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Monument opposition organizes New group denies talk of militia-style action By Paul Fattig CAVE JUNCTION � A group has formed to lead opposition to the proposed 1 million acre-plus Siskiyou Wild Rivers National Monument in Josephine County. Proponents claim the opposition group, Oregonians for Responsible Conservation Alliance (ORCA), is spreading rumors and inflaming rhetoric against them. "We don�t feel safe � people are worried about talk of a militia," said Kelpie Wilson, director of the Illinois Valley-based Siskiyou Regional Education Project, which leads environmental groups supporting the monument. The proponents are exaggerating, countered Jim Nolan, a local resident and one of ORCA�s organizers. They have nothing to fear, he added. "We�ve never said anything about black helicopters," he said, reacting to one rumor allegedly being spread by ORCA. ORCA, a chapter of People for the USA, a nationwide pro-multiple use organization, was formed to fill a void, Nolan said. "There was no �other side� speaking out against this," he said. "Our charter is multiple use and access. That means preserving the opportunity to log and mine as well as access to horseback riding, off-road vehicle use, hiking � all of that." An ORCA informational meeting in Cave Junction Thursday night drew more than 200 people, most of whom agreed with its mission, said Nolan, a consulting engineer. Proponents held their own informational meeting Friday evening in Cave Junction. The proposed monument would cover 1.047 million acres, including 863,000 acres of the Siskiyou National Forest and 184,000 adjacent acres of the Bureau of Land Management�s Medford District. Citing the area�s unique scientific, historic and scenic value, backers hope to persuade President Clinton to declare it a national monument under the Antiquities Act of 1906 before he leaves office. Under the proposal, no commercial logging would be allowed within the monument. It would also limit mining to existing valid claims and motorized vehicle use to existing essential roads. Neither recreational activity, such as hunting, fishing, hiking and boating, nor adjoining private property would be affected, proponents say. Wilson said the proposal has sparked a debate which is rife with rumors. "People are actually talking about how the United Nations will come in and control the land," she said. "They say the government will take your private property or tell you how you can use it. They are even saying they will close Highway 199 and they won�t be able to get groceries. "People have been calling us to ask us if all this is true," she added. "I�d really like to see the rumors and lies quit. People spreading this is just the pits." Barry Snitkin, a local resident who supports the proposal, is also worried. "My concern with this deliberate spread of misinformation is that it will cause people to act irrationally instead of actually looking at the issues," Snitkin said. What is needed is a discussion without rancor or rumor, he said. "But I�ve spoken with some opponents of the proposal and had a rational discourse," he said. "We�re finding that, while we don�t agree about everything, we all want what�s best for the community, to make it a good place for our kids to grow up." Nolan, who was reared in the Illinois Valley, returning after graduating from college and working for years as an engineer in the Seattle area, said he also believes the issue needs to be discussed in a sober manner. At the ORCA meeting, one person in the crowd stood up to talk about the United Nations, Nolan said, but he reiterated that ORCA�s focus is on multiple use and access. "Our arguments are based on the economy and vitality of the Illinois Valley," he said. ORCA is concerned about the impact a monument would have on adjacent private land as well as roads into the proposed monument area, he said. "This gerrymandering of resources is silly � it doesn�t fit the real world," he said "We don�t need the monument. We already have enough environmental laws to protect the area." Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA