Gov. Kate Brown did the right thing by tackling the looming question about when Oregon can discard its “Stay Home, Stay Safe” policy enacted more than a month ago in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The governor held a news conference on Tuesday about the matter and answered questions but, in the end, her presentation was short on specific details.

She did list a series of benchmarks that will have to be met before she formally reopens the state for business and she talked about a new, multi-state program to coordinate efforts to bounce back from the COVID-19 virus outbreak.

Brown plans to coordinate with California and Washington, and use a paradigm “based on science” to reopen the state.

“While each state is building a state-specific plan, our states have agreed to the following principles as we build out a West Coast framework,” including “adequate hospital surge capacity and supplies of personal protective equipment,” the three governors said in a joint statement.

The three governors have touted science over politics. It should be noted that President Donald Trump has claimed that the decision to reopen the nation’s economy is his alone. Another group of progressive governors on the East Coast, led by New York, is also banding together to coordinate their response. Regardless of intention, politics will most undoubtedly play some role in these important decisions.

We understand Brown’s motives and, generally, she has done a pretty good job of leading the state through what can only be considered a horrible series of events related to COVID-19.

Yet, it seems to us that Oregon holds a unique place among coastal states. Our culture, population density, demographics, etc., is very different from California and Washington. All three states face distinctive challenges from the COVID-19 virus and, therefore, our path forward shouldn’t necessarily be hooked to progress — or lack thereof — in other places.

What if, for example, Oregon cases of COVID-19 continue to drop and the “curve” flattens, while more cases erupt in California and Washington? What if the recovery progress in Oregon is far faster than other states? Do we wait while the situations in California and Washington stabilize even as our own businesses continue to be shuttered and the unemployment ranks grow?

Brown is entirely correct to choose a path of caution, but she must be realistic as well. Especially for the rural areas of the state, reopening for business as soon as possible is not only the right move but desperately needed. We’re not advocating putting Oregonians in danger by dropping restrictions early, but we are suggesting that the governor review Oregon’s challenges and its triumphs through a different lens than other states.

Rural Oregon needs help as it weathers the COVID-19 crisis. This is the time, more than ever, when lawmakers and the governor can’t be allowed to ignore the ongoing economic crisis in the rural areas of the state.

No one wants to put more lives in danger. But we need to view Oregon’s unique values and expectations separate from California and Washington. It’s the Oregon way.