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February 12, 2009 Opinions |
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—Letters To The Editor—
What’s The Next Step?
To The Record-Courier:
It’s been about a month, since Baker County hosted a public meeting on “coordination.” One of the most talked about items to do was the need to form a Natural Resource Advisory Committee (NRAC) to the county. One of its first jobs should be to gather all the information it can and write a plan as a guide for managing the federally managed lands.
In the Baker County Ordinance 2001-1, it lays out a list of procedures required of agencies; the ordinance also lists the objectives for all “Plans, Projects and Programs” that both federal and state agencies want to implement. In the Federal Laws, agencies are required to make every legal effort to make their plans, action and policies “consistent” with the plans, actions and policies of the local governments. That is what coordination is all about.
Baker County has a comprehensive area plan for private property within its boundaries; but, the county should also have a plan for the federally managed lands too. The main crux of the matter is that the agencies plans, projects and programs affect the citizen’s general welfare, sometimes drastically.
Congress required coordination when it passed the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) and other natural resource Acts, even the Homeland Security Act requires coordination with local governments. Why? To put it simply, the environmental concerns need more "peer review" from citizens in the local governments; the proposed rules and plans etc sometimes affect in a major way land resource users and the products that citizens buy, sell and use from these resources. These products come from timber, agriculture, mining and fishing industries, even recreation is being affected. There must be some balance; you cannot just shut down an industry or over-regulate it, in any area, without destroying the infrastructure of jobs and business that support it.
The county commissioners are elected by the citizens to protect the general welfare of the citizens. This is what the rights of the 10th amendment to the U.S. Constitution are about. However, Baker County has an ordinance which lists one of the “objectives” as maintaining economic stability; another is protecting the rights of private property and protecting the rights of those who have made investments financially in the public lands. The ordinance requires a procedure to follow to insure that the agencies Plans, Projects and Programs are “consistent” with the ordinance.
This element of consistency is the real power behind coordination. The agency can’t just listen to a county or local government unit like a town, city, school district etc with elected officials, and ignore what it hears. The agency must make every lawful effort to achieve consistency with the planning effort of the local government.
Currently, Baker County, along with four other counties has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Forest Service. This MOU requires the counties to be a cooperating agency, which gives the Forest Service lead agency status. As lead agency, it is the Forest Service that makes all decisions on the Travel Management Plan and the resulting NEPA document; the counties have agreed to cooperate whether or not the plan is consistent with any plans of the counties. How can Baker County agree to cooperate on a plan and still require the plan to be consistent with their ordinance?
The term to coordinate means something different; its root means to co-ordain, therefore the planning process of the county is equal, not subordinate to a lead agency. If the county wants to cooperate in any area of the plan, they can; there is no requirement to sign their equal status away to a subordinate status in an agreement.
I believe that Baker County must rescind its signature participation as a cooperating agency and advise the Forest Service to coordinate its Travel Plan with the county by following the Ordinance 2001-1. If there is an area in the plan that the NRAC could advise the county it could cooperate on, the ordinance allows for it; but to sign a document as a cooperating agency is not required of the county, nor stated in any of the natural resource statutes.
Fred Warner, Commissioner Chair, has stated in a recent public meeting that on February 18, 2009 the commissioners will appoint members to the NRAC and that advertising for volunteers will run through February 11. I for one am glad that Baker County is moving in the direction of coordination. To insure a good representative of a natural resource user base, I want to encourage volunteers to apply. This is an important “next step”.
Guy Michael
Durkee, Ore.
My Suggestion
To The Record-Courier:
On ABC Good Morning America News, Feb. 3, 2009, there was something about the eight babies born last week to one mother. They are looking for suggestions. That young lady is lucky to have healthy babies. Has she considered adoption? I know young couples who try several times and are not able to have any. Several couples could adopt them. The mother was hoping for a girl. I believe also it would not be easy to let some go, but she will know they will be getting care and love too. Maybe have some rule to get together for birthdays or 4th of July and for pictures. This will be my suggestion.
Maria Bruno
Burnt River, Ore.
Money Is A Tool
To The Record-Courier:
There is so much on this subject to be said in a short letter, but maybe I can make you curious enough to find out for yourself. The tithe is the ten-percent God expects from us. Tithing the tithe is done with the mouth in words of praise and worship. Its been said that the tithe was Old Testament and not for today. Wrong again! God has not changed and we still need financial blessing. We as Christians are not to depend on the worldly system. Most of us have had very little teaching on biblical finance teaching, mainly because the church did not understand it themselves, or unbelief.
The Bible says the love of money is the root of evil, not the money. Money is a tool, it can be used for good or evil, depending on whose hand it is in. God has always promised to put this tool into the hands of the ones faithful to Him and His word. The KEY! Matthew six-thirty-three. Deuteronomy twenty-six speaks of the Priest that shall be in these days. Our High Priest is Jesus, He was there in those days and He is alive in our days and still receives tithes to take before the Father in the throne room. The word also says, is your finance needs like a bucket with holes in it? Goes faster than it comes in? He says then consider your ways! Who are you putting first? Faith in God or yourself? The title again is a financial point of contact between a believer and the Lord. The worldly system says receive before you give. God’s system says give and your shall receive. There are too many ways to give and to receive in this letter to explain, too many scriptures to prove this to be so. In the Old Testament they prayed and gave thanksgiving over their tithe, and God increased their receiving. They were not even born-again, don’t you think He wants to do even more for His children? Pray this, “Lord Jesus, I put my trust in thee for my soul’s salvation and the providing of my necessities. Give me wisdom in all that I do that I might bring glory to thy name. I trust and thank thee for the solution of my problem.
I will give thee the tithe and offering that are due thee along with my time and talents, Amen!” One church in Farmington, New Mexico went from a small building, small body to a very beautiful building seating over 500 without a dime owed on it, and the people’s needs being met. How? Because the Pastor taught God’s financial plan. In Texas, the whole staff of a car company was saved and their business saved from going under because of this same plan. There’s many other examples. The tithe is to be put into good ground, good ground is where you are receiving the whole truth of the Gospel.
Richard Fox
Baker City
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