County board resolute in monument opposition
From our weekly issue dated March 03, 2010
Firm steps toward opposing the proposed Siskiyou Crest National Monument are being taken by the Josephine County Board of Commissioners.
The monument, being promoted by the Ashland-based Klamath Siskiyou Wildlands Center environmental group, would encompass more than 600,000 acres in Josephine and Jackson counties in Oregon; and Del Norte and Siskiyou counties in California.
During their Wednesday, Feb. 17 weekly business session at the Anne G. Basker Auditorium in Grants Pass, Southern Oregon Resource Alliance Vice Chairman Jack Swift presented the commissioners a petition for a resolution opposing the proposal.
On Tuesday, Feb. 23, county commission Chairman Dwight Ellis presented a draft resolution to fellow Commissioner Dave Toler during a county administrative meeting. Commission Vice Chairman Sandi Cassanelli was not present, as she was at a meeting of the county“s Property Tax Board of Appeals.
Ellis said that he took Swift“s resolution and combined it with a similar one passed by Siskiyou County last year. He added that a copy also has been sent to the county“s legal department.
A resolution opposing the monument proposal has been discussed during a meeting of the Jackson County Board of Commissioners, Ellis said.
“They seem to be a similar position of opposition to this,“ he said.
Ellis said that Jackson County Commissioner C.W. Smith has suggested that Josephine, Jackson and Siskiyou counties all pass a joint resolution opposing the monument proposal.
“I don“t want to wait for them to get their act together,“ Ellis said.
According to K-S Wild“s Website, kswild.org, goals of the monument include the removal of Applegate Dam and prohibitions against off-road vehicle use and cattle grazing.
Ellis said that once the resolution is finalized, it will be sent to members of the news media and Oregon“s Congressional delegation.
Swift was present at the Feb. 23 meeting, and said that the legal effect of the monument area would be to remove the laws that manage multiple use on those public lands, as well as the 1937 O&C Act.
“This is to create a de-facto wilderness area,“ Swift said.
Toler said that the monument is a “concept“ and is not tied to any specific legislation at this point. He added that the proposal “probably reaches too far“ with its protections and restrictions.
However, Toler cautioned that the county should state its opposition in an “intelligent“ manner, so as to not jeopardize the possibility of receiving further federal funding.
Ellis said that the monument issue ties in with efforts to compel state and federal agencies to coordinate its plans with those of the county.
“We“re going to take a stand,“ Ellis said.
The draft resolution states that the county “has already contributed a large percentage of its federal landmass to wilderness management in the Kalmiopsis Wilderness, the Rogue River Wild & Scenic Area, the newly expanded Rogue Corridor, and Oregon Caves National Monument.“
National monuments “do not promote the interests of local economies, public safety or private property owners“ and “do not readily allow active adaptive management in response to arising environmental issues affecting wildlife, landscapes or human activities,“ the resolution states.
The resolution also addresses the coordination resolution passed by the commissioners last year “asserting legal standing for purposes of coordinating with federal and state agencies.“
It states that ““any proposal for a National Monument or portion of a National Monument in Josephine County must actively coordinate and seek approval of the Board of Commissioners on behalf of the citizens of Josephine County prior to any formal consideration for National Monument status.“
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