Off-road trails are OK 
for Ochocos

I am writing in rebuttal of Jim D. Mooers letter in the Aug. 6 edition of The Bulletin about off-road trails in the Ochocos. I worked for the Deschutes National Forest for 15 years and my main job was riding an ATV pulling a groomer. I saw hundreds of deer over the years standing next to the trail watching me go by. During general deer season I hardly saw a deer because they are smart.

If you want to see a lot of elk go look in the desert east of Alfalfa next to the Millican Plateau OHV trail system. There is a huge herd there that stays year-round. As far as noise in the Ochocos, the trails are nowhere near the hiking trails. Most of the hiking trails in the Ochocos are rarely used.

The record of decision has already been signed. There will be an OHV trail system there, but I think that the average non-OHV visitor will never notice. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Oregon Hunters Association are raising deer and elk for slaughter. All we want to do is ride and enjoy the forest and look at these beautiful animals.

Larry Ulrich

Prineville

FDARA is a win for the country

Last week, President Trump signed the FDA Reauthorization Act (FDARA) into law. Because it’s likely not one of the health care bills you’ve heard about this year, here’s what you need to know about this bipartisan bill that is now law.

FDARA is a win for patients and millions of Americans working to create new cures and therapies. FDARA is composed of four individual user fee programs, that packaged together will deliver results for patients and ensure we remain the global leader in medical innovation.

Throughout the Cures process, we heard about cutting-edge medical innovations that were on their way, but just out of reach. Reauthorizing these programs will help connect the dots, bringing those innovations to light.

FDARA will bring lower-cost generic drug alternatives to patients sooner, helping lower the cost of these often life-saving medications. It will also make the cumbersome FDA review process easier, by modernizing clinical trials and ensuring there’s dedicated staff working to develop, review, and deliver treatments for patients with rare diseases.

Importantly, we do all this while maintaining FDA’s gold standard for patient safety.

FDARA is a tremendous win for everyone across the country — family and friends battling disease, Americans working on the next generation of innovative treatments and medical devices, and our entire health care system.

At a time when the media is convinced Congress isn’t working, we’re proving them wrong. This is a bipartisan victory everyone should be proud of, and it ensures this important work continues for years to come, giving patients even more reason to be hopeful.

Greg Walden is a Republican representing Oregon’s 2nd Congressional District.

Flag should be flown properly

I have noticed recently a significant increase in the number of households, businesses and even vehicles displaying the flag of the United States of America.

As an Army veteran with 30 years of active and reserve service, including post-9/11 deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq, I appreciate seeing our flag flying proudly. That said, I feel compelled to remind my fellow patriotic citizens that there are long-standing protocols, or guidelines, for the proper display of our flag. Among these guidelines is the requirement to illuminate the flag if it is displayed during the hours of darkness.

Allowing the flag to hang while faded, frayed, half wrapped around its staff or snagged on a rain gutter are obviously inappropriate. Other guidelines for properly displaying our flag may be easily researched online at numerous private and governmental websites.

I encourage all who would display our flag to exercise respectful self-discipline in doing so. It is a symbol, not a decoration, and one that should be honored accordingly in acknowledgment of the tremendous freedoms and sacrifices it represents.

Pete Goodrich

Redmond

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