December 2024 - Pac/West Lobby Group

Jimmy Carter — A River Retrospective

December 30, 2024/by Rick Metsger

“Many of the most highly publicized events of my presidency are not nearly as memorable or significant in my life as fishing with my daddy.”

— Jimmy Carter

Decades ago, when a 1 a.m. bedtime was routine for me after delivering the nightly 11 p.m. sportscast on KOIN-TV, my alarm clock and I had an agreement. You don’t bother me for seven hours and I won’t bother you.

So, when the phone rang at about 5 a.m. one morning and I clumsily cleared the deck on the nightstand trying to grab the receiver, I was suddenly snapped into consciousness by the voice on the other end.

“This is the U.S. Secret Service and I would like to talk to Richard Metsger.” What had I done now? Did I say something disparaging about one of the president’s favorite teams? Should I just confess now and place myself at the mercy of the court?

The agent then laid out the charges.

“Former President Jimmy Carter would like to have you take him fishing.”

Jimmy Carter was a lifelong outdoorsman and the most proactive environmentalist president since Theodore Roosevelt. (National Archive Photo)

Carter was a dedicated outdoorsman and recently finished his book An Outdoor Journal. I had a special outdoor segment weekly in my sports report. I could not turn down the former President, but there had to be a negotiation on terms. We would go fishing for steelhead on either the Willamette or Clackamas, but I wanted to bring my photographer, Dale Birkholtz, and shoot a segment for the nightly news. Both President Carter and the Secret Service agreed, providing I promised to tell absolutely no one else about the plan.

A few days later at about 5:30 a.m., we met on the boat ramp near Oregon City. The Secret Service was there with their own boat to ensure I didn’t accidently dump the President in the frigid winter waters of the Willamette.

Talking to Carter was like talking to your best friend. There was no sense of superiority or privilege. We would talk about our own fishing adventures.

He flashed that famous Carter grin when he told me about one “working weekend” at Camp David. He came out for a brief press conference on Friday and said he would not be coming out again until Sunday evening and would be happy to talk again about any new developments.

“I went back inside and was immediately shuffled out the back door to a waiting car and taken to the helicopter. My gear had already been packed and I was off to Pennsylvania to fish with a friend the rest of the weekend,” he said, laughing. “We came back the same way Sunday afternoon, and I went out and met with the press. They had no idea I had been gone all weekend.”

Former President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter were a driving force behind Habitat for Humanity after Carter’s presidency. (National Archive Photo)

Carter’s fishing experiences informed his political approach. If the first cast did not induce a fish to rise he would alter the rhythm to try a different angle. He was patient, waiting for the precise moment to jam his thumb against the spool and set the hook.

Carter loved the river. The sound of the water rolling over rocks smoothed by the ages spoke to him. Not surprisingly, he was the most truly environmental president since Theodore Roosevelt. His positions were not dictated by political expediency or consultants but by personal conviction. He was the first president to raise concern about climate change.

Carter designated about 162,000 square miles as national parks in Alaska. He had solar panels installed on the roof of the White House. Keep in mind this was the 1970s when most people thought a solar panel was the sunroof on your 1978 Chrysler Cordoba.

President Carter lost to Ronald Reagan in his re-election bid. High inflation, a gas shortage that created long lines at stations, and the kidnapping of Americans by Iran, sealed his fate. His poll numbers were at the lowest of his presidency.

But, out of the ashes of the 1980 Election was forged a new Jimmy Carter. The peanut farmer-turned-president was now the president-turned-humanitarian. He became the face of Habitat for Humanity, building dozens of homes for needy Americans. Efforts by the Carter Center, led by the president and his wife Rosalynn, have almost eradicated a deadly parasitic disease in Nigeria.

He would serve as mediator-on-call for future presidents. Carter traveled the world supporting voting rights, arms de-escalation, and conflict resolution.

“My faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can with whatever I have to try to make a difference.”

— Jimmy Carter

A man of deep faith, he would teach Sunday School most Sundays at his small, hometown church in Plains, Georgia. Everyone in Plains simply called him Jimmy.

Decades after he left the White House, Americans changed their view on Carter. Changed it dramatically. A poll taken a few years ago by Quinnipiac University found Carter winning in a landslide as the president who had done the most for the country post-presidency. His vote total was almost double that of second place finisher Ronald Reagan.

Forty-four years after his presidency, the river of his life has finally reached the delta and dispersed into the endless sea. But he will continue to speak to us and to those yet to come.

REAL Oregon Heads Into The Woods

December 23, 2024/by George Plaven

Editor’s note: This is the second in a series of features by Pac/West Communications Director George Plaven detailing his professional development journey with REAL Oregon. To read previous installments in this series, click the links below:

Session 1: Klamath Falls

Situated along a muddy forest road near Roseburg, three pieces of logging equipment bellowed as crews with Lone Rock Resources harvested Douglas firs from privately managed timberland.

