Inbox: Wolves In The Northwest

I think this is awesome ["Voices: Wolves May Soon Be in the 503 Area Code," WW, Jan. 1, 2014]. I live in Washington, where the wolf numbers have been rising in recent years.

I still haven't seen or heard one, but they are so shy, that is to be expected. I only hope Washington and Oregon do a better job of managing these animals than Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.

—"Michelle Bradbury"


Why would any sane person want to introduce predators that attack people, pets (your dog!) and livestock?

What is the point, other than following some wildlands (get-rid-of-man) scheme?

—"David Clark"


Let the wolves come home. There has been enough killing.

—"Christine Poppolardo Marcyk"


OREGON'S HISTORY OF SLAVERY

The slavery thing may be a new revelation for most people—I certainly was not aware of it until very recently ["Voices: Oregon Was Once a Slave State," WW, Jan. 1, 2014].

The exclusion laws and redlining to follow should at least be common knowledge, though.

—"Damos Abadon"


Hopefully, learning about the past will make the future better. No one can undo the wrongs done before us, but everyone can certainly make those who were once unwelcome feel they are now welcome here.

—"amandameezer"


URBAN BEACHES ON WILLAMETTE

Anything that gets people on the Willamette River is good, whether it is in canoes, rowing shells, kayaks, rowboats or other human-powered craft ["Voices: Bring Urban Beaches to the Willamette," WW, Jan. 1, 2014].

Swimming is great too—for the couple of months a year when it is typically most attractive on the lower Willamette.

Multiple organizations and people have worked for years to increase access, and good progress has been made. But we need to be smart about what we build for access. The Tom McCall Bowl, for example, has also been identified as a good place for habitat restoration.

It is also important to remember the kind of river we have downtown—it is a big, silty river that stays high typically well into summer. It is a fantastic river for recreation on many levels, but does come with some constraints.

Lastly, lets continue to put some real focus on Portland Harbor and the cleanup of the 10-mile Superfund site. 2014 will bring some major decisions with the cleanup plan being developed.

This will provide a road map for how to best deal with the vast stretches of contaminated sediment that exist just downstream of downtown. It is a huge project that is directly related to community health and well-being.

Travis Williams
Willamette Riverkeeper

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