A4
OPINION
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wild and
Scenic
designation
needs clarity
t was a bit surprising to
discover that some of the
rivers proposed for Wild
and Scenic designation were
dried up or creeks, streams or
gulches — not really rivers
at all.
Missteps like that go to the
heart of criticisms of sweep-
ing legislation that paints a
broad brush, but fails to look
at the fi ner details.
A Senate bill that would
designate nearly 4,700 miles
as part of The National Wild
and Scenic Rivers System in
Oregon is being criticized for
including hundreds of small
creeks, streams and gulches
that were found to be com-
pletely dry, according to the
Capital Press and its reporter,
George Plaven. The Capi-
tal Press is a part of the EO
Media Group, along with the
Blue Mountain Eagle.
The American Forest
Resources Council, a trade
group representing the tim-
ber industry, did an analysis
of the proposal, arguing that
certain non-river segments
under consideration “do not
meet the intent or defi nition
of the Wild and Scenic Riv-
ers Act.”
Oregon Sens. Ron Wyden
and Jeff Merkley, both Dem-
ocrats, introduced the River
Democracy Act on Feb. 3. A
year prior to that, there was a
well-attended open house in
Bend, where many submit-
ted comments on which riv-
ers should be protected from
development along their
banks. The legislation came
out of more than 15,000
nominations submitted by the
public.
But according to the forest
group, just 15% of the water-
ways are actually labeled
as “rivers.” Out of 886 seg-
ments, 752 are identifi ed as
“streams,” rather than rivers.
Another 33 are identifi ed as
“gulches,” one as a “draw”
and 17 were “unnamed
tributaries.”
I
The bill would roughly tri-
ple the number of wild and
scenic rivers across Oregon,
intending to protect fi sh and
wildlife, water quality and
outdoor recreation values. It
also increases wild and sce-
nic river corridors from a
quarter-mile to a half-mile
on both sides, which adds up
to approximately 3 million
acres of protected land — an
area approximately the size
of Connecticut.
Cutting timber along
streambanks is a well-known
cause of sediment in rivers
and a degradation of fi sh and
wildlife habitat. But, the for-
est council’s president, Tra-
vis Joseph, makes a good
point that restricting the abil-
ity to harvest trees when
the state is in a grip of cata-
strophic wildfi res and where
thinning of trees can reduce
the wildfi re risk is detrimen-
tal to the bill’s intent.
Wyden says those claims
are addressed in the bill, call-
ing for coordination between
state and federal agencies to
allow for forest thinning.
But there needs to be some
balance here. We can see the
Willamette, Deschutes and
Santiam rivers gaining some
protection against develop-
ment as they are truly wild
and scenic rivers.
Even the headwaters
of these rivers deserve
attention.
But intermittent streams
are not really rivers and
should not be considered as
such. We encourage some
clarity on the issues, espe-
cially how state and fed-
eral agencies would be held
accountable for working
together.
And perhaps remov-
ing some of the nonfl owing
streams from the list of this
important designation would
go a long way to boosting its
credibility as a new piece of
legislation.
Wednesday, July 28, 2021
SHOOTING THE BREEZE
COOL WATER
ith this Hadean, diabolical
heat wave, I’m reminded
of a classic country bal-
lad “Cool Water.” The longing for
a cool drink in a seemingly end-
less desert is not lost upon my ears.
It’s been covered by many diff er-
ent artists over the years, but I think
Lorne Greene does it best. Off and
on in my life I’ve worked in agricul-
ture, and as those of you similarly
employed can attest, our work needs
done in spite of infernal or inclem-
ent weather. As a result, being out in
such extreme climates can take a toll
on our bodies, especially if we are
exerting ourselves physically.
Staying hydrated goes without
saying, but how much water should
we pack if water is not easily acces-
sible? In heat such as we are see-
ing right now I personally have con-
sumed in excess of one gallon of
water throughout the space of the
day. Having some way to keep your
water cool will also help. Fair-com-
W
plected folks such
as myself should
also bring along
copious amounts of
sunscreen and a bit
of aloe vera to treat
the inevitable radi-
ation burns. Wear a
Dale Valade
hat with a brim to
further protect your neck, ears and
face from these harmful ultraviolet
rays. As another aside, if you take
St. John’s Wort, you may consider
avoiding it this time of year as it
increases one’s sensitivity to the sun.
