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Some residents of monument aim to save it Commissioners, others say it at least needs to be rethought By PAUL FATTIG GREENSPRINGS � Suzi Given lives on a 50-acre parcel enveloped by the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. "My husband and I looked all over the United States before settling here," she said, adding, "We couldn�t be more pleased that the government wants to protect this land. We want this monument." She is organizing local residents in an effort to support the monument at a time when others are seeking a reduction in its size. The 52,947-acre monument was created by former President Clinton last June. "We don�t want the monument to be reduced in any way," she said. Interior Secretary Gale Norton, as well as local government officials, organizations and some property owners, are calling for a review of the monument�s designation. As is the Jackson County Stockmen�s Association, which wrote a letter to Norton last month. "We are not totally opposed to monuments, we just believe this monument designation needs a big change in size and scope," the letter stated. It also advocated full compensation for private property owners should the monument remain unchanged. Late last month, the board of directors of the Chamber of Medford/Jackson County asked the Bush administration to appoint a special advisory committee comprised of federal officials, local government representatives and the private sector to analyze and adjust, "if appropriate," the monument�s current boundaries. And Norton�s office began sending out letters last week to state officials, members of Congress, county commissioners and others who lived in the vicinity of national monuments designated during the last year of Clinton�s presidency. Signed by Norton, the letter asked for local input and charged that the Clinton administration had failed to get such input from local residents before making the designations. Although federal officials and supporters say the Cascade-Siskiyou monument is 52,947 acres, opponents say its actual size is closer to 90,000 acres because private lands inside its boundaries are impacted. Federal officials, including former Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt � who recommended the monument designation to Clinton � have repeatedly said that private lands within its boundaries are not affected. Nancy Ames Cole and her husband, Marshall, own 1,421 acres in the area, some of which abuts the monument. Her family moved to the area half a century ago. "Everybody has already had the opportunity to comment," she said, noting she supports the monument. "They (opponents) are using scare tactics, black helicopters and all that. "I really feel like some people are using lies and manipulation to try to get rid of the monument," she added. "I feel bullied." Bruce Sargent, owner of Buckhorn Springs, a retreat encircled by the monument, said the designation has benefited his property. "From an economic point of view, the monument has already helped our business," he said. "When we tell people we�re in a new national monument, people are excited about that. It has helped us a lot." Meanwhile, the Bureau of Land Management�s Medford District, which has jurisdiction over the monument, will release a management plan in late April or early May, according to a spokesman. The plan will cover specifics not included in the proclamation, he said. Jackson County Commissioner Sue Kupillas wants to hold public hearings to discuss the monument. "We (the commissioners) are not the decision makers on this issue," she said, noting that the decision is up to the federal government. "What we do best is provide a forum for discussion for major issues like this." She wants the commissioners� Natural Resources Advisory Committee to hold a forum on the subject this spring. "It�s legitimate to have a good discussion," she said. "I want to hear people�s views from inside and outside the monument." The committee, made up of a broad base of local residents, would weigh the pros and cons in an advisory capacity, she said. "The question is really the size of the monument," she said. "We could reduce the amount of private land in the boundary. Some property owners want to be inside, but a lot don�t. "We need to have a really good discussion on this issue, give people an opportunity to talk about it," she added. That already has been done, countered Dave Willis, a Greensprings resident and a longtime proponent of the monument. There have been ample public meetings to discuss the monument as well as numerous public tours into the area in the years before it was dedicated, he observed. "This wholesale bashing (of monuments) is very telling," he said. "Monuments are typically expanded by subsequent presidents, not decreased. The Grand Canyon is a good example." He urges monument supporters to make their views known, especially to Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore. "He�s really the principal player in this," Willis said. "He is also up for election next year. He squeaked by last time. I�m sure Oregonians would be extremely distressed if Senator Smith allowed any vandalism of Oregon�s newest national monument, either qualitatively or quantitatively." Reach reporter Paul Fattig at 776-4496 or e-mail him at [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.