4A
MONDAY, AUGUST 26, 2019
The Observer
GUEST EDITORIAL FROM
THE ALBANY DEMOCRAT-HERALD
Brown should take
carbon case to rural areas
It looks as if Gov. Kate Brown has been preparing for more
than a year for the chance that a cap-and-trade bill to lower
greenhouse gas emissions in Oregon would not win approval
from the 2019 legislative session.
As it turned out, that was a good bet: Despite the fact that
Democrats held big majorities in both legislative chambers, the
measure (House Bill 2020) stalled in dramatic fashion in the
Senate during the fi nal weeks of the session. First, Republican
senators boycotted the Capitol (in some cases actually leav-
ing the state so they’d be out of range of State Police efforts to
round them up), denying the Senate the quorum of 20 votes it
needed to conduct any business.
Then, Senate President Peter Courtney announced, in almost
equally dramatic fashion, that the bill did not have enough
support from Democrats to pass. The Republican senators re-
turned to Salem and the Legislature raced through its remain-
ing agenda during a frenetic weekend.
The Monday after legislators left Salem, Brown told report-
ers she was exploring the use of executive action to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions — actions that would not require
any legislative approval. She didn’t identify what those mea-
sures might be (Brown is notorious for keeping her cards close
to her chest) but also said that she and other administration
offi cials would spend time and effort reaching out to the rural
parts of Oregon, areas where opposition to the cap-and-trade
bill had simmered for months and fi nally boiled over, leading to
highly visible protests in Salem.
But Brown didn’t go into that Monday meeting with reporters
cold. A news story this week from the Oregon Capital Bureau
reported that she had the benefi t of more than a year’s worth
of work from the state Department of Environmental Quality,
outlining possible actions the governor could take on her own.
That work was put on the back burner during the early stages of
the session, when it seemed as if House Bill 2020 was gathering
momentum. But as soon as it was clear that the bill was dead,
work resumed in earnest on the notion of executive action.
In response to a public records request from the Capital
Bureau, the Department of Environmental Quality released 39
emails between the governor’s offi ce and the department that
outline some of the proposals under consideration. Some of the
proposals, such as increasing access to public transit and pro-
moting biking and walking, won’t generate much controversy
but will be of limited use in rural parts of Oregon; the same
likely is true of another proposal, to require newly constructed
buildings to include electric vehicle charging stations.
Some of the other proposals that the administration is
kicking around, however, could raise hackles in those parts
of Oregon that are not the Portland metro area. They include
suggestions such as a gradually declining cap on industrial
emissions and fossil fuel importers, strengthening Oregon’s
controversial low-carbon fuel standard, boosting regulations
on landfi lls to lower methane emissions, more strictly regulat-
ing dairies and expanding vehicle inspection programs so that
medium-duty trucks are inspected twice per year.
Brown’s offi ce this week said she’s been meeting with stake-
holders from the agricultural sector, transportation sector, and
wood products industries “throughout the summer and will
continue to do so into the fall to ensure that the policy benefi ts
rural Oregon while allowing rural Oregon industries to remain
competitive.” That’s fi ne, as far as it goes — and we’re guessing
these discussions tie into her preference that this be handled
through legislation rather than executive action. (That’s our
preference as well; the legislative process usually allows for
more fl exibility and more public scrutiny of important issues.)
But allow us to suggest that Brown expand those talks by
going out into rural Oregon and holding public meetings where
she makes her case on carbon reduction. And then she should
sit back and just listen. She might be surprised.
Your views
Wolfe: Joseph Branch
Trail is a land use issue
To the Editor:
Jacob Losby and Natalie Mil-
lar (spokespeople for the Joseph
Branch Trail Consortium) recently
made statements referring to the
Trail project in Wallowa County as
being “political.” Mr. Losby claims
this in his letter to The Observer
(Aug. 14). Ms. Millar also makes
this claim in her interview with
the Wallowa County Chieftain,
referenced in their July 31 article.
The JBTC trail project is NOT a
political issue. No one other than
JBTC members consider it to be po-
litical, but I can see why they wish
to make it so.
The proposed trail is a land use
issue. In Wallowa County the prop-
erty they wish to build the trail
on is zoned “exclusive farm use”
over the majority of it. The farmers
and ranchers submitted extensive
evidence of fi nancial harm and dis-
turbance of farm practices this trail
would cause to their operations.
Homeowners also submitted objec-
tions. EFU laws are clear about
what is required for a conditional
use permit in EFU zoned areas.
JBTC did not meet, or even try to
meet, the standards affi rmed by
the recent Oregon Supreme Court
decision.
Mr. Losby and Ms. Millar state
they are now going to hire a “proj-
ect manager” to force this project
on the adjacent farms and ranches
in Wallowa County. They spent two
years using grant money and a free
attorney writing an application for
the CUP, during which time they
did not talk to landowners, whose
objections they already knew. Now
they say they want to “build a rela-
tionship” with those same farmers
they ignored.
Both JBTC spokespeople gave
different explanations for the with-
drawal of their appeal. They ignore
the fact that both sides of the issue
had time to fi le new evidence sup-
Subscription rates per month:
By carrier...............................................$11.80
By mail, all other U.S. .............................. $15
A division of
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
The Observer welcomes
letters to the editor. Letters
are limited to 350 words and
must be signed and carry the
author’s address and phone
number (for verifi cation
purposes only).
