Document text
3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Herptilian haven New Ashland cell tower light angers neighbors 'Batkid Begins' will air at film festival Asphalt plant granted extension Work your body to save your braaaaains Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergecy Services, March 16 Emergency services, March 15 Emergency services, March 14 Judge denies motion to suppress evidence in Rogue River serial murder case Medford man gets 4 years for burglaries Politics and Elections Arthur I. Cyr: South Korea represents long-term triumph – for them and for US Special election: Jackson County voters OK marijuana tax Ex-Merkley aide chosen as Oregon secretary of state Ashland: Budget increase, swimming pool funding discussion on council agenda Judge upholds Phoenix's moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries Education Work your body to save your braaaaains St. Mary's School buys campus from parish for $6.5 million Medford School District calls foul on teachers union Supporters rally to back beleaguered principal St. Mary's reaches out to China Environment Herptilian haven Proposed new rules for Oregon critter catchers would require the killing of nuisance animals Jacksonville requests extension on reservoir dam-notching permit Blooms coming too early for Rogue Valley's bees Low snow closes Mt. Ashland bunny hill chairlift State News At Dorchester Conference, Oregon Republicans look past a bruising election Curry County commissioner's decision to opt out of insurance causes clamor Gov. Kate Brown to declare drought emergency in Lake, Malheur counties Lebanon High School sharpshooters aim for national titles Man languishes in Oregon jail, hasn't commit a crime Nation - World Obituaries James Albert Button Marjorie Ann Carter Rosaline (Tagudin) Wasierski Kenneth L. Swenson Frank Richard "Dick" Middaugh Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Shareable Bank of America is predicting a massive Tesla collapse Mars One attracts science fiction geeks and people who hate society Sports Latest Stories Spartans’ season comes to end Aldridge scores 24 points, Blazers beat Raptors Tourney filled with great story lines Cowboy Up Young, No. 13 Irvine gear up for No. 4 Louisville Varsity 541 College Sports Tourney filled with great story lines Cowboy Up Young, No. 13 Irvine gear up for No. 4 Louisville No Contest Maguin, Parks shine in Raiders' opening meet Pro Sports Spartans’ season comes to end Aldridge scores 24 points, Blazers beat Raptors Spieth proves clutch at Valspar Celtics end Pacers' winning streak at seven Defending champ Djokovic advances to third round Community Sports Business Latest Stories Silvio Calabi: 2015 Cherokee is a modern Jeep Oregon winemaking emerges as mighty agricultural force Rogue Disposal plans natural gas fueling site Blog: Are You Superstitious? East McAndrews Road sees a resurgence in commercial projects Real Estate News East McAndrews Road sees a resurgence in commercial projects Business briefs: March 7 New construction prices jump 18.2 percent in Jackson County People In Business People in Business: Feb. 28 People in Business Transportation Rogue Disposal plans natural gas fueling site Alaska, United Express boost Medford airport to record February CEO Rieder leaving Erickson March 31 Lodging gains bode well for travel industries Agriculture Harry & David announces new president Warm winter has fruit growers poised for action Briefcase: Business briefs for Feb. 21 Opinion Latest Letters to the Editor, March 16 Our View: Keeping the light trained on government Letters to the Editor, March 15 Guest Opinion: Central Point Cemetery needs work and city action Charles Krauthammer: Early Onset Clinton Fatigue Editorials Our View: Keeping the light trained on government Other Views: State must rein in medical marijuana Our View: Daylight saving bill another waste of time Our View: Medford native Dave Frohnmayer leaves legacy of distinguished service Our View: Medford council shouldn't over-regulate backyard pot gardens Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, March 16 Letters to the Editor, March 15 Letters to the Editor, March 14 Letters to the Editor, March 13 Letters to the Editor, March 12 Columns Guest Opinion: Central Point Cemetery needs work and city action Charles Krauthammer: Early Onset Clinton Fatigue George Will: The prescience of Daniel Patrick Moynihan Dana Milbank: Jason Rezaian's detention a tragedy for Iran Guest Opinion: Return to clearcutting is wrong