Save the Deschutes South Canyon Natural Area
I was born in Bend in 1991 and have lived here the majority of my 32 years. I live south of town in the home my parents built the year I was born. We love the open land by the river and all the wildlife that flourishes because of it. Please protect this natural space that makes living in Bend so special. I worry for all the animals that will be displaced if this site becomes another development. We all deserve places to roam freely and be out in nature — it is a large part of why people are flocking to Bend, but soon they will no longer exist, and Bend will be forever changed. Please help preserve the beautiful Bend we all love and enjoy for future generations!
—Chelsea Ziegelmeyer
More Wolves Won’t Solve Anything. RE: Restoring Wolves, Guest Opinion, 6/15
Oregon Wild’s Danielle Moser recently advocated for healthy populations of wolves throughout Oregon. Her rationale? Wolves used to be here. She ignored how much Oregon has changed in the 80 years since wolves were eradicated. She argued that “Oregonians wish to see a thriving wolf population.” Whatever that means, some may, others do not.
The wolf is my totem animal. Every encounter in Alaska, Canada, and Yellowstone has been special. There are definitely places for wolves, but throughout Oregon? Probably not.
Ms. Moser argued that the conflicts with livestock can be resolved by education. Really? More importantly, she ignored the inevitable impacts on our deer, elk, wild sheep and pronghorn, which are already hard-pressed by habitat degradation and loss, drought, climate change, and hunting pressure. Oregon’s mule deer may be on the brink of extinction. Wolves could push them over.
Last fall in the Ochocos, a friend showed me where, stampeded by a pack of wolves, elk had demolished 200 yards of fencing. Nearby wolf scat contained shreds of an elk calf’s velveted hide. Wolves aren’t evil, but they must eat.
Those inclined to recreate in the fields and forests with the family dog might want to weigh carefully the desirability of having packs of wolves policing the edges of your community. Around Anchorage, Alaska, wolf-dog interactions often prove fatal for Fido. In the long run, having packs in every corner of Oregon will not be doing the Wolf Nation any favors.
—Mike Macy
The cost of speed
Driving around Central Oregon reminds me of how wealthy we Central Oregonians have become. Not only are many of us lucky enough to live in ever more expensive homes, but even our neighbors who help build and maintain these homes gladly join us to showcase their wealth in the speeds we drive.
You can see proof of this by simply driving any highway in Oregon. These days, fewer and fewer drivers obey the speed limit. On major highways, drivers regularly exceed speed limits set at 55 to 65 miles per hour by roaring along at 70 or more miles per hour. With Oregon gas prices now averaging around $4.40 a gallon, these speeds underline a bit of financial extravagance that echoes these rollicking good times. Beyond simple economics, driving at these speeds also raises the issue of safety. Twenty-seven percent of traffic deaths in the US are speed related.
Fox News recently reported that the average driver is paying an extra 30 cents a gallon for gas for every extra 5-mph driven over the speed of 55 mph. That means that many of our neighbors roaring around at 70 mph in cars that average 24.5 miles per gallon think nothing of paying California prices for fuel here in Central Oregon. Those speeding along in pickup trucks that average 13 miles a gallon seem quite happy to pay significantly more.
For those of us who cannot afford a Tesla, yet grumble about inflation and the high cost of everything from housing to gas, there is an answer: By simply obeying the speed limit and accelerating and braking smoothly, you can improve your car’s average fuel economy by 15 to 30 percent. Although you may reach your destination a few minutes later than your neighbors, you can happily spend that extra cash on a latte — instead of on an ICU bed in the St. Charles — if you are lucky enough to survive a high-speed crash.
—Jon Stewart
Letter of the Week:
This week, another letter-writer had some strong words about kids and e-bikes racing through town, which they wrote at about the same hour that a 15-year-old died after being hit by a van in Bend. (It doesn’t appear they were aware of the tragedy.) I could not bring myself to print that other letter, but Jon, yours is probably close enough. While the driver of that van was not reported to be at fault, each of us who drives a vehicle is in charge of thousands of pounds of steel that have the power to do serious damage. We should all be a lot more respectful of that power and its potential. Thanks for your letter. Come on by for your gift card to Palate.
—Nicole Vulcan
This article appears in Source Weekly June 22, 2023.
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