➌➍➎➏➐➑➒ ➐➓➍➎➔ →➣➒ ➣↔→↕
➙➛➜ ➝➞➟➜➠➡➜➠
On the Fence
How will climate change affect Eastern Oregon?
Climate change is here: It’s time to
talk about adaptation
Gov’t attempts to combat climate
change will eliminate middle class
Last week, I attended a meeting
in Enterprise with range specialists,
ranchers and Joseph Band Nez Perce
people from the Colville reservation.
The topic? Tracking and managing the
precariousness that climate change is
bringing to our local rangelands.
Summers in Oregon are trending
hotter and drier. When temperatures
are high, the window of abundant high-
protein green forage is shorter. Poor
summer forage means thinner animals
and fewer and weaker calves. This is
true for wildlife too, retired ODFW
biologist Mike Hansen told me, in a
✁✂✄☎✄✆✝ ✞✄✄✝✁✆✟✠ ✡☎☛ ✟☎☞✌✌ ✁✌ ✍✎☞✌✁ -
✏☞✑✑☛ ✌✒ ☞ ✏☎☞✏✓✄☎✌✔ ✕✒☎ ✟☎☞✖✄☎✌✗ ✘✄ ✌☞✁ ✠
Mike’s research on the Sled Springs elk
herd has shown that poor calf recruit-
ment is tied to high summer tempera-
✝✙☎✄✌ ✞✒☎✄ ✝✘☞✆ ✝✒ ☞✆☛ ✒✝✘✄☎ ✕☞✏✝✒☎✠
More heat means drier plants means
fewer babies. You don’t get much more
straightforward than that.
✚✘✄✌✄ ☞☎✄ ✒✆✑☛ ✝✛✒ ✒✕ ✝✘✄ ✞✄✄✝✁✆✟✌
✜✢✣✄ ☞✝✝✄✆ ✄ ☎✄✏✄✆✝✑☛ ☞✎✒✙✝ ✏✑✁✞☞✝✄
change in our region. And a decline in
☎☞✆✟✄✑☞✆ ✕✒☎☞✟✄ ✤✙☞✑✁✝☛ ✁✌ ✒✆✑☛ ✒✆✄ ✒✕
✝✘✄ ✛☞☛✌ ✝✘☞✝ ✟✑✒✎☞✑ ✛☞☎✞✁✆✟ ✁✌ ☞✑☎✄☞ ☛
✁✞✥☞✏✝✁✆✟ ✦☞✌✝✄☎✆ ✧☎✄✟✒✆✠ ✦✣✄☎☛ ✑✒✏☞✑
land manager and scientist I’ve spo-
ken with in the last six months (and
I’ve spoken with dozens) is concerned
about climate change.
Temperatures in Oregon have risen 2
✄✟☎✄✄✌ ★☞✘☎✄✆✘✄✁✝ ✁✆ ✝✘✄ ✑☞✌✝ ✏✄✆✝✙☎☛
and will continue to rise. The Forest Ser-
vice, having reviewed regional projec-
tions, expects temperatures in the Blue
Mountains to rise an additional 4.5 to 6.5
degrees over the next three decades. For
✄✣✄☎☛ ✄✟☎✄✄ ✒✕ ✝✄✞✥✄☎☞✝✙☎✄ ✁✆✏☎✄☞✌✄✗ ✝✘✄
snow line climbs about 300 feet.
✩✄✌✌ ✌✆✒✛ ✞✄☞✆✌ ✑✒✆✟✄☎ ✪☎✄ ✌✄☞✌✒✆✌✗
✌✥☎✁✆✟ ✫✒✒ ✌✗ ✏☎✄✄✓✌ ✟✒✆✄ ☎☛ ✌✒✒✆✄☎
in the summer, and severe impacts
✒✆ ✛☞✝✄☎ ☞✣☞✁✑☞✎✁✑✁✝☛ ✕✒☎ ☞✟☎✁✏✙✑✝✙☎✄✠
✬✄✒✥✑✄ ✛✘✒ ✥☞☛ ✏✑✒✌✄ ☞✝✝✄✆✝✁✒✆ ✝✒ ✝✘✄
✑☞✆ ☞☎✄ ☞✑☎✄☞ ☛ ✌✄✄✁✆✟ ✝✘✄✌✄ ✄✂✄✏✝✌✠
✧✙☎ ✌✝☎✄☞✞✌ ☞✆ ☎✄✌✄☎✣✒✁☎✌ ☞☎✄ ☞✑☎✄☞ ☛
sometimes warm enough to kill salm-
on, which is one reason local tribes are
✄✄✥✑☛ ✄✆✟☞✟✄ ✁✆ ✏✑✁✞☞✝✄ ☞ ☞✥✝☞✝✁✒✆
planning. Drought- and heat-tolerant
insects and weeds are changing the
composition of our forests and grass-
lands.
