A4
Opinion
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
Sage grouse
decision: New
paradigm
W
hile some critics
question whether
ranchers who enter
into voluntary conservation
plans to aid the greater sage
grouse have given up too much,
a listing of the bird under the
Endangered Species Act would
have been a disaster.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service decided not to add
the greater sage grouse to the
endangered species list.
That’s good news for ranchers
and others in the western natural
resources community.
In making the announcement,
U.S. Secretary of the Interior
Sally Jewell credited voluntary
and collaborative measures to
protect and improve greater sage
grouse habitat on public and
private land across the West.
But with Oregon ranchers
providing a key early model,
producers, private landowners
and public agencies adopted
agreements most believe will
protect sage grouse habitat while
still allowing work on the land.
More than 100 Oregon
ranchers signed voluntary
conservation agreements with
USFWS in which they took
steps to improve habitat in
exchange for 30 years protection
from additional regulation
even if the bird had been listed.
Private landowners in other
states followed suit, and public
agencies such as the BLM
revised their management plans.
Those revisions added
restrictions on everyone who
use public lands. On the whole,
we think these new restrictions
are less intrusive than what
would have happened if the sage
grouse were listed.
Some environmental groups
say the sage grouse can’t survive
without the more stringent
protections provided by the
Endangered Species Act.
Oil and gas interests say the
voluntary conservation plans
on private lands and mandatory
efforts on public lands are too
restrictive for energy production.
At the same time, there are carve
outs for a proposed transmission
line for electricity produced
by wind generators, a resource
favored by the administration.
Though for different ends,
both sides have threatened
litigation.
It should be noted that
it was a lawsuit brought by
environmentalists to force the
government to make a decision
on a sage grouse listing that
provided the impetus for
the collaborative efforts and
reworked land use plans now at
issue.
Some members of Congress
say the Obama administration
has successfully put even private
lands under the government’s
thumb, what some believe was
the goal from the start.
Litigation is an inevitable
byproduct of any decision
on an environmental issue.
Congressional displeasure is
also a near certainty. All of this
will play out over time.
We would not suggest that
voluntary conservation plans
and the government efforts have
not changed the West. Clearly,
there is a new paradigm.
But ranchers and other
natural resource advocates need
to remember that they have
more options under the current
conditions than they would had
the sage grouse been listed.
That would change the West in
ways that would make grazing
and other productive use of
public and private lands all but
impossible in many cases.
The challenge now is to
ensure measures taken thus far
maintain sage grouse habitat
and lead to an increase in the
population. The only way to
thwart litigation or renewed
political pressure for a listing
— and thus more onerous
restrictions — is to actually save
the sage grouse.
W HERE TO WRITE
GRANT COUNTY
Grant County Courthouse — 201
S. Humbolt St., Suite 280, Canyon City
97820. Phone: 541-575-0059. Fax: 541-
575-2248.
Canyon City — P.O. Box 276, Canyon
City 97820. Phone: 541-575-0509. Fax:
541-575-0515. Email: tocc1862@centu-
rylink.net.
Dayville — P.O. Box 321, Dayville
97825. Phone: 541-987-2188. Fax: 541-
987-2187. Email:?dville@ortelco.net
John Day — 450 E. Main St, John Day,
97845. Phone: 541-575-0028. Fax: 541-
575-1721. Email: cityjd@centurytel.net.
/RQJ&UHHN — P.O. Box 489, Long Creek
97856. Phone: 541-421-3601. Fax: 541-421-
3075. Email: info@cityoÀongcreek.com.
Monument — P.O. Box 426, Monu-
ment 97864. Phone and fax: 541-934-
2025. Email: monument@oregontrail.net.
0W9HUQRQ — P.O. Box 647, Mt.
Vernon 97865. Phone: 541-932-4688. Fax:
541-932-4222. Email: cmtv@ortelco.net.
Prairie City — P.O. Box 370, Prairie
City 97869. Phone: 541-820-3605. Fax:
820-3566. Email: pchall@ortelco.net.
Seneca — P.O. Box 208, Seneca
97873. Phone and fax: 541-542-2161.
Email: cityseneca@centurytel.net.
SALEM
*RY.DWH%URZQ' — 254 State
Capitol, Salem 97310. Phone: 503-378-
3111. Fax: 503-378-6827. Website: www.
governor.state.or.us/governor.html.
6WDWH5HS&OLII%HQW]5-Ontario (Dis-
trict: 60), Room H-475, State Capitol, 900
Court St. N.E., Salem OR 97301. Phone:
503-986-1460. Email: rep.cliffbentz@state.
or.us. Website: www.leg.state.or.us/bentz/
Blue Mountain
EAGLE
P UBLISHED EVERY
W EDNESDAY BY
home.htm.
6WDWH6HQ7HG)HUULROL5 — (District
30) Room S-223, State Capitol, Salem
97310. Phone: 503-986-1950. Email: sen.
tedferrioli@state.or.us. Email: TFER2@aol.
com. Phone: 541-490-6528. Website: www.
leg.state.or.us/ferrioli.
Oregon Legislative Information —
(For updates on bills, services, capitol or
messages for legislators) — 800-332-2313.
WASHINGTON, D.C.
7KH:KLWH+RXVH 1600 Pennsylva-
nia Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20500;
Phone-comments: 202-456-1111; Switch-
board: 202-456-1414.
866HQ5RQ:\GHQ D — 516 Hart
Senate Of¿ce Building, Washington D.C.
20510. Phone: 202-224-5244. Email:
wayne_kinney@wyden.senate.gov Website:
http://wyden.senate.gov Fax: 202-228-2717.
