Opinion
4A
Saturday, March 20, 2021
Our View
Quarry proposal not the right fit for Union County
he Union County
Planning Commis-
sion decides Monday,
March 22, on whether or not
to approve the plan to allow
a rock quarry to expand off
Robbs Hill Road near Inter-
state 84. The site is about 2.5
miles from La Grande and a
mile from the community of
Perry.
The community, in short,
has spoken against the quarry.
James Smejkal of Banks
has applied to the county
planning commission to
develop a 250-plus acre
quarry, including rock
crushing and railroad trans-
port facilities to ship 2,000
tons of rock a day for more
than a hundred years. Perhaps
as many as 20 people spoke
during the planning commis-
sion’s March 8 public hearing
via telephone on the proposal
to carve the quarry in an
area locals use for recreation
ranging from simple walks in
the wilderness to huckleberry
picking. Nearly all spoke out
against the proposal.
They were concerned and
even out-right worried the
quarry would lead to pollution
in the Grande Ronde River,
ruin the air quality in nearby
communities, and mar the
landscape for anyone heading
T
ONLINE
To view the quarry application and
staff report, visit this editorial online
at www.lagrandeobserver.com.
who is 87, will eventually
divide the land into 240-acre
lots and sell those off, or who-
ever owns the property after
him will. West said that would
be the worst case for the area.
West could be right.
Having a significant number
of people living in that wil-
derness could increase dan-
Alex Wittwer/The Observer
gers during fire season and
Snow rests on the mountainside Tuesday, March 2, 2021, near the site of a proposed 250- turn the place into a big
acre quarry less than a mile from Perry off Interstate 84 in Union County.
neighborhood.
ated with it, including Steve
east on Interstate 84. Some
But the quarry is a bad
West.
doubted the proposal could
move as well, maybe worse. If
West manages the Pon-
mitigate the sounds and other
this is really about preserving
derosa Ranch near where the
issues from blasting.
a big stretch of wilderness,
quarry would operate and
They are worried the
the property owners could
said he is friends with Sme-
project could lead to the clo-
find ways to do that without a
jkal, who owns the ranch and quarry.
sure of Robbs Hill Road.
quarry site property. West
There’s some debate on
The planning commission
said he wants to buy and
whether a railroad crossing
has to take into consideration
preserve the ranch’s scenic
there is actually private or
community attitudes about
public. The county is trying to beauty and wildlife habitat,
this project. While there is
especially for elk. For that
resolve that.
not-in-my-backyardism here,
to happen, the quarry needs
Those in opposition also
it’s with good reasons. The
to become a reality, he said,
said they just did not see a
quarry proponents’ asser-
because the quarry would
good reason for the project
tion that such mining proj-
lead to a 4,700-acre conser-
that would create about half
ects are under more scrutiny
vation easement that would
a dozen full-time, permanent
than ever seems a pill too
devalue
the
ranch.
Other-
local jobs.
big for anyone listening to
The few who spoke in favor wise, he said, the property is
the meeting to swallow. And
of the quarry were the people beyond his means to buy, and some planning commissioners
if there is no quarry, Smejkal, said the massive 400-page
behind the project or associ-
Viewpoints on sharing the wealth
ANNE MORRISON
THINKING OUT LOUD
y dad is in his 80s now,
and when we talk, the
conversation sometimes
turns to topics of property, wills and
inheritances.
I hope I’ve made my own posi-
tion on these issues clear. My parents
raised my four brothers and me. They
fed, clothed and cared for us. They
did their best to teach us right from
wrong, until we each, in turn, turned
18. Honestly, I think that’s all we
should expect from them.
But wait. There’s more!
My parents also helped all of us
financially through four years of col-
lege. To me, that seems like icing on
the cake — something that was not
required, but which I deeply appre-
ciate, and which gave each of us,
separately, a launching pad for life.
Thanks in significant part to the help
my parents provided early on, their
children are now financially secure.
In my opinion, none of us need more,
and nothing more is owed us.
I also believe that — particularly
in a culture where we are relentlessly
pushed to believe that our very next
purchase will be the one that finally
provides contentment — it’s critical
to distinguish “want” from “need.”
That in a country and culture that
thrives on the needless accumulation
of material items, most of us have no
real need for ever-larger houses or
for a king-cab dually 1-ton pickup,
and that perhaps the next worse thing
after not having enough money may
M
be having too much money.
With these thoughts in mind,
I’ve encouraged my dad to consider
leaving any possible inheritance to
people other than his children. There
are all kinds of possibilities. There
are the grandchildren, who might be
able to use their own launching pad
in life. There’s the granddaughter
who faces the possibility of over-
whelming medical expenses in her
future, and who really may need
assistance to ensure the best pos-
sible quality of life. There’s the soup
kitchen at which my dad and step-
mother volunteered weekly until the
pandemic hit. There are many other
groups and charities that represent
my folks’ values and interests.
