Opinion
A4
Thursday, October 21, 2021
OUR VIEW
Oregon
created illegal
pot crisis
S
even years ago, Oregonians were told that
by legalizing marijuana and hemp they
could solve an array of problems. Pot
smokers could come out of the shadows and
hemp could take its place as a legitimate crop.
Illegal pot growers would be put out of business
— or at least forced to register under the state’s
auspices.
State offi cials estimated millions of dollars
would come tumbling into the state’s coff ers that
would go to schools and cover the costs of regu-
lating the crop.
By 2020, legal marijuana sales in Oregon
topped $1.1 billion a year, and state tax rev-
enue exceeded $150 million. According to the
state Department of Revenue, 40% was ear-
marked for the state school fund, 20% for mental
health, alcoholism and drug services, 15% for the
Oregon State Police and 5% for the Oregon Health
Authority for drug treatment.
The problem: Enforcement of the pot and hemp
law has taken a back seat. Illegal marijuana grows
are overtaking some parts of the state. It’s gotten
so bad in Jackson County that the commissioners
there declared a state of emergency and sent a
plea for help to Gov. Kate Brown and legislative
leaders.
Neighboring Josephine County faces the same
problems. The sheriff there estimated hundreds of
illegal pot grows are spread throughout the south-
western Oregon county.
Some legal hemp farms serve as camoufl age for
illegal marijuana grows. Nearly 50% of the regis-
tered hemp farms in Oregon illegally grow mari-
juana, according to the Oregon Health Authority
and the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commis-
sion. About 25% of registered hemp farms won’t
let state inspectors in.
All of which constitutes an emergency of the
highest order. Once pot growers — and hemp
growers who cultivate pot illegally on the side —
decide to fl out the law, all bets are off . They are
telling the state of Oregon they don’t care what
the law says and are thumbing their noses at the
authorities. And the state is letting them get away
with it. Illegal growers steal massive amounts of
water and use illegal chemicals, threatening the
livelihoods of legal farmers.
To her credit, the governor is making more can-
nabis law enforcement grants available and told
the state police to increase its eff orts. The Oregon
Department of Agriculture is expanding its hemp
program from four to 12 staff ers. Every little bit
helps, but that’s not nearly enough.
Jackson County commissioners alone say they
need six more code enforcement offi cers; the sher-
iff ’s offi ce needs 34 more staff ers, including 18
detectives; and the state Water Resources Depart-
ment there needs three more staff ers just to handle
water-theft complaints.
And that’s just one county. Other counties
report similar illegal pot problems.
Oregonians, including growers who follow the
law, are being hurt because of the state’s lax regu-
lation of pot and hemp.
Oregon’s leaders have failed the public. They
have allowed illegal pot growers to operate at will.
It’s time for the governor and her administra-
tion to fi x this crisis, which they helped create.
When Oregonians approved the legalization
of marijuana and hemp, they were told the state
would do a good job of regulating the crops and
get rid of illegal growers.
The state at all levels has failed to live up to
its part of the bargain. It’s time for the authorities
to saddle up and get rid of the problem they have
allowed to overrun our state.
The hidden danger of wildfi re burn scars
MARY
WISTER
EYE TO THE SKY
he Western U.S. has faced
another busy wildfi re season,
and nearly all large wildfi res
lasted for weeks — or even months
— before they were fully contained.
Many wildfi res continue to burn as I
write this article.
What a relief to see the words
“100% contained,” knowing that
the fi re will no longer threaten addi-
tional landscape or property.
However, is the threat of any
additional damage completely over?
Unfortunately, the answer is no.
Wildfi res, no matter how big or
small, will leave a burn scar on the
landscape. Fires in steep terrain are
particularly susceptible to signifi -
cant erosion. The depth of the burn
scar will depend on how long the fi re
resided and how hot the fi re burned.
Ash and burnt soil do not absorb
water. All it takes is water to sud-
denly wreak havoc as it combines
with ash and loose soil to fl ow down
the side of a mountain or steep hill
and threaten any object along its
path. If precipitation falls at a faster
rate than the soil can absorb, the
more signifi cant the debris fl ow will
be.
On July 31, 2016, the Rail Fire
ignited about 10 miles south-
west of Unity. The fi re burned
more than 41,000 acres in both the
T
LETTERS
• The Observer welcomes letters to the editor. We
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We also discourage thank-you letters.
Wallowa-Whitman and Malheur
National Forests. A year later, in
September 2017, a thunderstorm
produced fl ash fl ooding along the
South Fork of the Burnt River. For-
tunately, there were no injuries.
However, four campgrounds were
impacted by a massive amount of
mud, and the campers who evacu-
ated witnessed a potentially deadly
situation.
One of the biggest challenges
with forecasting debris fl ows is the
time to research the damage from
a wildfi re before the rain occurs.
Heavy rain can occur while the fi re
is burning, and there is little to no
evidence of how deep the soil has
burned.
Some post fi res are evaluated by
a Burned Area Emergency Response
(BAER) team that can greatly assist
in understanding the severity of a
wildfi re, and the team often pre-
scribes mitigation goals to reduce
the threat from burned scars and
fragile slopes, but there may not be
enough time to accomplish these
preventative measures prior to the
next precipitation event.
National Weather Service fore-
casters have the ability to overlay
fi re perimeters with radar and satel-
lite imagery and focus on showers
that approach wildfi res and burn
scars. Flood watches and warnings
may be issued as needed. Despite the
dedication of the NWS forecasters
to protect those from fl ooding and
fl ash fl ooding, situational awareness
is highly important for those who
reside near burn scars.
If you are near steep terrain
recently burned by a wildfi re, look
out for rocks that can easily slide
down the slope and cause injuries
or death. Is the terrain barren, or
covered with trees? Tree roots can
limit the amount of runoff , as long
as the trees are not fully scorched
with weak roots. Visually observe
the depth of the ash on the ground.
(Never stick your hand or foot into
the ash. Ash and stumps can retain
heat long after a fi re has burned.)
By observing the terrain and the
weather, you will be better prepared
for debris fl ows.
One question often asked is
“When do we no longer have to
worry about wildfi re burn scars?”
That depends on the severity of the
burned area. Debris fl ows can occur
two to three years after a wildfi re —
possibly longer.
If a burned area shows no signs
of vegetation, then consider it a con-
tinued threat.
The website www.weather.gov/
safety/fl ood-hazards provides
excellent safety tips for fl oods
and fl ash fl oods.
———
Mary Wister is a meteorologist
and fi re weather program manager
at the National Weather Service in
Pendleton. Wister serves as an
incident meteorologist when large
wildfi res or other natural hazards
necessitate an Incident Management
Team’s quick response to protect life
and property.
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