Dried-out piles of slash, hundreds of acres of barren land and soil erosion make it difficult to see how industrial timber and clear-cutting are allowed these fire-prone days.
Add the spraying of carcinogenic substances and the unstable economics of boom-and-bust practices, and one has to ask whom does this really benefit. The Dorena fire last Friday was a dangerous and unpredictable blaze; the risk to Thurston would be several-fold if the “Pedal Power” sale goes through.
The Oregonian’s February series “Polluted by Money” reports on Oregon’s dubious honor of being number one in the country for corporate contributions per capita. Could this account for our county commissioner’s languid and backseat stance on these issues? Or for the BLM, time and time again, putting out plans that over-harvest, spray and clearcut?
Last I checked, these are public officials and agencies paid for by public tax dollars and are servants of the public. Now is the time for us to hold them responsible for that.
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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