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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 5, 2018)
A4 Opinion Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, September 5, 2018 Oregon’s carbon plan is hot air O regon was a national pioneer on land-use planning. It led the way with the Bottle Bill. Its protection of public beach access is legendary. In each case, Oregonians benefited from the state’s landmark legislation. That’s not the case with the carbon tax-and- invest proposal being shaped by a committee of Oregon legislators. The greenhouse gases emitted by Oregon truckers, commuters, utilities, manufacturers and other entities are so small that they are barely measurable on a global scale. Neighboring California has a huge impact, not Oregon. Oregon officials might win environmental plaudits for taking action, but the actual atmosphere would hardly notice. In fact, there’s a distinct chance Oregon could worsen the global situation. Cap-and-invest is a market- based system in which U.S. states or Canadian provinces place caps on the amount of allowable carbon emissions. To exceed those caps, companies can buy allowances from the government. The allowances can be sold or traded on the open market, with the government investing the income in environmentally friendly projects. California, Quebec and Ontario are the North American leaders. Key Democratic legislators in Oregon want to join them. The catch is that Oregon’s environmental initiatives already are stronger than those in many states and nations. The world, not just Oregon, loses if companies leave the state for less restrictive locales. Or if Oregon companies switch to buying products manufactured — and shipped — under lighter regulations. Transportation is a huge contributor to greenhouse gases. California now is the world’s fifth-largest economy, larger than the United Kingdom’s. That reality creates the incentive for many California corporations to invest in carbon reduction there. In contrast, Oregon’s economy ranks in the middle of the pack among U.S. states — about the size of Egypt’s and smaller than Pakistan’s, Bangladesh’s or Finland’s. The Legislature’s Joint Interim Committee on Carbon Reduction must prioritize how cap-and- invest, or any other scheme, would alter the state’s economy as well as its environment. “What we’re proposing here is a big and serious program, and I think it’s legitimate to expect people to be concerned about the effects on the economy,” said Sen. Michael Dembrow, a chief architect of Oregon’s cap-and- invest proposal, at a committee meeting this summer. Such concerns ride especially high in rural Oregon, reflecting both the Democrat-Republican and urban-rural splits on the committee. “I can’t go to cap-and-trade yet,” Sen. Fred Girod, R-Stayton, said at the same meeting. “If you listen to the testimony today, it sure seems like we’re going to make rural Oregon pay the cost of all this, and I don’t see urban Oregon stepping up to the plate, and that really bothers me.” Sen. Alan DeBoer, R-Ashland, has a more modest approach — a carbon-pollution tax, with related projects to improve forest health and reduce the destructive, carbon-emitting wildfires around the state. “Cap-and-invest is contentious for many reasons, but a broader discussion about sunsetting a carbon tax may be a better way to solving one of the most quarrelsome arguments in Salem,” he said in a constituent letter last month. Gov. Kate Brown and other key Democrats are eager for the committee to act. But there should be no rush. Do what is best for Oregon — all of Oregon. F ARMER ’ S F ATE I fought the lawn ... and the weeds won By Brianna Walker For the Blue Mountain Eagle I stood back and looked at the pretty burgundy flower pots sitting on my deck — filled and overflow- ing with nearly-dead flowers. How is it that I always seem to choose the plants without the will to live? While the mornings were still chilly and frosty, I planted my greenhouse full of watermel- on plants, garden plants and some flowers for color. The plants grew, the frost took a summer sabbatical and we all got ready for the hot sea- son. My husband is happy to help with the garden — as long as he can do it from the seat of a tractor. Which meant that he rototilled, and my boys helped me transplant all the trays of plants — or, as the local rodent population refers to it, the all-you-can-eat buffet. We planted cucumbers, toma- toes, herbs and all manner of pep- per plants. We grew morning glory, kochia, squash and puncture vine. Have you ever noticed how squash and puncture vines never fail to reach maturity? You can spray them with acid, beat them with shovels, even burn them under a propane torch — and yet they seem to love every minute of it! Gardening requires a lot of water — most of it in the form of perspiration — which may be why mine looks like a lovely patch of goat heads with small, almost in- discernible, rows of produce. But, while