Chambers Ban Together
Chambers of Commerce and businesses in Oregon and across the country are telling the director of the National Economic Council that national monuments are integral to local economies. A leaked memo from the Interior Department suggests reducing the size of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument in southern Oregon, and that’s raised alarms for the communities surrounding it. Cindy Bernard, former president of the Ashland Chamber of Commerce, says the Cascade-Siskiyou is a major draw for the area, and Ashland is a community of small businesses that will suffer if the monument is reduced.
“There are certainly businesses that benefit directly – maybe an outdoors-type business that benefits directly – but so do the restaurants and the lodging, and everything else associated with a tourism-based economy.”
More than 570 businesses, aquariums and chambers of commerce signed the letter to Director Gary Cohn, calling the potential rollback of monuments a “job-killing” effort. In the leaked Interior Department memo, other monuments that might be reduced in size or status are in Maine, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, off the New England coast and in the Pacific Ocean.
Commercial Crabbing Delayed
You may experience a temporary shortage in your choice for Dungenous crab as the official commercial fishing season has been delayed for two weeks. The Oregon Department of Agriculture says that the crab needs time to meat fill after molting season and they are giving the crab an extra two weeks in which to do it. There will also be another round of quality testing of the crab later this month or early in December to see if the December 16th date will stick for opening day. Recreational crabbing has already stopped due to increased levels of demoic acid.
Waste Free Day
Lane County Master Recyclers is asking shoppers to have an alternative to Black Friday. They have created a waste-free holiday to coincide with the most popular shopping day of the year. The campaign is about reducing, reusing and recycling the materials that are usually generated by the upcoming holidays. The annual Create Something Day takes the items, combines them with some art and craft supplies to create something new from what would normally be thrown into the trash. To learn more you can go to www.lanecounty.org/wastefreeholidays