Build a Shelter
The county should prioritize building a high-barrier shelter that provides comprehensive services, including access to medical care, mental health support, and pathways to stability.
It’s deeply concerning that, in our community and society, we are allowing people to live in such unsafe and unsanitary conditions; referred to as dirt world. This situation is not only detrimental to the individuals experiencing it, who clearly need structured support, but it also affects the overall well-being of the broader community.
Additionally, I am especially concerned about the welfare of animals in these environments. As a border collie owner, I know how much exercise, stimulation, and purpose this breed requires. It’s not fair to the dog or any animal to live in conditions where their basic needs cannot be met.
If someone is struggling to care for themselves, it may not be the right time to take on the responsibility of a pet. Animal welfare should be part of our response to this complex issue as well.
—Nicole Perullo
Preserve Roadless Lands
This summer, as millions of Americans enjoy our public lands, the Trump administration has announced plans to rescind the Roadless Area Conservation Rule. Established by the Forest Service in 2001, this rule prohibits road construction and timber harvest on 58 million acres of inventoried roadless areas on National Forests nationwide.
As a retired fish, wildlife, and recreation manager with 28 years in the Forest Service in Oregon, Idaho, and Montana, I see this as an effort to permanently alter the character, management, and public benefits of these lands. It’s on par with recent attempts to sell off millions of acres of public land.
Roadless areas are vital for fulfilling the Forest Service’s original mission: to provide clean water and prevent soil erosion. That goal is best served by leaving these areas intact.
As the Roadless Area Coordinator on Idaho’s Clearwater National Forest, I helped manage 950,000 acres of roadless land and worked on environmental analysis teams evaluating timber harvest and road construction elsewhere. I know the consequences of opening these areas: erosion, degraded water quality, damaged fish and wildlife habitat, and the spread of motorized recreation vehicles.
I’ve also volunteered to fight wildfires, and I can say with certainty: timber harvest and roads won’t prevent fires. Wildfire frequency and severity are driven by drought, climate change, lightning, and, most often, people.
If we preserve roadless lands, we protect clean water, productive soils, and critical habitat for salmon, steelhead, and brown bears. We also retain year-round recreation opportunities accessed by existing roads.
If the Roadless Rule is rescinded, timber harvest and road construction will turn large, untouched forests into a checkerboard of tree farms, harvested on 80- to 100-year cycles. Once roads and harvest arrive, the intact habitat will be lost forever.
I urge all citizens to contact their federal and state representatives to oppose rescinding the Roadless Rule.
—Clifford C. Mitchell
A “Manhattan Project” for the PNW
In an email sent out by The Source the morning of July 16th, it was reported that the Cram Fire northeast of Madras, Oregon, had doubled in size, and “blew up to 28,635 acres with 0% containment as of Tuesday, July 15. Well, by the time I read the article on Wednesday morning the fire had more than doubled again and was now over 60,000 acres. By the time this letter is read (if it makes the cut), it is hard to imagine what the scale of the Cram Fire may be. The new norm?
I choose not to accept the fate of more catastrophic fires as each summer passes. We can do better. Friends and neighbors, it is now time to do everything we can to restore beavers across the Pacific Northwest landscape. Not kidding. In the early 19th century, there was a deliberate effort by competing fur companies to create a “fur desert” in this region. They trappers were successful, and river systems were de-beavered and, ultimately, de-watered (or nearly so) in all corners of our great land. The dry basins seen everywhere are a relatively recent phenomena, and not representative of the lush bottom lands inhabited by the indigenous cultures for millennia and encountered by the earliest European explorers seeking new sources of wealth.
Science shows that beaver dams and associated wetlands are a significant obstacle to the spread of wildfire, this in addition to the many additional benefits of beaver activity. There are numerous agencies and nonprofit organizations actively working to restore beavers. You can choose to be a part of this monumentally important effort in multiple ways. Volunteer on projects. Support legislation and public policy to increase wild beaver populations. Donate money and/or equipment to help get the job done. The capacity to restore resilience on our depleted land is within reach. Let’s work together to get beavers back where they belong. These unique, intelligent and industrious creatures will take it from there!
—Kevin Tanski
Letter of
the Week
Thanks for your letter Kevin. You can stop by our offices to pick up a gift card to Palate coffee.
—Nic Moye, Managing Editor
This article appears in Source Weekly July 24, 2025.
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