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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (April 19, 2017)
A4 Opinion Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, April 19, 2017 Now’s the time to limit the Antiquities Act I t’s probably not high on the list of priorities, but we’d like to see Congress revise the Antiquities Act to give legislative oversight to the creation of national monuments. The Antiquities Act of 1906 has been used by presidents starting with Teddy Roosevelt to create national monuments. The authority comes with few restrictions. The president, “in his discretion,” can designate almost any piece of federally owned land a national monument for “the protection of objects of historic and scientific interest.” Although the act makes mention of protecting historic and prehistoric structures, there is no statutory definition or limit on what may be found to be of historic or scientific interest. Presidents have used the act to preserve wild areas. It’s easier than establishing a wilderness area, or a national park — both of which require congressional approval — but can impose similar restrictions on how the land can be used. Local residents and their elected representatives have no say in the process. At least, they don’t in 48 states. The creation of the Jackson Hole National Monument by FDR in the 1940s so rankled Wyoming pols that when legislation was proposed to merge most of it with Grand Teton National Park the Congress amended the Antiquities Act to prohibit the president from establishing monuments in that state without its approval. After President Jimmy Carter created 56 million acres of monuments in Alaska, Congress amended the act to require it also approve Alaskan monuments of 5,000 acres or more. We would not argue that the Antiquities Act has not preserved legitimate cultural treasures. We might not have the Grand Canyon in its current state had TR not protected it by making it first a national monument. But that was a different time. The restrictions that can be placed on ranchers and timbermen throughout the West by these declarations require oversight. They should have at least the same consideration afforded the people of Wyoming and Alaska. T HE B ACKROADS Easter brings out the best By Sean Hart Blue Mountain Eagle The Grant County communi- ty imbued the most meaningful Christian holiday with even more meaning this year. While Easter always inspires reflection on the Resurrection, events open to the public provid- ed greater insight and brought the stories from the Bible to life. The door was open for any- one who was interested in learn- ing more about or being a part of these special events in history. Volunteers from local church- es and religious groups donned costumes and delved into roles to portray the last week of Jesus’ earthly life for the Road to Res- urrection at the Spring Roundup April 8. Young and old walked in Je- sus’ footsteps and were able to ask questions and interact with the volunteers. Participants waved palm leaves at Jesus’ triumphal entry and heard from Barabbas in pris- on. They sampled the Passover meal and made their own cross necklaces. Whether working the event or attending as a guest, the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. The Spring Roundup brought together not only churches but the community as a whole. The unify- ing spirit carried throughout Holy Week, as local congregations hosted special ser- vices. Sean Redeemer Lu- Hart theran Church hosted its annual traditional Jewish Seder, or Pass- over meal, bringing in several people from outside the church. The educational gathering of- fered insight into the Last Sup- per, as well as Judaism. The traditions and rituals of the rite provided depth and texture to stories Christians have heard many times. From bitter roots representing the bitterness of slavery to the unleavened bread the Jews took with them when they were freed from Egypt — because they had no time for their bread to rise — the symbolism was power- ful. The meaning was difficult to miss. Yet, perhaps more powerful was the willingness to open the door to anyone who wished to attend. Until that night, I did not know the Seder calls for people to do just that in a literal sense, but I still think the little church deserves thanks and praise for its welcoming attitude and atmo- sphere. And for trying to bring the community together. One can almost always find animosity, anger, resentment and hatred in just about any direction these days. But during Holy Week, nega- tivity seemed harder to find. Maybe people were too busy or too tired from everything go- ing on, or maybe I was too busy to notice. Or maybe the sense of unity brought out by these communi- ty events truly inspired people to love their neighbors. Maybe even their enemies. Either way, as I sat in the pews on Easter Sunday, I felt a stron- ger connection to the community that came together to host such enlightening, welcoming events to herald in the all-important Christian holiday. As I listened to the readings, I felt a deeper understanding of the events that shaped Jesus’ life. As I reflected on the Resurrec- tion, I felt a sense of hope. Hope that Jesus’ message had not been lost somewhere along the way, as it so often seems. And hope that we — from Grant County to the global com- munity — may one day live up to Jesus’ ideals. Sean Hart is the editor of the Blue Mountain