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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 30, 2019)
A4 OPINION Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, October 30, 2019 Oversight needed of state forest division Y ou can be savoring an IPA along the John Day River after a long day of adven- turing in Oregon’s forests and honestly wonder if things couldn’t get much better. But sometimes those charged with managing this beautiful state let us all down. State government is not a place brimming with sim- ple problems with easy answers. Still, The Orego- nian reported last week the Oregon Department of For- estry’s state forest division is “failing on almost every front.” The division manages approximately 745,000 acres of forestlands across Ore- gon. Its budget is a mess and getting worse. That’s because, in part, it is funded solely by timber sales that aren’t happening. That’s led to cuts in staff. Fewer staff, in turn, makes it harder for the division to solve its problems. On top of everything, the agency is facing a law- suit from 14 Oregon coun- ties who claim they have not been getting the revenue they are entitled to from tim- ber sales. They say they’ve been shortchanged $1.4 billion. Legislators and Gov. Kate Brown have failed to pro- vide adequate oversight of the division. Do you remem- ber the special series of hearings called this past ses- sion by our legislative lead- ers to get to the bottom of this? Nope. They didn’t hap- pen. What are they going to do about it? Even members of the for- estry board have grown frus- trated. Brenda McComb, a board member and for- mer forestry professor at Oregon State University, has “repeatedly asked staff members for more infor- mation around the exist- ing inventory of trees and whether current harvest lev- els are sustainable,” accord- ing to The Oregonian. That’s a fundamental piece of knowing how well any man- agement plan would work. She has not gotten it. Forest policy is going to be divisive. There is no shared, statewide vision of how a state-owned for- est should be managed. That may help explain but does not excuse the absence of oversight and leadership from the Legislature and Gov. Brown in managing the state’s forests. GUEST COMMENT Rural economic successes I t’s often said “the only constant in life is change.” Recent visits to new eco- nomic catalysts growing in Grant and Umatilla counties have shown me how both communities have embraced that adage to build on their traditional strengths to gen- erate good-paying jobs in Eastern Oregon. Lots of rural Oregon faces real economic hurt, which is why I wrote the Secure Rural Schools legislation that’s brought more than $3 billion over the years to those communities for schools, roads and public safety. But earlier this month at Mal- heur Lumber just outside John Day, I also saw new shoots of eco- nomic success when I toured the new Restoration Fuels site. This plant taps innovative technology to take the biomass of small trees and convert it — via a process called torrefaction — into a non-fossil fuel energy source. The technology is astounding. And so is the economic opportu- nity — I heard firsthand from plant officials how they’re hiring people in this rural Oregon town at fami- ly-wage salaries. These developments are a credit to farsighted leaders at Malheur Lumber such as company owner John Shelk who’s committed to maintaining the sawmill in John Day. I was proud to team with Malheur Lumber, Iron Triangle and the forest collaborative to push for a 10-year stewardship contract that increased timber harvest and a steady, certain supply of biomass. This forest restoration work isn’t easy. It requires folks working together to find common ground, and it required local industry part- ners like Malheur Lumber, Ore- gon Torrefaction and Iron Trian- gle to develop new markets for forest products that used to burn up in slash piles bigger than semi-trucks. And I’m work- U.S. Sen. ing to get even Ron Wyden, more biomass D-Oregon to support fam- ily-wage jobs by pressing the administration for even more fuels reduction and thinning on the national forests. This torrefaction project in Grant County and the people behind it have shown the entire country all that can be accom- plished with biomass — and pro- vided a valuable job-creating model to learn from. A similar good-news Eastern Oregon economic story is playing out up U.S. Highway 395 in Uma- tilla County. This summer, I toured the Pend- leton Airport hangar where the aerospace company PAE ISR has set up shop to work on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). As at Malheur Lumber, the new technology developed by PAE ISR — and the jobs they support in Eastern Oregon — are impressive. In Pendleton, I met with PAE ISR workers earning six-figure salaries. And I met PAE ISR manager Ken Bisconer, who’s passionate about creating new education programs so young people have the skills and training to work in this well- paid field. UAV technology is hugely exciting for Eastern Oregon. I’m a privacy hawk, but I think we can thread the needle and support UAV technology for civilian uses like mountaintop rescue, precision agriculture, fighting wildfires and more without sacrificing privacy protections. And just as in Grant County with biomass, these changes in Pendleton didn’t happen by osmo- sis. They’re a credit to local vision- aries such as Pendleton Mayor John Turner, Umatilla County Commissioner George Mur- dock, Pendleton Economic Devel- opment/Airport Manager Steve Chrisman and Oregon National Guard Colonel Alan Gronewald. Pendleton and Eastern Oregon can take justifiable pride in carving out a big part in the core of a grow- ing industry that pays well and cre- ates a whirlwind of fresh economic activity. I see my job representing Ore- gon as setting the temperature for fresh new enterprises to grow in rural Oregon. And I’m honored to have partnered with local officials to ensure new enterprises such as UAV test ranges could develop in