MeadowLakes Down

Mention to anyone the recent trapping and killing of a family of beavers, at least four, at the MeadowLakes Public Golf Course, and the almost universal reaction is "Awwwww!  No!" 

The title above refers to Richard Adams' book, Watership Down, standard high school English fare, written from the rabbits' point of view.  For everyone familiar with that book, the problem of the human animal as greatest predator and destroyer of habitat is magically, some say allegorically, illuminated.

I (Rebecca) wanted to write this from the the beavers' point of view, but not knowing exactly how they were killed, I can't quite get into their heads.  Yet.   Walt is still looking into it, because according to an authoritative web site on beavers, http://www.beaversww.org/beaver.html, "Snares hold the victim helpless against predators and can cause death by strangulation, or drowning due to entanglement.  No kill trap that currently exists will reliably cause an instant death under field conditions, and drowning traps are especially inhumane for animals that can hold their breath for 10 to 15 minutes..."  Not a pretty picture, is it! 

Relocation traps like the Hancock or Bailey live traps are a humane method of trapping; the beavers could then be relocated as far away as necessary to keep them from returning.

City officials tried to keep the killing hush-hush, indicating that they knew people would not approve, would be upset.  So why was this done?  The busy beavers took down three trees.  Less trees, less hazard for the golfers, right?  What's the big deal? 

Well, I suppose the beavers could have taken down more trees and flooded the waterways with their house/dams.  And although there are many ways to co-exist with the beavers and their works, including running wide pipe through the dams to ensure continued water flow, fencing, tree protectors, repellents, or relocation, (Google "beavers" for a wealth of information!) city government chose to kill them instead.  

The excuses were many, such as, "They'll come back if we try to relocate them."  Really?  Where did they come from, then?  

The reality is that when they are two years old, young beavers strike out to find their own territory.  Beavers can live up to 20 years, and reach a size of up to 65 pounds.  They mate for life and start reproducing then they are three.  If a mate is killed the survivor will mate again, but because they breed only once a year, beavers rarely overpopulate.  They will even decrease their rate of reproduction when occupancy reaches a certain level.  

In 1969, the Oregon State Legislature voted to make the beaver the Oregon State Animal.  This was done after extensive transplanting efforts resulted in renewed healthy beaver populations over much of the state, the beaver having been nearly eliminated in the mid  1800's by fur trappers.  

Oregon is now called The Beaver State.  We're proud of our beavers, the animals and the sports teams named after them.  And while "harvesting" is allowed under ODFW permits, to kill the state animal unnecessarily seems simply wrong.  Certain people made some bad decisions here.  

We welcome your comments.  Walt and Rebecca Wagner

RESORTS OR NO RESORTS: THAT IS THE QUESTION

The front page of the Tuesday, June 3, Bend Bulletin featured a very interesting article from the New York Times News Service.  It provided an almost eerie look into the possible future of Crook County's Powell Butte area if resorts are allowed to proliferate beyond the area's ability to sustain them.  The article described Murcia, Spain, and deserves a good look from our planning commission.

Murcia, Spain, is a desert area very similar in topography to our Central Oregon landscape, the photo on the bottom of the page showing a cone-shaped mountain and sparse vegetation.  Good land farmed for generations has given way to a plethora of golf courses and elegant vacation homes, in a "resort-building boom."  The result:  Murcia is running out of water.  The Spanish Environmental Ministry blames this on a combination of "global warming and poor land use." But it's more than just bad decisions: some local officials are now in prison for taking bribes that allowed construction on land with insufficient water.

The greener pastures of Central Oregon are turning from farm land into resorts and golf courses at an alarming rate.  The old farming and ranching way of life is losing out to more and more five or ten acre plots as agriculture becomes increasingly more difficult to keep economically viable, and farmers and ranchers are tempted by the money that can be made from selling to developers.

It would behoove Crook County to take a lesson from our sister climate in Spain.  Avion Water, which is supplying water to Brasada Ranch, and which will likely attempt to provide water for the two other approved resorts, is rumored to have already had seven dry wells.  (It's also rumored that the record of these dry wells has somehow become lost.)  Golf courses take a tremendous amount of water, and what Avion takes out of the ground can't help but deplete the area's aquifer.   (It should be noted here that Prineville's excellent public Meadowlakes Golf Course is a wastewater treatment facility that has won Golf Digest's National Environmental Leaders award.) 

Our previously approved resorts are nowhere near capacity; some are just in the planning stages with no impact yet on our water supply.  I have to agree with the overwhelming majority of voters in Crook County, and say that we should approve more resorts only after we have seen the impact of our planned resorts at full or nearly full capacity.  

Are the resorts we have already approved good for Crook County?  Yes, because they are and will be a valuable asset to our economy, but new ones should be considered only after we have conducted real, unbiased planning and research into habitat, water, traffic, and any other area having an impact on our infrastructure.  The voters have spoken loudly; these same voters will be watching the actions of our county court and planning commission.  Government too often forgets that its purpose is to do the will of the people, not the other way around.

Keep visiting this blog for up to date information on issues in Crook County.  A link is coming soon on the Central Oregonian's Calendar page.   Walt and Rebecca Wagner

Juniper Canyon Emergency Exit: A Solution

I recently had the opportunity to meet Mel Klaus, a 77 year resident of Crook County with a wealth of experience in logging, running cats, and building roads, both here and in Alaska, where he worked on the pipeline.

Many people in Crook County know Mel.  Some years ago, he ran a rough road from Davis Loop to Hwy 27.  Standing on Hwy 27 near Swartz Canyon, you can still see the opening where Mel cut the road through.  

Mel's old road is a very short route out of that large cul-de-sac called Juniper Canyon, a potential fire trap now, with only one road out.  Mel took a cat over the rim, cutting the opening I observed, proving the possibility.

The County Court should leave the office and take a short trip with Mel to look at this route; it could save the taxpayers - I should say, "voters" - a lot of money and create a safe exit out of Juniper Canyon, making 3000 residents happier and more secure.  This route could also be extended to connect with the George Millican Hwy, something we desperately need.

Mel Klaus is passionate about his road.  His wife is suffering from serious health problems, yet he took the time, and his own truck and gas, to take me around and show me his ideas - more than ideas: he has already cut much of this road once.  He tells me nobody will listen to him; I listened to him, and I saw what he has done.  I believe this is a very good solution to a difficult problem.

Heads up, Crook County Court; we have a citizen with experience who deserves your attention.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT

To all of you who took the time to research the truth and who voted for ethics and integrity in county government, I sincerely thank you.         WALT WAGNER

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