Eagle. He can be contacted at editor@bmeagle. com. L ETTERS TO THE E DITOR 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. • Long Creek — P.O. Box 489, Long Creek 97856. Phone: 541-421-3601. Fax: 541-421-3075. Email: info@cityofl ong- creek.com. • Monument — P.O. Box 426, Monument 97864. Phone and fax: 541-934-2025. Email: cityofmonument@centurytel.net. • Mt. Vernon — 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 • Gov. Kate Brown, D — 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 • State Rep. Cliff Bentz, R-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. • State Sen. Ted Ferrioli, R — (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. • The White House, 1600 Pennsylva- nia Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20500; Phone-comments: 202-456-1111; Switch- board: 202-456-1414. • U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D — 516 Hart Senate Offi 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. • U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D — 313 Hart Senate Offi ce Building, Washington D.C. 20510?. Phone: 202-224-3753. Email: senator@merkley.senate.gov. Fax: 202- 228-3997. Oregon offi 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. • U.S. Rep. Greg Walden, R — (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. Medford offi ce: 14 North Central, Suite 112, Medford, OR 97501. Phone: 541-776-4646. Fax: 541-779-0204. Blue Mountains Forest Partners a private nonprofi t To the Editor: John George’s recent criticism (April 5) of the Blue Mountains Forest Partners refl ects a deep mis- understanding of 501(c)(3) organi- zations and BMFP. BMFP is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization – a private nonprofi t. As such, according to the IRS, the only information BMFP is required to disclose publicly is its applica- tion for tax-exempt status (with associated correspondence), and its completed tax returns for the three most recent years. Nothing more. A private nonprofi t is also legal- ly required to address confl icts of interest for board members and pro- tect against the inappropriate use of its fi nances and assets by mem- bers. Article VII of BMFP’s bylaws addresses confl icts of interest for board members. Article IX of our Articles of Incorporation addresses the inappropriate use of BMFP fi - nances and assets. Legally speaking, these articles allow members to receive reason- able compensation for services they provide the organization and to benefi t from contract work with (say) the Forest Service, provided confl icts of interest are handled in an appropriate manner. Private nonprofi ts are legally permitted to lobby to a limited de- gree, where this is understood as the attempt to infl uence legislation or lawmaking. Per the IRS, then, the fi nancial information Mr. George wanted BMFP to give him is not subject to public disclosure; BMFP members have acted consistently with the organization’s Articles of Incorpo- ration and bylaws, correctly under- stood; and BMFP can lobby (even though it hasn’t done so locally). Finally, BMFP’s mission is to increase the resilience and well-be- ing of forests and communities in the Blue Mountains. This requires a road system that facilitates respon- sible, active management of mul- tiple-use public lands. Our work, then, requires us to support a road system that enables the Malheur to implement projects that increase forest health, support ongoing tim- ber harvest and provide other so- cioeconomic benefi ts for area com- munities such as public access to public lands. Mark Webb Executive Director Blue Mountains Forest Partners Time to answer questions To the Editor: Blue Mountains Forest Partners, the local collaborative, has been receiving attention lately due to its executive director, former county judge Mark Webb. Questions arise, such as why does the volunteer group have a paid director with an annual salary in the $50,000 range? With a well paid and supposedly full-time job, how does Mark Webb on “his own time” promote the nul- lifi cation of the Grant County Pub- lic Forest Commission, petition the county court to repeal a road ordi- nance and be involved in whether or not someone is a resident of the county? Citizens of the county are taking note of the “irregularities” of BMFP and its actions. As a 501(c)(3) or- ganization, as required by law, why won’t they reveal their fi nancial records? Should those sitting on an “ops board” be in a voting position to benefi t personally? BMFP should be open and transparent if they are to have any creditability. Perhaps Mr. Webb can fi nd time in his busy schedule to answer these questions. Patti Yellow Hand Bull Monument 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 P UBLISHER ............................... M ARISSA W ILLIAMS , MARISSA @ BMEAGLE . COM E DITOR .................................... S EAN H ART , EDITOR @ BMEAGLE . COM A DMINISTRATIVE A SSISTANT ........ J ACKIE O SBORNE , JACKIE @ BMEAGLE . COM R EPORTER ............................... R YLAN B OGGS , RYLAN @ BMEAGLE . COM C OMMUNITY N EWS .................... A NGEL C ARPENTER , ANGEL @ BMEAGLE . COM S PORTS ................................... A NGEL C ARPENTER , ANGEL @ BMEAGLE . COM M ARKETING R EP ....................... K IM K ELL , ADS @ BMEAGLE . COM O FFICE M ANAGER ..................... L INDSAY B ULLOCK , OFFICE @ BMEAGLE . 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