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The INDEPENDENT, April 6, 2006
The
INDEPENDENT
Published on the first and third Thursdays of each month by
The Independent, LLC, 725 Bridge St., Vernonia, OR 97064.
Phone/Fax: 503-429-9410. Publisher Clark McGaugh,
clark@the-independent.net • Managing Editor Rebecca Mc-
Gaugh, rebecca@the-independent.net • Editor Noni Ander-
sen, noni@the-independent.net
Opinion
Columbia County Sheriff’s
levy is very well planned
Columbia County has been trying, for several years,
to increase funding for law enforcement through voter
approved operating levies. They have not been suc-
cessful, particularly in the Nehalem Valley.
This newspaper did not endorse the previous efforts
because funds were never dedicated to this under-
served area. Additionally, previous levies had no guar-
antee that the funds would be used for road deputies,
instead of the jail. That has changed.
The county now has an intergovernmental agree-
ment (IGA) with the State of Oregon to house up to 40
inmates daily at the Columbia County Jail. The state
will rent bed and care for the inmates at $65.00 per
day. This contract provides a stable, guaranteed cash
flow for jail operations, something that has not previ-
ously existed.
Additionally, the Board of Commissioners passed a
resolution that, if the levy is approved, dedicates the
funds for law enforcement — additional road deputies
and sergeants, uniforms and equipment, and a resi-
dent deputy for the Vernonia and Mist areas . The funds
will also help provide medical and behavioral drug
treatment for offenders while they are in jail, a much
needed program.
The commissioners and Sheriff Phil Derby have
worked hard to develop a program that makes sense
for all parts of the county.
So what is the price tag? A sensible $0.39 per
$1,000 of assessed property value.
This levy request is both sensible and affordable.
This time, valley citizens should support the sheriff’s
request for dedicated law enforcement funds.
Local lobbying effort goes to D.C.
Vernonia Mayor Sally Harrison and Vernonia City
Administrator Robyn Bassett are leaving Monday
morning for Washington, D.C. Their purpose is to lob-
by for continued community development block grants
and other financial aids to small rural communities.
They deserve a great deal of thanks, too, because
both officials are paying their own way, no tax dollars
are being used for this trip. Bassett is also using some
of her vacation time.
Ike Says…
By Dale Webb, member
Izaak Walton League, Nehalem Valley Chapter
Well, did you get out
and do something fun on
spring break? Some peo-
ple got out and did some
trout fishing in the lakes
that are open and stocked
with trout. Others headed
east to look for some
small game critters to
hunt. The sage rats are
just now starting to come out and, of course,
Jackrabbits have been abundant the last couple
of years. Did you get down to the beach and do
some clam digging? I have heard that surf perch
fishing has picked up, so next time you go down
for clams, make a day of it and take your surf
pole and get some delicious perch. Usually the
best fishing is towards high tide, so dig your
clams on a morning tide and then go eat and let
the wife window shop, then head for the beach
again and fish up to high slack.
The sea lions are snacking again on salmon
and sturgeon in the Columbia River. Despite mil-
lion-dollar gates to prevent the sea lions from en-
tering the fish ladder, a few have managed to slip
through and snack on fish. Sea lions don’t have
to get into the fish ladder to catch fish; they are
quite successful all up and down the Columbia
River. It is estimated that a sea lion needs to eat
up to eight percent of its body weight every day
to survive. This means at least 40 pounds of
food is eaten a day, with salmon, sturgeon, shad,
lamprey and other fish being on the menu. The
impact of this feasting will be high this year be-
cause of the low numbers of salmon returning.
While the reason for the low return should be
paramount, the sea lions also need to be ad-
dressed. Back when the Marine Mammal Pro-
tection Act was enacted, it was a good idea; sea
lion numbers were low after many decades of
wholesale slaughter. Today, though, the Califor-
nia sea lions are numerous, in fact they may
have recovered in quantity to the level that Lewis
& Clark saw when they made their historic visit.
This would be okay, if the salmon were as nu-
merous too, but they are not and, without inter-
vention by man, the salmon runs and sturgeon in
the Columbia may be in peril. It looks like the
Fish & Game agencies of both Washington and
Oregon are starting the process to petition the
federal government for an exemption from the
MMPA to use lethal force to curb the sea lion
threat. The process will be long and most likely
will face opposition, but the sea lions are not en-
dangered, with the exception of the Stellar sea li-
ons. Some people will try to humanize the sea li-
ons and make the case they are cute, but if you
look closely, there is not much cuddle factor
when it comes to an 800-pound sea lion.
Salmon fishermen are really taking a beating
this year. With the Klamath basin salmon runs in
ruins, the impact on the ocean fishery along a
good portion of Oregon and California’s coast is
pretty much up in the air. This is going to have a
huge impact on local economies all up and down
Please see page 23