Opinion
4A
Tuesday, June 29, 2021
OUR VIEW
Key steps to
avoid heat
injuries
A
bout the only good thing about the heat
wave that is now descending upon much
of the West is the Grand Ronde Valley
will not suff er alone under the stifl ing rays of the
sun.
The high-pressure dome that is sitting over
our region will push temperatures into the triple
digits in many places — including La Grande —
and the danger from a heat injury will rise expo-
nentially for area residents.
Last week, Observer reporters Carlos Fuentes,
Davis Carbaugh and Dick Mason did a great job
of outlining the risks from high heat in a story,
but we want to add to that precautionary tale.
That’s because the type of high temperatures
the region will see this week are far above normal
and pose a risk to those who disregard their
potential impact.
Falling victim to the heat is not as diffi cult as it
may seem. Especially for most of us, the hot tem-
peratures this week are uncommon, which means
our bodies are not prepared.
There are, of course, some easy measures all of
us can take to avoid a heat injury. First and fore-
most, drink water. Sounds simple enough but
often people in hot weather conditions forget this
basic step. High temperatures can quickly dehy-
drate a person even before they are aware there
is a danger. Another easy step, if you must work
outside, is to pace yourself and to take breaks in
the shade.
If you have air conditioning, use it. If you do
not, fans are a good, safe bet to stay cool. If you
can acquire neither, seek out publicly accessible
air-conditioned places.
If you know an elderly person, or someone
with a serious preexisting condition, check on
them during this time of high temperatures.
Suff ering from a heat injury is no joke. Heat-
stroke and heat exhaustion are real, and they can
have serious medical complications.
However, a few key steps, as outlined above,
can go a long way in avoiding becoming a victim
of the unusally excessive heat.
The summer is here, and we all want to enjoy
it. Clear blue skies and lots of sun are what
summer is all about, but no one wants to see
someone become sick or injured because of a heat
wave.
So be careful out there.
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Act leaves more questions than answers
DONNA
BEVERAGE
OTHER VIEWS
A
s a Union County commis-
sioner I do not support the
eff orts of Sens. Ron Wyden
and Jeff Merkley to designate an
additional 4,700 miles of Oregon’s
streams and rivers as wild and
scenic, as defi ned by the Wild and
Scenic Rivers Act.
Union County is troubled by the
lack of communication between
county leadership and the sen-
ators in regard to the draft bill,
“The River Democracy Act.” It is
a misuse of the Federal Wild and
Scenic Rivers Act to address the
issues the senators say they are
concerned about — water quality,
reducing wildfi re threats and
expanding recreation access.
The process used by the sen-
ators to identify streams was
fl awed, involving only a minor
group of individuals and organi-
zations. It did not include any con-
sultation or coordination with local
elected offi cials. I fi rst learned
about it when it was already nom-
inated. When I asked who nom-
inated it, I was told that was not
public information. We have asked
for maps of the proposed miles and
have not received them. Not coor-
dinating with local county offi cials
or even allowing them at the table
before proposing such an act is just
wrong.
The designation in fact will do
nothing to reduce wildfi re threats,
protect drinking water or sustain
endangered fi sh and wildlife spe-
cies. In fact, through the manage-
ment limitations required under
the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act,
just the opposite will occur.
This proposed act will add
additional layers of bureaucratic
overlays, complicating an already
complicated management scenario
while increasing opportunities for
litigation and inaction by our fed-
eral agencies to accomplish their
management directives. There
will be no additional staffi ng nor
money to manage the segments,
and they will simply be words and
lines on a map.
The multiple use requirement
of these public lands, as defi ned
in the 1960 Multiple Use Sus-
tained Yield Act and others, must
be maintained for the economic
welfare and enjoyment of our cit-
izens and visitors. The restriction
or elimination of the customary
uses on proposed and existing spe-
cial land use designations must be
minimized. Any proposed changes
must be coordinated with local
governments and others as defi ned
through the Congressional Coordi-
nation statute.
I do not support any additional
CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES
U.S. SENATORS
U.S. PRESIDENT
Joe Biden
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Comments: 202-456-1111
Ron Wyden
221 Dirksen Senate Offi ce Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-5244
La Grande offi ce: 541-962-7691
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designations such as those pro-
posed under the RDA. For the
health, safety, welfare and con-
tinued economic viability of our
citizens, we must protect the use of
public lands and water.
I am asking the senators to
schedule a public meeting with
commissioners in which we may
interact with them regarding this
proposed legislation, so the citi-
zens of Union County may hear
what they are proposing and have
the opportunity to ask questions
themselves.
Union County has been working
with OWRD and a diverse group
of stakeholders on a Place-Based
Water Plan for the Upper Grande
Ronde Basin for the last 4-1/2
years, including local ranchers,
farmers, cities, state and federal
agencies. At no time during these
public meetings was the proposed
River Democracy Act brought
up or discussed. I attend Soil and
Water Conservation District meet-
ings as well as Grande Ronde
Model Watershed meetings and
this has never been discussed. We
don’t even know who nominated
it for our area or who they might
represent.
As an elected offi cial, I don’t
think this is the way to handle
such important issues.
———
Donna Beverage is a Union
County commissioner.
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