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Hello Friends,
The
Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) maintains
an interactive map on its website that shows all the large
forest fires burning throughout the Pacific Northwest. As of Monday, August 28,
that map shows multiple large fires in the region.
Those
fires parallel the I-5 corridor, with many burning east of Portland, Salem,
Eugene and Roseburg. The Mt. Hood, Willamette, Umpqua, Rogue River and Siskiyou
national forests all have blazes in their vicinities.
Another,
the Chetco Bar Fire, has grown up to over 100,000 acres and was designated as
the nation’s top firefighting priority last week. Its area is now larger than
the City of Portland, as its flames rage just a few short miles away from the
City of Brookings. Multiple homes have been lost in the devastation as
residents evacuate and firefighters converge from all over in hopes of
combatting and containing it.
Over
300,000 acres have burned so far throughout Oregon this
summer, and the costs of fighting these fires has already exceeded $100 million
between state and federal agencies.
The
Chetco Bar Fire is concentrated in the state’s southwest corner and a series of
other fires rages along Oregon’s border with California, in the area between Cave
Junction and Ashland. Because of all this, the surrounding skies have been
filled with smoke and other related particulates for weeks.
Such
conditions present health problems for some of our most vulnerable citizens,
including children, those with asthma and the elderly. Unfortunately, this has
become far too common throughout the years, as we struggle to find the proper
balance between responsible forest management and the need to preserve what
remains for future generations.
Many
of our public lands were initially designated for multiple use in order to
maximize the public benefit of the unique treasures we are so blessed to have
in this state. These lands were intended for the recreational enjoyment of
Oregonians and the many tourists and visitors who come here every year.
Any
decisions regarding the management of our forests should be done with public
health considerations in mind. Many people who reside in our region choose to do
so because of the air quality that we usually enjoy. But we must not ignore the
environmental hazards that accompany the catastrophic wildfires that seem to
sweep across the area entirely too often.
What’s
obvious now is that we cannot continue doing what we’ve been doing and need to
try something else.
Yours Truly,
Sen. Alan DeBoer
Senate District 3
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1703
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, S-421, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: sen.AlanDeBoer@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/deboer
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