✦✭☞✏✝✑☛ ✘✒✛ ✞✙✏✘ ✘✒✝✝✄☎ ✁✝ ✛✁✑✑ ✟✄✝
✚✘✄ ✆✄✛ ✏☞☎✎✒✆ ✥☎✁✏✁✆✟ ✥✒✑✁✏☛ ✝✘☞✝
✁✌ ✎✄✁✆✟ ✥☎✒✥✒✌✄ ✎☛ ✝✘✄ ✏✙☎☎✄✆✝ ✧☎ -
egon legislative session is aimed at
regulating greenhouse gas emissions
✁✆ ☞✆ ✄✂✒☎✝ ✝✒ ✏✒✞✎☞✝ ✝✘✄ ✄✂✄✏✝✌ ✒✕ ✏✑✁ -
mate change. It is a noble endeavor to
✝☎☛ ✝✒ ✥☎✒✝✄✏✝ ☞✆ ✌✄✏✙☎✄ ☞ ✌☞✕✄ ✄✆✣✁ -
ronment for the generations that will
come after us.
The Oregon Legislature proposes
carbon credits and taxes that will dis-
✥☎✒✥✒☎✝✁✒✆☞✝✄✑☛ ☞✂✄✏✝ ✝✘✄ ☎✙☎☞✑ ✏✒✞ -
munities in Oregon, which are, to
a more extensive degree, reliant on
carbon to make a living, and because
of longer commutes, we will be dis-
✥☎✒✥✒☎✝✁✒✆☞✝✄✑☛ ✥✙✆✁✌✘✄ ✎☛ ✝✘✄✌✄
proposed taxes. When taken out to its
logical conclusion, the state govern-
ment intends to lift monies out of the
rural economies and shift them into
✝✘✄ ✏✁✝☛ ✄✆✣✁☎✒✆✞✄✆✝✌✠
Part of the proposed carbon credit
✌☛✌✝✄✞ ☞✑✌✒ ✄✆✝☞✁✑✌ ☞ ✆✄✛ ☞✟✄✆✏☛ ✝✒
manage new cap-and-trade policies.
This would amount to multiple new
✍✳✒✎✌✔ ✝✘☞✝ ✛✒✙✑ ✎✄ ✥☞✁ ✕✒☎ ✎☛ ✝✘✄
new cap-and-trade legislation (jobs
✝✘☞✝ ☞☎✄ ✏☎✄☞✝✄ ✎☛ ✆✄✛ ✝☞✭✄✌ ☞☎✄ ✒✆✑☛
☞ ✎✙☎ ✄✆ ✒✆ ☞✆ ☞✑☎✄☞ ☛ ✎✄✑✄☞✟✙✄☎✄
✌☛✌✝✄✞✰✠ ✚✘✄ ✌✝☞✝✄ ✟✒✣✄☎✆✞✄✆✝✗ ✁✆
✄✌✌✄✆✏✄✗ ✁✌ ✝☞✓✁✆✟ ✞✒☎✄ ✞✒✆✄☛ ✕☎✒✞
the tattered middle class in Oregon.
(When the middle class is squeezed
to the point that it is forced to shrink,
✁✝ ✁✆✄✣✁✝☞✎✑☛ ✛✁✑✑ ✏✄☞✌✄ ✝✒ ✄✭✁✌✝✠ ✚✘✄
✞✁ ✑✄ ✏✑☞✌✌ ✛☞✌ ✏☎✄☞✝✄ ✎☛ ✒✙☎ ✴✒✆ -
stitutional Republican form of govern-
ment.) If we allow the government to
use fear-based legislation to eliminate
the middle class, we will become sub-
✳✄✏✝✌ ✒✕ ✝✘✄ ✌☛✌✝✄✞✠
The legislators who are putting forth
✝✘✄✌✄ ✥✒✑✁✏✁✄✌ ✥☎✒✎☞✎✑☛ ✒ ✆✒✝ ✎✄✑✁✄✣✄
✝✘✄☛ ☞☎✄ ✄✌✝☎✒☛✁✆✟ ✧☎✄✟✒✆✠ ✵✙✁✝✄ ✝✘✄
✒✥✥✒✌✁✝✄✠ ✚✘✄☛ ✎✄✑✁✄✣✄ ✝✘✄☛ ☞☎✄ ✝☎☛✁✆✟
to save it. But the result will be the
same — the destruction of the middle
class and the freedom that we claim
to hold dear. The proposed legisla-
tion has half of all the funds received
for the new taxes earmarked to go to
low-income people in rural communi-
✝✁✄✌ ✛✘✒ ✛✁✑✑ ✎✄ ✘☞☎ ✄✌✝ ✁✞✥☞✏✝✄ ✎☛
the rise in fuel costs and other price
increases. Remember, the middle
class will take the greatest increase in
cost, i.e., small businesses and farms.
