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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (March 8, 2018)
4A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 2018 editor@dailyastorian.com KARI BORGEN Publisher JIM VAN NOSTRAND Editor Founded in 1873 JEREMY FELDMAN Circulation Manager DEBRA BLOOM Business Manager JOHN D. BRUIJN Production Manager CARL EARL Systems Manager OUR VIEW Solve persistent Northwest elk problems E lk haven’t yet become as locally controversial as sea lions, but a time might come when fans and skeptics separate into the feuding camps that squabble over the salmon-chomping marine mammals. Ask ranchers or farmers across much of the Northwest what they think of elk. “They’re robbing feed that is intended for livestock,” said Veril Nelson, who ranches near Sutherlin. He estimates 50 to 60 elk dine on his pasture each night. A mature elk eats as much as a 600- to 700-pound steer, he said. The elk problem has migrated to coastal towns such as Seaside, Gearhart and Warrenton, where the mushrooming population of elk has menaced citizens, torn up a golf course and caused traffic accidents. This will become more of an issue as human population pressures continue to expand into traditional elk range. The problem isn’t confined to Oregon. Near Salmon, Idaho, farmer Lowell Cerise told a newspaper last fall that elk were eating his hay crop. Near Challis, Idaho, elk have been raiding rancher Steve Bachman’s haystacks. And in Skagit County, Washington, farmer Randy Good estimated in a let- ter to the editor that local farmers lose $10,000 to $15,000 a year from elk damaging their feed crops. It appears that state wildlife manag- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Ten state-managed feeding sites along the Elkhorn Range in northeastern Oregon are intended to keep elk and deer from venturing onto private land, where they can damage fields, fences and haystacks. Many ranchers across the Northwest report losing tens of thousands of dollars to elk damage. “Wildlife managers face an increasingly divided constituency of many citizens who cherish seeing wildlife and want it protected at all costs, versus other citizens who regard species including elk, sea lions and urban-colonizing Canada geese as nuisances rather than as community mascots.” ers across the Northwest have a prob- lem — nearly 300,000 elk that live in the region. It’s an incredible success story for a species that was hunted down to a few small, coastal herds by the early 1900s. It’s the states’ job to manage wild- life, but for some reason some wildlife agencies appear to be shy about doing that when it comes to these prized game animals. Feeding sites have been set up in some spots in northeast- ern Oregon, but overall there are just too many elk. They overrun ranches, farms, towns and anywhere else they find food. Wildlife managers face an increas- ingly divided constituency of many citizens who cherish seeing wildlife and want it protected at all costs, ver- sus other citizens who regard species including elk, sea lions and urban-col- onizing Canada geese as nuisances rather than as community mascots. Many still see elk and geese as highly prized game animals. It has been sug- gested that extending the season on elk in many places would take care of the problem. Others say another solution would be to trap and kill some of the elk and donate the meat to food banks. However, interest in hunting con- tinues to wane, while anything look- ing like euthanasia is certain to stir up avid objections from animal-rights activists. Ultimately, the vast majority of Northwest residents aren’t wild- life experts. Instead, we’ll look for- ward to wildlife managers in Oregon, Washington and Idaho coming up with an effective solution to the elk prob- lem, and soon. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR County notice is available online ith regard to the letter “County ordi- nance should be available online” (The Daily Astorian, March 1), I wanted to address and clarify the purpose of the language on the postcard, and explain the proposed changes. The proposed changes are requested by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The Department of Land Conser- vation and Development has informed the county that those changes required a notice to be sent to all affected property owners under Measure 56. Oregon statutes include very spe- cific language that must be included on the notice, including that the ordinance is avail- able for purchase. The county has not charged anyone who has requested a copy of the draft language, and will not charge anyone for this. A copy of the proposed language was posted last week on the county’s website at co.clatsop.or.us/ landuse Regarding the proposed revisions, FEMA is requiring the county to make changes to the section of its code regulating construction in the Special Hazard Flood Area. Specifi- cally, FEMA is requesting that the county stop exempting certain activities from having to obtain a floodplain development permit. For example, currently exempted activi- ties include constructing a shed that is smaller than 200 square feet, or constructing a drive- way if there is no change to the topogra- phy. Removing those exemptions means resi- dents would now have to come in for permits in the future. I encourage residents to contact me with any questions or concerns they might have. I can be reached at 503-338-3664 or via email at ghenrikson@co.clatsop.or.us GAIL HENRIKSON Community Development Director Clatsop County W Trump’s changes are successes at work fter only one year in office, President Donald Trump’s policy changes are suc- cesses at work. Although I could fill this page, here are only a few: • Partnered with Congress for tax reform that gives billions in decreased income taxes (without a single Democrat vote). • Gave women-owned businesses priority for $500 million in federal loans, and signed executive orders to support careers in aero- space for women and to encourage entrepre- neurship by women. • Lessened federal government bureau- cracy by cutting 16 federal rules and regula- tions for every new regulation (not just 2 to 1 as promised), and approved 15 congressional regulatory cuts. • Withdrew from the Trans-Pacific partner- ship, believing it’s an unfavorable trade deal A for America and her workers. • Is enforcing longstanding immigration laws that President Obama refused to enforce. • Ordered a crackdown on international criminal organizations, including the notori- ous MS-13 gang. • Blocked foreign aid that’s used for abor- tions and continues to partner with Congress to lessen abortions in America. • Is rebuilding and strengthening