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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 21, 1979)
Lobbyists work for pesticide restrictions senate bills reflect ecological concern oy oflincra/vc o/eu/vcrf Of the Emerald The 1979 session of the Oregon Legislature is into its sec ond month, and environmental groups are scrambling to keep up with bills as they move through the law-making maze. The Hoedads, a Eugene-based tree planting cooperative, is hop ing to see passage of a bill tighten ing existing restrictions on pes ticide and herbicide use in Oregon. The bill, not yet numbered, would prohibit spraying within 200 feet of Class 1 streams on land zoned agricultural and on land within 500 feet of occupied resi dences, unless the occupant con sents. Current regulations do not apply to these additional areas. The State Department of Ag riculture could refuse to register pesticides for use if methods that could accomplish the same pur pose would pose less harm to animals or humans, and would be equally or more cost-effective. "It’s kind of vague," admits Gail Slentz, Hoedad president and legislative coordinator. “But it's a start." Lobbyists funded through the Northwest Forest Workers As sociation, which includes all such cooperatives look after the Hoedads’ interests with mixed re sults. Last session, the treeplanters fought the widespread use of Thiram, a pesticide which coats tree seedlings so animals will not eat them. They were not com pletely successful. “Thiram will come up again this session,” Slentz says. “It still can be used , although now there are some restrictions. I’ve heard there's not much hope for new re Plan fails to provide transit expansion aim By LORRAINE NELSON Of the Emerald Lane Transit's Transportation Development Program is unac ceptable to the Transportation Planning Committee because it contains no suggestions to in crease ridership. Ollie Snowden of the TPC told the LTD board Tuesday night that the transportation program does not provide a clear linkage to the long-range ridership goals cited in the T-2000 plan. The plan was adopted in 1978 as the long-range transportation program for the Eugene Springfield area. Snowden said the plan fails to considerincreasing transit service on current routes, increasing coverage and expanding to newly-developed areas. LTD’s current long-range and short-range goals rely upon ex ternal factors, such as the availa bility of gas and parking, to spur ridership growth. The TDP, a short-range plan ning document that will guide pub lic transportation development during the next three years, states that in order to lessen reliance upon external factors, significant improvement in service would have to be made. However, Dick Jones, chairer of the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce's mass transit sub committee, told the board that LTD service was at an adequate level and should not be expanded until ridership had increased "sig nificantly.” Jones also said the board should find a new form of funding, should develop an emergency plan in the event of a sudden shift increase in LTD ridership, and should increase fares consistent with cost increases. The TDP recommends fare in creases of 10 cents in 1980 to 45 cents and five cents in 1981 to 50 cents. Other recommendations and objectives cited in the TDP in clude: • Increasing the marketing budget by 40 percent in July and placing emphasis on community education and public relations, market research and ridership in centives programs. • Having fare revenue make up 25 percent of total operating costs by the end of June 1982. • Attempting to reach a vehicle productivity of 26.5 rides per vehi cle hour. (LTD is now operating at 22 riders per vehicle hour.) The LTD board will hear further testimony on the TDP at a noon public hearing on Feb. 26. The board will consider the program for final approval at its March 20 meeting. £S^opies 30 (200 min.) SAME DAY KINKO’S 1128 ALDER 344-7894 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. strictions on pesticides this year, but we’ll know more when it’s as signed to a committee and has a hearing.” “It will be interesting to see what happens,” she says. “But even if it doesn’t pass, a public forum will be worthwhile.” The Oregon Environmental Council, a coalition of conserva tion groups across the state, has hired a full-time lobbyist to coordi nate testimony and direct efforts to specific bills. "We’re looking at a lot of differ ent areas — land-use, forestry, herbicides and water quality,” says Merrie Buel of the council. “They're all of equal importance." Senate Bill 135 would extend automobile inspection by the state Department of Environmental Quality to the Eugene-Springfield area. It is currently in the Senate Environment and Energy Commit tee, where one hearing has taken place. The OEC is sponsoring a bill with the Sierra Club to add two more rivers to the Scenic Rivers system, but it has not yet been introduced. A scenic rivers desig nation prohibits dams, mining, billboards, legging and other pro jects. Sen. Ted Hallock, D-Portland, recently introduced SB 34, also favored by the OEC, which would limit the storage of high-level radioactive spent fuel in Oregon to one month. Portland General Electric Co., major owner of the Trojan nuclear plam, is vigorously opposing this bill because it says passage would end the plant’s operation. r Proof of Excellence No other company has made so many rings for the number ONES! Your Class Ring is a WINNER. Represented by: uo BOOKSTORE 13th & Kincaid 686-4331 Open: Mon-Fri 8:15-5:30 Sat 10:00-2:00 JEW KI.KYS Kl N KST CK A FTSMEN WASHINGTON’S BIRTHDAY SPECIAL This coupon entitles bearer to $ 10 DISCOUNT 0 Balfour on your Balfour Class Ring for an order placed during President’s week at the ring counter in the Bookstore AoutUit'lf iri uiiv yeai dur** (tjiutii ihrutiijh hebruotv 'J4 one coupon The Sierra Club, the OEC and the Oregon Student Public In terest Research Group are jointly supporting legislation to alter compostion of the state Board of Forestry. SB 444, not yet introduced, would call for seven members ap pointed at large by the governor. Current law requires the governor to appoint 13 members to the board, six of whom must be rep resentatives of the timber indus try. Sen. Lenn Hannon, D-Ashland, (Continued on Page 12A)
