The new Tiller Ranger Station sign

The proposal to relocate the Tiller Ranger Station seems so poorly thought out that it’s tempting to think cooler heads will prevail and the idea will be eventually be shelved. Yet there’s no guarantee that will happen. The relocation feasibility study is being compiled at this very moment, and the move clearly has the support of Umpqua National Forest Supervisor Alice Carlton and Forest Engineer Steve Marchi. A final decision is likely not locked in, as government bureaucracies tend to move at a crawl, but the Tiller community and regional stakeholders would be wise to do everything possible to raise awareness about the proposed relocation and rally widespread opposition.

One point that should be hammered again and again is safety. Everyone here understands the danger posed by wildfire, especially given the extreme drought conditions impacting western states. Moving fire resources AWAY from the forest in these conditions would be completely negligent. And stripping housing away from firefighters would only compound recruitment problems.

How, then, to publicize these safety concerns? Here are a few options:

The News-Review
Any community member can send a letter to the News-Review expressing their concerns. Letters like this work best when they’re grounded in facts (“western forest are more susceptible to fire than ever”), supported by examples (“we can see this right now with the Devil’s Knob Complex”), and free of rhetorical hyperbole and name calling. You can submit a letter right now using a simple form at the NR website.

Oregon State Legislators
Those of us living in southern Douglas County are represented by the following legislators:

Senator Dallas Heard
Phone: 503-986-1701
Email: Sen.DallasHeard@oregonlegislature.gov

Representative Christine Goodwin
Phone: 503-986-1402
Email: rep.christinegoodwin@oregonlegislature.gov

You can also try our U.S. Congressional Representative, Peter DeFazio:
Phone: 541-465-6732
Email: https://defazio.house.gov/contact/email-peter

Social media
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Questions / comments / concerns? Defend Tiller can be reached at defendtiller [at] gmail.com during normal operating hours.