Letters to the Editor 01/16/2008

To the Editor:

Last summer we all heard about the dedication and work accomplished by the fire fighters, not only here but in other parts of the United States. We have some other unsung heroes in our midst.

Since last June we have had some of the employees of International Line Builders renting from us. In December, the remaining six were sent out of town with about an hour's notice to repair downed lines on the coast, first to Lincoln City then to Astoria. They came back just in time to enjoy the holidays with their families.

On January 4, they were again given an hour's notice to leave, first to Walla Walla and then to northern California. These gentlemen are like the fire fighters, ready to respond with very short notice and no idea of how long they will be gone or where they are going.

The high winds have not so far impacted Sisters, but if we were hit with downed power lines, the ILB workers would be there to help restore our power and telephone lines. They deserve the thanks of all of us.

Arell & Mary Bailey

Managers, Sisters Mobile Home & RV Park

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To the Editor:

The article in the January 9 issue of The Nugget titled "Riders Seek Trails in Sisters," should cause everyone concern. Recently, mountain bike enthusiasts wanted to set aside an area of US Forest Service land, south of Sisters for their activity. This group paid $6,500 for an environmental study on that piece of public land, submitted it to the USFS, the USFS approved the plan, the mountain bike volunteers constructed trails and then "Bicycle Only" signs were put up in this area of Deschutes National Forest (Peterson Loop Trail).

And equestrians were excluded from an area where they often rode/ride.

Let me see if I've got this right: If a few of my friends and I that love to play Giant Marbles (a game that requires large areas to play, say 100 square miles), anteed up thousands of dollars for an environmental study on our proposed playing area, presented it to the Forest Service (or BLM), then got approval, my friends and I could construct a course for Giant Marbles and finally signs saying "Giant Marble Players Only!" would be pounded in?

And my group wouldn't have to buy the land for our activities. How nice!

Don't get me wrong, I'm not totally against the USFS or BLM setting aside certain limited areas for particular uses in rare instances. And I'm certainly not against mountain biking (I ride mine off and on) nor other legitimate uses of our public lands. What I am against is the process whereby our lands are set aside for the groups that are the most single-minded, most organized and with the deepest pockets!

Haven't we seen enough of this same "game" being played by personal interest groups in Washington DC on every issue of national importance recently? Haven't we seen where it has taken our country? I am shocked and dismayed by the "auctioning off" and "partitioning" of America's greatest natural resource...our public lands. I think I liked it better when it was only the oil, timber, cattle and mining interests fighting over it.

Barry Clock

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To the Editor:

Am I the only one who doesn't like what has happened to the forest between Sisters and Black Butte Ranch? Nature has caused enough fire destruction in the past few years to make one's heart very sad, but to have the trees burned by the professionals and blackened and rusted for miles on end, personally makes me very resentful.

Why is anyone allowed to burn the trees that make Oregon byways so beautiful and appealing to us and to the paying tourists? Isn't there a better way to thin forests than to burn the existing ones? Please stop now!

Judy Stewart