Natural resource issues, power plant siting and prescription drug costs were some of the major concerns voiced by Crook and Jefferson county residents at Thursday?s town hall meetings hosted by U.S. Sen.Gordon Smith.

The Oregon Republican spent the day visiting the Central Oregon communities, and the rounds started early Thursday morning in the Crook County Courthouse. There, several residents inquired about how the Endangered Species Act and wilderness designation affected the local economy.

?I have introduced a modest, but important, amendment to the Endangered Species Act,? Smith said. ?Before you list or de-list a species, the science employed has to be subject to a peer review.?

Some Crook County residents nodded in agreement to this amendment, one man adding that he doesn?t approve of ?junk science.?

?Well I?m not for ?junk science? either, and I am for spring,? Smith joked.

John Shelk, managing director for the Ochoco Lumber Co., questioned the senator about the role ? and influence ? of politicians on the western side of the state when it comes to legislation regarding forests in Crook County and other places.

Smith answered by referring to his involvement in protecting the wilderness area around Steens Mountain.

?I said, show me how to protect that land without devastating Harney County,? he said. He added that lawmakers need to find a balance between what is rhetorical and what is reality when it comes to environmental issues.

In Jefferson County, Smith reiterated the need for balance, telling the standing room only crowd at the Madras City Hall that generating electricity comes with an environmental trade-off.

?You have to burn something or turn something if you want to turn on a light,? he said.

Some people aren?t happy with hydro power either, he said. ?I?m trying to keep the lights on at an affordable rate.?

The senator touted the conservation standards of his energy bill. Several audience members called for increased support in their fight against Cogentrix, the company that hopes to build a gas-fired electricity plant southeast of Madras.

The senator said the community had the power to affect how and if a power plant would be located in their county. ?If you don?t want it, there?s lots of opportunities for you to be engaged in the permitting and license process,? he said.

Bonnie Harvey, a Redmond resident, disagreed, saying that some community members felt helpless in the face of state and federal regulations. ?They?re up against a machinery that they?re too small to fight,? she said.

Though power plants were clearly a community concern, several residents stated that they were alarmed by the rising price of prescription drugs, Medicare cuts and the power of drug companies.

Margaret Dement, a Madras resident, suggested Smith should introduce a bill to eliminate big drug company television commercials.

The senator agreed that the sweeping power of advertising was a serious issue and something he intended to bring up with drug businesses.

The first-term senator faces re-election in November. His major opponent is Oregon Secretary of State Bill Bradbury, a Democrat.

Kelly Kearsley can be reached at 541-504-2336 or kkearsley@bendbulletin.com

Julia Lyon can be reached at 541-504-2336 or jlyon@bendbulletin.com.