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THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, MAY 18, 2018
editor@dailyastorian.com
KARI BORGEN
Publisher
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Editor
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OUR VIEW
Buehler’s debate proposal is ironic
K
nute Buehler has proposed 10
gubernatorial debates, criss
crossing the state. Gov. Kate
Brown should accept his offer.
Oregonians throughout the state
deserve the firsthand opportunity to
evaluate the ideas, aspirations and lead-
ership skills of their next governor.
Even better would be to include
Independent and third-party candidates
in some of those debates so as to more
fully reflect Oregon’s political spectrum.
There is irony in Buehler’s debate
proposal. Until winning the Republican
gubernatorial nomination on Tuesday, he
largely had been absent from the GOP
debates and joint appearances. That strat-
egy did work, enabling the more-mod-
erate Buehler to triumph in a GOP field
crowded with conservative candidates.
Brown, who faced only token opposi-
tion in the Democratic gubernatorial pri-
mary, on Tuesday called for Buehler to
join her in three debates and at least two
joint appearances before newspaper edi-
torial boards.
By nightfall, Buehler had upped the
ante to 10 debates, saying Brown’s pro-
posal was yet another example of her
not being bold enough. Yet one question
for voters to ponder is whether Buehler
as governor would be the bold, poten-
tially decisive politician who emerged
Tuesday or the reticent, off-stage candi-
date of the Republican primary.
In any case, Brown and Buehler have
much to discuss in front of voters.
This election is an evaluation of what
Oregonians could expect from either
politician. But it also is a referendum on
Brown’s leadership since replacing Gov.
John Kitzhaber three years ago.
That makes state management — the
governor’s role as CEO — a dominant
issue. It won’t be enough for Buehler to
say he will lead where Brown failed. He
must specify how he would accomplish
his goals, how he would bring the state
together and how he would prevent the
management missteps of recent years.
As for Brown, she has to show that
she governs for the entire state, not just
her Portland political base. She must
own the missteps, as well as the tri-
umphs, of her tenure. She must reveal
what she has learned on the job and how
that would serve Oregonians for four
more years.
Voters should hear the specifics for
how each candidate would:
• Strengthen Oregon education and
help all Oregon students achieve their
potential.
• Confront the costs of the Oregon
Randy L. Rasmussen/The Oregonian
Republican gubernatorial candidate Knute Buehler gathered with supporters in Wilson-
ville on Tuesday.
Public Employees Retirement System
and public-employee health care.
• Overcome Oregon’s lack of men-
tal health resources and its high suicide
rate.
• Prepare for drought, wildfires and a
host of other environmental issues.
• Bridge the economic, technology
and transportation gap that separates
rural and urban Oregon.
Debates will be a waste if all the can-
didates do is throw jabs at each other.
That is what Buehler did six years ago
in running against Secretary of State
Brown. He lost the election, but she got
caught up in parrying his jabs instead of
defining herself.
Oregonians want, need and deserve
robust discussions about our state’s
future.
GUEST COLUMN
Oregonians investing in salmon, students, and Shangrila
O
regon’s North Coast is unique in the
world — rugged, beautiful, and rich in
both natural resources and community
spirit.
With help from the community and from
public agencies, Oregon’s
land trusts are investing
in this area to continue to
protect our resources. Case
in point: more than $1
million recently awarded
from the Oregon Watershed
Enhancement Board to proj-
Katie Voelke ects spearheaded by two land
trusts, the North Coast Land
Conservancy and Columbia
Land Trust.
Some of this money
came from the Pacific Coast
Salmon Recovery Fund,
which has invested nearly
$222 million in Oregon’s
Dan Roix
salmon recovery efforts since
2000. Leveraged with the
Oregon state lottery dollars, a total of $570
million have been invested in conserving
and restoring salmon and steelhead habitat
throughout Oregon.
In case you’re new to the world of land
trusts, a land trust is a nonprofit organization
whose mission is to protect, conserve, and
steward special lands by working with willing
landowners and community partners. The goal
usually includes protecting land for agricul-
ture, wildlife, open space, clean water, clean
air and more.
The land conservancy is working on sev-
eral projects to conserve and restore wetlands.
The Tillamook River Wetlands project is the
newest opportunity. With funding from the
watershed enhancement board now approved,
the conservancy and partners are one step
closer to being able to purchase a 73-acre
property from a willing landowner and restor-
ing it to a functional wetland for salmon and
other wetland-loving species.
The land conservancy is also continuing
its efforts to protect wildlife habitat in the
Necanicum River watershed. Since the 1980s,
the Conservancy has protected numerous
properties in the estuary, and is now working
its way up the river to protect wildlife habitat
along the entire river corridor. The next piece
of this puzzle is to conserve 100 acres of
coastal wetlands and rainforest along streams
in the watershed near Seaside — the so-called
Shangrila Forest.
The land trust is working on a unique
project to conserve 90 acres of wildlife habitat The land trust is working to conserve 90 acres of wildlife habitat near Astoria.
near Astoria — including three-quarters of a
support thriving recreational and commercial
mile of Columbia River shoreline — not only councils, conservation districts, tribes, local
governments, public agencies and more to
fishing industries that drive local economies
for wildlife, but also students.
The property is next door to Clatsop
conserve the abundance that still remains in
in rural America. The threats facing our natu-
ral resources and our way of life will always
Community College’s Marine and
Oregon.
Environmental Research and Training Station.
They also do this with you — through your be there — climate change, development, and
invasive species, for example. But Oregonians
The land trust plans to purchase the property
sustained commitment to and investment in
are facing those challenges head-on through
and transfer it to the college. Then, Columbia
our Oregon way of life.
collaborative problem-solving, voluntary
River Estuary Study Taskforce will work with
And they do this with our fellow
the land trust and the college to help restore
Americans and leaders in Congress, who have conservation and sustained investment.
and steward the property’s native plants and
When we invest in our lands and waters,
decided that our salmon are a national treasure
wildlife habitat.
worth investing in. It is through programs like we are investing in our economy, our chil-
dren, and our health. We are investing in
Oregon’s land trusts do not do this alone.
the salmon recovery fund that Americans are
They work collaboratively with watershed
choosing to not only prevent extinction, but to Oregon, and ensuring that Oregon remains a
Columbia Land Trust
great place to live, work, and raise a family.
Thank you, Oregonians, for keeping this
place great.
Katie Voelke is executive director of North
Coast Land Conservancy, which has been
working since 1986 to conserve and connect
the landscape of the Oregon Coast from the
Columbia River to northern Lincoln County.
Dan Roix is conservation director for Colum-
bia Land Trust, which conserves and cares for
the lands, waters, and wildlife of the Columbia
River region through sound science and strong
relationships.