A4 BAKER CITY HERALD • TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2022
BAKER CITY
Opinion
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Baker City, Oregon
EDITORIAL
Worries about
the River Act
O
regon’s U.S. senators, Ron Wyden and Jeff
Merkley, cleverly included the word “De-
mocracy” in their bill, introduced a year ago
and pending in Congress, that would nearly
triple the mileage of waterways in the state un-
der the federal Wild and Scenic Rivers system.
Th at august word, so beloved in America,
tends to burnish whatever it’s applied to.
But although the senators used the demo-
cratic tactic of soliciting suggestions from the
public about which streams to include in their
River Democracy Act, that’s not the most ap-
propriate method when it comes to potentially
imposing federal protection, and the associated
potential restrictions, on an estimated 3 mil-
lion acres (based on the proposed mile-wide
corridor along the included streams). Th at
includes about 104,000 acres in Baker County
along segments of 31 waterways.
Critics, including the Baker County Board
of Commissioners, who on Wednesday, Feb. 2,
unanimously approved a resolution opposing
the bill, point out that some streams scarcely
qualify as such since they might not carry wa-
ter year round.
Th e 1968 Wild and Scenic Rivers Act is in-
tended to protect rivers that have “outstanding
natural, cultural and recreational values in a
free-fl owing condition.”
“Flowing” obviously requires water.
And although another key word in the 1968
Act — “outstanding” — is decidedly subjective,
the senators should use more informed criteria
in craft ing their bill than the preferences of a
minuscule percentage of the state’s population.
Wyden and Merkley said they received nomi-
nations from about 2,500 Oregonians.
Protecting streams is a worthwhile goal, to
be sure.
And designating streams under the Wild
and Scenic Rivers Act does not restrict activi-
ties on adjacent public land (private land isn’t
aff ected) nearly as stringently as another feder-
al law, the Wilderness Act.
Yet the bill would prohibit new mining
permits on public land in the corridors along
designated streams (existing permits would be
grandfathered in, according to Wyden’s spokes-
man, Hank Stern).
Th e bill also could thwart eff orts to thin
overcrowded forests. Th at’s a problem rife in
the Blue Mountains and one that increases the
risk of catastrophic wildfi res which would sully
any values, outstanding or otherwise, that a
stream has.
Wyden points out that the River Democra-
cy Act would not prohibit logging in stream
corridors to reduce the risk of wildfi res. He
also notes that reducing fi re risk, with a focus
on using prescribed fi re to curb fuel loads, is
among his chief goals for public lands. Th e bill
also would require agencies that manage desig-
nated corridors — primarily the Forest Service
and Bureau of Land Management — to assess
wildfi re risks in each corridor.
Th at all sounds promising.
But it’s hardly farfetched to fret that a wild
and scenic river designation would embold-
en environmental groups to legally challenge
reasonable thinning projects under the guise
that such work would harm the corridor’s “out-
standing” values.
And prescribed fi re, though a valuable tool
whose use should be expanded on public land,
in many places must be preceded by tree-cut-
ting, lest the “managed” fi re do more harm
than good.
Ultimately, the River Democracy Act is a bit
premature. Rather than giving federal protec-
tion to 4,700 miles of streams in one fell swoop,
and then fi guring out later not only how to
manage them but whether they actually met
the standards of the Wild and Scenic Rivers
Act, Wyden and Merkley should call for a more
thorough study of the nominated segments and
present a refi ned list in future legislation.
— Jayson Jacoby, Baker City Herald editor
OTHER VIEWS
Return to normal life
will require vigilance
Bloomberg Opinion:
For the first time in a long while,
there’s good news about COVID-19.
The omicron wave is cresting in the
U.S., and in many states is already re-
ceding. A respite from SARS-CoV-2
could well follow. And if new variants
eventually emerge, it may be possible to
live with them — that is, without shut-
ting businesses, always wearing masks
and social distancing.
A return to normal — that modest
but elusive goal — should be possible
once COVID-19 hospitalizations fall
from thousands each day much closer
to the hundreds associated with a bad
flu season. Ensuring it lasts will require
careful monitoring, better data collec-
tion, and a nationwide effort to prevent
another crisis.
Five things in particular need to be
monitored:
1. Surges in COVID-19 cases and
deaths anywhere in the world. Working
with the World Health Organization, the
U.S. should help other countries keep a
close eye on COVID-19 outbreaks (as
well as outbreaks of other contagious
respiratory illnesses) and report data
quickly and publicly, as the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention does in
the United States.
2. Genomic changes in the coronavi-
rus. To detect the arrival of new variants,
the CDC must improve its efforts to an-
alyze the genetic code of the virus found
in people who test positive. The agency
conducts such testing in certain areas,
but it has yet to build out a sufficiently
extensive and geographically representa-
tive system, leaving the U.S. dependent
on other countries for news of emerging
variants. All patients who experience se-
vere breakthrough infections should have
their viruses analyzed.
3. Vaccine effectiveness. Working with
vaccine makers and independent scien-
tists, the Food and Drug Administration
and the CDC need to jointly monitor
Americans for waning immunity, espe-
cially as new variants arise. All the exist-
ing vaccines are expected to lose some
of their power with time. It’s crucial to
continually assess their effectiveness and
have boosters available as needed.
4. COVID-19’s presence in sewage.
Measuring the level of coronavirus in
public wastewater systems can provide
an early warning of COVID-19 surges
and likewise indicate when infections
are waning. The CDC created the Na-
tional Wastewater Surveillance System
in 2020 to work with state and local
health departments to test wastewater.
In the process, it needs to strengthen
standards for sewage testing and ensure
that measurements from various sys-
tems are comparable.