We edit letters for brevity,
grammar, taste and legal
reasons. We will not publish
poetry, consumer complaints
against businesses or personal
attacks against private
individuals. Thank-you letters
are discouraged. Letter writers
are limited to one letter every
two weeks. Email your letters
to news@lagrandeobserver.
com or mail them to La Grande
Observer, 1406 Fifth St., La
Grande, 97850.
Mildrexler: There is a
science-based, socially
peaceful compromise for
Lostine River Corridor
To the Editor:
Eastern Oregon Legacy Lands,
sponsor of Wallowology Discovery
Center, has watched the Lostine
River Fuels Reduction project
unfold over several years. The
confl ation of values, science, politics
and strong emotions has left little
room for productive dialogue. None-
theless, everyone agrees they love
the Lostine River and Eagle Cap
Wilderness. The Lostine provides
us with an abundance of cold clean
water, rich fi sh and wildlife habitat,
a riverine paradise, and access to
our state’s largest wilderness area.
It would be benefi cial to fi nd a
solution to this problem and avoid
actions that would cause lasting di-
visions in our community, or a lost
sense of place for the Lostine River
Corridor. For whatever reason,
relatively low interest in the project
resulted in at least one bid that
was eventually withdrawn. While a
slightly modifi ed version of the sale
has already been advertised, there
is still time for a different course of
action.
In the spirit of solving this prob-
lem in everyone’s favor, we’d like
to proffer a compromise: Move for-
ward with an 8-inch diameter limit
and remove the smaller, most fl am-
mable trees where appropriate.
This will save the mature and older
trees with their thick fi re-resistant
bark and large carbon stores. It will
also protect valuable fi sheries and
wildlife habitat and reduce impacts
on the sensitive forest understory.
This way we can move forward,
reducing fi re risk where it matters
most (eliminating small trees and
fl ashy fuels) while retaining the
large, older structures in this cool,
moist, riparian forest. Fire crews do
excellent work removing small-
diameter trees and have a budget
for this kind of work.
This simple approach could re-
duce fi re risk, provide employment
opportunities, and largely maintain
the character of the Lostine River
Corridor we all cherish. It might
also help soothe the wounds and
scars many people on both sides of
this issue have experienced, and
provide opportunities for everyone
to move forward together in a more
unifi ed manner.
David Mildrexler
Systems Ecologist
Eastern Oregon Legacy Lands
La Grande City Councilors: Mayor Steve Clements, Gary Lillard, Nicole Howard, Corrine Dutto, Mary Ann Miesner,
Jim Whitbeck, Justin Rock; through the City Manager’s offi ce, 541-962-1309
Union City Councilors: Mayor Leonard Flint, LeonardFlint@cityofunion.com; John Farmer, johnfarmer@
cityofunion.com; Leslie McMillan; Sue Hawkins, susanhawkins@cityofunion.com; Matt Later, mattlater@cityofunion.
com; Jay Blackburn, jayblackburn@cityofunion.com; Walt Brookshire, waltbrookshire@cityofunion.com
STAFF
Phone:
SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE
Stopped account balances less than $5 will
be refunded upon request.
Write to us
CONTACT YOUR PUBLIC OFFICIALS
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
NEWSSTAND PRICE: $1.50
You can save up to 34% off the single-copy
price with home delivery.
Call 541-963-3161 to subscribe.
porting their position on the Appeal
(at JBTC’s request) but that only
the opposition took the time to do so.
This special interest group
seems to have unlimited resources
for grants and free attorneys to
continue to harass the farmers of
Wallowa County. We just want to
be left alone to try to make a living
and preserve farmland in Oregon,
which is the true reason for EFU
zones. Not recreation.
Rebecca Wolfe
Wallowa
541-963-3161
An independent newspaper founded in 1896
(USPS 299-260)
The Observer reserves the right to adjust subscription
rates by giving prepaid and mail subscribers 30 days
notice. Periodicals postage paid at La Grande, Oregon
97850. Published Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays
(except Dec. 25) by EO Media Group,
1406 Fifth St., La Grande, OR 97850 (USPS 299-260)
COPYRIGHT © 2019
THE OBSERVER
The Observer retains ownership and copyright
protection of all staff-prepared news copy, advertising
copy, photos and news or ad illustrations. They may
not be reproduced without explicit prior approval.
Toll free (Oregon):
1-800-422-3110
Fax: 541-963-7804
Email:
news@lagrandeobserver.com
Website:
www.lagrandeobserver.com
Street address:
1406 Fifth St., La Grande
POSTMASTER
Send address changes to:
The Observer, 1406 Fifth St.,
La Grande, OR 97850
Periodicals postage paid at:
La Grande, Oregon 97850
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...............Juli Bloodgood
Sports editor .......................................Ronald Bond
Advertising representative...................... Amy Horn
Reporter................................................Dick Mason
Graphic design supervisor................Dorothy Kautz
Reporter....................................Sabrina Thompson
Graphic design ..............................Cheryl Christian
Classifieds ........................................ Devi Mathson
Chris Rush, Regional Publisher