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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (April 1, 2015)
B2 News Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, April 1, 2015 L ET ’ S TALK TURKEY S TATE N EWS Environmental lobby capitalizing on majorities By Hillary Borrud Capital Bureau SALEM – Environmental lobbyists are on a roll this year in Oregon. They notched a big win early in the session when lawmakers passed legis- lation to make the state’s low-carbon fuel standard permanent. Now, lobbyists for a coalition of groups have turned their focus to bills that would require utilities to stop using pow- er from coal plants by 2025. That work isn’t cheap. In 2014, a broad spectrum of environmental groups spent nearly $470,000 on lobbying in Salem, accord- ing to EO Media Group/ Pamplin Media Group Cap- ital Bureau’s analysis of state lobbying records. The organizations range from small groups that promote water quality and wildlife issues, to industry organizations that seek in- centives for renewable ener- gy and efficiency projects. Still, spending by the environmental lobby is low compared with other in- dustries. A single energy interest group – the West- ern States Petroleum Asso- ciation, which opposed the low-carbon fuel standard – spent just under $360,000 on lobbying in Oregon last year. All interest groups re- ported spending a total of nearly $27 million on lob- bying in the state last year. “We definitely don’t spend nearly as much mon- ey on lobbying,” said Chris- ty Splitt, a registered lob- byist and coordinator for a coalition of environmental groups called the Oregon Conservation Network. “I’m not going out to dinner with legislators, or whatev- er other people are able to do, spending money on lob- bying. I think most of what we spend on lobbying is going to pay people’s sala- ries.” The environmental lobby does have several advan- tages, including strength in numbers and strong support from Democratic lawmak- ers this session. At least 55 registered lobbyists repre- sent environmental interests in Oregon, and most are em- ployees of the groups they represent and do other work in addition to lobbying. In addition, Splitt said there are pro-environment major- ities in both chambers. Environmentalists did The Eagle/Scotta Callister You may call them a flock or a gobble, but birders say a group of turkeys is properly known as a rafter. This rafter was seen wandering along the Middle Fork John Day River recently, apparently enjoying the early spring weather. John Day swim team signups coming up Blue Mountain Eagle JOHN DAY – Signups for the John Day Swim Team will be at the Grant Union Junior-Senior High School library from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 8, and Wednesday, May 6. For more information, contact Erin Hodge, 541- 805-8996. Your Rural Fa mily Health Clinic UDQW&RXQW\ * ($/7+ + 'HSDUWPHQW (0DLQ6W( -RKQ'D\ 0RQGD\)ULGD\ DPSP Services Provided: .DUHQ7ULSOHWW)13 • Primary Care • Acute Care • Women’s Health Exams • Men and Children Exams • Immunizations • Family Planning • Contraception • Pregnancy Testing & Referrals • HIV Testing & Referrals • Cacoon • WIC • High Risk Infants • Maternity Case Management Grant County Health Department does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, or age in admission, treatment, or participation in its programs, services and activitie s, or in employment. $ SSRLQWPHQWV D YDLODEOH Last day to ski is April 5 Blue Mountain Eagle NORTH POWDER – Time’s running out for those who want to hit the slopes this season. The last day of op- erations at Anthony Lakes Mountain Resort is Sunday, April 5. The resort will be open reg- ular hours 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday-Sunday, April 2-5. On Saturday, Tyler Brooks of Pendleton will offer live music, and Sunday, visitors can en- joy the annual Last Day Barbecue Bash. For more information, visit http://www.antho- nylakes.com/. &DOODQGVFKHGXOH\RXU DSSRLQWPHQWWRGD\ 7 2//)5(( RU Attend a Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Dinner and Benefit Auction GRANT COUNTY LIBRARY HOURS: Mon, Wed., Sat. 1-5 pm • Tues. 10 a.m. to noon and 1-7 pm Thurs.: 1-5 pm and 7-9 pm • Fri. and Sun.: Closed Where fun and fund-raising combine for a memorable evening. Date: Time: Place: Saturday, April 25 4:00—Doors open 5:30—Dinner 7:30—Auction Pavilion— Grant County Fairgrounds Check out these new books Ticket Information: Gale Wall 541-575-2661 A great time for a great cause. Proceeds benefit elk and other wildlife. on our shelves “Rain Gods” by James Lee Burke “House of Rain” by Craig Childs grantcounty.plinkit.org Phone: 541-575-1992 1469 Pamplin Media Group Activist protest against coal trains in the file photo. Environmental groups are taking advantage of Democratic majorities in both houses of the Oregon Legislature to advance their agenda this session. not always enjoy such a strong position in Oregon. The Oregon Conservation Network formed 20 years ago at a time when envi- ronmentalists spent a lot of time fighting bills aimed at undermining “good” legis- lation passed in the 1970s, Splitt said. Republicans had control of the House from 1990 to 2006, and the Sen- ate from 1994 to 2002. “I think folks were feel- ing pretty frustrated with bad bills passing,” and de- cided to create a coalition to focus on shared priorities, Splitt said. “The group or- ganized at the time pretty much played defense.” A decade ago, the coali- tion decided to stop playing defense and begin propos- ing more new legislation. Rhett Lawrence, conserva- tion director for the Oregon chapter of the Sierra Club and a registered lobbyist for the group, said coalition members started to come up with annual lists of bills they could agree upon called “priorities for a healthy Or- egon.” The environmental lob- by’s top priorities today are two bills they describe as “coal to clean”: Senate Bill 477 and House Bill 2729. Both would require util- ities to stop generating or purchasing electricity from coal power plants by 2025. The Senate version would also require companies to replace coal power with electricity from sources “at least 90 percent cleaner than coal-derived generat- ing resources,” according to a legislative summary. Splitt said other priorities this year include SB613, a bill to require private for- estland owners to provide notice to the state and keep other records of their use of pesticides, a bill to appro- priate money for the Ore- gon Department of Fish and Wildlife to spend on conser- vation and legislation that would allow the state to end a mandate to generate reve- nue from timber harvests on some public forests. Environmental groups are also pushing for the passage of legislation that would preserve or create in- centives for a range of solar projects, from residential to utility scale facilities. Law- rence said solar energy “still needs a little bit of a hand in the next step in putting it on a level playing field with fossil fuel.” Splitt said environmental groups also want money for public transit to be included in any funding package for street maintenance and oth- er transportation projects. The outlook for that pack- age is unclear, since Repub- licans stopped participating in talks after Democrats passed the low-carbon fuel bill. Some groups lobbying on the coal power bills and other environmental issues are not strictly environmen- tal groups. Bob Jenks, executive di- rector of the Citizens Util- ity Board of Oregon, said the group supports the coal legislation because govern- ments will eventually reg- ulate carbon emissions and ratepayers could save mon- ey if utilities begin to more aggressively reduce carbon now. “We’ve got to work hard because we don’t have the money,” said Jenks, who is not the utility board’s reg- istered lobbyist but was in Salem to testify in favor of the coal bills on Wednesday. “But we’ve got people. We can organize people.” Aletha Bonebrake VOTE OTEC Board Position 5 Service to Members • Credentialed Cooperative Director • Focus: affordable, reliable power • Informed decision-making Experienced Leadership Incumbent - Position #5 “I ask for your vote On your OTEC Ballot coming in the mail... ” 10 • Director, Baker County Library District 1985-2007 • Baker City Council 2009-2013 • State Library Board of Trustees 2010, Chair 2013- present Commitment to Community • 30 years in Eastern Oregon • Local, regional, state councils Paid for by Aletha Bonebrake 2347 Campbell St., Baker City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
