water, hold it, and use it for dust mitigation. Smart use of the resources.
When this study is completed a copy will be posted to this website under the "Studies" tab/page.

What will the Visual Impacts be for the Residents of Perry and La Grande?
The proposed rock quarry cannot be seen from anywhere inside the community of Perry… nor can it be seen from La Grande.
We protected the ridge furthest to the east to maintain the quality of the viewscape for the residents in La Grande… it will not be visible.

The only residence that can see the proposed quarry site is located along the river on the south side of I-84.

As far as driving down I-84… you would actually see the rock quarry for less than ten seconds each direction. And the proposed burming would eliminate a lot of that view. The negative visual impact will not be significant.

Big Game Wildlife Study
The initial Big Game Management Plan has been completed by West Inc. (no relation to ownership); and they are in the process of updating it and the Big Game Impact study.

It’s worth noting that ODFW has established a requirement that we perform 1 to 1 ratio (acre for acre) habitat mitigation work… AND they are requiring that the rest of the Ponderosa Ranch be placed into a conservation easement that will protect the property, over 4700 acres, in perpetuity. It can never be developed, broken up, etc… and its all inside of the Critical Winter Range Overlay for ELK and MULE DEER.

Additionally, we have to have a reclamation Plan… and ours includes raptor habitat, mountain goat habitat, and will be habitable to elk and deer and other wildlife. At a recent meeting it was requested that we include seeding flowers for Honey Bees. This will be added not only to the rehab plans but we are also looking into adding the flower seeding to the burming for both bees and visual enhancement.

The Conservation Easement and Habitat Improvements are something that we believe has escaped the public's consideration… the long-term benefit to the landscape radiates well beyond the boundaries of the Ponderosa Ranch. We have already cleaned up and improved the water sources at the top of the mountain which elk, deer, and countless other wildlife use… we have worked with ODF to thin a few thousand acres and work hard to make the landscape wildfire resistant to prevent a catastrophic wildfire. And we work exceptionally hard to be a good neighbor to the lands that border us.

We have generated more wildlife than we have taken… the Ponderosa Ranch is a NET GAIN for the area’s wildlife that spills over onto our neighbors and the USFS and MERA lands around it.