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Opinion
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
Can GMO, other
crops coexist
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John Kitzhaber say
he will propose
legislation later this month
to facilitate the coexistence
of conventional, organic and
genetically modified crops
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It’s a promising
announcement, although
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proven divisive for Oregon
consumers – consider
the razor-thin defeat of
the labeling measure in
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It’s no less thought-
provoking for Oregon’s
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Producers of high-value
specialty seed crops and
organic producers have
legitimate concerns about
the potential for cross-
pollination with GMO
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Farmers who grow, or
who may in the future want
to grow, GMO crops must
be allowed to produce crops
approved by the federal
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During a special session
late in 2013, the Oregon
Legislature pre-empted
most local governments
from restricting genetically
modified crops at
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was part of a legislative
package that also included
corporate tax increases and
was known as the “grand
bargain,” which the House
and Senate leaderships
worked out in advance with
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a patchwork of county
regulation, and to give
the Oregon Department of
Agriculture time to work
out a reasonable scheme
that addresses legitimate
concerns of organic and
conventional growers of
high-value crops who
fear contamination from
genetically engineered
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appointed a task force
to frame the controversy
over genetically modified
organisms and inform
lawmakers’ decisions on
possible statewide legislation
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of stakeholders representing
all camps, who predictably
found it difficult to agree on
much except there needs to
be more clarity in the role
of the state in regulating
production of genetically
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Clarity is in the eye of the
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to restrict where genetically
modified crops can be grown
once they are deregulated by
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Proponents of stronger
regulation say the state
could pass legislation giving
the ODA the authority to
establish restrictions on
where and how GMO crops
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to a mapping system used
by seed growers in the
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mechanism for compensating
farmers if their crops are
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Supporters of GMO crops
favor a more voluntary
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neighbors should be able
to work out the particulars
among themselves with
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We prefer as soft a touch
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Legislature is involved,
we’re past the point where
neighbors can reach
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has become too polarizing,
and both the industry and
the public need to be able to
trust any framework that is
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We still have hope
that common sense can
prevail so that farmers
who grow conventional
or organic crops can be
protected without denying
others the choice of
growing already approved
genetically modified crops
or capitalizing on new
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C OMMENTARY
Down history lane
with the PC Fire Dept.
By Jim Sullens
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cember, as that was the time of my
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help with evacuations during the
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were Floyd Rynearson, Virgil Chap-
man, Larry Stark, Otis Howard, Ce-
cil Bradford, Larry Bradford, Ernie
Blair, Rich Looney, Jerry Maley and
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the local ministers, merchants, mill
workers and Forest Service employ-
ees were members, as well as several
high school kids who were treated
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We had lots more calls in those
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“dispatch” services or emergency
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in Prairie City had an old ambulance
he used to transport people to the
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phone” system where a phone num-
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lished and when that number was
dialed, it rang 10 different places
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phone had a button which set off
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We had lots of training in those
days, and we did everything from
rescuing folks from
wrecks to giving
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our own mechanical
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We were among
Jim
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Sullens
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Stan Phillips, icon-
ic Deputy State Fire Marshal from
John Day, assisted with nearly all of
the training, from classroom to live
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old Anchor Club – where the Grant
County Health Department now
stands – and we burned the struc-
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In 1964, we had a 1949 FWD-500
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pickup that had a built-on pump, as
well as our 1928 Ford Model A hose
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gear amounted to surplus military
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wasn’t long before we began getting
and using Scott Air Packs and real
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years, but the one that stands out for
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historic barn at the Camp Logan site
that was struck by lightning – held
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All rights reserved. No part of this publication covered by the copyright hereon may be reproduced
or copied in any form or by any means — graphic, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
taping or information storage and retrieval systems — without written permission of the publisher.
with a direct hit – as well as the Prai-
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Over the years, we have had sev-
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After serving 29 years, Chief
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was Hank Goslin, a hard-working
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During that time, he began to spend
winters in Arizona and, as his assis-
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used a low band system that worked
fairly well, and Prairie City had only
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we also began to plan and implement
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Dean Hicks now has the reins as
chief of the department at this time,
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ment that covered the City of Prairie
City and the Prairie City Rural Fire
District in about 1949, there have
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are very important when working
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Lifelong Bates and Prairie City
resident Jim Sullens recently re-
ceived an award for 50 years of ser-
vice with the Prairie City Fire De-
partment.
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the passing of timber sales and road
To the Editor:
construction, the Forest Service
Speaking of loyalties – If you EDUHO\ ¿OOV WKH HTXLYDOHQW RI RQH
think your livelihood depended ÀRRU
on the Forest Service, give some
All those who are buzzing around
thought that Forest Service’s ex- its hallowed halls may not realize
istence in Grant County depended that after the Forest Service manag-
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not have the army of fallers and QHHGIRUWKHPMXVWOLNHWKHIDOOHUV
buckers, log trucks and drivers, buckers, mills, et al) will fade and
mills to handle the forest boun- GRZQVL]LQJLVLQWKHLUIXWXUH:KHUH
ty, trained construction workers GRWKH\JRIURPKHUH"0D\EHWRMRLQ
to build stable roads, or welders WKHPLV¿WVLQ:DVKLQJWRQ'&ZKR
needed to keep the Forest Service are attempting to control our land in
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and so is the “we are the biggest people left would be those wading in
employers in Grant County” facade creeks, chasing weeds, counting the
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beavers that their actions caused to
When the Malheur National For- become extinct in Grant County wa-
est headquarters moved into Jack terways, or attempting to control a
Young’s new big blue building on ¿UHWKDWKDVKDGDOODFFHVVEORFNHG
Patterson Bridge Road in the ear-
Did someone say that the Forest
ly 1990s, Forest Service personnel Service is the biggest employer in
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reminded of the Malheur Forest
landscape engineer who wouldn’t
allow a cutting unit be laid out
near the bottom of Vinegar Creek
because it detracted from the land-
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Ranger District interdisciplinary
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pass without telling the damned
fool that it was a bit difficult to
see through two ridges between
Highway 7 and the Vinegar Creek
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ically blind was that? But, that is
okay … the local Forest Service, in
all wisdom, promoted him and sent
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represents the Forest Service from
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Judy Kerr
Canyon City
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etters policy: Letters to the Editor is a forum for Blue Mountain Eagle readers to express themselves on local, state, national or world issues. Brevity
is good, but longer letters will be asked to be contained to 350 words. No personal attacks; challenge the opinion, not the person. No thank-you letters.
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p.m. Friday. Send letters to editor@bmeagle.com, or Blue Mountain Eagle, 195 N. Canyon Blvd., John Day, OR 97845; or fax to 541-575-1244.
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