Applegater Summer 2013 21
MY OPINION FROM BEHIND THE GREEN DOOR
Money doesn’t grow on trees
by chris bratt
It’s always a pleasant thing to receive
a promise of money. But, many times
promises of money don’t materialize—as
in the case of not cutting enough trees off
public forestlands to help pay the bills for
18 of Oregon’s counties. As most of us
know, these 18 counties (including Jackson
and Josephine) are suffering an ongoing
budget shortfall in these difficult economic
times nationwide.
These particular counties historically
have received a large portion of their
general operating revenues by sharing
receipts from the sale of trees cut from
public forestlands. The U.S. Forest Service
contributes 25 percent of all monies
generated from timber sales to these
counties. These shared federal funds are
dedicated to be used specifically for the
benefit of public schools and roads in the
counties where the national forests are
located. In addition, by using a funding
formula established in 1937, the counties
have always received half the revenues from
the sale of trees cut from Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) lands as well.
Due to unsustainable overcutting
practices and other arguable reasons over
the past four decades, timber volumes on
public lands have declined dramatically.
With fewer trees being sold and cut,
counties are receiving less money from
federal timber sales. This situation
change in federal forest-
caused Congress to
management policies.
intervene in 1994 and
Their plan is
Their plan is to legislate
the government began
the privatization of our
funding guarantees to
to legislate the
make up for the lost
public forests, bringing
privatization
back clear-cutting and
money needed to pay
other unsustainable
the counties’ bills. This
of our public
practices of the past.
level of federal funding
forests, bringing
In fact, there is a
made it possible to
congressional
committee
continue county
back clear-
considering a bill that
services, including
cutting and other
would divide the BLM
libraries, sheriff’s office
forestlands in western
and human services.
unsustainable
Oregon into a trust:
This year a very
practices
of
the
half for logging (tree
serious funding problem
past.
farms and clear-cutting),
has emerged. A fiscally
and half for preservation
conservative congress
(with logging as well).
is no longer willing to
This breakup (the BLM
appropriate funds to fill
the gap in these counties’ budgets. The lack will be out of business) and division of
of federal-guaranteed financial support has our public forestlands will lead right back
put the fate of both our counties and public to the boom-and-bust economy Oregon
forests at risk. Many of these folks in experienced prior to funding guarantees.
Congress think of this kind of guaranteed There is no assurance under this scenario
funding as just another “subsidy,” an that the counties can survive simply by
unnecessary item to drop from the federal cutting more trees. Neither is there any
assurance that our public forests won’t be
budget.
These politicians—along with the severely degraded by the industry tree farm
state, affected counties, and private timber mentality. Cutting too many trees got us
interests—continue to believe that the into this financial hole in the first place.
only long-term solution to our counties’ Trying to cut, cut, cut again is the perfect
financing problems is to cut a lot more definition of insanity.
My proposal for solving this problem:
trees. They are recommending a radical
Applegate Valley Community
Grange is almost a year old
by janis mohr-tipton
In June 2012, our first meeting
produced a wonderfully diverse group
of 37 community members committed
to reopening the doors of the Upper
Applegate Grange #839 and re-establishing
it as a community organization. Now, in
June 2013, at 41 members strong and
growing, the group’s accomplishments
include electing officers, changing the
name to Applegate Valley Community
Grange (AVCG), getting involved in
several community service projects, and
hosting a very successful first Harvest
Community Brunch and fund-raiser.
After looking at the repairs needed
to make this 1950s-built Grange a vibrant
hub for educating, serving, and supporting
the community, we began focusing first on
a major repair of the roof. It has provided
shelter since it was built and been repaired
by lots of volunteer Grange members in
the past, but now needs reroofing to last
for another few generations of community
members.
To kick off our fund-raising efforts,
members of the Grange are offering to the
community a street fair in the country:
“Raising the Roof…Almost Summer
Faire” will be held from 11 am to 5 pm on
Sunday, June 2, at 3901 Upper Applegate
Road, almost four miles from Ruch.
Parking will be provided across the road
from the Grange building.
continue funding
counties with a
fai r lo n g- t erm
(20 to 30 years)
Chris Bratt
guaranteed
funding formula, detached from cutting
trees.
Here are a few good reasons for taking
this approach:
• An often depressed and forever changing
lumber market that relies on cutting trees
is not stable or reliable enough to provide
counties with a steady income source for
financial planning and dependability.
• No property taxes are being paid to
counties for the millions of acres of public
forestland under federal management.
Timber revenue sharing with the federal
government was supposed to provide
enough money to offset the loss of those
taxes. It hasn’t, and that promise has
definitely been broken.
We have come too far in protecting
our public forest environment to turn back
the clock and give up the safeguards needed
for clean air, pure water, healthy forests,
vital public recreation, endangered species
and a stable climate.
The future of our public forestlands is
uncertain, but most people know money
doesn’t grow on trees. Let your elected
representatives know in case they don’t.
Chris Bratt • 541-846-6988
Come for great outdoor fun…
meeting community friends…great local
organic food…wonderful artisan wares…
organic garden vegetable transplants, ready
to plant…perennials, ready to plant…chair
massage…face painting and children’s
activities…meeting local farmers, vintners,
artisans, and local organizations…meeting
AVCG members….and MORE!
Consider joining us at a Grange
meeting and see the Grange at work. We
meet the second Sunday of each month at
6 pm for potluck and lively conversation,
followed by a business meeting at 7 pm.
For more information, contact Paul Tipton
or Janis Mohr-Tipton at 541-846-7501.
Janis Mohr-Tipton • 541-846-7501
Secretary
Applegate Valley Community
Grange #839
janismohrtipton48@frontier.com
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