Pendleton as well as in Warm Springs and Tillamook. We have extended operation of these test ranges through 2023, and I will keep fighting for these proven job generators. Of course, there’s no single solution to ensuring the rural Ore- gon economy can flourish. But I believe these positive examples of smart change in Grant and Umatilla counties are signifi- cant shoots of success that should be celebrated. These examples — along with support for his- toric rural Oregon enterprises such as agriculture, ranching and for- estry as well as new opportunities in areas like recreation and hemp — can continue creating new good-paying jobs for generations to come. Ron Wyden, a Democrat, is a U.S. senator from Oregon. GUEST COMMENT Be a problem solver WHERE TO WRITE 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 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: senecaoregon@gmail.com. SALEM • Gov. Kate Brown, D — 254 State Capitol, Salem 97310. Phone: 503-378- 3111. Fax: 503-378-6827. Website: governor.state.or.us/governor.html. • Oregon Legislature — State Capitol, Salem, 97310. Phone: (503) 986-1180. Website: 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. • Sen. Cliff Bentz, R-Ontario – 900 Court St. NE, S-301, Salem 97301. Phone: 503-986-1730. Website: oregonlegislature.gov/Bentz. Email: Sen.CliffBentz@oregonlegislature.gov. • Rep. Lynn Findley, R-Vale – 900 Court St. NE, H-475, Salem 97301. Phone: 503- 986-1460. Website: oregonlegislature. gov/findley. Email: Rep.LynnFindley@ oregonlegislature.gov. WASHINGTON, D.C. • The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20500; Phone-comments: 202- 456-1111; Switchboard: 202-456- 1414. Blue Mountain EAGLE Published every Wednesday by E very customer who comes into your business has a problem, and they are looking for you to help solve it. Perhaps they need a dress for their daughter’s wedding or a special gift. They have a flat tire or need a spe- cific tool for a project. Their faucet is dripping, their pick-up’s engine light came on, their septic tank needs pumped, they need a loan to buy a house or are being sued. What problem does your busi- ness solve, and how do you accom- plish this more effectively than your competitors? Have you thought about this, and do you need to make any adjustments? Here are some basic things you may want to consider: • Are you open when your cus- tomer needs you? (I know of a hair stylist who only works in the eve- nings and on Saturday and Sunday, because that’s when her working cli- ents and students are available and is something her competitors won’t do.) • Do you offer quality products or services at the right price point? • Is your website complicated? (Remember, if it takes more than three “clicks” to find the information Grant County’s Weekly Newspaper Publisher............ ......................................Chris Rush, crush@eomediagroup.com Editor & General Manager ...............Sean Hart, editor@bmeagle.com Reporter ...................................................Rudy Diaz, rudy@bmeagle.com Community News .................................Angel Carpenter, angel@bmeagle.com Sports ........................................................Angel Carpenter, angel@bmeagle.com Marketing Rep .......................................Kim Kell, ads@bmeagle.com Administrative Assistant ..................Makenna Adair, office@bmeagle.com Office Assistant .....................................Alixandra Hand, office@bmeagle.com MEMBER OREGON NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION Online: MyEagleNews.com a customer wants to know, they will leave your site — and likely won’t return.) • When a cus- tomer calls, is there Greg Smith a complex auto- mated system they must navigate? • In short, is it a hassle to do busi- ness with you or are you the first business they turn to when seeking an answer to their problem? The answers to these questions sound simple yet are often the root cause for slow — or no — business. On the other side of the equation, employers want employees who are problem solvers, not problem cre- ators. I have addressed the impor- tance of “soft skills” in a previous article, but the reality of this cannot be over-stated. Employees, regardless of their skill set, are not employed long if they create problems. The number one complaint (i.e. problem) I con- sistently hear about from employ- ers is they cannot find people who want to work and who will show up to work on time — or at all. Perhaps you don’t consider yourself a prob- lem creator but take a moment and 1 YEAR SUBSCRIPTION RATES (including online access) Grant County .........................................$45 Everywhere else in U.S. .......................$57 Outside Continental U.S. ....................$60 Subscriptions must be paid prior to delivery 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 Phone: 541-575-0710 ask yourself these questions: • Are you dependable? • Do you cause strife in the workplace? • Are you busy texting instead of looking around to see what needs to be done — and doing it? • Do you complete your work on time? Does your boss have to come behind you and double check to make sure the task has been done correctly? • Do you access resources to answer the questions you might have, or do you consistently interrupt the workflow of others? Identifying a need whether as a business owner or employee and uti- lizing your unique skill set is one of the most important keys to suc- cess, profitability and longevity in the workplace. Being a creative problem solver is not just something benefi- cial in the workplace, but in society as well, and is something each of us can contribute to in some way. Greg Smith is the director of the Eastern Oregon University Small Business Development Center, 1607 Gekeler Lane, Room 148, La Grande. For free, confidential busi- ness advising, call 541-962-1532 or email eousbdc@gmail.com. Copyright © 2019 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. facebook.com/MyEagleNews @MyEagleNews