I don’t get it. The Bureau of Land Management partners with local entities and spends millions of dollars creating public recreation sites. They then proceed to use outdated, industry-friendly management practices that compromise them.
In the past couple of years, miles of the Row River bike trail have been clearcut, and a third of the Thurston Hills have been slated for the same fate.
Not only are these barren hills painful to look at, they are an affront to ecosystem and public health. Waterways adjacent to clearcuts have drastically reduced flows, wildfires are more destructive and the glyphosate in aerial spraying was recently found by a jury to be linked to a man’s cancer.
Lane County rates sixth in Oregon concerning rates of cancer among the population, and the role of these chemicals should not be overlooked.
Get the word out to BLM and our public officials that there are better ways to manage these important places. Selective logging practices such as thinning and more modern ways to manage unwanted growth would be win-win for everybody.
Kerstin Britz
Dorena
A Note From the Publisher
Dear Readers,
The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.
That’s because of you!
Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.
Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.
We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.
And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.
None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.
As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.
Thank you for standing with us!
Publisher
Eugene Weekly
P.S. If you’d like to talk about supporting EW, I’d love to hear from you!
jody@eugeneweekly.com
(541) 484-0519
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