approach for counties Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: Central Point Cemetery needs work and city action Guest Opinion: Return to clearcutting is wrong approach for counties Guest Opinion: Plan a Hawthorne playground for all children Guest Opinion: There is nothing uniform about the Uniform Crime Report GUEST OPINION: Police, community should work to prevent profiling Lifestyle Latest stories Review: Thanks for the Memories pulls off challenging 'Anastasia' Home Help: This top garage trend keeps gaining momentum Silvio Calabi: 2015 Cherokee is a modern Jeep Haga-Parks Southern Oregon Journal: It’s a small world Food Community blog: Have a ball at this weekend's cheese festival Community blog: Fewer and fewer of us eschew brilliant beets Season Stepp: Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with authentic Irish recipes Page H. Onorato: The 10 commandments for the Southern cook Page H. Onorato: Try out this hot stuff in your kitchen on a cold night Home and Garden Home Help: This top garage trend keeps gaining momentum The delightful work of flowers Using universal design Dear Monty: Successful rezoning property requires a plan Garden Cameos: Time to give your garden a new look Health Community blog: Denial is Not a River in Egypt Health Watch: Living smart to protect your heart Community blog: Can Twentysomething Depression Be�Healed? Dr. Murray Feingold: What’s your excuse for being late? Community blog: The Future is Now Hiking Biking Faith Religion briefs: Friday, March 13 More religion events in the Rogue Valley Religion Briefs Religion briefs, Feb. 27 Religion briefs: Friday, Feb. 20 Milestones and Achievements Haga-Parks Exercise helps special-needs kids adjust to airport procedures Engagement: Workman-Wright Anniversary: Hofer Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories Review: 'Same Time' after all these years Kites & Crows, Ryan Marchand and Mercy Duo face-off this weekend at Rising Stars music competition in Jacksonville City-rock band Shotgun Wedding performs at the Craterian Theater in Medford Randall Theatre presents playwright Bernard Slade's comedy Nitty Gritty Dirt Band co-founder John McEuen performs at the Unitarian Fellowship in Ashland Theater Review: Thanks for the Memories pulls off challenging 'Anastasia' Review: 'Same Time' after all these years Randall Theatre presents playwright Bernard Slade's comedy Thanks for the Memories presents 'Anastasia' TMTO's 'Bye Bye Birdie' takes flight Music Kites & Crows, Ryan Marchand and Mercy Duo face-off this weekend at Rising Stars music competition in Jacksonville Rogue Valley Chorale presents 'A Festival of Choirs' at the Craterian Theatre SOU's Chamber and Concert choirs present 'Songs of Passion' City-rock band Shotgun Wedding performs at the Craterian Theater in Medford Live Music in Local Clubs Community Events Ashland Independent Film Festival announces this year's lineup OSF Hip-Hop Poetry Open Mic Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhibits by regional artists Jesse Lawson and Joe Moxley host 'Barkeeper' Third Fridays showcases local artists Dining Restaurant Inspections Agave offers gourmet tacos, tamales, ensaladas and more Serra storms Seattle Sakura Japanese Sushi Restaurant opens in new location Restaurant Inspections: Sunday, March 1 Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obits Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines/Special Sections Business Services NEWS NOW Herptilian haven ... Our View: Keeping the light trained on government ... Guest Opinion: Central Point Cemetery needs work and city action ... Herptilian haven ... Our View: Keeping the light trained on government ... Guest Opinion: Central Point Cemetery needs work and city action ... GUEST OPINION Guest Opinion: Return to clearcutting is wrong approach for counties By Andy Kerr and Sean Stevens MailTribune.com By Andy Kerr and Sean Stevens Posted Mar. 14, 2015 @ 2:00 am Updated Mar 14, 2015 at 12:16 PM By Andy Kerr and Sean Stevens Posted Mar. 14, 2015 @ 2:00 am Updated Mar 14, 2015 at 12:16 PM » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> During the clearcut logging boom that ravaged America’s public lands during the 1970s and ’80s, some county politicians were able to live beyond their means. Here in Oregon, where “O&C” counties received a 75 percent cut of the proceeds from liquidating old  growth on publicly owned lands, this allowed for an expansion of county government without the need for the local tax rates necessary