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
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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
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