Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (July 18, 2018)
A4 Opinion Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, July 18, 2018 Western governors offer prudent ESA proposal S ince it was passed in 1973, the Endangered Species Act has been all but untouchable by members of Congress, who consider amendments to the law with the same trepidation they would if they were climbing over an electric fence. It’s not that the ESA is perfect — far from it. Rather it’s fear of retribution from environmental groups who see the law as their meal ticket and a weapon they use against anyone who doesn’t share their enthusiasm for shutting down economic activities across the West to “save” local populations of various species. That’s why an effort by the Western Governors’ Association is so interesting. The top elected officials in the western-most 21 states and three Pacific territories — Republicans and Democrats — took on the challenge of studying the ESA to determine how they could make it work better. Headed by Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead, the association first invited people from around the West to talk about the law. The governors’ recommendations are the result of those initial conversations and “drilling down” to develop ideas for addressing the law’s shortcomings. It was not easy. The ESA is complicated and riddled with strict deadlines. In fact, the deadlines are part of the problem, the governors found. They were added in 1982 and have provided environmental groups with the hammer they wanted to force the federal agencies to pay them whenever they miss a deadline. The governors recommended that the deadlines be made more realistic. They also recommended the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service be allowed to prioritize petitions for species of concern. Those species that are already the subject of on- the-ground conservation efforts would be a lower priority than other species that are not being helped. This would allow time to determine how any conservation efforts are working before the USFWS jumped in. Such recommendations represent a well-thought-out starting point for making the ESA better and more effective. They “would require agencies to consider conservation efforts and give them time to work,” David Willms, a policy adviser to the Wyoming governor, recently told the Idaho Water Users Association’s water law conference. Regardless of its intentions, the ESA overloads federal agencies, exposes them to needless lawsuits and prevents wildlife and land managers from using all the tools at their disposal to do their jobs. Getting rid of the ESA, however, is probably not realistic, since every environmental group would most likely hit the panic button at the mention of repeal. But the case the Western governors make for judiciously modifying the ESA to make it more effective — and ultimately save more species in need of help — is difficult for even the most ardent environmentalist to resist. F ARMER ’ S F ATE Crazy ‘two-canoe’ ideas By Brianna Walker To the Blue Mountain Eagle “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” I couldn’t help but think of the epigram of Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr while reading with my son one afternoon. The story was one of a young boy and his family traveling from Tennessee to Texas in 1852. The challenges they faced often made my son stop and wonder. Why would they conserve gun powder — couldn’t they just buy more? Why did they eat everything they shot — even when it was gristly, fatty meat like raccoon? Why didn’t they heat up the water after every person took a bath? What was a flint, and why didn’t they just use matches? In these ways, the story seemed far re- moved from us — that is, until they got to a crossing at St. Francis River. There was a ferry to take the wagons across. People were swim- ming children and animals across. There was also a trapper who was taking people across in his canoe. As he was charging much less, he was doing much more business than the ferry driver. “Too bad you can’t haul wagons in them canoes,” said one man from Kentucky. “Who says I can’t?” the trapper replied. And so it was that, while the wife protested, the man from Ken- tucky made a deal with the trapper 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@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. Blue Mountain EAGLE P UBLISHED EVERY W EDNESDAY BY 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). • Oregon Legislative Information — (For updates on bills, services, capitol or messages for legislators) — 800-332- 2313. the rifle-armed lady on the shore.” He looked at me with confusion. I began telling him a story that hap- pened when he was just a year old. My husband and I had flown back east to drive home two pickups. My husband rented a trailer, and we were planning on driving one and hauling the other. But to save a few bucks, he rented the “$1 canoe.” The trailer wasn’t long enough or wide enough so he used boards, and ramps, a hi- lift jack and a lot of ratchets to get the pickup on it. When it was final- ly on, it looked precariously like I imagine that wagon did on those two canoes. We drove just a few painful miles — that trailer fishtailing like crazy. I didn’t know if I should be more afraid for us, the cars passing us or the pickup whose back tires were overhanging the trailer on long boards. I could empathize with Kentuckian’s wife. I wished I would have had a rifle! “So what happened?” my son asked. “Thankfully we stopped before the ‘canoes’ sank. Then you and I drove one pickup home, and Daddy drove the other along with his cheap trailer. The moral of the story is that shortcuts don’t often work out in the long run.” “Maybe not,” he grinned, “but they sure are funnier to talk about.” Brianna Walker occasionally writes about the Farmer’s Fate for the Blue Mountain Eagle. L ETTERS TO THE E DITOR Happy to see Hammonds pardoned W HERE TO W RITE to take his canoe for less than half of what the ferryman was charging. Two canoes were lashed to the wagon — and somehow they Brianna managed to get one Walker under the left set of wheels and the oth- er under the right — then the wagon started across the river. The ferryman, having just lost a $3 fare, started stomping on his