A8 The BulleTin • Thursday, april 1, 2021
EDITORIALS & OPINIONS
AN INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER
Heidi Wright
Gerry O’Brien
Richard Coe
Publisher
Editor
Editorial Page Editor
Permits may be
good for wilderness
but not for access
H
eads up, lovers of the wilderness. Next week is the
launch of the U.S. Forest Service’s new permit system.
It guarantees to limit access and
increase the price of access to public
land. But more government control
over access may mean a better wil-
derness experience.
If you want to go, the bottom line
will now be planning ahead. Over-
night users will be required to have
permits everywhere in Mt. Jefferson,
Mt. Washington and Three Sisters
wilderness areas. Day use permits
will be required at 19 of the 79 trails
in those areas.
Many of the permits may go
quickly. They go up for grabs as
of 7 a.m. on April 6 on recreation.
gov. You can also call 877-444-6777.
For day use permits 20% to 50% of
a trailhead’s full supply of permits
could all be gone on April 6.
The remainder of the permits —
somewhere between 50% and 80%
— will be released on a seven-day
rolling window on May 28. “The
7-day rolling window means that
every day new permits will be avail-
able,” the Forest Service website says.
The process is similar for over-
night permits, with 40% of the over-
night permits available on April 6.
The remainder of permits will have
the same sort of rolling window as
of May 28.
The permit system will apply to
the period May 28 through Sept. 24.
Each branch of the Deschutes
Public Library will have a limited
number of permits for people to
check out. It’s not clear how many.
The good news is that the price is
a bargain, if you think about what
you get. It’s only $1 for a day-use
permit per individual. It’s only $6
for overnight permits per overnight
group of one to 12 people.
And by limiting the number of
permits, getting up into the Cas-
cades would come with fewer
crowds, should mean fewer cars
and would hopefully mean less
trash and erosion. That could better
preserve the wilderness for future
generations.
The not-so-good news is the has-
sle of getting a permit, and their lim-
ited availability will almost certainly
mean fewer people get to enjoy the
wilderness. Any system that limits
access may exacerbate any existing
inequality of access by income and
race. And when people can’t expe-
rience the wilderness, they may be
less willing to support efforts to pre-
serve it.
So get ready to get your permits.
Leave some for us.
Is it fair to wait on a ruling
on nonunanimous juries?
W
hen the U.S. Supreme
Court ruled in Ramos v.
Louisiana, it clearly al-
lowed the verdict to be tossed out
in many nonunanimous jury cases.
Did it apply retroactively? That was
not clear.
Oregon and Louisiana were the
only two states for decades that had
allowed people to be convicted of
many felonies with less than a unan-
imous jury verdict. The Ramos deci-
sion allowed people who were in the
middle of appeals to have their con-
victions overturned and retried. The
decision did settle the issue of retro-
activity — in other words, could
cases that were completed be over-
turned and retried?
Some are calling on Oregon At-
torney General Ellen Rosenblum
to allow that to happen. She has de-
cided to wait until that issue is clari-
fied in a court decision.
What’s right?
If nonunanimous jury verdicts
are unconstitutional, it certainly
seems unjust that because a case is
concluded the unconstitutionality
of the verdict does not matter. Re-
trying cases would put a burden on
Oregon’s justice system. It would be
significant. It could be hundreds of
cases or more, as The Oregonian re-
ported. Should that burden make a
difference? Ideally, no.
But it’s hard to argue that if Rosen-
blum does not have a clear court rul-
ing, yet, she is right to wait. Even if
she did not choose to wait, that deci-
sion could face court challenges.
It could be years before such a
ruling on retroactivity is clear in the
Oregon Supreme Court. The U.S.
Supreme Court may rule on the
matter in July.
Editorials reflect the views of The Bulletin’s editorial board, Publisher Heidi Wright, Editor
Gerry O’Brien and Editorial Page Editor Richard Coe. They are written by Richard Coe.
