Sheriff Travis Ash takes Pine Eagle students fishing in Richland

The trip mattered because it happened far from the courthouse and patrol car. Ash graduated from Pine-Eagle High School in Halfway in 1993, and he has publicly described his commitment to keeping Baker County a great place to live, work, visit and raise families. In a district that reaches across Pine Valley, Eagle Valley and Irondyke, a day outdoors with the sheriff’s office gave students a direct look at public safety in a setting with no sirens, calls or enforcement action.

That kind of contact carries weight in a rural county where personal relationships often shape whether institutions are seen as allies or strangers. Pine Eagle voters rejected an $11.7 million bond measure in May 2024 by a 442-298 vote, and a smaller levy failed in November 2024, underscoring how much the district relies on trust when it asks families for support. A fishing trip does not solve those problems, but it does put the sheriff’s office and local students in the same boat before a crisis ever forces the first conversation.

The outing also fit Baker County’s outdoor identity. Travel Oregon says Phillips Lake, a 2,235-acre reservoir about 15 miles southwest of Baker City, offers year-round fishing. Brownlee Reservoir on the Snake River is known for fishing, boating and wildlife viewing, and Anthony Lakes is a year-round outdoor destination where fishing is one of the summer activities. The Oregon State University Extension Service says its Baker County youth outdoor education and recreation programs serve more than 1,500 young people annually and include fishing among the hands-on activities.