Think Out Loud

Cattle ranching is a nearly $20 million industry in Grant County. But it can take a serious environmental toll on the region’s land and waterways. Jack Southworth, a fourth-generation rancher in Seneca, has been practicing holistic land management since the 1980s. He’s planted willows to restore the streams on his property and worked with the Forest Service to sustainably graze his cattle in the summers, among other measures. Southworth joins to give us a tour of his land and talk about what he sees as the future of cattle ranching.

Curry County in Southern Oregon is still recovering from a ransomware attack in late April that left it unable to access any of its digital information. County officials say the ability to dispatch 911 calls and run the local special district election last week were unaffected. Commissioner Brad Alcorn says it’s impossible to put a definite timetable on getting the county's systems up and running again, but he’s hopeful that will happen in the next few weeks. He says the FBI is investigating the entity known as Royal, which is responsible for the attack on Curry County and other local and county governments, including one which targeted Dallas, Texas. Alcorn joins us to tell us what he can about the effects of the attack and how the county is moving forward.

German scientist Peter Wohlleben captured global attention when he wrote “The Secret Life of Trees.” Now, he’s followed up with a new book, "The Power of Trees: How Ancient Forests Can Save Us if We Let Them," that essentially argues that we should leave forests alone, because trees are very good at adapting to whatever comes their way. We spoke to Wohlleben in front of an audience at Powell’s Books.

The close-knit culture of small towns can help foster a strong sense of community. But it can also make it difficult to come forward in sensitive situations — particularly in cases of domestic violence and sexual assault. Heart of Grant County formed in 2008 to provide support services to survivors of domestic and sexual violence in John Day and the surrounding county. The organization recently opened a new shelter that aims to maximize client privacy and comfort.

Rayme Lacey is an advocate at Heart of Grant County, and Beth Simonsen is its executive director. They join us to talk about the importance – and challenges – of providing survivor support services in rural communities.

Malheur Lumber Company in John Day used to be one of many mills in Grant County. By 2012, though, it was the last one, and came very close to closing its doors for good. Then, the U. S. Forest Service agreed to increase restoration logging in Malheur National Forest, and that contract kept the mill going. Now, Malheur Lumber is one of three mills in Grant County. We talk about the ups and downs of the timber industry with Rich Fulton, General Manager of Malheur Lumber Company, and Wanda Rassmussen, Chief Operating Officer for Ochoco Lumber, which owns Malheur Lumber Company.

The Malheur, Umatilla and Wallowa-Whitman National Forests, collectively known as the Blue Mountains, have been operating on a forest management plan developed in the 1990s. Two different attempts to revise that plan have failed, the latest one in 2018. Now, the Forest Service is restarting the process. Darcy Weseman, a Public Affairs officer for the U.S. Forest Service, and Eric Watrud, Umatilla National Forest Supervisor, join us to talk about what this process for revising the Blue Mountain Forest Plan will look like and whether the third time’s a charm.

The Painted Sky Center for the Arts opened in 2018 as a way for artists in Grant County to connect and collaborate. Five years later, the center now offers public classes in ceramics, leatherworking, painting and more. It also features after-school youth programming and workshops with visiting artists and teachers.

Kim Randleas is the visual arts department lead at the center, and Genevieve Paddock is a ceramics instructor. They join us to talk about how Painted Sky has helped create a place for Grant County residents to connect through the arts.

Two years ago, Grant County residents passed a ballot measure that requires the county court to discuss the idea of becoming part of Idaho. The measure passed with 62% of the vote. Granty County Court officials will next take up discussion of the idea in August and December. Sandie Gilsan is the Grant County captain of Citizens of Greater Idaho, the group that has championed this cause across eastern Oregon. Gilsan joins us to talk through the reasons why this move might be appealing to some Grant County residents.

The Sunset Empire Transportation District recently resumed bus service on some of its routes in Clatsop County, including weekday service along Highway 101 between Astoria and Cannon Beach. The Astorian earlier reported that the transit district would restore some services after it had abruptly suspended operations and laid off workers due to a six-figure budget shortfall which first came to light at a district board meeting on April 27. The Oregon Department of Transportation provided a $505,000 emergency loan to the district to help it start operating again and bring back furloughed staff. It will also conduct an audit of the district’s finances in the coming weeks, according to Paul Lewicki, the interim executive director of the Sunset Empire Transportation District. Lewicki joins us to talk about the upcoming audit, the current and long term challenges the district faces, and why he thinks it may take six months or longer for transit services to be fully restored.

Grant County is one of Oregon’s smallest by population, with a little over 7,000 people. Its largest city is John Day, with about 1,700 residents. However, John Day – the man – was never among that number. A hapless hunter from Virginia, Day never got particularly close to the region whose rivers and cities bear his name. But his story does tell us something about European-American settlement in the Pacific Northwest.

Greg Shine is a historian and writer based in Portland. He wrote about John Day for the Oregon Encyclopedia, and joins us with details of his story.