My Nickel’s Worth
Provide worker housing
As long as housing prices are in-
flated by lack of available units, the
struggle for affordable housing will
continue. A viable option to this con-
dition could be workforce housing.
Not a new concept, it began with the
industrial revolution and has grown
internationally.
St. Charles has some 5,000 employ-
ees who struggle with market-priced
rents or housing. The city of Bend
employs hundreds of office workers,
clerks, inspectors and planners, and
Bend-La Pine Schools and Bend Park
& Recreation District also employ
hundreds of people, many with fam-
ilies facing the same financial chal-
lenges.
The cost of construction would be
greatly reduced since each of those
listed here have buildable land avail-
able. Imagine the pressure that could
be relieved in the housing market if
the largest employers provided such
living alternatives.
An immediate impact model could
be realized at Oregon State University-
Cascades and COCC where a portion
of on-campus housing could be dedi-
cated to employees.
What are the advantages? Easier
access to the workplace, business and
services; less travel time; decreased
pollution; increased security; easing
of anxiety and increased resources for
personal and family needs.
By helping to remove some of
the pressure for affordable housing,
the lives of many of our friends and
neighbors could be significantly im-
proved. There are and should be cre-
ative answers to today’s challenges.
— Don Senecal is a former Bend planning
commissioner
Don’t shut down farms
Animal activist Scott Beckstead is
shamelessly exploiting the pandemic
to lobby to shut down Oregon farms.
It is important that legislators listen
to science, not opportunistic lobby-
ists. (“Oregon should not allow mink
farms,” Mar. 20)
The coronavirus has found its way
into countless other homes and busi-
nesses, and fur farms are no different.
Farms, like other businesses, have
taken extra precautions during the
pandemic. Why would we punish
small businesses for being the victims
of something out of their control?
That’s not just bad policy — it’s ridic-
ulous.
The Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention notes, “At this time,
there is no evidence that animals play
a significant role in spreading” the
virus that causes COVID-19. Fur-
ther, “the risk of animals spreading
COVID-19 to people is considered to
be low,” according to the agency.
Activists like Beckstead are using
the pandemic to dress up the same
campaign they’ve been running for
decades to shut down the entire fur
industry. Keep in mind these animal
activists don’t think you should be al-
lowed to eat a cheeseburger any more
than they think you should be allowed
to buy a fur coat. The Legislature
should send their bill to the one place
it belongs: The trash can.
— Michael Whelan is executive director of
the Fur Commission USA
Thank you for the help
On behalf of the Deschutes County
Rural Fire District #2, I wish to ex-
press our appreciation to all the fire
agencies in the tri-county: Oregon
Department of Forestry, U.S. Forest
Service, Deschutes County Sheriffs’
Office, Red Cross, Oregon State Po-
lice, Deschutes County 911 and Taylor
NW for the suppression of the two re-
cent wildfires in our district.
We wanted especially to be sure
that the crews and support staff that
participated in this massive effort
know that the residents of our district
as well as our elected officials deeply
appreciate your response, hard work
and professionalism. Without dedi-
cated and highly trained individuals
like yourselves the outcome of these
fires would have been far more cata-
strophic.
When circumstances are fraught
with danger and when physical com-
munications are challenging to main-
tain there is a ready formula for disas-
ter. Thus, your efforts in working with
multiple agencies under hostile and
dangerous circumstances and unfamil-
iar locations are truly exemplary. Each
of you have brought credit to yourself,
your colleagues and your profession.
You have our deepest gratitude and
utmost personal respect.
— George Roshak is president of the
board of Deschutes County Rural Fire
Protection District #2
GUEST COLUMN
Pumped energy storage will benefit rural Oregon in new economy
BY RANDY COX
A
s the Oregon Legislature ex-
plores the continued trans-
formation of our state’s en-
ergy infrastructure to meet goals for
sustainability and reliability, we urge
them not to overlook the economic
opportunity for rural Oregon in this
new future.
