Letters from Northeast Oregon: Feb. 24, 2024 (print)

Published 4:00 am Saturday, February 24, 2024

The streams in Baker County’s Powder River basin do need our help. Some folks in our county appear to want to delay moving the water quality improvement process (TMDL) forward. Asking questions about the process is helpful.

I urge concerned individuals to positively and proactively work with DEQ to make sure the work is done correctly. As others noted, more data would be helpful especially at sites where the existing data are old. We all can contribute to that.

When we drive the Powder River Canyon in the summer and see the excessive algae growth it is clear something is wrong. Maybe an example will help people understand why we need action now.

I grew up fishing the Big Hole River in southwest Montana. My dad would take me to the Big Hole to fish for grayling on a family friend’s ranch along the river. In the early 1980s, the dewatering and heating up of the river came to a head as the grayling population was in noticeable decline. Fisherfolk and the state got involved because most people did not want to see the grayling disappear.

The landowners said they were willing to work with Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks to fix the problem. They hired a biologist, but nothing substantive was done for many years; the water levels continued to drop and the river continued to heat up. By then it was too late to simply “work with” everyone to save the grayling. The state was forced to put significant restrictions on fishing when a certain level and/or temp was hit. The river would be closed to fishing in the early part of the summer every year and recreation took a major hit. Since the Big Hole River was the largest, healthiest, population of fluvial grayling in the lower 48, efforts to list the grayling via the ESA started.

Failure to take timely action has hurt many people and the local economy. A good friend was a fishing guide on the Big Hole, like his father before him. It was his livelihood. No longer; the fishery is kaput on the Big Hole compared to 50 years ago. That shouldn’t have happened.

Delaying sound action solves no problems. Let DEQ know we all value good water quality for fish, wildlife, people recreating, and our farms and ranches by sending substantive information and proactive ideas to powderTMDL@deq.oregon.gov.

Rick Meis

Halfway

I would like to add a perspective to the senate race in our area. We have some great options for the opening that Mr. Hansell is vacating. I truly appreciate the outstanding job he has done for us, and his shoes will be hard to fill.

We need a forward-thinking person looking from ten thousand feet that will include all of us, not just the populated areas. We do not need another good old boy who only helps with what and who they know, or who doesn’t look to build relationships across the state that bring opportunities for our area.

Our growth is moving at lightning speed as more technology and manufacturing industries are looking for opportunities here. We are not just an agricultural area anymore. Although we are rich in it and have a long history with it, agriculture doesn’t solely define us anymore.

I hope that our citizens understand that change is here and we need someone that will help be our voice.

Daren Dufloth

Umatilla

The Saturday, Feb. 17, edition contains two items I’d like to comment on. One is about a John Day woman who supports moving Oregon’s border such that two-thirds of Oregon becomes part of Idaho. I’m opposed to moving Oregon’s border, which in my opinion has zero chance of taking place. So I don’t fret over the proposal.

The second article I find very concerning. Idaho has the nation’s most restrictive law banning abortions. (I was born in Boise, Idaho, but am very glad I’ve lived almost my whole life in Baker.) Here’s my concern, which I’ll preface with some stats about the male vs. female composition of the Idaho Legislature.

Of the 35 members in the Senate, 24 are men, 11 are women. In the House there are 70 members, 49 are men and 21 are women. Totaling in the two branches: 73 men, 32 women.

I’m sure by now you’ve already figured out where I’m going with this letter. Men, to be sure, have a biological role in creating a child. But the pregnant woman bears all the risk of pregnancy and birth.

In order to make things fair, my fanciful solution would be that all males be required to recuse themselves from voting on bills restricting abortion.

Gary Dielman

Baker City