➬➮➱✃❐❒✃❮❰ ÏÐÑ✃ÒÒ✃Ð➱
➵➸➺➻➸ ➼➻➵➸➽➾
➶➚➻Ó➚➪➷➷➺Ô➪➷ÕÖ➪×➻➼➚➴➽➷
depends on whether or not we muster
✝✘✄ ✛✁✑✑ ✝✒ ✏✙☎✝☞✁✑✗ ✟✑✒✎☞✑✑☛✗ ✒✙☎ ✕✒✌✌✁✑
fuel addiction. How much worse it will
get depends, at least in part, on how we
✞☞✆☞✟✄ ✒✙☎ ☎✄✌✒✙☎✏✄✌ ✑✒✏☞✑✑☛✠
In Northeast Oregon, adaptation re-
quires protecting our headwaters and
riparian areas and using water more
✝✘✒✙✟✘✝✕✙✑✑☛✠ ✡✒✞✄✌✝✁✏ ✛☞✝✄☎ ✄✮✏✁✄✆✏☛
can be improved with rainwater cap-
ture and consumption choices. Chang-
ing which crops we grow and where,
and changing stocking levels and herd
characteristics, can help farmers and
ranchers manage climate risk.
On our public lands, restoration ef-
forts (coupled with better monitoring
in a time of rapid change) can help us
✝✒ ✥☎✒☞✏✝✁✣✄✑☛ ✌✙✥✥✒☎✝ ✝✘✄ ✘☛ ☎✒✑✒✟✁✏
✕✙✆✏✝✁✒✆ ✒✕ ✫✒✒ ✥✑☞✁✆✌ ☞✆ ✌✒✁✑✌✠ ✯✄
☞✑✌✒ ✘☞✣✄ ☞✆ ☞✞☞✖✁✆✟ ✒✥✥✒☎✝✙✆✁✝☛✗ ✘✄☎✄
in Northeast Oregon, to help solve the
climate crisis. The easiest, most af-
✕✒☎ ☞✎✑✄ ✏✑✁✞☞✝✄ ✌✒✑✙✝✁✒✆✌ ☞☎✄ ✍✝✄✏✘ -
✆✒✑✒✟✁✄✌✔ ✝✘☞✝ ✆☞✝✙☎✄ ✘☞✌ ☞✑☎✄☞ ☛ ✄ -
veloped. Trees and soils store carbon,
so when we protect forests and grass-
lands, or lengthen the interval between
disturbances like logging and tilling,
we’re protecting giant structures that
pull heat-trapping pollutants out of the
air for us, for free. Nature is our best
✎✙✂✄☎ ☞✟☞✁✆✌✝ ✑✒✏☞✑ ✏✑✁✞☞✝✄ ✁✆✌✝☞✎✁✑✁✝☛
too: Forests and wetlands provide clean
water and temper climate extremes in
both winter and summer. A connected
network of wildlands is also our best
bet for ensuring that our non-human
neighbors can move in response to cli-
mate-related changes in their habitats.
