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Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, Ore. Wednesday, November 30, 2016
Guest editorial: The Albany Democrat-Herald, Trump and Oregon forest lands
You might have noticed a couple of news
items last week that could have a bearing on
what happens over the next quarter-century
with Oregon’s wood-products industry.
In one of the news items, the U.S. Forest
Service announced that it had completed a
scientific report that could form the basis for
changes to the Northwest Forest Plan. The
agency now is taking public comment on the
document. It’s a major step in the process
of revising the plan, which aims to protect
old-growth forest habitat while providing a
predictable flow of logs to the timber industry.
The plan has been controversial in these parts.
In the other news item of some note,
Donald Trump was elected president of the
United States.
Now, national forest policy was not among
the major pillars of Trump’s platform, but we
know what he said during his May campaign
stop in Eugene: Like many of Trump’s policy
pronouncements, it was short on the details, but
at least we got a sense of his overall thinking on
the subject.
During the Eugene stop, Trump cited
some general statistics: He said three-fourths of
the state’s lumber mills have closed since the
1980s. Half of the state’s wood-products jobs
have vanished since 1990, he said. He blamed
federal regulations, such as the Environmental
Protection Act and the Clean Water Act, for the
losses.
That’s the sort of stuff that played well at
Trump campaign rallies in the West.
But, like many of Trump’s campaign
promises, it remains to be seen how much of
a difference his administration will make in
terms of federal lands. (For one thing, thanks
to automation at lumber mills, many of those
jobs never will be coming back, regardless
of what happens in D.C. For another, it’s not
clear whether these issues will be a priority for
Trump.)
One big clue will come in the nominations
Trump makes for the Cabinet positions that
do oversee federal lands. In that regard,
early reports have not been particularly
promising, unless you like the prospect of
former Alaska governor Sarah Palin or Lucas
Oil co-founder Forrest Lucas at the Bureau
of Land Management, which oversees more
than 15 million acres of land inside Oregon.
(Names that have been floated for the secretary
of agriculture, who oversees the Forest
Service, include Sid Miller, the controversial
commissioner of agriculture in Texas, according
to a weekend story in the Eugene Register-
Guard. An
editorial
in a Texas
newspaper
had this
to say
about Miller: “(A)s much as many Texans
would love to be rid of Miller and his many
missteps, we can’t inflict him on the rest of the
nation.”) Trump would do well to find different
appointees for both of those positions.
The history lesson Trump needs to keep
in mind involves James Watt, President Ronald
Reagan’s controversial secretary of the interior.
We don’t need to see that kind of divisive
figure in charge of federal lands; in fact, such
a nomination might well guarantee continued
gridlock.
Similarly, aggressive efforts to roll back
the Northwest Forest Plan or the Endangered
Species Act likely will trigger major battles
in Congress and the courts that will linger for
years.
We can’t afford that. As we have noted
now for years, it’s important that we get people
back to work on our federal lands, tackling the
kind of maintenance projects that have gone
untended for decades. But missteps now by the
president-elect could have the unintended effect
of making that much harder to accomplish.
A Celebration of Life will
be held for
Gene R. Barnes
at the Selma Center
gymnasium
Sat., Dec. 10.
from 1 p.m. - 3 p.m.
This will be a potluck
and open to anyone
who would like to attend.
I llINoIs V alley F uNeral D Irectors
www.since1928Hull.com
541-592-4110
“Winter Welcome!” Open House
Eat, drink and be merry at SFI’s Deer Creek Center!
Sunday, December 4 th , 2016
1:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Fun activities for ALL ages
1:00 Santa’s workshop:
Decorate cookies
Make nature ornaments
Refreshments
Lodge tours
2:00 Program:
Tom Atzet, biologist, on
“Climate and your Land”
Special Announcement!
What’s ahead for SFI &
how you can contribute
3:00 Chili and cornbread
Can’t attend but still wish to support SFI’s Mission?
Please donate online at www.thesfi.org.
SFI’s Deer Creek Center
1241 Illinois River Road
Selma, OR
Questions? Call 541-597-8530
Save the date
Nov. 30
This is to give notice that on Wednesday
the Nov. 30, 2016 at 7 p.m., in the Council
Chambers of City Hall, 222 W. Lister Street,
Cave Junction, Oregon, the Common Coun-
cil will hold a workshop to discuss potential
marijuana business ordinances.
Dec. 2 & 3
Annual Friends of the I.V. Library Book
Sale Dec. 2 and 3, Friday and Saturday from
11 a.m. - 3 p.m. at your I.V. Library Wrap-
up your holiday shopping at the Library Book
Sale! New items added each day. No set pric-
es, purchases are donation only.