First, the crane-like yarder pulled entire trees up a steep hillside draped in morning fog. Next, a processor cut each log to length while stripping away limbs and bark. Finally, a large loader stacked processed logs neatly onto waiting trucks to be hauled away to the mill.

Timber and forestry were the focus of my second session with REAL Oregon in Roseburg (the “Timber Capital of the Nation,” as proudly displayed on the city seal). Our first tour stop brought us to Lone Rock Resources, which manages more than 150,000 acres in southwest Oregon.

Watching as the yarder harvests Douglas fir trees on property managed by Lone Rock Resources.

Watching the harvest in action, I was amazed by how smooth and precise the entire process is. It felt like a carefully choreographed dance, mastered by operators who have spent thousands of hours in the cabs of these mighty machines.

On the flip side, my classmates and I were also shown the importance of reforestation following harvest. The Oregon Forest Resources Institute (OFRI) estimates that landowners plant about 40 million seedlings every year, as required by state law. We were even invited to plant a few Douglas fir seedlings of our own, which will grow over the next 40-60 years depending on location and conditions.

This Douglas fir sapling will be ready to harvest in 40-60 years.

‘Wood Is Good’

Nearly half of Oregon — about 30 million acres — is forestland. Our forests are managed for a variety of uses, including social, environmental, and economic.

Eastern Oregon forests are dominated primarily by pine trees, whereas 85% of Western Oregon forests are Douglas fir, which Joe Newton, president of Lone Rock Resources, described as the “king of trees” for timber producers.

Not only does Douglas fir grow straight and tall, but its wood is strong and flexible, making it a perfect building material. Newton said the underlying demand for more housing is driving timber markets, with Roseburg home to a world-class collection of innovative manufacturers to meet the need.

An exterior view of the Swanson Group’s Roseburg stud mill.

One of those manufacturers, the Swanson Group, welcomed us inside their Roseburg stud mill to see how raw logs are transformed into two-by-fours and other building products.

Today, the mill produces 250 million board-feet of studs per year. Board-feet is a common measurement for wood that is 1 foot long, 1 foot wide, and 1 inch thick. Though the sound was deafening, we wore special headsets that allowed us to talk back and forth as we walked through the facility roaring with saws and conveyors.

Interior view of the stud mill, overlooking the conveyor system.

If we learned nothing else, Newton said the takeaway should be that “wood is good.” Wood has a lower carbon footprint than steel and concrete, and Oregon’s advanced forest protection laws help ensure producers are sustainable.

Active Management Needed

Despite these advantages, Oregon’s timber industry has been in decline since the 1990s.

According to the American Forest Resource Council (AFRC), a Portland-based timber industry lobbying group, timber harvest in Oregon has dropped from about 8 billion board-feet in the mid-1980s to about 3.8 billion board-feet in recent years.

The federal government manages 60% of Oregon forests, yet produces just 14% of timber harvest. Data from the AFRC shows harvest levels on federal lands have dropped from 2 billion board-feet in 1990 to just 200 million board-feet by 2015.

Seven mills have closed in Oregon in 2024, eliminating 700 jobs. Meanwhile, forests grow about 2.8 billion cubic feet of new wood per year. All that additional wood is helping to fuel larger, more destructive wildfires, including this year’s season that saw a record 1.9 million acres burn.

Newton, with Lone Rock Resources, said forests need more active management (logging and thinning) to benefit both the environment and economy of rural Oregon. Our class learned about a few successes in recent years — the Private Forest Accord, signed in 2021, was a significant compromise between the timber industry and conservation groups. Major investments in mass timber research could also unlock new and innovative wood markets.

But there is clearly still work to be done. As leaders, it is up to us to help both the public and policymakers see the forest through the trees.

Class 8 gathers outside Lone Rock Resources headquarters in Roseburg.

Seeds of Success

December 20, 2024/by George Plaven

Editor’s note: This is the second in a series of stories highlighting Hermiston School District’s career and technical education (CTE) programs. Up next: Arts, Information, and Communications.

All students enrolled in Intro to Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resource Systems learn to drive a tractor.

Before she was a teacher at Hermiston High School, Ellery Jones was a student at HHS who found her passion working in agriculture.

Jones took classes in agricultural biology, horticulture, and physical science, among others. She was an active member of the local Hermiston FFA Chapter, eventually earning her State Degree, the highest honor bestowed by Oregon FFA.

After graduating in 2017, Jones said the skills she gained through Hermiston’s Agricultural Science program helped her to land a job at a local food processing plant. She later earned her bachelor’s degree in plant science from the University of Idaho and has since returned to HHS where she teaches plant science — paving the same path she once followed for a future generation of agriculture professionals.

“It was just amazing to see how the skills I learned through the program were capable of being transferred into the workforce, and how much further ahead I was. It’s the reason that I had an amazing internship through college debt-free, and it’s the reason I’m back in the classroom today sharing what I love.”

— Ellery Jones, Plant Science Teacher

Agricultural Community

Hermiston and Umatilla County is a diverse agricultural area. Top crops are wheat, hay, irrigated vegetables and potatoes, according to the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture. The total market value of agricultural products sold that year was more than $525 million.

Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resource Systems is one of six career areas offered by Hermiston School District in career and technical education (CTE). Agricultural Science is the lone program of study, which is further divided into three separate pathways:

Animal science.
Plant science.
Welding.

Sandy McKay, who teaches animal science at HHS, said about 25 students each year receive recognition in one of the three pathways. That means they complete at least three year-long classes, earning at least a B in each class, while also participating in FFA.

The Hermiston FFA Chapter has more than 500 members dedicated to advocating for agriculture.

The program is guided by a five-member advisory council representing Umatilla County’s diverse agriculture industries. McKay said it can be difficult at times keeping up with the rapid changes in agriculture, including new technology and best management practices.

“We talk about self-driving cars. Well, we had self-driving tractors first. We talk about drones. Well, we had drones working in agriculture first,” McKay said. “Agriculture is just constantly evolving, and we have to constantly be trying to stay up with it by adapting our curriculum.”

Hands-On Experience

Both Jones and McKay emphasized the importance of hands-on learning in their classes, combined with traditional studies, to prepare students for the workforce.

In plant science, Jones said HHS has two, 30-foot-by-50-foot greenhouses where students grow thousands of vegetable seedlings. Students start by the learning the basics of soil and plant nutrition, then build their own homemade hydroponic system to grow their seedlings.

Jones also teaches the anatomy and physiology of plants; runs a floriculture unit, where students grow and sell their own floral arrangements through a monthly subscription; and provides training for students to receive their Pesticide Applicators License, if they choose.

Hands-on learning is a fundamental element of Hermiston School District’s Agricultural Science program.

In animal science, McKay said they use several hands-on models (including one named “Breeding Betsy”) for teaching students proper livestock care and veterinary skills.

All students go through Intro to Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resources, where they learn how to drive a tractor.

“We don’t just say, ‘This is the best way to grow a plant.’ We let them grow over 5,000 plants. We don’t just say, ‘When you have a pregnant animal, you’ll be able to feel this.’ Our animal science teachers give them the opportunity to practice that application, and gain that skill,” McKay said. “I think that’s really what sets us apart, is that kids are able to get that hands-on experience.”

One new addition coming in the spring is a class teaching the basics of running an agricultural business including proper budgeting, how to apply for loans, and tracking income and expenses. McKay said a local commodities trader will also donate bushels of corn for the class to learn how to trade on the commodities market.

Once a year, McKay said they host a day bringing in eighth-graders from both Hermiston middle schools to show them everything their program has to offer. Hopefully, McKay said something catches their interest and plants a seed that can turn into a future career.

“We get kids who we put on a tractor for the first time, and they’re scared to death at first but then they love it,” he said. “Who knows what that’s going to end up for them in their career field? Maybe it’s something that opens up a world they didn’t know was there.”

Local eighth-graders tour the greenhouses at Hermiston High School, looking over vegetable seedlings.

Pac/West Announces New Legislative Partners on Giving Tuesday

December 3, 2024/by Daniel Wattenburger

SALEM, Oregon (December 3, 2024) — Pac/West Lobby Group is proud to announce its pro bono representation of two significant organizations, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and Shangri-La, as they prepare for the 2025 legislative session. Pac/West will work to ensure these organizations are able to effectively communicate their priorities with lawmakers.

The Anti-Defamation League was founded in 1913 to combating antisemitism and hate. Its mission has expanded to secure justice and fair treatment for all, and includes fighting extremism, online hate, and bias, while promoting education and inclusivity in communities worldwide.

Shangri-La, an Oregon-based nonprofit established in 1963, provides essential services for individuals with disabilities and mental health challenges, allowing them greater independence and a higher quality of life. Its programs include supported employment, residential care, and skills training that empower individuals to achieve their goals.

Both organizations hold special significance for Pac/West President Ryan Tribbett. His grandparents were instrumental in founding Shangri-La, and his lifelong commitment to promoting and protecting equitable representation aligns with ADL’s mission to challenge discrimination.

“Our work reflects our values,” Tribbett said. “Giving a platform to causes that build inclusivity and dignity is not just an act of generosity — it’s a responsibility. Our team is excited to be working with ADL and Shangri-La and helping advance their important missions.”

Pac/West has long demonstrated its dedication to supporting nonprofits, engaging with causes that promote youth, families, and stronger communities in Oregon. These investments of time and resources are an integral part of the company’s values.

This Giving Tuesday, Pac/West is amplifying the importance of advocacy in creating meaningful change. By partnering with ADL and Shangri-La, the firm continues its mission to support organizations that uplift vulnerable populations and give back to communities it serves.

To learn more about Pac/West Lobby Group’s values and contributions, visit www.pwlobby.com/giving-back.

The team at Pac/West Lobby Group has decades of experience advocating for a range of organizations before the Legislature, state agencies, and local boards and commissions. We work with industries including health care, organized labor, transportation, city governments, and more.

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