A4
Opinion
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Set acrimony
aside to solve
road issues
T
here’s no question that
Grant County residents
are passionate about
the forest and the roads they
XVHWRDFFHVVLW$FWLYLWLHVOLNH
wood cutting, hunting, mining,
and four-wheeling are local
traditions made possible by
our system of forest roads, and
the loss of even one road riles
SHRSOHXS
As one observer noted, “it’s
a way of life that’s changing,
DQGSHRSOHGRQ¶WOLNHLW´
We live in a time when a lot
RIRXUWUDGLWLRQVDUHFKDOOHQJHG
Consider the timber industry
and the changes that have
wracked it over the past 30
\HDUV<HWRXWRIWRWDOVWDOHPDWH
in the woods, diverse groups of
people – loggers, mill owners,
environmentalists, managers –
KDYHFRPHWRJHWKHUWR¿QGQHZ
ways to recast the approach to
managing the Malheur National
)RUHVW7KHWLPEHULQGXVWU\
heyday is long over, relegated
to the history books, but a new
PRGHOLVHPHUJLQJ
With the 10-year-
stewardship program and the
accelerated harvest targets,
people are working in the
ZRRGVDJDLQ:HH[SHFWWKDW
work to increase in the coming
year, as the Malheur staff
rolls out more landscape-scale
SURMHFWV
To be sure, the goals are
not the same as in the past;
now it’s about restoration and
resilience, not simply resource
H[WUDFWLRQ7KHVXFFHVVRIWKLV
new paradigm is critical not
just to the forest but to our
FRPPXQLWLHV7KHSXEOLFKDV
an important role in making
that work by participating in
the dialogue that shapes the
GHFLVLRQV
The collaborative groups,
over the past eight years, have
ZRUNHGWKURXJKVLJQL¿FDQW
differences to help push this
ZRUNIRUZDUG0RVWZRXOG
admit it hasn’t been easy, and
there have been some heated
PRPHQWV%XWWKH\PLJKW
also concede that heated talk
accomplishes far less than
open communication by cooler
KHDGV
That’s a thought for future
discussions about road closures
DQGSXEOLFDFFHVV,QUHFHQW
weeks, we’ve seen passions
RYHUURDGVHUXSWLQWR¿QJHU
pointing, acrimony and name-
FDOOLQJ
We’re all adults, and most
RIXVKDYHKHDUGZRUVH%XW
is there really anyone out
there who thinks derogatory
talk helps make one’s point?
It certainly doesn’t move the
GLVFXVVLRQIRUZDUG
There’s a lot at stake right
now in our forests, and roads
DUHDÀDVKSRLQWLQDPXFKODUJHU
GLVFXVVLRQDERXWPDQDJHPHQW
The debate over roads is marked
by distrust between long-time
residents and the Forest Service
– a pattern reminiscent of that
in the early forest collaborative
WDONV
We hope all the parties
ZLOO¿QGURRPIRUGLVFXVVLRQ
– passionate, yes, but also
respectful – before an angry
new stalemate develops and
stalls out the other work being
done to move us toward more
active forest management and
HFRQRPLFUHVLOLHQFH
Blue Mountain
EAGLE
195 N. Canyon Blvd. • John Day, OR 97845
541-575-0710 • Fax 541-575-1244
Grant County’s Weekly Newspaper
USPS 226-340
John Day, Oregon
MEMBER OREGON NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION
P UBLISHER
E DITOR
A DMINISTRATIVE A SSISTANT
E DITORIAL A SSISTANT
C OMMUNITY N EWS
S PORTS
M ARKETING R EP
C USTOMER S ERVICE R EP
Marissa Williams, marissa@bmeagle.com
Scotta Callister, editor@bmeagle.com
Kristina Kreger, kristina@bmeagle.com
Cheryl Hoefler, cheryl@bmeagle.com
Angel Carpenter, angel@bmeagle.com
Angel Carpenter, angel@bmeagle.com
Kim Kell, ads@bmeagle.com
Lindsay Bullock office@bmeagle.com
L ETTERS TO THE E DITOR
Senator should suit up
To the Editor:
The resignation of our governor
is a sad day for all Oregonians, what-
HYHUSDUW\\RXEHORQJWR7KHLQYHV-
tigations by both federal and state
prosecutors will hopefully get to the
WUXWKRIWKHPDWWHU,QWKHPHDQWLPH
the governing of this state must go
RQ
Your state senator, Ted Ferrioli,
has chosen not to act as a statesman,
refusing to attend the induction cer-
emony of the new governor because,
and I quote, “Why present the image
that there is solidarity in the Senate
when, despite the scandal and pos-
VLEOH LPSURSHU LQÀXHQFH WKH 'HP-
ocrats are running the pointlessly
expensive and damaging LCFS bill
over our objections?”
