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THE ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2022
Washington state cap and trade
cost estimates set to increase
By DON JENKINS
Capital Press
The bill would add nearly 4,700 miles of rivers and streams in Oregon to the Wild and Scenic
Rivers System.
Dozens of Oregon groups sign letter
supporting River Democracy Act
Advocacy sent to
Wyden, Merkley
By MICHAEL KOHN
The Bulletin
A plan to protect thou-
sands of miles of rivers and
streams in Oregon received
renewed attention last week
when dozens of organiza-
tions banded together to
encourage politicians to
speed up the passage of the
bill.
Seventy-fi ve organiza-
tions across the state sent a
joint letter to U.S. Sen . Ron
Wyden and U.S. Sen. Jeff
Merkley urging them to pass
the River Democracy Act.
The letter was signed mainly
by conservation groups and
outdoor sporting and fi shing
organizations.
If passed, the bill would
add nearly 4,700 miles of
rivers and streams in Ore-
gon to the Wild and Scenic
Rivers System. The federal
designation, created in 1968,
protects rivers and devel-
ops them for tourism, just as
national parks and national
forests protect designated
areas of land. Rivers can be
listed as having wild, scenic
or recreational value.
Wyden and Merkley —
Oregon Democrats — intro-
duced the River Democracy
Act in February 2021. More
than 15,000 streams and riv-
ers were nominated by Ore-
gonians for inclusion in the
act after Wyden called on
state residents to suggest
their favorite waterways in
2019. In Bend, one nomina-
tion came from a group of
sixth graders at Pacifi c Crest
Middle School.
But the bill has its detrac-
tors, too. In January, U.S.
Rep. Cliff Bentz, an Ore-
gon Republican , spoke out
against the legislation on
the fl oor of the U.S. House
of Representatives, declar-
ing that it will create a wild-
fi re risk in Oregon’s water-
sheds. Bentz argued that the
bill would put forests at risk
because it would allow pre-
scribed burns without con-
ducting thinning operations.
The American Forest
Resource Council, which
represents logging interests,
is among the groups that
defend Bentz’s position.
“We continue to oppose
the River Democracy Act
because it will increase the
risk of severe wildfi res,
threaten our communities,
impede public access and
impact multiple uses of pub-
lic lands,” said Nick Smith,
the council’s public aff airs
director. “Catastrophic wild-
fi res including subsequent
erosion and sedimentation
pose the greatest threat to
watersheds and rivers, and
water quantity and quality.”
SOME
DETRACTORS
CLAIM THE
BILL WILL
CREATE A
WILDFIRE
RISK IN
WATERSHEDS.
Smith said more manage-
ment of federal lands will
help reduce wildfi re.
“Rather than imposing
more arbitrary designations
and restrictions on federal
lands, Oregon’s federal rep-
resentatives should focus on
giving public lands manag-
ers more resources and tools
to proactively reduce wild-
fi re risks, maintain access
and protect our forests, riv-
ers and communities,” he
said .
Wyden’s
offi ce
has
pushed back against the
argument that forests will be
at a greater risk for fi re, stat-
ing that the bill would require
agencies to implement a fi re
risk-reduction plan across a
half-mile corridor on either
side of a river or stream.
The letter sent last week
was supported by river-
keeper groups, guiding asso-
ciations, watershed councils
and paddling clubs, among
others.
“Although our groups
represent a wide variety of
interests, purposes and peo-
ple across the state, we all
have at least one thing in
common — a love of Ore-
gon’s rivers,” stated a por-
tion of the letter. “They pro-
vide us with clean drinking
water, our favorite swim-
ming holes and places to
take our families fi shing and
boating.”
The designations would
add protection for fi sh, wild-
life, clean drinking water
and recreation in watersheds,
including the Deschutes,
Metolius, McKenzie, and
others.
The next step for the bill is
a vote by the Senate Energy
and Natural Resources Com-
mittee, which is chaired by
U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, a
West Virginia Democrat.
Wyden told The Bulletin
that public lands bills tend
to get a close look at the end
of the year, and he is pre-
paring to have it voted on in
the Senate by that time. His
offi ce is in communication
with Manchin specifi cally to
seek the necessary votes to
get the bill passed.
“In terms of public lands,
we’re going to fairly soon
have some mark ups, where
the legislation is formally
considered and pulling out
all the stops for it,” Wyden
said. “We are getting all the
small businesses from rural
Oregon behind it and we are
pleased about the coalition
coming together.”
th
Happy 100 Birthday
A Washington Depart-
ment of Ecology consultant
projects that cap-and-trade
auctions next year will be
more costly for fuel suppliers
and manufacturers than orig-
inally expected.
Vivid Economics predicts
that allowances will go for at
least $41 each, nearly double
the $22.78 state agencies esti-
mated in 2021.
