A4
Opinion
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, March 7, 2018
Federal land by state
Land area by percent of state
0-10%
11-30%
31-50%
51-80%
> 80%
Wash.
N.H.
Mont.
Ore.
Idaho
Wyo.
Nev.
Calif.
Utah
Ariz.
D.C.
Colo.
N.M.
Source:
Congressional
Research
Service
Alan
Kenaga/
Fla.
Capital Press
Alaska
Hawaii
BLM bigwigs
should move west
A
bipartisan group
of senators and
congressmen say the
headquarters for the Bureau
of Land Management should
move out of Washington, D.C.,
and relocate in the West where
the agency manages 385,000
square miles of public lands.
Interior Secretary Ryan
Zinke, who oversees the BLM,
agrees. So do we.
Colorado Republican Sen.
Cory Gardner introduced a bill
to move the BLM to one of
a dozen states in the West —
Alaska, Arizona, California,
Colorado, Idaho, Montana,
Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon,
Utah, Washington or Wyoming.
“You’re dealing with an
agency that basically has no
business in Washington, D.C.,”
Gardner told The Associated
Press.
Colorado Republican Rep.
Scott Tipton introduced a
similar measure in the House,
and three Democrats signed up
as co-sponsors: Reps. Kyrsten
Sinema of Arizona, Jared Polis
of Colorado and Ed Perlmutter
of Colorado.
The logic of this idea isn’t
hard for people in the West
to understand. BLM manages
huge swaths of Western
states. Its decisions impact
the livelihoods of people who
populate rural communities but
those decisions are made far
from the forests, grasslands and
high deserts they call home.
Not everyone is in love with
the idea, particularly the special
interests who court influence
inside the Washington beltway.
Athan Manuel, director of
the Sierra Club’s public lands
program, said the Bureau of
Land Management is already
decentralized, and moving
the headquarters would waste
money.
“It’s a solution in search of a
problem,” he told AP.
Critics say the BLM and
other agencies need to be
headquartered in the capital
to be included in budget
and policy discussions. But
having all those discussions
in Washington is part of the
problem. That’s better for
K Street lobbyists and the
environmental special interests,
but not so good for the people
those policies impact.
While it’s true that less
than 5 percent of the bureau’s
9,000 employees are stationed
in D.C., they have more say
and less access to the national
treasures they administer than
their colleagues in the field.
Putting BLM headquarters
in Denver, Boise or Seattle
wouldn’t change its statutory
mission. But it would give the
agency bigwigs a different
perspective and a better-than-
nodding acquaintance with the
territory they manage and the
people who live there.
G UEST C OMMENT
Help for problem gambling
By the Oregon Council
on Problem Gambling
To the Blue Mountain Eagle
For the 14th year, the Oregon
Council on Problem Gambling
dedicates March to helping peo-
ple “have the conversation” about
problem gambling.
“Problem gambling directly
affects approximately 2.6 percent
of adult Oregonians yet it remains
largely not talked about,” said Or-
egon Council on Problem Gam-
bling Executive Director Thomas
Moore. “That’s why we partici-
pate in the National Council on
Problem Gambling ‘Have the con-
versation’ campaign to help raise
awareness of this addiction and
the prevention, treatment and re-
covery services available for those
adversely affected by gambling.”
National Problem Gambling
Awareness Month is a grassroots
effort that brings together a wide
range of stakeholders — public
health organizations, advocacy
groups and gambling operators —
who work collaboratively to let
people know that hope and help
exist.
“Creating awareness of prob-
lem gambling and available re-
sources is a statewide commitment
that is reflected in the official
proclamation that Oregon Lottery
and the Oregon Health Authority
worked with the Governor’s office
to develop,” added Stacy Shaw,
director of social responsibility
for the Oregon Lottery.
But the “Have the conversa-
tion” campaign is more than just
all talk. Last year, visits to the Or-
egon Problem Gambling Resource
website increased dramatically
during March as a result of all the
focused marketing and outreach
efforts.
“It’s inspiring that a grassroots
campaign can have a measurable
and meaningful statewide im-
pact,” said Moore, “and we are
working for even greater results
in 2018.”