5. Hospital bed availability and staffing
levels. Accurate and timely information
from states on hospital capacity can also
indicate when viral infections are surg-
ing. The CDC already compiles such data,
but state-level statistics aren’t always up
to date or consistent. Refining this system
can help ensure that the country’s hospi-
tals are prepared to handle an outbreak.
All this information should be up-
loaded to public databases. Also needed
is a clear sense of how much COVID-19
Americans are willing to live with. Eze-
kiel Emanuel, of the University of Penn-
sylvania, suggests setting a risk threshold
for COVID-19, flu and other viruses to-
gether of about 35,000 hospitalizations
and 3,000 deaths in a week. Beyond those
levels — or similar benchmarks — elected
officials could consider reimposing mask
mandates and other restrictions to protect
health care systems from overload.
Of course, COVID-19 alone caused
about four times that many hospitaliza-
tions and five times that many deaths in
late January. But the numbers are falling,
and with luck the omicron wave will have
receded by spring. It’s time to look ahead
with cautious optimism, and to put sen-
sible measures in place to end the perma-
nent crisis.
YOUR VIEWS
Republican Party seems to have an
interesting strategy
two years. Students are demonstrating
deficits in social/emotional skills, speech
and language, and in academics. There
are increased mental health concerns
among both students and school staff.
School boards are tasked with enforc-
ing the mandates or risk losing funding.
Administrators “threaten” students with
the loss of extracurricular activities and
more online school due to school closures
if they don’t comply. The teacher’s union
continues to conspire with Oregon leaders
as they control public schools. All while
masked students and staff continue to fall
ill with COVID, the flu, and other normal
illnesses that circulate through schools.
Mask mandates and social distancing
rules are costing us our future. It’s time
schools, staff, parents and students de-
mand local control and that mask wearing
becomes an individual choice.
Allie Scott
Union
Unbeknownst to me at the time, Nich-
ols got up to ask for court security per-
sonnel to come to the Commission
I believe the Republican Party has an in-
Chamber, evidently wanting to shut down
teresting election plan. It seems to accept
the robust discussion we were having.
no mask or vaccination requirements, yet
Hard to tell what Nichols’ reasoning was
sees so many unvaccinated being hospital-
or is! Later when it was communicated to
ized or dying. Then, when election season
me, that action had occurred, and then
rolls around and assuming the unvacci-
during public discussion of the River De-
nated continue to get sick, how voters are
mocracy Act (Wyden’s land lockup bill),
to access the restricted voting booths and
I again stood to compliment the Com-
dropoffs seems a bit of a conundrum.
missioners’ unanimous opposition to the
Amazing political strategy.
Rivers Act, and I confronted Nichols in
Thomas Nash
asking if he specifically had called for the
Halfway
security detail. He sheepishly admitted
that yes he had.
In gratitude to the guys of Oregon
To say that I was shocked, appalled,
offended and flabbergasted at such out-
and all they do
rageous and scurrilous attempt to in-
On a cold, gray, snowy day on the high
timidate the free exchange of opposing
plateau of Eastern Oregon, I went outside
positions, is most definitely an under-
to mail a letter. My husband and our ad-
statement! Neither of the other two com-
opted son were working on our vehicle,
missioners, nor anyone else in the Cham-
my husband sitting in the vehicle pump-
bers, felt ANY threat of any kind. It is still
Why I think Commissioner Nichols
ing the brakes, our son in his well-worn
hard for me to imagine that this actually
Carhartts lying on the frigid ground un-
occurred. In my 30-plus years of active
should apologize
der the car, bleeding the brakes. Return-
political engagement, federal, state, and
ing to the heated indoors I felt a rush of
Editor’s note: This is the letter the author local government level, I have never been
gratitude to Oregonian guys for all they
sent to Baker County Commissioners re-
so shamefully treated. All who know me
do to build and maintain vehicles, trailers, lated to the Feb. 2 meeting.
would never imagine that I would ever
home, plumbing, driveways, workshops
In the Public Participation, Agenda
harbor any thought of physically harming
and so much more. My contributions —
Item 3, I engaged in voicing my opposition anyone. This was an attempt by Nichols
cooking in a warm kitchen, mending,
of Baker County government continued
to besmirch my character, no matter how
laundry, shopping, administration, love
acquiescence in supporting the illegitimate he tries to squirm out of it. He was com-
and an attentive ear — are the least I can Kate Brown masking rules. Case in point, pletely out of line, unbelievably classless!
provide for these diligent, uncomplaining the recently added (Jan. 2022) pream-
I am expecting a full and public apol-
guys. Thank you, guys, on behalf of your ble to the monthly Commission Meeting ogy from Bruce Nichols, plus an affirma-
family and community.
Agenda Notice stating that everyone over tion of public participation in free and
Lindianne Sarno the age of 5, must adhere to indoor mask- open discussions when conflicting opin-
Baker City ing when attending County government
ions on issues arise, especially when pub-
sponsored meetings. Be that as it may, that lic participation is encouraged. Isn’t that
Schools need to stand up and make is not the subject I am addressing here.
the American patriotic way?
During
my
public
testimony,
Com-
I would also offer that if Nichols is
masks a choice
missioners Bennett, Harvey and I en-
overwhelmed and alarmed with the pas-
Oregon leaders have put schools in
gaged in dialogue. All of us with a direct,
sionate expression of free speech, that he
difficult positions at the expense of our
strong held positions of disagreement,
should contemplate resigning as commis-
children. As an educator in Northeast
but respectful of each other’s Right of Free sioner to a safer environment, free of con-
Oregon I have watched my students and
Speech and expressing, passionately, those flicting opinions?
own children suffer as a result of mask
opinions, with possibly raised voices to
Curtis W. Martin
mandates and social distancing rules for
emphasize our points.
North Powder