FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2017
4 — THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS
Opinion / Politics
— Guest Opinion —
Walden applauds OHA’s $74
resilient forests act million
For the fifth time in five
years, Rep. Greg Walden
(R-Hood River) voted to
pass legislation to improve
federal forest manage-
ment and reduce the risk
of catastrophic wildfires
that ravage Oregon and
much of the West every
year. The Resilient Federal
Forests Act (H.R. 2936),
which Walden helped craft,
addresses the growing
economic and environmen-
tal threats of catastrophic
wildfire that scorched
over 678,000 acres of land
across Oregon this year.
“My intensity on this
issue is almost that of
the fires we fight,” said
Walden. “We can reduce
the size and intensity of
fire up to 70 percent, if we
do the kinds of projects
that thin out the forests and
allow us to better manage
and be better stewards of
our federal forests that are
contemplated as a result of
this legislation.”
Walden has led the call
to action on forest manage-
ment reform following a
historic wildfire season in
Oregon and across much
of the West. The Resilient
Federal Forests Act will
bring proper management
to federal lands in Oregon
to improve the health
and resiliency of forests,
and reduce the unnatural
fuel loads that increase
the threat of devastating
wildfires.
“In Oregon, this bill
would take away an
arbitrary prohibition on
harvesting trees over 21
inches in diameter that’s
tied the hands of forest
managers,” continued
Walden. “We clarify the
timber production man-
dates of the unique O&C
lands in southern and
western Oregon to deliver
the underlying statute and
actually have it enforced.
And when fires do happen,
we would exchange this
for a new, healthy for-
est and grow green trees
that sequester carbon and
restore a landscape that
we in the West so enjoy,”
concluded Walden, holding
a jar of ash to illustrate the
effects of catastrophic fires
that Oregonians endure
each summer.”
The Resilient Federal
Forests Act of 2017 pro-
vides federal land manage-
ment agencies immediate
tools to increase the pace,
scale and cost efficiency
of forest management
projects without sacrificing
environmental protections.
In crafting this legislation,
Walden included several
Oregon-specific provi-
sions, including:
Streamlining project
planning in southern and
western Oregon
Removes costly and
time-consuming Survey
and Manage requirements
on Northwest Forest Plan
lands. These requirements
cost the agency about $21
million annually and can
take up to two years to
complete, delaying needed
fire prevention projects.
O&C Lands
The O&C Lands in
southern and western
Oregon are uniquely
managed by the BLM for
timber production under
the requirements of the
O&C Act. Timber harvests
have lagged below these
requirements and this
legislation makes clear the
O&C Act mandates at least
500 million board feet in
annual timber harvest.
Improving forest resto-
ration in eastern Oregon
forests
Removes the arbitrary
prohibition on harvest-
ing trees over 21 inches
in diameter that stands in
the way of land managers
and local collaborative
efforts to restore forest
landscapes. This prohibi-
tion was issued temporar-
ily over 20 years ago, and
never removed.
Promptly address the
overcrowded, diseased
and insect infested forest
lands that pose a risk for
catastrophic fire:
Streamlined planning
process for projects up to
10,000 acres to treat for-
est stands suffering from
insects and diseased trees,
to reduce hazardous fuels,
and to protect watersheds.
To incentivize collabora-
tion, this authority expands
to 30,000 acres for col-
laborative or Community
Wildfire Protection Plan
projects that have had suc-
cess in Oregon.
Ensures the Forest
Service and BLM can
promptly clean-up after
wildfires by removing
burned, dead trees and re-
plant our forests following
an Environmental Assess-
ment. Includes require-
ments that the agencies
replant 75 percent of the
affected area.
Creates a pilot program,
allowing some forest
projects to go through arbi-
tration, cutting through liti-
gious gridlock by requiring
opponents to come to the
table with an alternative
proposal rather than just
saying “no”.
Oregon receives Real
ID Act extension
The Department of
Homeland Security has
given Oregon another
extension for compliance
with the federal Real ID
Act.
Oregon-issued driver
licenses, instruction
permits and identification
cards will continue to be
accepted at airports for the
purpose of accessing feder-
al facilities where individ-
uals are required to present
an identification document
for access through at least
Oct. 10, 2018.
Because Oregon is work-
ing to comply with the
federal law, the state will
likely qualify for addition-
al extensions until it can
begin to offer Real ID Act-
compliant driver licenses,
instruction permits and ID
cards.
Oregon is targeting July
2020 to begin offering
compliant cards as a new
option for customers.
The most common feder-
al use of state-issued ID is
for air travel. Starting Jan.
22, 2018, the Transporta-
tion Safety Administration
will require Real ID Act-
compliant identification
or state-issued ID from
states with exceptions,
like Oregon, for boarding
commercial aircraft for
domestic flights.