the mil- itary, and is taking very strong, no-nonsense approaches to foreign provocations. • Added $2 billion to improve America’s veterans’ hospitals and health care. The gross domestic product (GDP) is now over 3 percent, American business is boom- ing, more businesses are moving to America, more people have jobs, workers have more money, and investors are happy as clams. If President Trump keeps the path he’s on, it looks to me like he might set a record for Republican votes in 2020. DON HASKELL Astoria Culture wars need to be fought uring a recent discussion with fellow con- cerned citizens about actions we might take to address gun violence in our country, I was stunned into silence when I was cau- tioned to not propose actions (in this case, a consumer boycott) that might be perceived as “engaging in the culture war.” What did that mean, exactly? I have learned over the years that the cul- ture of any group — whether it is a business, a church, a university or a nation — is evi- dent less in how the group promotes itself, or even what it believes about itself, than by the behaviors of its members, particularly by what the powerful are allowed to get away with. Judging by what the electoral and finan- cially powerful of this nation have done, and are getting away with, our national culture is one of violence, xenophobia and racism, con- tempt for women, children, the poor and the disabled, and disdain for the common good. The many citizens who have risen to resist this culture and to redefine it should not back down. Every struggle to change cul- tural norms, from abolition, through wom- en’s suffrage, workers’ rights, civil rights to “never again,” are culture wars that need to be fought. Let us not caution each other about what might be said of us. Let us be warriors. NADINE FAITH Astoria D Thanks for support of jazz festival ur genuine thanks go out to the many performers, volunteers, local business sponsors, and Seaside residents for their O efforts and hospitality on behalf of the annual Seaside Jazz Festival. Special kudos need to be extended to fes- tival directors Ruth Johnson and Judy Shook, as well as to the festival committee, for their efforts in putting together a first-rate festival. We were joined by two other couples from outside the Seaside area at the festival, and we were all impressed by the quality of the fes- tival. Seaside should be proud of their ability to host such an event that showcases the city, the sponsoring businesses, and the dedication of the volunteers and residents that we met during our four-day stay. Given that so many music festivals of this type are now in decline, it is refreshing indeed to see and attend a festival that is thriving and is as vibrant as the Seaside Jazz Festival. The city of Seaside clearly benefits greatly from the influx of festival-goers over the course of the weekend, so we urge the resi- dents of the city to please join us in passing along your thanks to all those on the festival committee who so proudly put Seaside on dis- play for our enjoyment. JACK and BARBARA McCOWN Bend New storefront reflects poorly on downtown ust got back from going to town, and had first sighting of the new pawn shop on Exchange Street, smack in the nicest business district in Astoria. The storefront looks bad, guys. The window painting scheme screams “Loans,” encircled in faux green neon spar- klers, with “DVDs,” “Gold,” “Electronics,” “Guns” and more, scribbled around it this way and that. Sort of reminds me of when students working and playing at the FoodWeb, way out on 18th Street, wanted to paint a garden scene on the building (which FoodWeb owns), but were prohibited to do that by city code. The only conclusion I can draw is that the pawn shop is seen by the city as a more wor- thy venture than a place that teaches people how to cook and care for themselves. And, it’s a poke in the eye to the other merchants in that area, who have invested considerable time and effort and money into beautifying their shops. Downtown Astoria is looking very poorly. I hope it can survive yet another blighted busi- ness, and the wrath of unhappy merchants. SUSAN SKINNER Astoria J President, Congress care about the people he State of the Union Address was excel- lent, but a few on the left, for what- ever reason, looked very unhappy. Don’t you agree? It’s amazing how on the right, we heard T success story after success story, about the growing economy, new businesses starting up, lower taxes, jobs, bigger paychecks and less regulations. Thank God, finally a president and Congress who really do care about the people, and want to keep America great. We have serious issues that still need to be resolved, such as immigration and affordable health insurance, which requires the left to join with the right to get this work done now, not later. I believe working together they can do this, don’t you agree? RAYMOND GARDNER Warrenton Don’t let waterfront look like tourist camp ere we go again. Some motel outfit wants to view-block the river we all love (“New hotel pitched for Astoria,” The Daily Astorian, March 2). I saw the “artist’s concep- tion” that makes the four-story, 45-foot-high structure look like it is way lower. Our pow- ers that be need to put the brakes on this until a plan is approved for this entire area, and approved by us voters. I hope we don’t let our waterfront look like a tourist camp. DICK DARBY Astoria H Fort Stevens does its part for Warrenton ’m a former Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) employee. I’d like to respond to the letter that Fort Stevens should do their part (“Shocked that Fort Stevens sac- rificed Civil War re-enactment,” The Daily Astorian, March 1). Fort Stevens has paid for water from War- renton since the 1950s, and for sewer since 1981, when the park abandoned its own septic system. The park paid for Warrenton garbage until the early 2000s, when we found that two compactors and recycling through Western Oregon Waste would save the park $20,000 plus or minus a year. Six hundred thousand dollars towards our new water treatment plant? Perhaps this is a reference to the idea that OPRD agreed to pay for upgrades to the sewer treatment plant, but never did. In 2005, I found the original letters between the Warrenton city manager and OPRD’s head of engineering. In 1981, OPRD offered to pay for upgrades to the plant as part of the greater Hammond and Fort Stevens sewer project. The city manager stated in the letter the additional funds from OPRD were not needed. Additionally, Warrenton assess a 9 percent lodging tax fee on every camping unit sale in the park. That money goes directly to the city. PATRICK LINES Seaside I
