Opinion
A4
Saturday, July 31, 2021
OUR VIEW
Large forest
fi res show the
need for action
he time for allowing vast tracts of forest
on state and federal lands to remain
untouched from management is long over.
Now, elected leaders and state and federal offi -
cials need to develop a comprehensive, actionable
plan before every summer provides voters with
a blaze such as the Bootleg Fire now scorching
lands in Southern Oregon.
Thankfully there already is some progress
being made to fi nd a way to manage our forests,
so they do not become massive tinderboxes ready
to explode when hit by lightning. For example,
Gov. Kate Brown created the Governor’s Council
on Wildfi re Response in 2020. The board’s mis-
sion is to review Oregon’s existing model for wild-
fi re prevention and determine if it is still valid.
During the recent legislative session, Senate
Bill 762C was passed in the House and Senate.
The bill casts a wide net but, among other things,
requires public utilities that provide electricity
to develop and execute wildfi re protection plans
and directs the Oregon State Board of Forestry to
create rules to develop a statewide map of wildfi re
risk.
So, good fi rst steps are evident from the state.
Yet considering the massive Bootleg Fire, far
more needs to be done.
First, a comprehensive, full-scale plan needs
to be developed, certifi ed and put into place for
all of Oregon’s forests regarding fi re mitigation.
The plan should be eff ective, uncomplicated and
funded appropriately.
Second, a solid determination needs to be made
regarding the viability of logging forests to help
mitigate fi re risk. The subject is controversial and,
in many circles, considered a nonstarter. Already,
though, some salvage logging is a common tool in
fi re restoration yet is almost always bitterly chal-
lenged by conservation groups.
But we cannot continue to allow large uninhab-
ited sections of federal and state forests to essen-
tially rot and await a solid lightning strike to erupt
into major fi res.
Finally, unfortunately for taxpayers, more
money needs to go into a plan to safeguard our
forests.
At this point there is no denying climate change
plays a role in the terrible forest fi res burning in
Oregon, but changing the climate paradigm will
take years and we don’t have decades when it
comes to our forests and the damage fi re delivers
to them.
We cannot sustain blazes like the Bootleg Fire
indefi nitely. If the Bootleg Fire is a harbinger of
things to come, then we need to act fast.
There is no time to waste regarding the health
of our forests.
T
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Stay informed on Oregon wildfi res
ANDREW
CUTLER
FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK
e’ve added a new fea-
ture to our websites
across the six east-
side newspapers of EO Media
Group that I think is needed,
unfortunately.
On each of our news web-
sites there is a tab where all our
wildfi re coverage is collected.
Click on the tab and readers
will be able to catch up on what
is going on across the state and
see updates on the progress of
blazes.
I think the feature is a good
one and will help give our
readers a sense of the magnitude
of the fi res that are scorching
huge chunks of forest across
Oregon.
While I believe the new fea-
ture is a great asset, I, of course,
wish it wasn’t necessary. The
vast size of this summer’s blazes
took me by surprise, and when
I read our coverage on the wild-
W
fi res I always feel a little sad.
That’s because I have spent so
much time recreating in this
great region of ours, and it pains
me to see the areas I’ve consid-
ered as places of refuge go up in
fl ames.
Yet, part of our job is to
ensure our readers are informed.
That can be a challenge when
we are covering a breaking news
story like a wildfi re that is con-
stantly changing. First, we want
to make sure we get the most
accurate information available
to our readers. Then we want
to deliver comprehensive cov-
erage, news stories that provide
context and background on how
the fi res started and the damage
each one infl icts upon our fellow
Oregonians.
In our modern era we are in
many ways more connected to
one another than ever before, but
in some ways I’d argue we also
are further apart.
Social media provides a plat-
form of connectivity unlike any-
thing seen before, but we also
live in a secluded region of the
U.S. SENATORS
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Comments: 202-456-1111
Ron Wyden
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202-224-5244
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Jeff Merkley
313 Hart Senate Offi ce Building
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202-224-3753
Pendleton offi ce: 541-278-1129
Cliff Bentz
2185 Rayburn House Offi ce Building
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-6730
Medford offi ce: 541-776-4646
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Andrew Cutler is the interim
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state where cities and towns
are spaced far apart. Yet, what
occurs in say, Baker City, can
eventually have an impact on a
place like Pendleton. The recent
forest fi res are a good case in
point. While the Bootleg Fire —
one of the largest in the U.S. —
is burning in Southern Oregon
the residual impact of the blaze
— smoke — is impacting not
only Oregon but most of the
nation.
That is a diff erent kind of con-
nectivity, but a real one that we
all must live with when the sky
becomes choked with smoke.
I believe our new wild-
fi re landing page furnishes
our readers with an up-to-
date resource so they can stay
informed and understand what’s
happening around them.
So don’t forget to check it out,
and be careful out there.
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