866HQ-HII0HUNOH\'— 313 Hart
Senate Of¿ce Building, Washington D.C.
20510?. Phone: 202-224-3753. Email:
senator@merkley.senate.gov. Fax: 202-
228-3997. Oregon of¿ces include One
World Trade Center, 121 S.W. Salmon St.,
Suite 1250, Portland, OR 97204; and 310
S.E. Second St., Suite 105, Pendleton, OR
97801. Phone: 503-326-3386; 541-278-
1129. Fax: 503-326-2990.
865HS*UHJ:DOGHQ5 — (Second
District) 1404 Longworth Building, Wash-
ington D.C. 20515. Phone: 202-225-6730.
No direct e-mail because of spam. Website:
www.walden.house.gov Fax: 202-225-5774.
Medford of¿ce: 14 North Central, Suite 112,
Medford, OR 97501. Phone: 541-776-4646.
Fax: 541-779-0204.
Pending Bills: For information on bills in
Congress, Phone: 202-225-1772.
BPA reduces rebates
for upgrading windows
For over a decade Oregon Trail
Electric Cooperative’s (OTEC) En-
ergy Services team (ES) has enthu-
siastically helped members lower
their electric bills and conserve en-
ergy by upgrading from old, leaky
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els with a u-value of .30 or better.
OTEC members who took advan-
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proving their primary installed heat
source was electric and they were
purchasing new windows that with
low u-value ratings.
So, what is a u-value? Windows
are rated according to the degree of
heat loss measured from the middle
of the pane going outward; hence,
the lower the U-factor, the better
the window insulates the building.
The U.S. government standardized
the rating method and now requires
this information to be posted on all
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ciency windows can be double or
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or a myriad of other types that meet
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is to check and compare u-values.
Unfortunately, BPA recently an-
nounced the window program will
be changing as of October 2015
and the rebate will be greatly re-
duced, almost half of what it has
been. This decision came following
a study performed by the Regional
Technical Forum (RTF), a commit-
tee formed by the NW Power and
Conservation Council, and only
Susie Snyder
after years of monitoring the actu-
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windows as compared to what was
originally projected. The RTF’s pri-
mary job is to develop standards
to verify and evaluate conserva-
tion savings. This group of experts
keeps the Council and Bonneville
Power Administration (BPA) up-
dated on whether changes need to
be made to any conservation pro-
gram, so the funding is put to best
use. Unfortunately, this one did not
live up to the expectation, so future
rebates will be cut in half of what
they have been, with the likelihood
the program will be phased out alto-
gether in the near future.
Although, the change may lower
participation for the future, many
of OTEC’s members have already
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lthough, the
change may
lower participation
for the future,
many of OTEC’s
members have
already benefitted
from the program.
And, regardless,
it’s still a good
idea to remove
leaky windows
and replace
them with higher
efficient models.
regardless, it’s still a good idea to
remove leaky windows and replace
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OTEC’s ES team will continue to
be enthusiastic about helping mem-
bers make smart energy choices and
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project affordable. Call us for more
information about other rebates that
help you to conserve.
“Enthusiasm is the electricity of
life.” – Gordon Parks
Susie Snyder is a 15-year em-
ployee of OTEC, has a B.A. in
Business and is a NWPPA Ferti¿ed
Home Energy Auditor/Inspector.
She has been helping OTEC mem-
bers ¿nd Zays to conserYe energy
for oYer years.
L ETTERS TO THE E DITOR
Wood use has
increased
tures, fences, bridges, etc., one may
apply for a personal use wood per-
mit from the ranger on the district
Dear Editor:
where the wood is located. The cost
The Grant County Public For- LVWKHVDPHDV¿UHZRRGDQGOLPLWHG
est Commission working with the to sixteen cords or 8,000 board feet
Forest Service has seen an increase and must have personal use tags af-
from ten cords to sixteen cords of ¿[HGWRWKHORDG
¿UHZRRG SHU KRXVHKROG DQG EHLQJ
Forest Service personnel from
able to utilize ATV’s in retrieving small sales may be required to in-
wood. Equipment to load wood has spect the trees prior to the removal.
also been authorized.
It is imperative anyone that wants
A recent addition to citizens’ use to use the personal use wood per-
of the abundant dead wood on the mit contact a Forest Service Rang-
Malheur Forest is a “personal use er and be thoroughly familiar with
wood permit.” Dead trees can now the “terms and conditions” of the
be hauled in longer lengths than permit before participating in the
eight feet and sawn into lumber for program.
personal use.
Dave Traylor
Recognizing the need for people
John Dayy
to have building material for struc-
Forest Service: Take
Sierra Club to court
To the Editor:
Perhaps I’m being too sensitive,
but it’s just too bad to see all those
trees become smoke in the sky and
not a resource sold in timber sales
going to a local mill.
Now, you know, before this sal-
vage log sale can reach a mill, they
must pass the roadblock of the Cal-
ifornians from Club Sierra.
My suggestion to the Forest
Service is, group your lawyers
together, and take Club Sierra to
FRXUWWRSD\DSDUWRIWKHIRUHVW¿UH
expense.
W. Toop
Canyon City
L
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. We
must limit all contributors to one letter per person per month. 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.
Grant County’s Weekly Newspaper
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E DITOR .................................... EDITOR @ BMEAGLE . COM
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MEMBER OREGON NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION
A
By Susie Snyder
For EO Media Group
1 YEAR SUBSCRIPTION RATES
(including online access)
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Everywhere else in U.S. .....................$51
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