A4
Opinion
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
The science of
good science
W
olves have recovered
dramatically in
Oregon, their
numbers growing into the triple
digits and their populations
expanding west and south
across a large swath of the
state.
The Oregon Wolf Plan
shepherded the success of that
re-introduction. And because
the next step in the plan called
for taking gray wolves off the
state’s endangered species list,
that’s exactly what happened.
In a staff report released
in October 2015, scientists
from ODFW recommended
the Oregon Fish and Wildlife
Commission delist gray wolves.
In November, OFWC agreed
with that assessment. And just
last month both houses of the
VWDWHOHJLVODWXUHYRWHGWRDI¿UP
the OFWC’s decision.
Despite pressure from
environmentalists to veto the
bill, Gov. Kate Brown signed
the bill into law Tuesday. She
made the right decision.
It’s disappointing that
environmental groups have
indicated they do not plan to
drop a lawsuit challenging the
delisting.
Out here in wolf country,
we’ve lived by the rules of
the Oregon Wolf Plan since
the wily animals swam across
the Snake River and made
this country their home. And
many of us are happy about
that. Wolves belong in Oregon,
and their existence must be
protected.
But with existence now
reasonably secured, species
management is needed. And we
should make those management
decisions using unbiased
science, not science paid for by
special interests. And we should
GH¿QLWHO\QRWPDNHWKRVH
decisions by discarding science
altogether and substituting
emotion, or the highest paid
lawyer.
But that’s what
environmental groups such
as Oregon Wild, Cascadia
Wildlands and the Center
for Biological Diversity are
trying to do. These litigants
are undercutting the work that
ODFW has done to revive wolf
numbers and the science that
has fueled it.
“The place where (the
delisting decision) needs to
be determined is in a court of
law,” Amaroq Weiss, Center
for Biological Diversity, told
Oregon Public Broadcasting.
But a courtroom is not where
science happens, and it is the
wrong place for management
decisions to be made.
The place where wolf
management decisions should
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the laboratory. It’s in the reams
of data in the hands of a wolf
biologist. It’s by the decisions
of an apolitical, informed
commission who studies the
science.
That work has been done,
yet it has been disregarded by
environmental groups who
don’t agree with the conclusion.
That’s not the way science
works. It’s a shame that some of
the state’s most well-funded and
powerful environmental groups
don’t believe in science that is
not their own.
Those groups tried to put
pressure on the governor to veto
a bill that passed, somewhat
miraculously, through a
Democratically controlled
Legislature to land on her desk.
It’s not a one-sided trick,
either. There are many who
point to the scientist they paid
for who has found the climate
isn’t changing, smoking doesn’t
cause cancer, that coal is clean
and Arctic drilling is good for
the polar bear.
It’s a disreputable group to be
part of, and one that hurts your
credibility in the eyes of people
who just want what is best for
our state and its wildlife. You
cry wolf too many times, and
there might not be any wolves
left to hear you.
W HERE TO W RITE
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:
(PDLOLQIR#FLW\RÀRQJ-
creek.com.
Monument — P.O. Box 426, Monument
97864. Phone and fax: 541-934-2025.
Email: cityofmonument@centurytel.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: senecaoregon@gmail.com.
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.
Oregon Legislature — State Capitol,
Salem, 97310. Phone: (503) 986-1180.
Website: www. leg.state.or.us (includes
Oregon Constitution and Oregon Revised
Statutes).
Blue Mountain
EAGLE
P UBLISHED EVERY
W EDNESDAY BY
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/
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
6HQDWH2I¿FH%XLOGLQJ:DVKLQJWRQ'&
20510. Phone: 202-224-5244. Email:
wayne_kinney@wyden.senate.gov Website:
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866HQ-HII0HUNOH\'— 313 Hart
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20510?. Phone: 202-224-3753. Email:
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2UHJRQRI¿FHVLQFOXGH2QH
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 email because of spam. Website:
www.walden.house.gov Fax: 202-225-5774.
0HGIRUGRI¿FH1RUWK&HQWUDO6XLWH
Medford, OR 97501. Phone: 541-776-4646.
Fax: 541-779-0204.
L ETTERS TO THE E DITOR
So much for what
people want
cal response failure situation here?
I understand that the situation is
YHU\ ÀXLG DQG VXEMHFW WR 0XUSK\¶V
To the Editor:
Law, but they did pre-analysis and
Well, the hope that we would game-planned this. The tactical fail-
have some answers forthcoming, or ures are at the basic level of decision
at least a satisfactory effort to un- making and skills taught (or supposed
GHUVWDQGZK\WKH&DQ\RQ&UHHN¿UH to be taught and administered).
was allowed to grow to the monster
Again, the shooting was legally
that it did, was short lived at best. It MXVWL¿HG0U)LQLFXP¶VDFWLRQVDOPRVW
appears that from the city councils guaranteed that. But the shooting does
or county commissioners to Wash- not pass the test of public expectation
ington, D.C., there is no guarantee and acceptance, and law enforcement
that those we elect to represent us personnel across the board suffer from
will, in fact, do that. I am sure that the result.
the many people who attended the
Maybe Gov. Brown and the Legis-
meeting to voice their opinion about lature can continue to defund OSP to
the investigation were only a few the level where they can’t possibly re-
who could attend, but perhaps many VSRQGDQGSODFHFLWL]HQVDQGRI¿FHUVLQ
others simply could not attend. Mr. jeopardy. Just a thought.
Christensen made a good point about
Doug Hoffman
how simple it would be to at least
Retired OSP tactics instructor
start asking the relevant questions,
Roseburg
but for some reason, even simple
didn’t impress the commissioners.
