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4A | AUGUST 13, 2020 | COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL Cottage Grove Sentinel 116 N. Sixth St. Cottage Grove, Ore. 97424 NED HICKSON , MANAGING EDITOR | Opinion 541-902-3520 | NHICKSON @ CGSENTINEL . COM The First Amendment C ongress shall make no law respect- ing an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Govern- ment for a redress of grievances. “I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend.” —Thomas Jefferson (1800) USPS#133880 Copyright 2020 © COTTAGE GROVE SENTINAL Letters to the Editor Policy The Sentinel welcomes letters to the editor as part of a community discussion of issues on the local, state and national level. Emailed letters are preferred. Handwritten or typed letters must be signed. All letters need to include full name, address and phone number; only name and city will be printed. Letters should be limited to about 300 words. Letters are subject to editing for length, grammar and clarity. Publication of any letter is not guaranteed and depends on space available and the volume of letters received. Letters that are anonymous, libelous, argumentative, sarcastic or contain accusations that are unsourced or without documentation will not be published. Letters containing poetry or from outside The Sentinel readership area will only be published at the discretion of the editor. Political/Election Letters: Election-related letters must address pertinent or timely issues of interest to our readers at-large. Letters must: 1) Not be a part of letter-writing campaigns on behalf of (or by) candidates; 2) Ensure any information about a candidate is accurate, fair and not from second-hand knowledge or hearsay; and 3) explain the reasons to support candidates based on personal experience and perspective rather than partisanship and campaign-style rhetoric. Candidates themselves may not use the letters to the editor column to outline their views and platforms or to ask for votes; this constitutes paid political advertising. As with all letters and advertising content, the newspaper, at the sole discretion of the publisher, general manager and editor, reserves the right to reject any letter that doesn’t follow the above criteria. Send letters to: nhickson@cgsentinel.com LETTERS HOW TO CONTACT YOUR REPS Job well done I take a junket to Cottage Grove a few times a year to en- joy your sweet town, delicious eateries and shop in the de- lightful antique shops and book stores. This past week, I purchased a copy of The Cottage Grove Sen- tinel to absorb more of the local flavor. I found a very complete de- scription of your community, local activities and guides, a de- lightful children’s page and, of course, local news. A job well done! Bless all of you in Cottage Grove and stay well. —Jane Smith Eugene Industrial logging presents critical danger to our water supply (Editor’s Note: Viewpoint sub- missions on this and other topics are always welcome as part of our goal to encourage community discussion and exchange of perspectives.) The study stated, “These ele- vated nitrogen levels can last de- cades or perhaps longer.” Nitrates are one of the most common groundwater contam- inants in rural areas. It is regu- lated in drinking water primarily because excess levels can cause the impacts of clear-cut manage- ment on our communities and our freshwater resources, the sci- ence is clear. Ongoing industrial logging practices can degrade local water On July 7, a collective of con- quality and deplete water quanti- cerned organizations sent a let- ty. Against a backdrop of climate ter to the city governments of change which can perpetuate Cottage Grove, Creswell and drought conditions and fur- Springfield. The letter identi- ther challenge forestlands, fied a need to discuss a request By Cristina Hubbard for state intervention to halt Executive Director of Forest Web of CG continuing to clear-cut in pub- lic drinking water supplies is harmful clear-cutting opera- irresponsible and a threat to tions that threaten the public methemoglobinemia — a blood the future of our communities. water supplies of the three cit- disorder in which too little ox- The State of Oregon and its ies. Forest Web cosigned each of ygen is delivered to red blood designates, including the State these letters. A recent report revealed al- cells, this can also cause “blue Forester and the City of Cot- tage Grove, have a statutory and most 3,000 acres are planned for baby” syndrome. Clear-cuts