I fully understand that the Re-
publicans and Democrats differ on
policy (that is what makes our coun-
try work) but whatever happened to
statesmanlike behavior? Maybe the
problem with current politics has
nothing to do with differing opinions
and more to do with lack of good
PDQQHUV3OHDVHEHWKHELJJHUSHUVRQ
and do the right thing!
Andy Jordan
Bend
3HULRGLFDOV3RVWDJH3DLGDW-RKQ'D\DQGDGGLWLRQDOPDLOLQJRI¿FHV
SUBSCRIPTION RATES (including online access)
Grant County
Elsewhere in Oregon
Continental U.S., Outside Oregon
Outside Continental U.S.
1 year
$40.00
$48.00
$55.00
$60.00
Subscriptions must be paid prior to delivery
See the Blue Mountain Eagle on the Internet
www.MyEagleNews.com
POSTMASTER — send address changes to
Blue Mountain Eagle
195 N. Canyon Blvd.
John Day, OR 97845-1187
Copyright © 2015 Blue Mountain Eagle
All rights reserved. No part of this publication covered by the copyright hereon may be reproduced
or copied in any form or by any means — graphic, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
taping or information storage and retrieval systems — without written permission of the publisher.
An invite to our
enemies
To the Editor:
I could not believe my ears
when I listened to another episode
of “Amateur Hour at the White
House” one recent night, as the
reporter described the order from
Secretary of State John Kerry’s de-
SDUWPHQWZKLFKUHTXLUHGRXU86
Marines who guarded our embassy
in Yemen to surrender their rifles to
the Islamic rebels who overthrew
Leadership needed
the government a couple of weeks
To the Editor:
DJR
It’s becoming apparent that we
This order had to have been the
have less leadership in our County most difficult for them to obey, but
Court and more hand-wringers and was part of the evacuation plan or-
GRQRWKLQJV
GHUHGE\RXU6HFUHWDU\RI6WDWH$V
The County Court passes an ordi- any military person knows, the last
nance that protects the residents from thing you would do in any situa-
wholesale road closures, but they re- WLRQLVVXUUHQGHU\RXUZHDSRQ%XW
IXVHWRHQIRUFHLW7KH\IRUPDQ³DF- when the order comes from a per-
cess board” to address the restriction son who is acting on orders from
of motorized use and twice the board your commander in chief, you have
KDV EURXJKW WR WKH FRXUW WKHLU ¿QG- QRFKRLFH
ings and recommendations and the
This had to be a most humiliat-
court has chosen to ignore them to ing time for our soldiers, as they
state “we/I do not have enough infor- turned over their weapons and
PDWLRQWRPDNHDGHFLVLRQ´
boarded a plane to leave the coun-
This has nothing to do with not WU\ ,W LV QR ZRQGHU WKDW RXU PLOL-
having the information to make a tary and our country as a whole
GHFLVLRQ WKH FRXUW KDV LW ,W KDV WR is no longer respected in so many
do with a court that either supports SDUWVRIWKHZRUOG
the closures of the mountains, or are
President Obama’s plan for the
so utterly over their heads that they Middle East, which he has labeled
GRQ¶W NQRZ ZKDW WR GR , ZRXOGQ¶W “Strategic Patience,” is doing noth-
state “the court supports roads clo- ing but emboldening our enemies
sures” if it weren’t for a comment and will certainly be looked at by
PDGHE\0U/DEKDUWPDGHLQFRXUW WKHPDVDQLQYLWDWLRQWRFRPHKHUH
that he was appreciative of the Forest
Ralph and Toni Goodwin
Service polling hunters about clos-
John Day
LQJURDGVDV0U/DEKDUWVWDWHGKH¶V
a hunter too and prefers the roads
FORVHG
Courtesy lacking
It’s really not about the local res-
idents of Grant County, and it’s not To the Editor:
6HQ7HG)HUULROL¶VJUDQGVWDQGLQJ
about the right or wrong of freely
accessing the mountains, it’s about announcement that he will not attend
what the court prefers in their own the swearing-in of Kate Brown as the
SHUVRQDO OLYHV:LWK LW QRW EHLQJ DQ next Oregon governor is not just an
election year, the court feels secure insult to the new governor and to the
in their position and their checks, 'HPRFUDWLF3DUW\LQ2UHJRQ,WLVDQ
and the character of the men can tru- insult to Oregon and to his constit-
O\VKRZ,IRURQHGLGQ¶WYRWHWRKDYH XHQWV
As a legislator, it is his job to at-
