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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 3, 2011)
The INDEPENDENT, August 3, 2011 Where to Find Them U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (Dem) 1220 SW 3rd Avenue, Suite 585 Portland OR 97232 Phone: 503-326-7525 223 Dirksen Senate Ofc. Bldg. Washington, D.C. 20510-0001 Phone: 202-224-5244 E-Mail: http://wyden.senate.gov/ contact Website: http://wyden.senate. gov U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (Dem.) One World Trade Center 121 SW Salmon St., Suite 1250 Portland, OR 97204 Phone: 503-326-3386 313 Hart Senate Ofc. Bldg. Washington, DC 20510 Phone: (202) 224-3753 E-Mail: http://merkley.senate. gov/contact WebSite: http://merkley.senate. gov U.S. Representative David Wu (Dem) OR District 1 620 SW Main, Suite 606 Portland, OR 97205 Phone: 503-326-2901 2338 Rayburn House Ofc. Bldg. Washington, DC 20515 Phone: 202-225-0855 Website: http://house.gov/wu Senator Betsy Johnson (Dem) Senate District 16 PO Box R, Scappoose, OR 97056 Phone: 503-543-4046 900 Court St. NE, S-314 Salem, OR 97301 Phone: 503-986-1716 E-mail: sen.betsyjohnson@ state.or.us Website: http//www.leg.state.or. us/johnson Representative Brad Witt (Dem) House District. 31 21740 Lindberg Road, Clatskanie, OR 97016 Phone: 503-728-4664 900 Court St. NE, H-373 Salem, OR 97301 Phone: 503-986-1431 E-mail: rep.bradwitt@state.or.us Website: http//www.leg.state.or. us/witt Representative Deborah Boone (Dem) House District 32 PO Box 926 Cannon Beach, OR 97110 Phone: 503-717-9182 900 Court St. NE, H-375 Salem, OR 97301 Phone: 503-986-1432 E-mail: rep.deborahboone@ state.or.us Website: http//www.leg.state.or. us/boone Page 3 Letters Yep, that’s life! To the Editor: Upon Growing Older: When you get about my age, your eyes get weak. You forget what you were thinking, when you start to speak. Your hands don’t work as good, neither do your feet. You don’t recognize, half the people that you meet. You’re always asking, “What?” whenever people speak. You have pains everywhere, and your kidneys both get weak. Will things get any better? History says never. But there is one consolation. Nobody lives forever. R. Dee Stevens Vernonia Sponsors are vital to life of Logging Show To the Editor: Thank you 2011 Vernonia Logging Show Sponsors. The following sponsors keep the show going through their generosity: Longview Timber Company, Pape’ Machinery, Teevin Bros. Land & Timber Company, Meyer’s Auto Body, Inc., Soderback & Daughters Trucking, Mike Pihl Logging Co., Inc., Gwin & Sons Logging Co., Inc., Five Star Builders, Inc., Archie Dass Logging, Inc., KLS Surveying, Inc., Vernonia Auto Parts, Shaw Supply, Wilcox & Flegel, Weller & Sons Trucking, West Oregon Electric Cooperative, Wood’s Logging Supply, Cowlitz River Rigging, Oregon Chain, Lucky Logger, Whit-Log Trailers, All In Pub & Eatery, Vernonia’s Voice, Preci- sion Engraving, US Bank, Wauna Federal Credit Union, Dolly Keenon, Original Produc- tions, Madsen’s Shop & Supply Inc., Vernonia Realty & Insur- ance, Vernonia Public Works, The Independent, Diane Dil- lard, Vernonia Mini Mart, Ver- nonia Sentry Market and Ver- nonia True Value. We would also like to thank everyone who volunteers their time to keep the show going! Vernonia Logging Show Committee Public service sans cameras or audience To the Editor: Saturday morning, July 30th (the Saturday before Jamboree Weekend), my husband and I were enjoying ourselves, going to Saturday Market and a few yard sales around town. Just taking the day off to relax from the work and stress of the up coming week…getting ready for Jamboree. When I saw something that made me truly humble. As we were driving home, we were passing between the new West Oregon construction site and the library, and what did I see … our Mayor, her hus- band and daughter sweeping the street. No one was there to see this act of service. At the time all I could think of was to yell as we drove past, “Good Job Josette!” to which she replied with a smile and, “Thank You.” Just thought I’d put that out there. Just an observation. Randal Harvey Vernonia Ed. note: They were also spied spreading fresh barkdust on all of the library landscaped areas over a two day period. Policy on Letters The INDEPENDENT will not publish letters with per- sonal attacks on private citi- zens. Preference will be given to brief letters, 300 words or less. All letters must be signed and include a verifiable address or phone number. Ike Says… From page 2 west side…the competition for tags will only get worse in my opin- ion. Be sure and bring the kids to the Izaak Walton League’s youth fishing derby at Vernonia Lake on Friday the 5th. Registration opens at 4:00 p.m., fishing is from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. Izaak Walton League, Nehalem Valley Chapter meets monthly on the 3rd Thursday at 7:00 p.m. Call 503-429- 7193 for location. Governor seeks Supreme Court forest road review Governor Kitzhaber, on July 25, requested the Oregon Attorney General’s office to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to review the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision that forest roads require individual water discharge permits under the federal Clean Water Act. Governor Kitzhaber consid- ers certain portions of the ruling by the federal Court of Appeals to be legally flawed and is con- cerned that the ruling could create increased economic, social, and environmental instability across Oregon’s important forest management sector. Specifically, the Gover- nor believes the Ninth Circuit’s ruling wrongly mandates a per- mitting approach that should have been left to the discretion of the U.S. Environmental Pro- tection Agency and states and effectively overturns a rule that has been in place for 35 years. “The Clean Water Act stipu- lates that challenges to rules adopted to implement the act must be brought within 120 days of the adoption of the rule,” Kitzhaber said. “Allowing a challenge to proceed now, in one state, 35 years after the rule’s adoption, throws the tim- ber industry and agencies into confusion; upsets established expectations; and will lead to different rules in different parts of the county – contrary to con- gressional intent.” Oregon Board of Forestry chair John Blackwell agreed with the Governor’s decision to ask the Supreme Court to review the ruling. “Clean water is a crucial benefit of well-managed forests,” said John Blackwell. “Roads are critical to that man- agement, and we need sound rules about the construction and use of roads in forests. But that’s a matter best addressed by natural resources agencies, not the courts.” The Governor strongly believes that improvements in water quality are needed, but that those improvements will most effectively be achieved through constructive interac- tions between policy makers, regulatory agencies, forest landowners and managers, and other interests. “I’m not arguing with the out- come sought by the plaintiffs in this litigation: to improve forest road management and curtail impacts that result in harmful discharges to streams and degradation of water quality and fish habitat,” said Governor Kitzhaber. “However, we are at a point in the history of our management of forest lands where we need to develop sta- bility, consensus, and collabo- ration, not management by lawsuit. Dramatically expand- ing citizen lawsuits risks accel- erating the conversion of our forest land to development, costing us both in terms of har- vest revenue and environmen- tal values, as well.” The Oregon Department of Justice will prepare a petition for the Supreme Court’s review in the coming months. Meanwhile, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden has decided to pursue a legislative response to the Ninth Circuit’s decision. While Governor Kitzhaber rec- ognizes that a narrow amend- ment to the Clean Water Act may ultimately be necessary, he does not believe that this should be our starting point. “Before seeking a legislative solution we should fully explore an administrative resolution of the issues created by the Ninth Circuit’s decision, including approaches that improve water quality while minimizing or avoiding the requirement for individual permits,” said Gover- nor Kitzhaber.