Like so many families, there are
other considerations. How will my
stepmother be protected if my father
passes first? We are a blended family,
with stepsiblings, and some of us
have received additional financial
help at times when we were strug-
gling — should those things be con-
sidered in dividing assets?
And there are yet other issues to
consider.
Like so many families in America,
my family has benefited signifi-
cantly through generations from gov-
ernment programs that were never
equally available to all. My ancestors
received government land through
the Homestead Act and the Hard
Rock Mining Act.
Government assistance helped
my grandparents through the
Depression. In the same way that
other families benefited from the GI
Bill, government policies and pro-
grams enabled my parents to pur-
chase houses in areas where real
estate values would inevitably rise.
Cumulatively through the decades,
such programs allowed my family
— generation-by-generation and bit-
by-bit — to accumulate wealth that
benefits us today, most significantly,
in the form of education. My grand-
parents could afford college for both
of my parents, enabling them to get
better-paying jobs, making it possible
for my brothers and me to receive
college educations of our own. But
such programs were never available
on the same basis to all Americans.
African Americans and other people
of color were routinely excluded from
such programs. Where my family
was able to accumulate and pass
along wealth, particularly in the form
of education, many families of color
were systematically denied similar
opportunities.
History matters. Many people of
color are statistically much poorer
today than their white counterparts
precisely because of such systemic,
government-endorsed discrimination.
Does my father have an obliga-
tion to acknowledge such inequities
by giving at least part of his wealth
to groups or programs that might
help redress the historical govern-
ment policies that have unfairly ben-
efited us?
My dad and I can spend a lot of
time discussing issues like these.
I always tell him that I’m so
glad these are his decisions to
make, and not mine.
——
Anne Morrison is a La Grande
resident and retired attorney who has
lived in Union County since 2000.
Thinking Out Loud is her monthly
column for The Observer.
application for the quarry
still does not address some
concerns.
The Union County Plan-
ning Commission tabled its
decision for the March 22
meeting and will resume its
deliberation on the quarry at
the top of the agenda when
the meeting starts at 7 p.m.
The commission no longer is
taking public testimony on the
quarry, but people can tune
into the meeting and hear the
outcome: call 253-215-8782
or 669-900-6833 and enter
meeting identification number
957 9307 1503.
Yes, Union County and
Northeast Oregon need jobs
and development, but as
several speakers last week
pointed out, our wilderness
is an economic engine that
draws tourists and outdoor
enthusiasts, and that is some-
thing we should invest in to
grow our local economy.
The planning commis-
sioners are sure to take all of
those points and more into
serious consideration. But the
commission needs to be cer-
tain it’s on good grounds to
reject the application.
In spite of reassurances
from the quarry proponents,
we’re sure the commission
can find those grounds.
Letter to the editor
Oregon’s River Democracy Act should be celebrated
Our family has lived in and loved Baker Valley since
we settled here after World War II. My mom and dad built
our family home, raised cattle and worked to support the
community here. This wild and verdant country and the
rivers that sustain it are what we have loved most about
this place.
I was happy to join thousands of Oregonians in nomi-
nating local rivers for protection under Wyden’s proposed
“River Democracy Act.” I know many friends and neigh-
bors who did the same.
I understand concerns regarding new public lands pro-
tections but the facts don’t support the most common fears.
Read the bill, and you will find that Sen. Ron Wyden’s
visionary proposal does not affect private property rights,
reduce access or stop grazing, logging or mining.
The bill does recognize the extraordinary value of our
wild, life-giving rivers, which are also our most valuable
long-term resource. Like all groundbreaking proposals,
successful implementation requires thoughtful planning
and local engagement throughout the process.
I urge you to stay tuned and stay involved. Protecting
this resource is not a land grab, rather it is passing on to
future generations what was passed on to us. It preserves
what makes our part of the world so special. I can think of
no better way to honor the legacy of those who have gone
before us and ensure a vibrant future for those who will
follow us.
Robin Coen
Baker City
CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES
State officials
Gov. Kate Brown
900 Court Street N.E., Suite 254
Salem, OR 97301-4047
503-378-4582
Sen. Bill Hansell, District 29
900 Court St. N.E., S-423
Salem, OR 97301; 503-986-1729
Sen.BillHansell@oregonlegislature.gov
Rep. Bobby Levy, District 58
900 Court St. N.E., H-376, Salem, OR
97301; 503-986-1458
Rep.BobbyLevy@oregon
legislature.gov
United States officials
Sen. Ron Wyden
221 Dirksen Senate Office Building,
Washington, D.C., 20510;202-224-5244
La Grande office: 541-962-7691
Sen. Jeff Merkley
313 Hart Senate Office Building, Wash-
ington, D.C., 20510; 202-224-3753;
Pendleton office: 541-278-1129
Rep. Cliff Bentz
1239 Longworth House Office building
Washington, D.C., 20515;
202-225-6730; Medford office:
541-776-4646