Ultimately, I would advise get-
ting to work earlier and then quit-
ting earlier to minimize your expo-
sure wherever possible. If you do
experience heat stroke, which I
have, you can fi nd yourself in seri-
ous trouble if you don’t get out of
the sun in a hurry. Luckily for me,
I had coworkers nearby to drag me
to safety. Consider more frequent
communications with the members
of your crew or arranging a regu-
lar check in with somebody if you
work or hunt alone. If you don’t
have a swamp cooler, air condi-
tioner, central air or a fan of any
kind, splurge and buy one. You’ll
be glad you did.
Hunting season is just around the
corner with early damage elk tags,
pronghorn antelope season and bow
season beginning in August. Take
proper precautions to prepare. It’s
amazing how fast the heat can take
its toll. With the west forecast to
have the worst drought in over 100
years, let’s all join in hoping that
“way up there, he’ll hear our prayer
and show us where there’s water!”
How are you beating the heat?
Write to us at shootingthebree-
zebme@gmail.com and check us
out on Facebook for additional
content.
Dale Valade is a local country
gent with a love for the outdoors,
handloading, hunting and shooting.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Idaho takes a
diff erent direction
To the Editor:
On Aug. 4, Grant County Court is
having its fi rst public meeting required
by the ballot measure passed in May
regarding Greater Idaho. Now is the
time to discuss the issues and let the
commissioners know if we want to be
part of Idaho or remain with Oregon.
Which government do we feel best
represents the values of Grant County?
In recent history, several things
have occurred in Oregon that have an
eff ect on our lives in Grant County:
1. Gun storage law.
2. Allowing public camping in all
publicly owned spaces, such as side-
walks and parks.
3. Decriminalization of drugs.
4. Imposing a corporate activity
tax on businesses, including ranches,
with commercial activity in excess of
$1 million.
5. The Oregon Department of Edu-
cation advertising an optional eth-
nomathematics course (critical race
theory) for teachers in an email
newsletter.
Rural Oregon is ignored by Salem
and the government in all matters.
Idaho has taken a diff erent
direction:
1. Lower taxes.
2. Permitless gun carrying is legal,
and they have “stand your ground”
laws.
3. Enforcement of drug laws.
4. Banned CRT (critical race the-
ory) from being taught.
Let your voice be heard. Join me at
the Grant County Courthouse on Aug.
4 at 9 a.m. It is time for our voices to
be heard.
Sandie Gilson
Mt. Vernon
Revisit River
Democracy Act
To the Editor:
I have written to U.S. Sen. Ron
Wyden four times since March
26, 2021, about the “outstanding
remarkable values” of the streams he
proposed to list under the Wild and
Scenic Act. I have had absolutely no
response. What is going on?
Here are the remarks he made
on Feb. 3, 2021, about the SB 192
River Democracy Act for himself
and Sen. Merkley found here on
page s320:
https://www.congress.gov/
congressional-record/2021/2/3/
senate-section/article/S319-2
He says for himself and Sen.
Merkley, “It is important to note
that each river segment in this bill
was selected for specifi c outstand-
ing remarkable values. A chart that
shows the specifi c outstanding
remarkable values for each one can
be found at https://www.wyden.sen-
ate.gov/imo/media/doc/ORVs%20
chart%202-2-2l.pdf.”
This link does not provide any
information at all or lead to any
chart. I have repeatedly asked for
this information and have received
nothing. Maybe you have not really
done any research or study on these
streams. Listing Bull Run Creek
as a wild river when it is mostly a
dry channel seems to indicate that
you need to do a lot more research
before you actually propose designa-
tions of these streams. What are your
future plans to study, and correct
the many inaccurate designations of
these streams?
Ken Alexander
Unity
L
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