tend vital state functions in a bipar-
tisan spirit and act in a courteous,
respectful way toward other pub-
OLF VHUYDQWV ,I KH FDQ¶W GR WKDW KH
VKRXOGUHVLJQDORQJZLWK.LW]KDEHU
Janine Goodwin
Prairie City
Making a mockery
To the Editor:
The Grant County Public Access
Advisory Board was appointed to
their positions by the Grant County
Court to serve in an advisory capac-
ity, which the appointees believed to
be the representation for the voice
of the people of Grant County and
drawing upon the response of Grant
County residents through public
meetings, sharing information, and
HQFRXUDJLQJZULWWHQFRPPHQWV
Members of the Board have been
GHVFULEHG DV ³DFWLYLVWV´ :LNLSHGLD
description: “Activists are also pub-
lic watchdogs and whistle blowers,
attempting to understand all the ac-
tions of every form of government
that acts in the name of the people;
all government must be accountable
WRRYHUVLJKWDQGWUDQVSDUHQF\´
The actions of the County Court
last Wednesday made a mockery
of the efforts of the board to carry
forward with their dedicated efforts
defending public access to our lands
and to uphold the Grant County Or-
GLQDQFH
A letter composed by the board,
to be signed by the Court to Malheur
Forest Supervisor Steve Beverlin,
instructed them to uphold the ordi-
nance and rescind all road closure
orders that had been signed after the
HIIHFWLYHGDWHRIWKHRUGLQDQFH6LJQ-
ing of the letter was refused under
the excuse of being “premature” and
lacking information from the Forest
Service, though Beverlin had made
a previous public verbal agreement
to rescind the closure order for roads
UHIHUHQFHG
Proof of violation had been pre-
sented to the Court with evidence
that the road closure documents had
EHHQ VHFUHWLYHO\ VLJQHG 6HSW E\
a previous forest supervisor, Teresa
5DDI 6R PXFK IRU SXEOLF WUDQVSDU-
HQF\
When Beverlin again said to
“tell me what road you want to see
addressed and we will give it come
consideration” (understood every-
thing else would be closed), yours
truly made the remark “Bring your
VKRYHO´ 7KLV UHPDUN ZDV SXEOLFO\
chastised by the Court as being inap-
SURSULDWH+RZLQDSSURSULDWHLVWKH
remark when being subjected to a
continual supply of donkey donuts?
If this was an attempt to insult or
HPEDUUDVVPH,PXVW¿UVWYDOXH\RXU
RSLQLRQ±QLFHWU\WKRXJK
Judy Kerr
Canyon City
W HERE TO WRITE
PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY BY:
EO Media Group
my elected representative sell me
down the river and push their own
personal agendas, and I’m sure you
GLGQ¶WHLWKHU
Those that are elected can be
removed by the will of the people,
and while I would have preferred
not to say these words ever, maybe
when their six months is up from the
new election a wholesale recall vote
ZRXOGEHLQRUGHU
Let’s call it a referendum on the
direction for Grant County for the
future; if they won’t act to protect
us from the motorized restrictions,
maybe it’s time to protect ourselves
from them and the few they feel they
DUHSURWHFWLQJ
John D. George
Bates
Grant County
Grant County Courthouse —
6 +XPEROW 6W 6XLWH
&DQ\RQ &LW\ 3KRQH
)D[
&DQ\RQ &LW\ ² 32 %R[
&DQ\RQ &LW\ 3KRQH
)D[
(PDLO WRFF#FHQWXU\OLQN
QHW
'D\YLOOH ² 32 %R[
'D\YLOOH 3KRQH
)D[
L
(PDLO"GYLOOH#RUWHOFRQHW
-RKQ 'D\ ² ( 0DLQ 6W
-RKQ'D\3KRQH
)D[(PDLO
FLW\MG#FHQWXU\WHOQHW
/RQJ &UHHN ² 32 %R[
/RQJ &UHHN 3KRQH
)D[
(PDLO LQIR#FLW\RIORQJFUHHN
FRP
0RQXPHQW ² 32 %R[
0RQXPHQW3KRQHDQGID[
(PDLO PRQX-
PHQW#RUHJRQWUDLOQHW
0W 9HUQRQ ² 32 %R[
0W 9HUQRQ 3KRQH
)D[
(PDLOFPWY#RUWHOFRQHW
3UDLULH &LW\ ² 32 %R[
3UDLULH &LW\ 3KRQH
)D[(PDLO
SFKDOO#RUWHOFRQHW
6HQHFD ² 32 %R[ 6HQ-
HFD 3KRQH DQG ID[
(PDLO FLW\VHQHFD#
FHQWXU\WHOQHW
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.
Submissions to this page become property of the Eagle. The Eagle reserves the right to edit letters for length and for content. Letters must be original and
signed by the writer. Anonymous letters will not be printed. Writers should include a telephone number so they can be reached for questions. Deadline is 5
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.