Wednesday, March 8, 2017 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
The Conservation
Alliance starts fund
BEND (AP) — The
Conversation Alliance has
long focused on providing
grants to secure new public
lands across North America,
but now the Oregon-based
environmental group is shift-
ing its tactics and will offer
a new fund dedicated to
protecting existing public
lands managed by the federal
government.
John Sterling, the group’s
executive director, told The
Bulletin that the decision is
directly related to President
Donald Trump’s election,
which he says has embold-
ened Republican lawmak-
ers critical of federal land
management.
“We have what we con-
sider to be legitimate con-
cerns about our public
lands,” Sterling said.
Since it was founded in
1989, The Conservation
Alliance has worked with
large outdoor product com-
panies — including the
Keen footwear company in
Portland and the California-
based Patagonia Inc. — to
fund grants for organizations
looking to secure and man-
age public lands. In 2016, the
organization gave out $1.6
million in grant funding,
according to Sterling.
The organization based
in Bend began discuss-
ing a new, secondary fund
immediately following the
November elections, Sterling
said.
The so-called “public
lands defense fund” will tar-
get local and regional conser-
vation organizations that will
oppose the transfer of public
lands and defend federal laws
on public lands. Such laws
include the Antiquities Act, a
1906 act that allows the pres-
ident to designate national
monuments while bypassing
Congress. Changes to that
law would make it more dif-
ficult for future monuments
to be created.
Patagonia and The North
Face, a California-based
outdoor apparel company,
have committed to provide
The Conservation Alliance
with $100,000 over the next
four years. The organization
expects to give out around
$200,000 to various organi-
zations across the country
during its first funding cycle,
which has an application
deadline of May 1.
This year, congressio-
nal Republicans in the West
have introduced several bills
aimed at changing designa-
tions around federally man-
aged land.
In January, U.S. Rep.
Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah,
introduced a bill that called
for the sale or disposal of 3.3
million acres of public land.
He later abandoned the bill.
Others have targeted
the Bears Ears National
Monument in Utah, which
was designated under
President Obama.
There are powerful
members of Congress
who have questioned
whether the federal
government should
manage public land.
— John Sterling
“There are powerful
members of Congress who
have questioned whether
the federal government
should manage public land,”
Sterling said.
In Oregon, legisla-
tors introduced House Bill
2365 in February. The bill,
which would establish a
task force to study the pos-
sible transfer of public
lands in Oregon, received
a hearing from the House
Committee on Agriculture
and Natural Resources on
February 16, but no addi-
tional meetings or hearings
have been scheduled at this
time.
Fit For
Sisters
Andrew Luscutoff
Columnist
The cost of
fitness
Physical fitness and
health costs can seem
awfully expensive — and
for someone on a budget it
may seem unfathomable to
consider a gym member-
ship, at-home equipment, or
even a $120 pair of running
shoes.
But it pays to put those
costs in perspective —
especially given the costs
of NOT investing in your
health and wellness.
Gym memberships:
There are many examples of
gyms that charge $100-plus
in monthly membership
fees. This seems extreme
and I can agree the sticker
shock is valid. But let’s con-
sider the cost for other ser-
vices: Cable and Internet:
$77 bundled with basic ser-
vices and equipment (bend-
broadband). Cellphone:
average single line: $71 (JD
Power and Associates) with-
out added data. Shopping at
a premium grocery store
can have a big impact on
your bill. A Business Insider
report bought the same
products from Whole Foods
and found a $61 dollar dif-
ference from Kroger (Fred
Meyer parent company).
What these statistics
expose is the costs of many
things people blindly accept
are more, or similar to, the
expense of a gym mem-
bership. It’s all a question
of priorities and mindset.
Simply re-adjusting one’s
mindset around these costs
to include personal fitness
makes it less arduous to fork
out for even the most expen-
sive gym membership.
Beyond a basic gym
membership the extra ser-
vices in health and fitness
can also be financially
intimidating. A typical per-
sonal training session can
cost $30 for half-an-hour
(or in metropolitan areas
$50-plus). This shouldn’t
be so much of a shock con-
sidering that $30 for a meal
at a restaurant is very typi-
cal, with drinks and gratu-
ity. Some are willing to do
this several times a week.
A house-cleaning service
and yard maintenance also
surpass the cost of personal
training. Movies, concerts,
and many other activities
approach the same costs —
yet there lines out the door
at venues.
When personal health is
neglected other costs start to
accrue rapidly. For example,
many of the conditions for
which a person will visit a
physical therapist, massage
therapist, or chiropractor
would be avoided with a
proper exercise protocol.
Not only do these costs add
15
up, but you have to endure
the pain and discomfort of
knees, aching backs, and
tight muscles. A co-pay
at one of these clinics will
shortly surpass the cost of a
gym membership.
Consider the cost of
medications for blood
pressure and cholesterol.
Looking at the webpage
goodrx.com the typical
cost of the most common
meds with average dosage
is $24/month. Diabetes is
another expense, the high-
est extreme approaching
$200/month in co-pay costs.
All three of these condi-
tions can be avoided when
proper exercise and diet are
observed.
Part of what makes it dif-
ficult for people to invest
in health and fitness is the
lack of immediate gratifica-
tion. The human psychology
cannot fathom the future as
well as it can gratify the
immediate. A tasty burrito
will be an instant hit, while
a few extra minutes on the
treadmill will not be noticed
for months.
Focus on the immediate
aspects of exercise which
are rewarding; a fun activ-
ity, an accomplished feel-
ing, satisfaction with get-
ting work done, increased
energy and vitality which a
good workout can provide.
Avoiding excess pur-
chases of material posses-
sions seems like another
way to adjust a budget to
include more room to invest
in personal health.
However you go about it,
the argument of cost should
not be the excuse to neglect
your fitness.