Josephine Community Libraries - I.V.
Branch 209 W. Palmer St, CJ 541-592-4778
Branch Hours: Wed 2-6 p.m. Friday 11 a.m.-3
p.m. Saturday 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
hosting a communications meeting to address
our concerns, organize ourselves, our infor-
mation, and to get it to the appropriate au-
thorities. Can you please help us by spreading
the word of this meeting. Contact me, Dennis
Hoke, at 541-287-0021
Illinois
Valley
News
Published weekly by
W.H. Alltheway, LLC
Daniel J. Mancuso, Publisher
Dec. 10
Dec. 7
3rd annual I.V. Local Author Holiday
Book Reading & Sales.
Authors/artists will have the opportunity
to read their work or explain their process,
while guests enjoy free refreshments (baked
goods, coffee & tea, etc.). Following the read-
ing, visit with authors and pick up a book
signed especially for that certain someone on
your holiday list. Featuring books from Mi-
chael Spring, Sarah Bohker, Desmond Serra-
tore, Alan Laurie, Rachel Goodman, and Ryan
Forsythe at 6 p.m. Free to attend.
Dec. 5
Neighborhood Watch Leadership Meet-
ing, Monday – Dec. 5, 6 p.m. at Wild Rivers
Pizza. I am reaching out to all the leadership
in the Illinois Valley neighborhood watch
groups, and to those that wish to help form
their Watch.
We need to have a means to share infor-
mation and resources between all groups. I am
showtime. The Saturday night show will be
followed by a $5-$15 sliding scale bottom-
less bowl soup dinner. Stay for Dell’Arte’s
Alice in Wonderland. For more information
visit facebook.com/ivriverstars or call Nick at
541-649-2333
Dec. 10
RiverStars Performing Arts presents: The
Heart Of Winter, an original dance and theatre
performance written by Illinois Valley youth
and community artists. Showtimes are Dec.
10 and 11 at 5 p.m. at Lorna Byrne Middle
School in Cave Junction. All performances
are Pay-What-You-Can one half hour before
POSTMASTER: Please send
address changes to P.O. Box 1370,
Cave Junction, OR 97523
Illinois Valley News is published at
221 S. Redwood Hwy.,
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charity of your choice.
The Dell’Arte Company’s annual holi-
day show tour returns for its 36th year with an
adaptation of Alice in Wonderland, re-imag-
ined for the unique struggles of growing up
in Northern California. A nimble new piece
from the Dell’Arte Company featuring origi-
nal music and athletic acting, this isn’t your
everyday Alice! Lorna Byrne Middle School
Dec. 10 at 7 p.m.
Continuing
*The I.V. Senior Thrift Store is under
NEW MANAGEMENT and is looking for
new volunteers. Join the crew and make new
friends. You don’t need to be a senior citizen
to join the store. Call us at 541-592-6630.
Open Monday – Saturday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
*The C.J. Substation hours are changed.
We are now open on Mondays, Tuesdays,
Thursdays, Fridays (closed Wednesdays)
News - Dan Mancuso
dan@illinois-valley-news.com
Editor -Laura Mancuso
laura@illinois-valley-news.com
Classified Ads -Laura Mancuso
laura@illinois-valley-news.com
Circulation - Laura Mancuso
laura@illinois-valley-news.com
Advertising / Composition -
Dan Mancuso
dan@illinois-valley-news.com
Mailroom - Millie Watkins
from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The phone number at
the Sub is 541-592-5151. We are looking for
more volunteers to expand the hours; applica-
tions to become a volunteer can be picked up
at the Substation.
*The Senior Health Insurance Benefits
Assistance (SHIBA) program will be offering
free assistance with Medicare Open Enroll-
ment at the Illinois Valley Family Coalition
every Monday from Nov. 7 to Dec. 5. You can
add, drop or change how you receive your
Medicare benefits. Call 541-956-4472. Be
sure to specify that you are calling for an ap-
pointment in Cave Junction.
*Cave Junction Patrol, LLC is looking
for volunteers. CJ Patrol is a private citizen
volunteer ornaization dedicated to effectively
addressing heretofore-unchecked property
crime in our city and neighborhoods. The pri-
mary mission of CJ Patrol is to prevent, in-
terrupt, report and decrease property crime
in the city of Cave Junction. Call 541-592-
9665, cjpatrol.org. Monthly meetings are
first Thursday at 6 p.m. at Wild River Pizza,
249 Redwood Hwy. (Except December - see
meeting on Dec. 5.)
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