Unfair to pioneers

Along with many other pioneer sportsmen license holders, I think the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is wrong in raising hunting and fishing license fees.

Like, Jerry Brown, the person interviewed in your recent article, I am an Oregon pioneer who was surprised that my pioneer license fee was $6. It’s not the $6. It’s the reasoning behind the new fee. Let’s grandfather those of us who now receive it free and start charging the new pioneers.

Reading the article in The Bulletin, a spokeswoman from the ODFW in Salem said that the more licenses sold more funding would be received from the federal government. If you want people to buy something, you don’t raise the price. I agree with Brown. This year is the last year I will renew my pioneer license and tags. Several of my friends feel the same way.

In 2015 there were 58,000 pioneer license holders. Lets just say that half of these pioneers don’t buy a license next year at $6. A loss of $144,000 in fees, plus $26 for a deer tag, possible $46 for an elk tag, $72 from each pioneer. This does not include the price for applying for the tags. Lost revenue for ODFW is approximately $50,000 plus hunters and anglers who have stopped buying a license in the past years. Reason? Cost.

By the way, I have heard there is no representation on the Oregon Game Commission in Salem for us living east of the Cascades, Why?

Look out for more poachers.

Melvin Coffin

La Pine

Vote no on gas tax

I want to take this opportunity to urge Bend citizens vote no on the proposed gas tax ballot measure. This issue is of crucial importance to businesses in Bend and their employees.

This is not an infrastructure issue. The city of Bend has ample financial resources to maintain our city streets and associated infrastructures. The city council is playing games with the city budget, and this should not be condoned by voters.

This tax would dramatically increase the cost of doing business in Bend and prices for consumers. Bend businesses are already at a competitive disadvantage in terms of cost to other regions of the state and region. Passing this gas tax would only exacerbate that fact.

This is a regressive tax on middle and lower incomes. The Bend business community is already having problems attracting and paying a quality workforce. This gas tax will only make that worse.

The Bend City Council is playing games with the election process by scheduling the election to minimize voter turnout and in the process costing taxpayers $70,000. This type of bad elected official behavior should not be supported.

I strongly urge a NO vote on the Bend City gas tax ballot measure.

Troy Reinhart

Bend

What helps fish?

According to a report by Trout Unlimited, three species of native trout are now gone and only 25 remain, with 13 of those occupying less than one-quarter of their historic habitat.

If the efforts of environmental organizations had been successful in the decades since we all learned about the spotted owl, I might not be concerned. However, even with the virtual halting of the logging industry, trout habitat and fisheries have continued to decline and even disappear.

One conclusion to be drawn from this situation is that the money spent on the “environment” is spent more on litigation, public relations and enforcement than in recovery. Another might be that some of the techniques endorsed by environmental groups are not as effective as advertised.

The public has no recourse in challenging the involvement of environmental groups unless we form an organization ourselves. They are not elected officials to be voted out of office.

Nor are they public employees or civil servants whose behavior can be challenged.

In the meantime, thousands of Oregonians are without work, the fishing regulations and charges are so draconian only sponsored writers and the well-to-do can afford the sport and the fish continue to disappear.

Don Senecal

Bend