A record seven in 10 Americans (in-
✏✑✙ ✁✆✟✗ ✁✆✏☎✄☞✌✁✆✟✑☛✗ ✏✒✆✌✄☎✣☞✝✁✣✄✌✰
✆✒✛ ✌☞☛ ✝✘✄☛✢☎✄ ✛✒☎☎✁✄ ☞✎✒✙✝ ✏✑✁✞☞✝✄
change. It’s time for politicians to step
✙✥ ✎✄✕✒☎✄ ✛✄✢☎✄ ✒✙✝ ✒✕ ✝✁✞✄✠ ✧✆✑☛ ✆☞ -
✝✁✒✆✌ ☞✆ ✝✘✄ ✁✆✝✄☎✆☞✝✁✒✆☞✑ ✏✒✞✞✙✆✁✝☛
can make changes at the scale (global)
and in the time frame (one decade) that
we need. But we’re not helpless at the
✑✒✏☞✑ ✑✄✣✄✑✠ ✱✑☎✄☞ ☛✗ ✁✆ ✲✒☎✝✘✄☞✌✝ ✧☎ -
egon, our land managers, land lovers
☞✆ ✑☞✆ ✌✏☞✥✄✌ ☞☎✄ ✪✟✙☎✁✆✟ ✒✙✝✗ ✁✆ ☞
time of rapid change, how to adapt.
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COPYRIGHT © 2019
A division of
rs✉①s③④ ⑤⑥⑦⑦⑧④⑨⑩❶①⑨⑥④✉ ❷④⑩❸
The government will then redistribute
half the monies received to the most
vulnerable. This brings median wage
earners down and low wage earners
✙✥✠ ✱✝ ✝✘✄ ✌☞✞✄ ✝✁✞✄✗ ✄✣✄☎☛✎✒ ☛ ✟✒✄✌
down the ladder in regards to how far
their income will provide for them.
The new legislation will, in essence,
✎☎✁✆✟ ✙✌ ✞☞✆☛ ✌✝✄✥✌ ✏✑✒✌✄☎ ✝✒ ☞ ✌✒✏✁☞✑ -
✁✌✝ ✌✒✏✁✄✝☛ ✁✆ ✧☎✄✟✒✆ ✶✷✒✒✟✑✄ ✍✧✣✄☎✝✒✆
✛✁✆ ✒✛✔✰✠
Carbon Engineering, in British Co-
lumbia, Canada, has built a carbon
✏✒✑✑✄✏✝✁✆✟ ✕☞✏✁✑✁✝☛ ✝✘☞✝ ☎✄✞✒✣✄✌ ✏☞☎✎✒✆
✁☎✄✏✝✑☛ ✕☎✒✞ ✝✘✄ ☞✝✞✒✌✥✘✄☎✄✠ ✚✘✁✌
carbon then can be processed back
into fuel, which is cleaner and more
✄✮✏✁✄✆✝✗ ✎☞✌✁✏☞✑✑☛ ☎✄✏☛✏✑✁✆✟ ✝✘✄ ✟☞✌ ✛✄
use. One of these plants is equivalent
✝✒ ✏✑✄☞✆✁✆✟ ✝✘✄ ✥✒✑✑✙✝✁✒✆ ✏☎✄☞✝✄ ✎☛
✸✹✺✗✺✺✺ ✣✄✘✁✏✑✄✌ ☞✆✆✙☞✑✑☛✠
The plants clean up our carbon,
create reusable fuels and create jobs.
✜✝ ✒✄✌ ✄✣✄☎☛✝✘✁✆✟ ✝✘✄ ✧☎✄✟✒✆ ✩✄✟✁✌ -
lature claims to be concerned about.
✯✘☛ ✏☞✆✢✝ ✛✄ ✝☞✓✄ ☞ ✑✄✌✌✒✆ ✕☎✒✞
✱✞✄☎✁✏☞✆ ✘✁✌✝✒☎☛ ☞✆ ✎✄ ☞✝ ✝✘✄ ✕✒☎✄ -
front of innovation?
✜✝ ✁✌ ✞☛ ✘✒✆✄✌✝ ✎✄✑✁✄✕ ✝✘☞✝ ✝✘✁✌ ✑✄✟✁✌ -
lation will be an extreme detriment to
our communities across the state with
an unfair burden being put on rural
communities. The cities will have the
most to gain, and the government will
grow to into a worse burden than it al-
☎✄☞ ☛ ✁✌✠
✜ ✁✞✥✑✒☎✄ ☛✒✙ ✛✘✒ ☎✄☞ ✝✘✁✌ ✑✄✝✝✄☎✗
please don’t allow this to happen to
✒✙☎ ✌✝☞✝✄✠ ✜✢✣✄ ✥☎✒✥✒✌✄ ☞ ✎✄✝✝✄☎ ✛☞☛
✝✘☞✝ ✛✒✙✑ ✏☎✄☞✝✄ ✳✒✎✌ ☞✆ ✆✒✝ ✒✆✑☛
stop our carbon footprint but clean
the environment — which we do in-
deed care for.