can cause soil ero- constitutional duty to safeguard clear-cut in the Row River por- sion, which increases turbidi- drinking water supplies for exist- tion of the Coast Fork Willamette watershed — the source Cottage ty levels in streams, creeks and ing and future generations. Public water system managers Grove’s drinking water. These rivers. According to Cottage Grove’s own Drinking Water must step in and take an active clear-cuts, which are already in motion, will likely reduce water Quality Report, “turbidity can role in monitoring the sources supplies, degrade water quali- interfere with disinfection and of the worst pollution currently ty and potentially poison local provide a medium for microbial happening — and planned — in water supplies with dangerous growth. Turbidity may indicate our watersheds. They need to chemicals from aerial herbicide the presence of disease-causing engage the public in the manage- organisms. These organisms in- ment of land critical to drink- applications. Residents living in the hard- clude bacteria, viruses and par- ing water sources and reach est-hit areas already are feeling asites that can cause symptoms out to land managers currently the effects of current clear-cut such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea clear-cutting in our drinking wa- ter supply to discuss communi- management in area watersheds. and associated headaches.” Chemicals such as Atrazine, ty-supported alternatives. Even before this recent devel- 2,4-D, and other toxic chemicals Oregon’s public trust doctrine opment, Forest Web received are routinely sprayed after clear- recognizes our right to water reports from many concerned Row River residents of increased cuts throughout watersheds. and requires the state to hold logging over the past four years, Aerial herbicide spraying can 1) this valuable resource in trust for asking if there was any way to threaten water quality with di- the benefit of the people. In light make timber companies stop rect spraying of small tributaries of scientific evidence, and upon clear-cutting and spraying near where no buffers are required, 2) challenges from impacted stake- their homes, farms and livestock. result in runoff of herbicides or holders, practices considered A study conducted by U.S. sediment particles with absorbed normal are found to be in viola- Forest Service scientists found herbicides, 3) cause movement tion of what is legal and what is surprising effects from cleat- through ground water, and a dis- right. The right to clean drinking cut logging on water chemis- position to drift and re-volatize in the air. water for the community of Cot- try, effects that persisted almost While timber-industry-backed tage Grove should not be over- 40 years after the experimental organizations like the Oregon shadowed by increased profit clear-cut. The study noted one of the effects was an elevation of Forest Resources Institute con- margins for industrial timber. tinue to minimize or even deny nitrogen in streamflow. Guest Viewpoint Oregon state representatives Oregon federal representatives • Sen. Floyd Prozanski • Rep. Peter DeFazio District 4 State Senator PO Box 11511 Eugene, Ore. 97440 Phone: 541-342-2447 Email : sen.fl oydprozanski@ state.or.us (House of Representatives) 405 East 8th Ave. #2030 Eugene, Ore. 97401 Email: defazio.house.gov/ contact/email-peter Phone: 541-465-6732 • Rep. Cedric Hayden Republican District 7 State Representative 900 Court St. NE Salem, Ore. 97301 Phone: 503-986-1407 Website: www.leg.state.or. us/hayden Email: rep.cedrichayden@ state.or.us • Sen. Ron Wyden 405 East 8th Ave., Suite 2020 Eugene, Ore. 97401 Email: wyden.senate.gov Phone: (541) 431-0229 • Sen. Jeff Merkley Email: merkley.senate.gov Phone: 541-465-6750 S entinel C ottage G rove 541-942-3325 Administration Jenna Bartlett, Group Publisher Gary Manly, General Manager... Ext. 1207 gmanly@cgsentinel.com Gerald Santana, Multi-Media Sales Consultant... Ext. 1216 gsantana@cgsentinel.com Carla Skeel, Inside Multi-Media Sales Consultant... Ext. 1203 csummers@cgsentinel.com Editorial Ned Hickson, Managing Editor... 541-902-3520 nhickson@cgsentinel.com Damien Sherwood, Lead Reporter... Ext. 1212 dsherwood@cgsentinel.com Nick Snyder, Sports/Community News Reporter... Ext. 1204 nsnyder@cgsentinel.com Customer Service Meg Fringer, Office Manager, Legals, Classifieds... Ext. 1200 mfringer@cgsentinel.com Production Ron Annis, Production Supervisor... 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