They just didn’t seem to want to Diversify or die
have an investigation. Why? We may
never really know, but we all have a To the Editor:
vote, and I, for one, will make certain
It looks like Grant County is the
that I make an effort to help replace ¿UVW (DVWHUQ 2UHJRQ FRXQW\ WR SXVK
this majority voting board of county the issue of marijuana production and
commissioners with someone else, sales to a vote on the May 17, 2016,
anyone else, until they show the same ballot. In just a few short weeks 346
disregard for the will of the people.
signatures were gathered, 198 of
When we had to decide about the which were validated by the coun-
pot issue here in Prairie City, I don’t ty clerk. This was enough to put the
know if anyone really knew how the measure on the May ballot. It seems
mayor stood, personally, but we all with the early enthusiasm the measure
knew that he represented the major- has a very good chance of passing and
ity of voters. Isn’t that how those we maybe opening doors for some eco-
elect to represent us are supposed to nomic relief in Grant County.
look at things? I guess from the city
Voters will decide whether to bring
councils to Washington, D.C., we are in revenue from the state and provide
all tired of the cover-ups, the insults jobs to the people of grant county.
to our intelligence, the garbage!
Approval would open doors for more
Mary Brown than just marijuana production, pro-
Prairie City cessing and sales. Land could also
be used for hemp production, which
is a billion dollar industry in Canada.
SWAT actions failed Hemp grown outdoors matures in as
short as four months and is used in a
to meet public
variety of products including, but not
limited to, clothing, rope, biomass,
expectations
paper pulp and more.
To the Editor:
So as you can see this is not a one
I would agree with the stated issue subject — there could be more
opinion that law enforcement did not opportunity here than we think. It is not
want the situation to end in a death, just marijuana dispensaries that could
and that Mr. Finicum’s desire to be a EHEDQQHGZHFRXOGORVHWKHFKDQFH
martyr for the cause was the primary for agricultural production facilities,
reason it did.
possibly a processing facility and, yes,
That said, police SWAT (Special I’m sure somewhere in Grant County
Weapons And Tactics) is a unit meant a dispensary will open. A place where
to bring extreme situations to a reason- adults over 21 with ID would purchase
able conclusion. Based on (my per- marijuana that has been lab tested for
sonal opinion here, folks) video and mold and is pesticide free, making it
investigative review of this situation, safe for human consumption. After
Oregon State Police SWAT actions buying it, people would go home and
failed to meet the public and law en- smoke it — it is illegal to smoke or
forcement professionals expectations.
consume marijuana in or around a dis-
The secondary stop attempt is rid- pensary so they wouldn’t be driving off
dled with tactical error. Spike strips XQGHUWKHLQÀXHQFH
20 yards before the vehicle road-
People who work here know you
block? Shooting at a human con- diversify or die in Grant County. We
trolled speeding missile results in an EXLOG KRXVHV ZH ¿[ IHQFH FXW ¿UH-
uncontrolled speeding missile with wood — anything it takes to make
poor tactical results, leaving positions ends meet. If Grant County doesn’t
RI FRYHU WR HQJDJH LV D EDVLF RI¿FHU ¿QGDZD\WRGLYHUVLI\EH\RQGWLPEHU
safety and tactics no-no, failure to and ranching, two essential parts of
position nonlethal response weapons our economy, I don’t know what the
(gas), poor tactical position to box in future is for our community.
and respond to a barrier breach — are
Cindy Kidd
you beginning to understand the tacti-
Mt. Vernon
To the Editor:
If some of those who revere the
Constitution do not think that the
Constitution’s Article 1, Section 8,
Clause 18 and the Constitution’s
Article 4, Section 3, Clause 2 do
not give the federal government the
right [1] to own land, [2] to enact
laws to regulate land it owns and
[3] to arrest people who violate
those laws, then they certainly
should exercise their constitutional
ULJKWWR¿OHDFODVVDFWLRQFRPSODLQW
in the United States District Court
in Pendleton against the United
States for its alleged unconstitu-
tional actions. It is that simple.
Since such people revere the
Constitution, they also must re-
vere its requirement that all legally
binding interpretation of the Con-
stitution can only be performed
by the Court of the United States.
Therefore, they would also have
to [1] revere the United States
District Court’s ruling on such a
complaint by them, [2] revere the
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals’
ruling on an appeal, should they
file one after having lost in Dis-
trict Court and [3] revere the Unit-
ed States Supreme Court’s ruling
on their Writ of Certiorari, should
they file one after having lost their
appeal.
They shall never do this, be-
cause they know that they shall
lose on their Article 10, Section 8,
Clause 17 argument and their oth-
er arguments, which is why none
RI WKHP HYHU KDV ¿OHG DQG QRQH
RIWKHPHYHUZLOO¿OHVXFKDFRP-
plaint.
Their utter absence of integrity,
honesty and even patriotism, by
not submitting their constitutional
arguments to that entity, which the
Constitution requires to be the only
arbiter of constitutional questions,
is constitutional cowardice.
Brian McDonough
Bennington, New Hampshire
Previous writer wrong
about special deputies
To the Editor:
Last week’s letter to the editor
from Sam Walker of John Day be-
littled the “special deputies” ap-
pointed by the sheriff as unelected
and untrained with the power to
arrest and detain him. Members
of the Grant County Search and
Rescue are special deputies. Many
special deputies are yearly under-
JRLQJ WUDLQLQJ LQ ¿UVW DLG HPHU-
JHQF\ PDQDJHPHQW IRU ¿UH ÀRRG
etc. These special deputies often
have military or law enforcement
experience. To use the term “se-
cret police” in conjunction with the
reasoning for special deputies only
reveals one’s ignorance.
Mark Pengelly
Canyon City
See LETTERS, Page A5
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
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