If our government is allowed to
continue imposing its will on us un-
checked, we will go the road not just of
California but of far worse places. Our
children will bear the burden of this
government gone wild. I’ve lived in
✝✘✁✌ ✏✒✞✞✙✆✁✝☛ ✕✒☎ ✻✹ ☛✄☞☎✌✠ ✜ ✌✄☎✣✄
✒✙☎ ✏✒✙✆✝☎☛✗ ☞✆ ✜✢✞ ✁✆✣✒✑✣✄ ✠ ✬✑✄☞✌✄
join me in taking back our state for
✍✯✄ ✝✘✄ ✬✄✒✥✑✄✠✔
STAFF
SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE
❨♦✼ ✽✾✿ ❀✾✈❡ ✼❁ ❂♦ ❃❄❅ ♦❢❢ ❂❆❡ ❀❇✿❈❉❡❊✽♦❁②
❁♣❇✽❡ ❋❇❂❆ ❆♦●❡ ❍❡❉❇✈❡♣②■
❏✾❉❉ ❑▲▼◆❖P◗◆◗▼P▼ ❂♦ ❀✼t❀✽♣❇t❡■
❙❂♦❁❁❡❍ ✾✽✽♦✼✿❂ t✾❉✾✿✽❡❀ ❉❡❀❀ ❂❆✾✿ ❘❚ ❋❇❉❉
t❡ ♣❡❢✼✿❍❡❍ ✼❁♦✿ ♣❡❜✼❡❀❂■
➢➤➥➦➧➨ ➩➫➭➯➲➳
➵➸➺➻➸ ➼➻➵➸➽➾
➚➪➶➵➹➘➺➼➴➸➷
THE OBSERVER
♠❆❡ ♥t❀❡♣✈❡♣ ♣❡❂✾❇✿❀ ♦❋✿❡♣❀❆❇❁ ✾✿❍ ✽♦❁②♣❇❈❆❂
❁♣♦❂❡✽❂❇♦✿ ♦❢ ✾❉❉ ❀❂✾❢❢❊❁♣❡❁✾♣❡❍ ✿❡❋❀ ✽♦❁②❩ ✾❍✈❡♣❂❇❀❇✿❈
✽♦❁②❩ ❁❆♦❂♦❀ ✾✿❍ ✿❡❋❀ ♦♣ ✾❍ ❇❉❉✼❀❂♣✾❂❇♦✿❀■ ♠❆❡② ●✾②
✿♦❂ t❡ ♣❡❁♣♦❍✼✽❡❍ ❋❇❂❆♦✼❂ ❡❾❁❉❇✽❇❂ ❁♣❇♦♣ ✾❁❁♣♦✈✾❉■
Toll free (Oregon):
❱❊❲❳❳❊❄❞❞❊❃❱❱❳
Fax: ❚❄❱❊❣❤❃❊✐❲❳❄
Regional publisher.........................Karrine Brogoitti
Home delivery advisor.................Amanda Fredrick
Regional circulation director ....................Kelli Craft
Customer service rep ......................... Mollie Lynch
News clerk....................................Lisa Lester Kelly
Advertising representative......................Karen Fye
Sports editor .......................................Ronald Bond
Advertising representative...............Juli Bloodgood
Email:
Reporter................................................Dick Mason
Advertising representative...................... Amy Horn
Website:
Reporter......................................Francisca Benitez
Graphic design supervisor................Dorothy Kautz
❋❋❋■❉✾❈♣✾✿❍❡♦t❀❡♣✈❡♣■✽♦●
Reporter.....................................Amanda Weisbrod
Graphic design ..............................Cheryl Christian
❱❄❳❤ ❥❇❢❂❆ ❙❂■❩ ❦✾ ❧♣✾✿❍❡
Classifieds ........................................ Devi Mathson
✿❡❋❀✇❉✾❈♣✾✿❍❡♦t❀❡♣✈❡♣■✽♦●
Street address:
POSTMASTER
Send address changes to:
♠❆❡ ♥t❀❡♣✈❡♣❩ ❱❄❳❤ ❥❇❢❂❆ ❙❂■❩
❦✾ ❧♣✾✿❍❡❩ ♥q ❣✐❲❚❳
Periodicals postage paid at:
❦✾ ❧♣✾✿❍❡❩ ♥♣❡❈♦✿ ❣✐❲❚❳
Customer service rep ................Sharon Magnuson