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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 30, 2020)
4 Wednesday, September 30, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon We can do better. We must do better. We will do better. Good science will lead the way. Matt Wessel LETTERS Continued from page 2 because when you put your name out there with your opinion on it, well, careful what you wish for. But I do feel compelled to write about the current forest fire situation in Oregon. In my humble opinion, climate change is a signifi- cant driver of the increasing size, strength and intensity of the fires we9ve witnessed over the last several years, with this year9s events here in Oregon being amazingly horrific. I believe we must continue to enact energy policies worldwide (not just in the US) that will reduce CO2 and methane emissions. But this is what else I think we need to do. We must better manage our forests, improve our electrical infrastructure, and rethink our development policies (to list three areas of concern) as we continue to encroach on our forests. Think about it 4 if the entire human population stopped emitting greenhouse gases tomorrow (other than what we breathe out and flatulate in order to actually live), what impact would that have on next year9s fire season? It would likely have no measur- able impact for several years. And of course we aren9t going to magically cut our emis- sions to near zero tomorrow anyway, it will be a gradual reduction. It took humans 300+ years to change the climate in one direction, it will take many years to change it in another direction. Some scientists believe it9s already too late to do anything. I don9t subscribe to that viewpoint, but they could be right. So, how do we prevent a forest fire calamity next year? Unfortunately, it won9t be through address- ing climate change. Near-term prevention has to be achieved with actions that will have an immediate impact. Listening to our politicians debate over whether it9s climate change or forest manage- ment that is responsible for wildfires reminds me of the age old nature or nurture question. Well duhh, it9s both! I think they all know that (I hope?), what they say is just more rhetoric for their respective bases. Yes, climate change is having a negative impact, but we9re already here. We can9t make the climate go back to normal tomorrow. And if we somehow man- aged this (impossible) feat, does anyone really think it will also prevent forest fires next year? Addressing climate change, while the right thing to do, will take years to have an impact. It is my sincere belief that we must address climate change for the long-term health of our planet and we must address forest-manage- ment practices and policies for the near-term prevention of massive destruction of public and private lands and properties due to wild- fires. It9s not an either/or proposition. To see our politicians argue over it as such is, at best, disappointing. s s s To the Editor: I read the Letters to the Editor in The Nugget written by Marvin Inman and Gary Leiser regarding the development on the Forest Service property. There is an old adage, <you can9t fight City Hall.= I know. I have tried several times to no avail. That doesn9t mean we can9t stop trying. Driving down Barclay Road past that Forest Service property, I absolutely cannot envision 300 homes crammed into that acre- age. I have seen cars lined up as far back as Pine Street and beyond waiting to access the roundabout. Try to imagine cars from that development trying to ease into that line up. Next to impossible! Think about the pollution, the drain on the water system, the loss of our dark skies and probably the view of the stars and, most of all, the peace and quiet of our city. The Planning Commission made the deci- sion to allow Laird9s CEO to develop this property to benefit his employees. The com- mission does not care about the people they are supposed to serve and represent. They do not care about the quality of life we enjoy and expect. This will be gone forever. This development should not be allowed to go forward. I believe the public has the right to demand a vote on this development that will greatly affect and destroy our beautiful com- munity as we know it today. Donna Holland s s SPECIALIZING IN: Cut • Color Highlights Hair Extensions The Sisters-Camp Sherman and Cloverdale rural fire protection districts reopened recreational burning 4 not including yard debris 4 on Friday, September 25, in all areas within the Sisters-Camp Sherman and Cloverdale fire districts. This does not include Forest Service land or camp- grounds, including the Tract Cabins in Camp Sherman. Earlier this month several local fire agencies banned all burning including recreational fires due to red flag warnings and extreme predicted fire behavior in the area. Recreational fires include those used for pleasure, reli- gious, ceremonial, cooking, warmth or similar purposes and does not include yard debris burning. Open yard debris burn- ing typically opens around November 1 each year. Residents are strongly encouraged to contact their local fire protection agencies for additional burning infor- mation and regulations. Local fire departments will continue to monitor weather and fuel moisture conditions in their district and may make modifi- cations on a day-to-day basis. Call your fire agency for more information: Cloverdale Rural Fire Protection District, 541-389-2345 office, 541- 548-4815 burn information, www.cloverdalefire.com; Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District, 541-549-0771 office, 541-549-2333 burn informa- tion, www.sistersfire.com. Sisters’ police rigs... s To the Editor: Regarding our local citizens who have been courageously standing in Sisters to sup- port Black lives, I hope they really do stand for all Black lives, even being aware that the BLM organization does not and is actually doing damage to them. Being a family with both Black and white members, and also with members in law enforcement, I am very con- cerned that BLM has used the horrible death of George Floyd to co-opt the conversation, playing on people9s natural sympathies, creat- ing needless <white guilt,= using them in order to further the organization9s dangerous goals, which were spelled out in Owen Herzberg9s letter of August 26. In truth, we are all descended from the same original parents 4 nobody truly white, just many shades of brown depending on the amount of melanin in our skin. But BLM (and many Democrat leaders) incite racism by both whites and Blacks in order to further PHOTO BY SUE STAFFORD The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office patrol cars that cover Sisters now bear the City of Sisters seal, signifying the new law enforcement contract that provides Sisters-specific deputies. See LETTERS on page 8 WE’RE GOING ON KE IT THE ROAD TO MA NOW OPEN! Bl m Studio Area fire chiefs re-open recreational burning Preschool Spots Still Available! the fun! Join in on U! EVEN EASIER FOR YO COMMUNITY FLU SHOT CLINICS Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire Dept. Thursday, Oct. 1 • 10 a.m. to Noon, 3 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6 • 2:30 to 6 p.m. Black Butte Ranch Fire Dept. Tuesday, Oct. 6 • 7:30 to 11 a.m. All you need is your ID and insurance card. Most insurance plans will cover 100% of your flu shot. Discounted cash-pay price of only $25. For more information Casey Gardner • 110 S. Elm St. 541-548-2899 yourcaremedical.com SistersRecreation.com 3818 SW 21st Pl., Ste. 100, Redmond • Open every day 541-549-2091 • 1750 W. McKinney Butte Rd., Sisters WALK-IN • URGENT CARE• OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE • X-RAY