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Wednesday, February 22, 2017 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Oregon lawmakers propose
state control of public land
SALEM (AP) — More than
half of Oregon land is owned
by the federal government, but
Republican lawmakers have
raised the possibility of trans-
ferring it to state control.
A bill sponsored by Grants
Pass Republican Rep. Carl
Wilson and three other law-
makers would create a task
force to analyze the costs
and benefits of such a move,
reported The Statesman
Journal.
Wilson emphasized that
he does not support selling
Oregon’s public land into pri-
vate ownership and that his bill
only calls for a study.
“I’m not sure if this is a
good or a bad idea, or how it
would actually work,” said
Wilson during a Thursday
hearing on his bill. “But I
have to believe Oregonians
would do a better job of car-
ing for our lands than a federal
bureaucracy.”
The bill exempts national
parks, monuments, wilderness
areas and tribal lands from
being considered for transfer
to the state.
During the hearing, every
public speaker offering tes-
timony opposed the idea of
state control. Conservation
and sportsman’s groups said
Oregon couldn’t afford to
manage the land, while others
disputed the need to fund such
a task force when Oregon is
facing a $1.8 billion shortfall.
Some speakers pointed
to the state’s plan to sell the
83,000-acre Elliott State Forest
as evidence that federal lands
may end up being privatized if
moved to state control.
“The ultimate outcome
of this bill would not be state
land management of our pub-
lic lands,” said Dan Morse,
conservation director for
the Oregon Natural Desert
Association. “The more likely
outcome would be the future
sale of our public lands when
the state can’t reasonably
afford to manage them.”
Wilson and other rural
Republicans say studying
the possibility is necessary
Hair &
Nails
Natural &
Artifi cial
541-549-6566
484 W. Washington Ave., Ste. B
because it may be one way
to improve rural economies.
Cutbacks in logging due to
overregulation have limited
their countries’ ability to fund
services or protect against
wildfires, the Republicans said.
But I have to believe
Oregonians would do a
better job of caring for
our lands than a federal
bureaucracy.
— Rep. Carl Wilson
“We used to have a vibrant
economy, with good wages and
good places to work,” said bill
co-sponsor Rep. Sal Esquivel
of Medford. “So much of that
has been shut off.”
LETTERS
Continued from page 2
If you think your group crying is going
to stop that, get over yourselves and join the
majority of the nation to help put a stop to the
catastrophe this past President has gotten us
into.
We, the conservative people of this nation
feel we need to put a halt to the madness. You
can either be an American and combine forces
with us and stop spreading the cancer of hate,
go live in those countries you love so much
that support terrorism and socialism, OR join
the fight to be free of government subjection
and corrosion. If you choose to leave, please
hurry. We don’t need your negativism. The
country doesn’t need your negativism!
Yvonne Suckow
s
s
s
To the Editor:
The following letter is a response to the
article “Swim records fall at district meet,”
which appeared in the February 14 edition of
The Nugget. As a member of the boys swim
team, and competitor at the 2017 Sky-Em
District Swim Meet, I can personally attest to
the success of our Lady Outlaws this season.
The breaking of four school records deserves
worthy recognition and praise. I personally
congratulate every member of the Sisters
High Girl’s Swim Team for their success and
dedication this season.
I would also like to congratulate every
member of the BOYS swim team, as they
were not mentioned in the above article. Our
boys team worked hard this entire season,
and grew closer as a cohesive group of swim-
mers. We might not have broken four school
records, but our spirit and growth individually
and athletically is worth mentioning.
At the district meet the Boys 200Y Medley
Relay and Boys 200Y Freestyle Relay, fin-
ished 10th. Both relays consisted of George
Bates, Sam Mitchell, Will Werts, and Jackson
Rheuben. George Bates swam well, finishing
13th in the 100-yard breaststroke, and swam
a 1:06.33 in the 100-yard freestyle. Jackson
Rheuben finished 10th in both the 50-yard
freestyle and 500-yard freestyle, showing
his strength as both a sprint and distance
swimmer. Sam Mitchell, Jordan Pollard, and
Connor Crowe all competed in the 50-yard
freestyle and 100-yard freestyle, setting new
personal records, all of whom did excellent
jobs as first time competitive swimmers.
Least importantly, Will Werts (that’s me)
rounded out his high school swim career with
a ninth place finish in the 100-yard butterfly,
and now owns an eggplant-colored purple rib-
bon to prove the fact. He plans to hang his
ninth place ribbon next to the girls swim team
article, a true juxtaposition of success and
mediocrity.
Will Werts
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