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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 17, 2009)
The INDEPENDENT, September 17, 2009 Tips for Preparedness Month given September is National Pre- paredness Month, four calen- dar weeks set aside specifical- ly to encourage citizens to pre- pare for disasters and emer- gencies by developing a plan, creating a disaster supply sur- vival kit and staying informed. FEMA Acting Regional Admin- istrator Dennis Hunsinger re- minds parents that they are their family’s first-responders. “Emergency plans help fam- ilies stay in contact if they are separated unexpectedly. If you already have a plan, keep it current. If you don’t yet have a plan, get started with free Fam- ily Preparedness Plan tem- plates available at www.ready. gov,” said Hunsinger. “Another great resource is Ready Kids available at www.ready.gov/ kids. It’s a family-friendly tool that helps parents and teach- ers educate children ages 8-12 about emergencies, and how they can better prepare.” Ready Kids features fun ac- tivities such as Pack it Up Matching games, crossword puzzles, coloring pages and Scavenger Hunts, as well as step-by-step instructions on the role kids can play in family pre- paredness. FEMA recommends that in- dividuals and families prepare a disaster supply kit since it may take time for help to arrive and shelters and food to be- come available following a dis- aster. Detailed checklists are available at Ready.gov, but minimum guidelines include: • Store at least one gallon of water per person per day, and store the water in plastic con- tainers. Water should be re- placed every six months • Store at least a 3-day sup- ply of non-perishable food per person to include ready-to-eat canned fruits and vegetables, canned meats, and energy bars. • Basic first-aid supplies like adhesive bandages, gauze pads, and antiseptic wipes • Essential medications • A copy of emergency con- tact numbers, a battery operat- ed radio, a flashlight and extra batteries. FEMA’s mission is to sup- port our citizens and first re- sponders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, pro- tect against, respond to, recov- er from, and mitigate all haz- ards. Power of the People By W. Marc Farmer, General Manager, West Oregon Electric Cooperative We Need the Salmon Plan Now We are anxiously wait- ing to see what the Obama Administration has to say about the region’s salmon plan. The plan, or Biologi- cal Opinion (BiOp), was completed 15 months ago, and after some give-and-take in the court- room, it is getting further scrutiny from the Oba- ma Administration, top officials at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Department of Commerce. In mid-September, we should know more about how the Columbia River and Snake River power system will be operated in the future. Like most cooperatives in the region, we sup- port the BiOp because we believe it will work to benefit fish and because it is a science-based plan developed through a broad collaboration. We believe it is the best solution to a huge prob- lem that has literally been sapping energy from the Northwest for decades. Our members have helped to support fish re- covery efforts for many years, with renewed fo- cus following the passage of the Northwest Pow- er Act. These have included many modifications at the dams on the Snake and Columbia Rivers that are successfully helping ease the passage of the vast majority of salmon. The measures that have been implemented are working; we have been seeing impressive returns for some Love the beach? Then help clean it up Saturday, September 19, marks the 25th anniversary of the SOLV Great Oregon Fall Beach Cleanup. The event, held in cooperation with the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, will take place from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. along the entire Oregon coast, from the Washington to the California borders. Oregonians from every corner of the state are invited and encouraged to join in this Oregon tradition. Volunteers may check in at one of 44 meeting sites along the coast, pick up a SOLV trash bag, and head down to the beach to help improve the coast line for wildlife and visi- tors alike. Coordinators sug- gest volunteers dress for the weather, bring gloves, wear sturdy shoes, and stay safe while enjoying the wonderful Oregon coastline! Safety is all- important during this fall’s cleanup. Volunteers are asked to watch for sneaker waves, stay away from logs, exercise caution on rocks and cliffs, and never turn their backs on the ocean. Groups and individuals are encouraged to visit www.solv. org to pre-register online and view a map of volunteer regis- tration locations, or volunteers can call SOLV at 503-844-9571 or 800-333-SOLV (7658) for more information. The first statewide, all-volun- teer beach cleanup in the na- tion was held in Oregon on Oc- Page 15 tober 13, 1984. Since then, nearly 190,000 dedicated vol- unteers have worked to collect over 1,200 tons of trash from the Oregon coastline. Follow- ing the Oregon effort, beach cleanups have spread to every state in the Union and to over 100 countries and locations around the world. On Septem- ber 19th, SOLV volunteers will be joined by hundreds of thou- sands of volunteers from across the world as part of the Ocean Conservancy’s Interna- tional Coastal Cleanup. time and the steelhead and fall Chinook returns are near record levels. While we wait for the Administration, we are confounded and angered by the efforts of the plan’s opponents to stir up a national campaign against the jewel of the Northwest energy sys- tem – our hydro system. They have been criss- crossing the country planting misinformation and beating the drum for Snake River dam removal. The Boston Globe, New York Times, and San Francisco Chronicle, to name a few, have gone on record in the past couple of weeks in support of removing our Snake River dams. While the editorial writers deliver messages and claims from dam removal advocates, they fail to take into account the lives of real people who depend on the low-cost, clean power the dams provide – and what it would cost to replace this clean source of renewable energy. And they ignore the real progress that has been made to restore salmon. The Snake River dams produce almost as much energy annually as has been gained in 27 years of BPA’s conservation programs. The dams play a huge role in stabilizing the entire power system, especially as more wind power comes onto the grid. And, the dams produce low cost, clean renewable domestic energy. We hope the Obama Administration will rec- ognize the sound science and the regional col- laboration that went into the BiOp. And we hope they embrace it. We want the acrimony to stop, to get out of the courtroom and get the imple- mentation for the benefit of the salmon under- way. The people of the Northwest deserve as much. 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