hat and cursing, while the rest of the peo- ple stared in amazement and laugh- ter at the wagon crossing the river on two canoes. About halfway across, the canoes seemed to go down a hair in front. Then in the back. “Paddle faster,” the Kentucky man pleaded. But it was to no avail. A full 30 feet from the shore, water poured over the sides of a those canoes, and they sank like rocks. The trapper began swimming for his life — not afraid of drowning, but powerfully alarmed at the rifle the wife of the Kentucky man was aiming in his di- rection. My son could no longer contain his laughter. He let the book fall to his chest as he laughed and coughed and snorted. “What a silly thing to do,” he giggled. “All to save $2. Couldn’t he tell it was a bad idea?” “Well, my son, someday you will understand: It’s a guy thing. And most wives will be able to relate to To the Editor: I appreciate the work of Rep. Greg Walden, persevering until justice was accomplished in the case of Dwight and Steven Hammond. I am grateful to President Trump for reviewing this case and seeing his way clear to right a terrible injustice. Hopefully these Eastern Oregon fam- ilies can put their lives back together and once again enjoy the unique life of the high desert. I trust their expe- rience will not be in vain and all in- volved will have learned from what has transpired and save other ranch- ers from such a fate. Government has its place but not when it overreaches to “shock the conscience” as was stat- ed by federal Judge Michael Hogan, who presided over the case and used his discretion in sentencing. These men have more than served their time, and I am so happy to see this ridiculous decision overruled and the Hammonds pardoned. Cheryl Cruson Ontario Walden did the right thing To the Editor: The Hammond pardon was se- cured by a great many people. It was like a huge jigsaw puzzle with many different pieces that all had to go to- gether at the right time to make it hap- pen. Everyone was working to cor- rect and make right a grave injustice. Congressman Walden was a big piece of the puzzle to help secure the Grant County’s Weekly Newspaper P UBLISHER ............ ..................... C HRIS R USH , CRUSH @ EOMEDIAGROUP . COM E DITOR & G ENERAL M ANAGER ... S EAN H ART , EDITOR @ BMEAGLE . COM R EPORTER ............................... R ICHARD H ANNERS , RICK @ 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 . COM O FFICE A SSISTANT .................... A LIXANDRA H AND , OFFICE @ BMEAGLE . COM presidential pardon for Dwight and Steven Hammond of Harney County. Walden did the right thing. Those of us in Congressional District 2, who can actually vote for Walden and re- ally know the issues, are grateful for his help. Those who are familiar with the case and issues are fully aware the pardon was justified. The Hammond family is a ranching family in East- ern Oregon who help feed the world. They are not domestic terrorists. Now, in comparison, President Obama pardoned over 600 individ- uals. Most were hardened criminals dealing in hard drugs, theft and other crimes, which are a threat to society. He let these types out on society. Where was the hue and the cry about these pardons? Congressman Walden did the right thing! Suzan Ellis Jones Bridgeport Righting a wrongful situation To the Editor: In the 1800s, brave and indepen- dent individuals suffered hardships and trials to reach Oregon. These founders of our state had strongly held beliefs about their God, their county and their Constitution. Having strongly held beliefs is still the back- bone of Oregon. It was a black eye for those strong- ly held beliefs when the notion of federal control for public lands ex- ploded into a confrontation at the Malheur refuge. The situation soon became fodder for late night TV hosts and wild stories circulated the na- 1 YEAR SUBSCRIPTION RATES (including online access) Grant County .....................................$40 Everywhere else in U.S. .....................$51 Outside Continental U.S. ....................$60 Subscriptions must be paid prior to delivery MEMBER OREGON NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION Email: www.MyEagleNews.com Phone: 541-575-0710 tion about a “terrorist” activity loose in Oregon. Steve and Dwight Ham- mond went to prison. Twice. Both of these men served their allotted time for allowing a controlled burn to spread beyond their land. In 2016, under the Obama Administration, Chief Judge Aiken ruled that these men must go back to prison in order to serve a mandatory minimum spe- cially designed for terrorists. What started all this? Steve Ham- mond started several back fires after lightning started a blaze that threat- ened his winter feed for his cattle. It’s amusing to note that our government does similar things for similar rea- sons. They have controlled burns that have migrated on to private lands. When that happens, the government does not brand itself as a terrorist, nor does it call for its own arrest, conviction and imprisonment. How- ever, Dwight and Steven Hammond were sentenced to prison. The entire situation was made of many wrongs. I appreciate President Trump for his pardon of the Hammonds. He righted a very wrongful situation. Congress- man Greg Walden has put forth the legislation H.R. 983 that would en- sure that farmers and ranchers would never again be prosecuted as terror- ists for range management fires. This isn’t a political letter. This is an Oregonian letter. It is applauding people who do the right thing. One of Oregon’s strongly held values con- cerns the larger issue of federal con- trol of public lands. May Oregon always be home to brave and inde- pendent individuals with strongly held beliefs. Zee Koza La Grande Periodicals Postage Paid at John Day and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER send address changes to: Blue Mountain Eagle 195 N. Canyon Blvd. John Day, OR 97845-1187 USPS 226-340 Copyright © 2018 Blue Mountain Eagle All rights reserved. No part of this publication covered by the copyright hereon may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means — graphic, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, taping or information storage and retrieval systems — without written permission of the publisher. www.facebook.com/MyEagleNews @MyEagleNews
