FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2015
4 — THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS
Opinion & Local
— Letters to the Editor —
Thank you, voters
To the Editor:
I would like to send a big thank you
to the voters of Baker County for the
defeat of County Initiative 1-63. Another
thank you goes to all the volunteers who
worked tirelessly to stop this change to
Baker County Government, which was not
needed. Change for the sake of change
does not always equal a positive outcome.
Hopefully the education process that
was started because of this measure will
continue and the voting public will again
recognize a false narrative for what it is
and will value the system we have, which
is a representative Republic. This system
is what this county was founded on, and it
does work when people take responsibility
for voting. We’re incredibly thankful that
the majority of voters in our county saw
that.
Suzan Ellis Jones
Baker County Republican Chair
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services advertised.
Wild edibles, EMPs
discussed at Oath Keepers
BY KERRY MCcQUISTEN
News@TheBakerCountyPress.com
About 40 people met for
the monthly meeting of the
Baker County Oath Keep-
ers Tuesday night, filling
the Baker City Council
Chambers on the heels
of the Baker City Budget
Committee meeting.
Kody Justus led the flag
salute and invocation, and
Jake Brown explained for
those new to the group
how Oath Keepers is a na-
tional organization focused
on upholding the Constitu-
tion and supporting elected
officials in upholding
their oaths. The members
stressed again that Oath
Keepers is not a militia or
similar organization.
Several members in the
group reiterated that by
being self-sufficient and
prepared at home first, citi-
zens could then turn and
help neighbors and friends
prepare for emergencies,
thereby helping the entire
community.
Toward that goal, two
key presentations filled
the evening, the first by
Michelle Cooper regard-
ing the nutritional value
of some of the weeds that
grow locally, but offer
nutritional value that may
be overlooked.
Lambs Quarter.
Cooper brought samples
of Lambs Quarter, a weed
that grows abundantly
throughout Baker County.
“It tastes better than spin-
ach,” she said.
Lambs Quarter is non-
toxic and contains several
key nutrients including
potassium, calcium, niacin
and iron. In a pinch such as
a natural disaster when the
produce section of the gro-
cery store may be off-lim-
its, this plant can be picked
and eaten fresh or sauteed
much like any other leafy
vegetable. It can also be
dried to make flour.
Cooper also brought pho-
tos of a fodder tray system,
a stackable system that can
be used indoors to sprout
and grow wheatgrass, etc.
EMPs.
The next presentation was
given by Mark Coombes
who discussed the potential
effects of Electromagnetic
Pulses (EMPs).
“There are two kinds of
events that can cause this,”
said Coombes. “The first
is a solar event—a coronal
mass ejection.” In the
1800s, he said, America’s
telegraph system was
“fried” due to just such an
event. A solar event of that
size has not since hap-
pened.
Kerry McQuisten / The Baker County Press
Mark Coombes talks about Faraday Cages and how
to protect electronics.
Kerry McQuisten / The Baker County Press
Jake Brown tells those new to the audience what
the Oath Keepers are all about.
He said the second event
could come in the form of
an nuclear attack, either by
ground or air. North Korea,
for example, has a program
in place to develop elec-
tromagnetic weaponry, ac-
cording to Trevor Louden
in a speech given in Baker
City last year.
An EMP, depending on
its strength and distance
away from a target, could
potentially knock out the
power grid nationwide
and send an electrical
pulse through any wir-
ing, destroyed tools and
equipment that are plugged
in. Experts estimate three
years to repair each major
transformer station, which
may be longer consider-
ing the factories making
the necessary repair parts
would also be down. A
hit to an eastern seaboard
transformer could have a
domino effect across the
United States, as the grid is
linked together, except for
Texas, which has its own
separate system.
Coombes discussed mak-
ing a grounded Faraday
Cage (a technology attrib-
uted to scientist Michael
Faraday and also Benjamin
Franklin) in which to store
valuable radios and other
electronics safely at home.
Preparedness Fair.
Jason Yencopal of Baker
County Emergency Man-
agement has organized the
County’s first preparedness
fair, May 30, 9 a.m. - 3
p.m. with a special pre-
sentation from 3 p.m. - 5
p.m. at the National Guard
Armory in Baker City.
