I returned to my Fall Creek farm in Oregon a week ago after a Danube River trip that included visits to cities and villages in Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania. Deciduous bands of forest along the river and fertile-appearing fields throughout the area were easy on the eye.
However, I saw no wilderness there, and I realized how special Oregon is for its wilderness and wildlife, little of which exists anywhere in Europe anymore. I asked a Romanian villager if there are still bears in the Carpathian Mountains. He said their numbers are dwindling and he feared they would soon be extinct.
Once back in Oregon I read of the horrific terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday. Three of the four children of Danish businessman Anders Povlsen and his wife where killed in one of the explosions.
Some years ago, understanding the value of wild places, the Povlsen family became Scotland’s largest individual private landowner, holding more than 220,000 acres in the Scottish highlands. The Povlsens developed a plan they called their “Re-Wilding Project,” which would return Scottish lands to their natural state.
The family has also acquired land in Romania’s Carpathian Mountains to create a wilderness reserve for the surviving wolves, bears and lynx — a poignant memorial to the massacred Povlsen children.
Oregon, please honor and protect our invaluable wilderness and its indigenous animals. Clear-cutting and use of toxic sprays in our forests should be banned.
Nena Lovinger
Fall Creek
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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