To the editor:
Judging by the positive response from motorists to our protests along U.S. Highway 101 in Seal Rock in opposition to the spraying of Beaver Creek watershed, I would jump to the conclusion that the people of Lincoln County do not wish to live in a chemical stew.
We are united in our opposition to toxic chemicals, especially in the creek that supplies our drinking water. We are opposed to the killing of creatures of the air, soil and water. We desire clean and abundant drinking water.
We demand of our elected leaders, here and all across Oregon, to put a stop to the spraying of toxic chemicals. In the Beaver Creek watershed, the spraying will likely have been concluded by the time you read this, but we will continue to fight because we know it is the timber farmers’ standard operating procedure to keep this assault up, both spring and fall for up to four years. We have time to stop the next chemical application.
More people in our community must make their voices heard. We must demand Lincoln County commissioners take a stand against unjust laws that endanger all life. I’m sure our commissioners swore an oath of public office to serve their constituents, maybe even to keep us from harm? The laws that allow chemicals to be sprayed in our drinking water are unjust, thus the choice is obvious, choose to protect the community who elected you.
The long term agenda: fight preemption law which was put into place by corporations hell bent on extracting wealth from our state and leaving us with the mess.
We must stand together to reject the colonization of Oregon by industrial timber with the clearcutting and the toxic spraying that are standard operating procedure). Ten companies own 81 percent of all industrial forestland in western Oregon, nearly all operating as REITs and TIMOs. Translated: they have miniscule corporate tax burdens. They whistle all the way to the bank, while we Oregonians are left with the environmental degradation, including threats to our drinking water and our salmon runs.
When these corporations have exhausted our soils and left us with a moonscape, decreased stream flows and silty water harmful to aquatic life, it is we who pay the price for their greed. Does that sound sane? What are we getting out of this?
The monoculture tree plantation model, sanctioned by the Northwest Forest Practices Act, with clear cutting and toxic spraying is unsustainable. It exposes us to increased risk of wildfire and desertification, diminished stream flows and fish habitat, and all impacts of climate change. Wall Street investors profit at Oregonians’ expense.
At a time when water is becoming more and more precious, and climate change is upon us, why would we not protect water at all costs?
— Rebecca Baker/South Beach
Nailed it, Rebecca! All of us must stand together. We are being called right now to protect our watersheds! It’s a critical time for our planet, for animals, and our future. Standing by is really not an option. Changing the laws to protect water is our focus.
Hear, hear!
Thank you Rebecca! I see this as a fight for future generations, our children and grandchildren. Once you see what is happening, you cannot unsee it. The presentation on Sunday 11/5 by Ernie Niemi, in Seal Rock, was a real eye-opener for me to just how bad things are, and how long they have been that way. Let’s vote, speak up, talk to folks, protest, and not accept the status quo. Nothing matters more than the fate of our world and how we leave it to our descendants, and the other creatures we share it with.