News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
A bill to turn over to the City of Sisters up to 240 acres of National Forest land for a sewer treatment facility sailed through the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources last week.
Senate Bill 416, co-sponsored by Senators Ron Wyden and Gordon Smith, would convey 160 to 240 acres to the City of Sisters at no cost. According to Sisters Mayor Steve Wilson, the actual acreage will be determined through a public process determining what kind of disposal process citizens want.
The bill won unanimous approval from the 17 Senators who were on hand for the vote. SB 416 still must clear the full Senate, then a House subcommittee, then the full House of Representatives.
The easy passage through the Senate committee was encouraging to Wilson.
"That really bodes well for the potential of (the legislation) to go through," he said.
The bill, if it passes, could save the city up to $672,000 on the sewer project, according to Wilson.
He said any reduction in the overall cost would filter down to the individual sewer users. Wilson could not quantify the potential reduction to the planned $39 per equivalent dwelling unit/per month sewer fee.
The senators jettisoned a controversial portion of he bill that would have required the sale of at least six acres of Forest Service land inside the city limits, with part of the proceeds going to the restoration of Squaw Creek.
The Forest Service expressed worries about setting a precedent and local environmental groups appeared reluctant to support the move.
"(The sale) was dropped because there wasn't enough passion behind that part of the bill to carry it forward," Wilson said. "Both senators decided it was more of a liability than an asset."
Barbara Lee, coordinator of the Upper Deschutes Watershed Council said that, while the idea of capturing funds for local watershed restoration was appealing, "it was very daunting for (council members) to understand the implications on a nationwide scale of having that required sale."
The Squaw Creek Committee works under the umbrella of the watershed council.
Committee chairman Bob Bridgeford said the council was divided on the issue and in general prefers not to embroil itself in political controversy.
The Forest Service is currently at work on a second proposal that would sell land to the City of Sisters for a facility (see story, p. 27 ).
That "second track" was undertaken in case the legislative effort falls through.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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