Seeds + Water + Sun + Dirt = Weeds in the garden, I was pleased with my flower pots full of lovely annu- als and perennials my kids and I plant- ed around the house — at least initially. Then they too be- Brianna gan to show their Walker true colors — and I don’t mean with beautiful blossoms. “What’s the difference between an annual and a perennial?” my son asked. “Well, an annual dies every year. And a perennial? They die as soon as they leave the greenhouse.” As the summer wore on, the tem- peratures rose, my flowers drooped — and the weeds thrived. I’ve read that plants react to people’s voices, and that soothing words make them grow better and healthier. Don’t believe it. I pulled weeds. I yelled at the weeds. I called the weeds mean names and hit them on the head. I scolded them in my most gruff voice — and they mul- tiplied as fast as the rabbits eating my garden. When it comes to weeding, some people have advised the best way to make sure you are remov- ing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it. If it comes out of the ground easily, it was a valuable plant. While there is definitely truth to that, I think that a better way to tell is to pull them both up — whatev- er grows back is the weed. But be warned: Give the weeds an inch, and they’ll quickly take your yard! Rock gardens might be a better choice for my green thumb. Then again, the person who owned our property before us must not have had good luck with them either. I think the rocks must have all died, because he sure buried an awful lot of them! I recently was talking with one of my dad’s high school classmates. She currently lives in Arizona and was back in Oregon for their re- union. She was telling us about the beautiful blue pots that sit on her deck. “It’s Arizona — plants get ‘dehydrated’ so quickly that it’s best to buy beautiful pots and plant them with fake flowers!” Dehydration! That’s it! I didn’t have “dead” plants in the pots on my deck — they were only dehy- drated. All they need is a little IV (imitation vegetation), and they’ll look as good as real... er, I mean new! I imagined my flower pots filled with beautiful fake flowers. I’m afraid, though, that fake plants would probably die too because I’d forget to pretend to water them. As I look around the lovely patch of kochia, goat heads and rows of dehydrated flowers that we affectionately call home, I decided the only thing I grow well in my garden is tired. Weeds, dehydration and fake flowers — if only people concen- trated on the really important things in life, there’d be a shortage of life jackets and an overstock of shovels, pots and silk flowers. Brianna Walker occasionally writes about the Farmer’s Fate for the Blue Mountain Eagle. L ETTERS TO THE E DITOR ‘Reconsider and rewrite the plan’ 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@centurylink.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 Blue Mountain EAGLE P UBLISHED EVERY W EDNESDAY BY 97856. Phone: 541-421-3601. Fax: 541-421- 3075. Email: info@cityoflongcreek.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: sene- caoregon@gmail.com. To the Editor: This is concerning the draft record of decision and summary of the revised land management plans for the Malheur, Umatilla and Wallowa-Whitman national forests. Portions of these plans should be re-written to more fair- ly consider access to what are our public lands. According to the Forest Ser- vice manual, page 25, “Man- agement by the people” national forests are made for and owned by the people. They should also be managed by the people. The officers are paid by the people to act as their agents (agent: one who acts for or in the place of another by authority from him) to see that all the resources of the forest are used in the best interest of everyone concerned. There must be hearty cooperation from every- one; it is the users themselves who can be of chief assistance in doing away with bad methods. Alternative E-modified (the preferred alternative) of the sum- mary states on page 16, “This alternative differs from the alter- native A by moving away from road densities in general forest to focus instead on elk security and on roads resulting in the greatest impacts to fish and aquatic eco- systems on the landscape… Hy- drologically disconnecting the roadbed from the stream system.” Moving away from road den- sities and disconnecting of road- beds translates to road closures and/or access removal. The Forest Service failed to directly coordinate with the counties on this plan. The agency is required by section 202 (c) (9) of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act to coordinate with local governments. They need to do this. Reconsider and rewrite the plan. Mike Christensen John Day 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 ............ ..................... 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 P ERKINS , OFFICE @ BMEAGLE . 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