Rural Oregon has long provided
the resources to help fuel our state
economy. We are a state of abundant
natural resources, and their use has
supported good jobs in rural commu-
nities for decades. Ensuring the in-
tegration of the advantages provided
by our raw assets and geographies
will support our continued growth
through the 21st century.
One of the most important com-
ponents of creating shared prosperity
in our new energy economy will be
supporting the development of energy
resources here within Oregon. Our
abundance of wind, water, solar and
other natural assets can be harnessed
to provide good jobs and sustain local
communities.
The Oregon Legislature is consider-
ing bills this session that would priori-
tize cleaner forms of electricity. While
Klamath Falls and much of rural Or-
egon use very clean forms of electric-
ity thanks to the region’s hydroelectric
system, we are aware of the need felt
in other parts of the state to transition
away from fossil fuel-based electricity.
If the Legislature moves forward with
clean energy bills this session, we hope
they will recognize the important role
of long-duration storage and, specifi-
cally, pump storage in that policy.
Long-duration storage will play a
crucial role in balancing the gener-
ation and use of greater amounts of
renewable energy in order to keep
the lights on. Long-duration storage
bridges the divide between when the
wind blows and sun shines with when
Oregonians need electricity.
Cleaner electricity can and should
also result in direct benefits to the lo-
cal communities and family-wage
jobs. Using this policy to strengthen
our local economies is a critical way to
broaden their appeal and ensure rural
Oregon is a full partner in this tran-
sition.
One of the facilities this policy
would support is the Swan Lake En-
ergy Storage Project in Klamath
County. Energy storage ensures the re-
siliency of our power grid by guaran-
teeing supply to meet periods of peak
demand for electricity — something
we are seeing firsthand the importance
of right now. The pumped storage
used in the project is a proven technol-
ogy being used around the country to
ensure stability of supply.
Creation of the 400-megawatt proj-
ect would be a significant economic
driver for the region. Over a thou-
sand high-wage jobs in construction
would be created during the three- to
five-year building process. The project
has agreed to a Project Labor Agree-
ment, which helps ensure the use of
local workers and workforce skills
training for those employed on the
project.
Once it is completed, the Swan Lake
Energy Project will also significantly
boost our economy, contributing $6.2
million in goods and services and $1.7
million in labor income annually. This
will also support our local govern-
ment, adding $31.5 million in prop-
erty taxes for Klamath County over
the next 15 years.
In addition, the project will operate
in concert with existing economic ac-
tivities. Agricultural and commercial
equipment and vehicles will be able to
cross easements without any restric-
tions, and grazing, irrigating, farming
and other activities will resume after
construction.
Building a sustainable future does
not need to come at the expense of
creating a strong economy. Projects
like the Swan Lake Energy Project
show the potential for jobs and growth
across Oregon as we build a better en-
ergy future.
That is why it is important for leg-
islators to recognize the importance
of policymaking in creating an en-
ergy grid that is sustainable in the long
term. We urge legislators to ensure
these policies prioritize new infrastruc-
ture that supports our local economies
and creates good jobs across Oregon.
e e
Randy Cox is CEO of the Klamath County
Economic Development Association.
Letters policy
Guest columns
How to submit
We welcome your letters. Letters should be limited to one issue, contain
no more than 250 words and include the writer’s signature, phone num-
ber and address for verification. We edit letters for brevity, grammar, taste
and legal reasons. We reject poetry, personal attacks, form letters, letters
submitted elsewhere and those appropriate for other sections of The
Bulletin. Writers are limited to one letter or guest column every 30 days.
Your submissions should be between 550 and 650 words; they must be
signed; and they must include the writer’s phone number and address
for verification. We edit submissions for brevity, grammar, taste and legal
reasons. We reject those submitted elsewhere. Locally submitted col-
umns alternate with national columnists and commentaries. Writers are
limited to one letter or guest column every 30 days.
Please address your submission to either My Nickel’s Worth or Guest Col-
umn and mail, fax or email it to The Bulletin. Email submissions are pre-
ferred.
Email: letters@bendbulletin.com