An allowance will grant
the right to emit 1 ton of car-
bon dioxide. High auction
prices will increase busi-
ness costs while raising more
money for state-funded cli-
mate change reduction
programs.
Allowances could average
$58 or $68 in 2023 under two
other scenarios analyzed by
Vivid. The fi rm did not proj-
ect cap and trade’s impact on
gasoline and diesel prices.
The state in 2021 esti-
mated auctions would raise
$441 million in govern-
ment revenue the fi rst year.
The fi gure has not yet been
updated based on Vivid’s
forecast, Department of
Ecology spokesman Andrew
Wineke said Tuesday.
NERA Economic Con-
sulting, hired by the West-
ern States Petroleum Asso-
ciation, estimated Ecology’s
proposed cap-and-trade rules
will increase gas prices by 56
cents a gallon and diesel by
64 cents in 2024.
Ecology maintains that its
proposal will increase pump
prices by less than 1%.
Supply and demand
and global events, such as
COVID and Russia’s inva-
sion of Ukraine, drive fuel
prices, Wineke said. “Regu-
lations play a very minor role
in the price people pay at the
pump,” he said.
Whatever the additional
cost, fuel suppliers prob-
ably will pass them along
to motorists, Washington
Research Council economist
Don Jenkins/Capital Press
The Washington Department of Ecology is fi nalizing cap-
and-trade rules.
Kriss Sjoblom said Tuesday.
The world market sets fuel
prices and suppliers aren’t
limited to serving Washing-
ton, he said. The auctions
also will be another reason
for pump prices to fl uctuate,
he said.
“Because there is uncer-
tainty about what allowance
prices will be, it probably
adds a bit to the volatility of
gas prices,” Sjoblom said.
The Legislature in 2021
passed cap and trade, the
centerpiece of Gov. Jay Ins-
lee’s climate agenda. To
carry out the law, Ecology
has proposed 138 pages of
regulations.
Auctions are at the heart
of the rules. Beginning next
year, large carbon-emitters
will bid for allowances. The
number of allowances auc-
tioned off will decline each
year.
Allowances are expected
to become increasingly
expensive as the state moves
closer to its goal of cutting
emissions by 45% by 2030
and 95% by 2050.
State agencies in 2021
projected the cost of alliances
based on California’s experi-
ence, which has been holding
cap-and-trade auctions since
2014. For many years, allow-
ances were going for near the
minimum price, though they
have been rising recently,
according to the U.S. Energy
Information Administration.
Vivid warned allowance
prices were uncertain. Many
factors will infl uence prices,
including how fast drivers
convert to electric vehicles,
reducing demand from fuel
suppliers for allowances.
Merging Washington’s
cap-and-trade auctions with
those jointly held by Califor-
nia and Quebec also would
hold down allowance prices,
according to Vivid.
Presumably, a bigger pool
of allowances will hold down
bids. Ecology will start look-
ing at linking up with Cali-
fornia and Quebec once it’s
fi nalized Washington’s cap-
and-trade rules.
“Given the benefi ts link-
age could have for our mar-
ket, Ecology has accelerated
our timeline and will begin
exploring the benefi ts of link-
ing in the fall,” Wineke said.
Food Northwest, a trade
association of food proces-
sors, says cap and trade will
increase the cost of making
food in Washington.
If Ecology doesn’t hold
down allowance costs, food
makers may move to Idaho,
the association said in com-
ments sent to Ecology.
J.R. Simplot Co. warned
that rapid increases in gas
prices will cause a consumer
backlash and cause politi-
cal pressure to revise cap and
trade.
August 2 ND - 6 TH , 2022
$5 Admission
10 AM - 10 PM
Daily Fair Events 2022
Tuesday August 2
4pm - Pig Roast • 6pm - Stick Horse race
7pm - perry Gerber: country
Wednesday August 3
Noon, 5pm - perry Gerber: country
7:30 - Memo: Mariachi band
Thursday August 4
11am, 1:30pm, 4:30pm, 7:30pm - Louis fox: Magic show
Noon, 3pm, 6pm - Briana renea
Friday August 5
10am, 1:30pm, 8:30pm - Louis fox: magic show
11am, 4pm - Briana renea
1pm - arron crawford
derby
7pm - Trace Adkins
11am-1pm
Saturday august 6
auction
11am - Louis fox: magic show
11:30am - Fashion show
12:30pm, 4pm, 7pm - Joel Gibson
2pm start
Everyday
Vi Paulson
July 22, 2022
You are such an Amazing Blessing!
Love, Your Family
Corn Pit • Magic Shows • Musical Performers
straw tower • scavenger hunt • Monster truck
Mini golf • mechanical bull • rc airshows
lots of food
92937 Walluski Loop
Astoria, Oregon • 503-325-4600
www.ClatsopCoFair.com