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Here's what readers said about the 10 invasive species that could destroy Oregon as we now know it ("Destroyer of Worlds," WW, Aug. 9, 2017).
Don Johnson, via wweek.com: "Scotch broom and carp have been here over 150 years. While certain locations have been affected, I doubt it's quite the doom-and-gloom represented here."
TC, via wweek.com: "The state does a piss-poor job of eradicating Scotch broom on its row. Property owners do a far better job of keeping their fields clean and have to keep fighting the invasion from the other side of the fence."
John H, in response: "If we want to get serious about cleaning up the Willamette Valley and coast and ridding the state of these weeds, we'll have to have an increasing scale of square-footage fines that can be attached as levies to real estate, and then state action when someone's simply ignored the fines for several years."
Jexpat, via wweek.com: "'…pigs fight back pretty effectively.' Indeed they do. Feral swine reach sexual maturity at about 6-8 months, average around 6 piglets per litter, they can reproduce twice per year and once full-grown, have few natural predators. That sort of fecundity, once established, is more than a match for bows, guns and dogs."
Heather Lynn, via Facebook: "Pig numbers need to be dropped by 80 percent each year to not have the numbers rise. That's a lot of food we could use to feed people."
Jimmyscrackncorn, via Reddit: "I would hunt the shit out of some hogs, even though it can be deadly. The state needs to do a better job of providing locations and access if they're serious about getting this done. Unfortunately, [the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife] only mentions one area on [U.S. Forest Service] property where they can be found."
Joe Longfellow, via Facebook: "So first the hunters kill the wolves because they eat a couple of cattle. Then we have an issue with too many wild boars and the hunters get to kill that? Sounds like we simply need less cattle ranches. The ecosystem can take care of itself if we simply stop killing off the top predators."
Kevin Corral, via Facebook: "Forget the sea lions?"
John Robinson, in response: "Sea lions aren't an invasive species. This is their range."
Myrna Jensen, via Twitter: "You forgot to mention the current prez on your list."
Corrections
Due to an editor's error, an Aug. 2 story on the heat wave incorrectly stated that Portland had never seen four consecutive days of temperatures above 99 degrees. It had, twice.
A cover story on development projects ("Newer Portland," WW, Aug. 2, 2017) incorrectly stated that the Portland City Council would vote in September on downtown zoning. The vote is scheduled for January.
WW regrets the errors.
Letters to the editor must include the author's street address and phone number for verification. Letters must be 250 or fewer words. Submit to: 2220 NW Quimby St., Portland, OR 97210. Email: mzusman@wweek.com