to maintain it. But in the 1990s, when public opposition finally reigned in the liquidation of old-growth forests, these politicians were left without a Plan B. More than two decades later, some are still demanding a return to old-growth clearcutting. Congress tried to throw counties a life preserver to allow county politicians to transition to a more sustainable government funding model. The most recent has been theSecure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act (SRS). Last fall Congress adjourned before reauthorizing and funding SRS. While Oregon’s O&C counties receive the lion’s share of the money, the program benefits over 700 hundred counties in over 40 states — all of whom are being harmed by inaction in Congress. Given these facts, one would think that politicians in Oregon’s O&C counties would be clamoring for SRS renewal. But the opposite is true. These politicians are instead actively working against SRS renewal, instead demanding a return to the style of clearcutting that ravaged America’s public lands 30 years ago — with the proceeds going to counties. Oregon’s public lands — and the clean water, wildlife, tourism and outdoor recreation economy they sustain — can’t afford this approach. The Forest Service says that in order to replace SRS funding with revenue from timber sales they would have to increase logging on the national forest system by 550 percent — from the 2.8 billion board feet of logs produced in 2014 to 16.6 billion board feet! This would exceed by one quarter the highest level of logging that has ever occurred on Forest Service lands (13.38 billion in 1970). In 2013, the Bureau of Land Management in Western Oregon logged 208 million board feet. If BLM were to meet SRS values by logging alone, 622 million board feet would be necessary — a 300 percent increase. These figures are likely low, as they assume that flooding the log market will not depress log prices. If these numbers seem incomprehensible, consider this: meeting these logging levels would require exceeding those of the late 1980s, when two square miles (about 1,320 football fields) of old-growth was clearcut each week on Oregon federal public forestlands alone. For cash-strapped county politicians, clearcutting federal forests is the wrong battle and the wrong battleground. While they may wish to return to the clearcutting of the past, the rest of society doesn’t. Oregonians today place a high value on clean water, salmon and wildlife habitat, and the quality of life that public lands bring. The idea of clearcutting federal forests is about as popular today as cars with tailfins and whitewall tires. Linking county payments to a return to obscene levels of federal logging is an all-or-nothing strategy that will end with nothing. While tasty red meat for certain politicians to throw to their political base, it won’t solve the county funding payments problem. Sen. Ron Wyden has introduced a responsible SRS reauthorization bill that has bipartisan support — and it doesn’t re-link educating our children and filling our potholes with clearcutting our forests. Rep. Greg Walden should take note. Last Congress, Walden co-sponsored a reckless bill that would have re-linked county politicians' budgets to vastly expanded logging (and mining and drilling) of America’s public lands. Backers of the legislation knew full well it would never pass the Senate, and that it would be vetoed by President Obama even if it did. Scoring political points was more important to them than actually solving the problem. This Congress, Walden should join with Wyden and enact the bipartisan Secure Rural Schools and Payment in Lieu of Taxes Repair Act (S.517). With both Wyden and Walden backing it, this bill could pass Congress and then be signed the President, solving the county funding problem. Oregon must move beyond the tired old debate over re-linking county politician’s budgets to clearcutting America’s public lands. But Walden needs to act fast. Most Oregon counties will feel the shortfall at the beginning of the new fiscal year on July 1. Andy Kerr (www.andykerr.net) and Sean Stevens (www.oregonwild.org) are senior counselor and executive director respectively to Oregon Wild (www.oregonwild.org), protecting Oregon’s wildlands, wildlife, and waters since 1974. By Andy Kerr and Sean Stevens MailTribune.com By Andy Kerr and Sean Stevens Posted Mar. 14, 2015 @ 2:00 am Updated Mar 14, 2015 at 12:16 PM » Comment or view comments /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501