The Oath Keepers and
The Baker County Press,
along with The American
Red Cross, Baker County,
The City of Baker City,
and the Baker County
Sheriff’s Department have
come together as com-
munity partners to help
support this free event.
The Oath Keepers dis-
cussed bug-out bag and
water purification demon-
strations at their table.
The Baker County Press
will have cheap entry-level
preppers’ guides for fami-
lies available.
Radio.
The group discussed
learning how to legally use
and become licensed radio
operators, as well as poten-
tial ideas for educational
communications classes.
In other radio news, Leo
Castillo, host of the radio
show World Gone Crazy,
which airs Sundays at 9
p.m. on 1490AM, KBKR,
ended the meeting saying
he was encouraged to see
people come together to
help each other.
“Wisdom does come with
preparing,” he concluded.
Castillo stressed that no
matter who you are, there
is something every single
person can do to be better
prepared.
— Guest Opinion —
Forest access
hangs in the
balance
By Rep. Kerry White
Special to The Baker County Press
The Wallowa-Whitman National
Forest has been working on their
closure plan for many years. Citizens
for Balanced Use from Montana have
been doing our best to educate and
help the people of Eastern Oregon
keep this forest open. Two members of
CBU attended the sold-out Forest Ac-
cess for All banquet this year in Baker
City where Fred Kelly Grant spoke of
the coordination process that has been
a success all across the nation.
The federal agencies and specifical-
ly the Forest Service are resisting the
requirement of coordination. Through
the coordination process the federal
agencies are required to make their
plan consistent with the local govern-
ment’s plan.
Since 2007, the Wallowa-Whitman
National Forest has shuffled five forest
supervisors through the agency.
These public employees have been
unsuccessful in closing the forest and
this is a great thing for the local com-
munities and businesses that rely on
the federally managed public lands for
their economies, culture and heritage.
The past supervisors are most often
brought in to this forest to subject the
people to Washington D.C. mandates
with little regard for local government
or the people. This is why coordina-
tion is so important to preserve the
historic nature of the area.
Currently the Forest Service is writ-
ing what is called “sub-part A,” which
will become the guiding document for
closing your forest to access.
Sub-part A will designate which
roads will remain open, which the
Forest Service deems necessary for
them to manage the forest. How about
what the people need for them to con-
tinue to enjoy their public land? The
Forest Service seems not responsive
to the needs of the people but more
toward closing the forest to reduce
management cost. Is it really about
cost or is it about keeping people out?
Could it be the Forest Service has
mismanaged this land for so long that
keeping people out will stop the public
from seeing the destruction to our land
they have caused?
Coordination by the Forest Service
with local governments is the law and
it is time for this federal agency to fol-
low the law.
Sub-part A has been drafted and this
is a public document yet the Forest
Service has refused to release it. Why?
Could it be the closures proposed in
Sub-part A are so severe they feel the
Submitted Photo
Elected in 2013, Rep. Kerry White
represents Montana’s House District
64. He is a founding member of
Citizens for Balanced Use.
public’s outrage would derail their
closure plan?
When will the Wallowa-Whitman
forest begin to follow the law and
even more important when will they
begin to serve the public which they
are supposed to serve?
Everyone should be concerned
with the actions and the plan being
drafted by the Wallowa-Whitman
National Forest.
The ability to access this forest for
future generations is hanging in the
balance.
The Forest Plan Revision is current-
ly on hold until Sub-part A is finalized
but local input in Sub-part A has been
non-existent.
The new Forest Plan Revision will
turn past management direction on its
head as this forest will change from
a designated open to a designated
closed. In other words all roads and
trails are considered closed unless
posted open. The Forest Service will
not be required to post anything. Ev-
erything will be closed. Road and trail
obliterations will follow shortly and
enforcement and fines to violators will
become the norm.
Groups such as Forest Access for
All and Citizens for Balanced Use
are working every day to stop the
closures and educate their members
and the public on the importance of
being engaged. Only through member
and supporter engagement can we be
successful in keeping our public lands
public and open.
Contact the local Forest Service of-
fice in your area and demand a copy of
the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest
Sub-part A.
Visit with your local County Com-
missioners about the importance of
coordination and urge them to require
the Forest Service to follow the law
and create a plan that is consistent
with the desires and needs of local
communities.
Call your state and federal legisla-
tors to ask for their help in keeping
these lands open.
— Contact Us —
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