Oregon’s Problem Gambling
Services Manager Greta Coe notes,
“The impact of problem gambling
extends beyond the gambler, af-
fecting families, friends and com-
munities. It is important to have
the conversation to raise aware-
ness of the risks that can be asso-
ciated with gambling and for the
community to be informed of all
the different resources available
at your fingertips through Oregon
Problem Gambling Resource. This
includes free treatment, local self-
help meetings, peer support-type
services and motivational support
messaging.”
Oregon Lottery’s commitment
to problem gambling support is
year-round. Since 1992, 1 per-
cent of Oregon Lottery profits
has funded problem gambling
treatment and prevention efforts
throughout Oregon. Since that
time, nearly $93 million in Lot-
tery funds has supported those
services, with $5.7 million allo-
cated in 2017 alone.
To get help for a gambling
problem for you or a loved one,
call 1-877-MYLIMIT. Treatment
is free, confidential and it works.
For more information about prob-
lem gambling and how to have the
conversation, go to oregoncpg.org
or ncpgambling.org.
The Oregon Council on Prob-
lem Gambling is the state affil-
iate to the National Council on
Problem Gambling. Its purpose
is to promote the health of Or-
egonians by supporting efforts
to minimize gambling related
harm. Board members include
stakeholders from the gaming
industry, the treatment and pre-
vention field, the recovery com-
munity and state and county ad-
ministrators.
L ETTERS TO THE E DITOR
Funds are tight
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
Blue Mountain
EAGLE
P UBLISHED EVERY
W EDNESDAY BY
Creek 97856. Phone: 541-421-3601. Fax:
541-421-3075. Email: info@cityoflong-
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.
To the Editor:
In regards to the low return rate of
the city of John Day survey, I think
it’s due in part because of the four
recent businesses that are about to
go out of business and also the city
wanting to expand to bring in more
housing to which there are no jobs for
the people they want to come here.
Offer an awesome tax break in-
centive for business to establish here.
Adjust property prices based on the
local economy, supply and demand,
and lack of fair prices for a dying
town(s).
I know people are asking big
city prices for their property, and
John Day and Canyon City are not
that. Plus, landlords asking big city
rents. No wonder no one is moving
here, the economy is in a slump and
the city is asking for money that no
one wants to part with and invest in
a place that isn’t thriving or growing.
The area is beautiful, but the tight
grip of funds just trying to get by lo-
cally with the prices makes it a tough
sell by the city!
I would love to see this area thrive
once again!
Henry Lasiter
John Day
A real economic
solution
To the Editor:
A recent front page story in
our newspaper brought more de-
pressing economic news to Grant
County.
Four more stores will be clos-
ing or downsizing — adding their
names to the long list of business-
es that have had to close down
and lay off employees in recent
years.
This trend is not getting bet-
ter; it’s getting worse. As these
businesses close, our county pop-
ulation continues to shrink, leav-
ing fewer and fewer people to
shop at the few remaining stores
left.
So who’s next? We can change
the trend at least somewhat. In
May, Initiative 12-71 will be vot-
ed on.
A yes vote will allow recre-
ational marijuana sales and pro-
duction in Grant County.
A yes vote means jobs and the
opportunity to receive a share of
the state revenue being collected
from a projected billion-dollar in-
dustry.
We would get money for
schools, law enforcement, mental
health and drug rehabilitation, as
well as money for the local gov-
ernment.
A recreational dispensary
would increase tourism as well as
give local residents the opportuni-
ty to shop for a variety of prod-
ucts, including CBD lotions and
oils, which have no intoxicating
effects.
We have to diversify our econ-
omy. If we do nothing, everyone
loses.
As the nation’s economy im-
proves, Grant County continues to
decline.
Personally, I’m sick of watch-
ing this happen to our communi-
ty.
So when there’s at least a par-
tial solution promising jobs and
tax revenue and it’s as easy as
voting yes on a ballot in May, I’m
voting to improve our economy,
regardless of personal views of
marijuana.
So open your mind and do
what’s best for Grant County.
Brad Olson
Mt. Vernon
L
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