Oregon already meets
the majority of Real ID
requirements. The pri-
mary changes remaining
include:
Scanning and storing
documents customers
submit to prove identity
and lawful presence in the
U.S.;
Verifying some of
those documents such as
passports through federal
systems; and
Verifying the applicant
doesn’t have a current li-
cense or ID card in another
state.
The way Oregon issues
cards, and the cards them-
selves, are already very
secure.
DMV verifies legal
presence and identity, uses
facial recognition to guard
against identity fraud,
and has multiple security
features embedded in the
cards.
However, DMV does
not store copies of custom-
ers’ identity documents,
and does not use some
national electronic verifi-
cation systems created for
Real ID.
Oregon DMV is in the
early stages of a multi-year
project to update its com-
puter systems and business
processes.
The new driver license
and ID card system will
include the Real ID Act-
compliant card option.
For more information
about DMV’s Service
Transformation Program,
visit http://www.oregon.
gov/ODOT/DMV/pages/
STP/STP_Information.
aspx.
Under the Real ID Act,
identification from a state
that is in compliance with
the act or has an extension
for compliance, or another
form of ID acceptable
for federal purposes, is
required to access certain
federal facilities.
This includes, but is not
limited to, military bases
and nuclear power plants.
The requirement does not
include entering the public
areas of a federal building
or other federal facility
where identification is not
required for access.
There is no require-
ment to show a Real ID
Act-compliant ID to enter
a federal facility for ac-
cessing health or life-pre-
serving services (includ-
ing hospitals and health
clinics), law enforcement
(including participating in
law enforcement proceed-
ings or investigations), or
to participate in constitu-
tionally protected activities
(including a defendant’s or
spectator’s access to court
proceedings and access by
jurors or potential jurors),
to vote or register to vote,
or to apply for or receive
federal benefits.
For details on the Act,
visit the DHS website:
https://www.dhs.gov/real-
id.
mistake
By Dennis Richardon
I have stated in the past that, from
my conversations with citizens across
the state, one thing is clear: Orego-
nians want increased accountability
for how their tax dollars are spent.
That’s why, on May 17, 2017, my
office released our first Audit Alert,
notifying the Oregon Health Author-
ity of immediate concerns uncovered
during our ongoing audit.
“The Audit Alert flagged millions of
dollars of improper payments made
for ineligible recipients. During the
months that followed, OHA removed
more than 54,000 ineligible recipients
from their system.
“It has now come to light, thanks to
recent reporting by The Oregonian,
that OHA additionally misspent more
than $74 million of federal Medicaid
funds on improper payments. Some
of these improper payments must
be repaid to the federal government,
thereby endangering Oregon’s already
Submitted Photo
Dennis Richardson is Oregon’s
Secretary of State.
precarious budget situation.
“I appreciate the new OHA director’s
public disclosure of longstanding mis-
management of taxpayer funds. It’s
the first of many necessary steps cur-
rent leadership should take to improve
transparency, efficiency, and account-
ability to Oregon taxpayers.
“The Secretary of State’s Improper
Medicaid Payments Audit report is
scheduled to be released in the com-
ing weeks. The thorough findings will
reveal the mismanagement and waste
of substantial amounts of taxpayer
money. Stay tuned for that report
— Letters to the Editor —
To the Editor:
I have recently had a billing for Blue
Mountain Translator District (BMTD) ap-
pear on my tax bill. I called the BMTD of-
fice and was told that my form requesting
exemption was indeed in their office but
that I would have to pay the $100 then re-
quest a refund. I was also made to under-
stand that BMTD seldom gave refunds. I
called the Baker County Assessor’s Office
and was told that they could not remove
the charge from my tax bill. Several calls
took place between my house and these
offices without any resolution. I spoke
with some neighbors and discovered that I
wasn’t the only one incorrectly billed and
that one party had proof that they’d sent in
their exemption form to BMTD last year
but had to pay the assessment and never
got their money back. I depend on Social
Security for my income and am barely
able to save enough to pay my taxes. I was
more than a little upset when I was told
that I had to pay it even though it wasn’t
my fault.
When did the Assessor’s Office become
a collection agency for another entity?
They surely have plenty of county busi-
ness to tend to without being an agent for
BMTD. The television district appears
to be an outdated service in light of the
fact that there are now several sources
available to receive TV programs and the
collection process is certainly question-
able. The fact that they require you to pay
a bogus debt or the fee will be considered
delinquent taxes is a form of extortion.
Perhaps it’s time to lay this District, the
use of the assessor’s office as a billing/
collection service and the requirement that
you ask for an exemption every year to
rest. BMTD should do their own billing
and collections and be held responsible
for maintaining accurate records. I urge all
taxpayers included in this system and with
any concerns about how BMTD business
is conducted to please attend the Nov. 7
meeting at noon at Baker City Hall, 1655
First Street.
Esther Young
Baker City
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BMTD billing is bogus
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