Monument expansion sets local hearing

To gauge public opinion on the matter, Klamath County commissioners will host a townhall hearing at the Government Center Building in Klamath Falls on Tuesday, Nov. 1 at 6 p.m.

The Klamath County hearing comes in the wake of recent hearings in Ashland and Medford regarding the proposed monument expansion.

The decision to hold a local hearing is the result of claims the public wasn’t properly informed, or that the public was selectively informed about the hearing to garner more favor towards its approval.

“I want everyone to have the opportunity to speak their mind,” said Klamath County Commissioner Tom Mallams. “We were left out in Klamath County, we want to make sure all interested parties have a chance to speak.

“There was pushback at the time the monument was first made, but nothing like there is now. We have seen the results of what has happened there since it was placed in monument status,” Mallams said.

Mallams cited concerns such as forest management practices ceasing that will add to potential fire fuels, elimination or reduction of grazing allotments, water rights issues and timber harvest reductions that could all have negative impacts on local economies.

“This will drastically limit timber harvesting, around six million board feet per year,” added Mallams. “That equates to a lot of timber that goes into local mills that will no longer be available. They depend on the local timber because it’s a shorter haul.

“To stay viable, they will have to travel further to get timber, which makes it more expensive, which means fewer jobs here.”

Proponents of the monument expansion support the move to further protect regional habitats and watersheds. Wyden, Merkley and other supporters hope that Department of the Interior Secretary Sally Jewell will recommend that President Barack Obama utilize executive branch powers established in the Antiquities Act to approve the expansion in the same manner that President Bill Clinton first established the site in 2000.