Is Eastern Oregon really Oregon? (Portland, Bend: houses, living in, safer)

[The Cactus Leaguer]

Originally Posted by RangerDuke08

Yup, Oregon, Utah, Idaho, Nevada have a chunk of preserved federal land yet population dominated by 1 major city - Portland/Salt Lake/Boise/Vegas. It does change the landscape as politics and money are are dominated by the city though those in the rural areas are most impacted by environment regulation changes and not equally represented nor able to acquire the same income as those in urban areas.

Let me preface with this --- I don't mean to sound like a jerk... I think it is terrible how logging has been restricted excessively (and then we import lumber from China and our unlogged forests catch fire - brilliant idea there, tree huggers).

That being said... How are they "not equally represented nor able to acquire the same income"? Last I checked, environmental regulations apply to everyone, not just those who choose to live in rural areas. Everyone has equal representation and the ability to earn a living.

I just don't see how environmental regulation translates into the state taking cash out of the rural areas and putting it into urban areas. I just don't see that happening, but if I'm wrong on this, please correct me.

[Terryj]

Cactus, I do agree with you on this issue about logging, with today technology they have the ability to log the trees without destroying the watersheds. This was a big concern 20 to 30 years ago, but times have changed, the problem is peoples mindsets haven't. Most rural communities depended on lumber as a source of income for their towns and the people who lived in them, however, excessive environmental regulations have pretty much shut them down. When this happens it impacts everyone, from the logger who harvested the trees to the contractor who builds the homes, to the home buyer who has to pay more for a home due to lumber being imported. Tress are a renewable resource unlike oil. Cut one tree down and replace it with 4 more seedlings.
So how do these environmental restrictions effect the rural areas, first of all these rural areas may only depend on a few resources to fund the town, be it mining or timber. You take away these due to restrictions and what your left with with is a small town that is struggling to survive. Most of these rural town are not serviced with a interstate hwy system, or even a viable state road system, this drawback limits other type of manufacturing companies relocating to these areas. What your left with is a town dieing on the vine.
If you look at Oregon most manufacturing companies are located within easy reach of I-5, so the ability to lure other forms of businesses into these areas are generally good, this is not the case in these rural areas.

[Tazula]

In reply to your query, my answer is simple. Yes, Eastern Oregon is still Oregon! If I went to Boston and people there noticed that I spoke different than them they would ask me of where I came from. I would say Oregon. Now they would have no clue as to this or that when it comes to Oregon. So, in my opinion, we (who live in Oregon) "are" Oregonians regardless if we were born here or moved here yesterday.

Oregon is my home. Always has been and always will be. I was born here and I will die here. My family came here in the 1800's. We were one of the early settler's in Hermiston (where I was born which "is" in Eastern Oregon). We have streets named after us. I am proud to call every person that lives here in Oregon a fellow Oregonian.

I "love" the diversity that we have in the landscape of this state. We have the desert, we have the prairies that grow our food, we have the mountains (where there is snow), forests and lakes to treasure, we have the gorge (to which is the only gorge on this planet where the river flows unlike no other), we have a beautiful valley, we have caves, we have a front seat to the Pacific Ocean and we have a major metropolitan city.

I now currently reside in Salem, Oregon. About 1 1/2 years ago I went home to Hermiston and I enjoyed every minute of my visit. I loved sitting out on my grandmother's front porch on a warm cloudless night and had an unobstructed view (complete with silence) of the beautiful stars above me.

[lilypad]

If anyone wants to experience a true "wasteland", take a little trip to the Texas Panhandle. Just relocated back to PNW from there, is very flat and windy, dusty, NO trees! So to me, eastern Oregon is quite beautiful, love the high desert. And considering the LaGrande or Pendleton areas for the future (retirement).

[Bluesmama]

No, I don't think of eastern Oregon as 'wasteland' at all ~ just different. My husband is from there. To me, the worst thing about it is that they have to travel to Portland for intensive medical care (surgeries), and the airport. Also, to travel to the westside during fall thru winter via The Gorge is often dangerous.

I'm one of those who does find beauty in bare, rolling hills ~ it's a smooth landscape. And it does have mountaneous beauty, too. There is plenty for outdoorsy types to do.

Summers are usually longer and a little hotter, but they have "harsher" winters. My husband misses all the snow on the ground that he grew up with.

And, of course, farther south into Steens Mountain and Burns are only for the rugged at heart.

I think it's great that Oregon has such various beauty. But it's like someone else on this post mentioned, Calif is a helluva lot more varied than people realize. (I grew up in the agricultural part ~ radically different from the SF-LA scenes that people think of.)

[globaloro]

Originally Posted by MimzyMusic

I don't mean to say eastern Oregon is a bad place, it is quite beautiful in its own way. It's just so DIFFERENT from what people think of Oregon as. It's conservative, dry, often treeless. It feels more similar to northern Nevada and southern Idaho than the Willamette Valley.

" It's just so DIFFERENT from what people think of Oregon as. It's conservative, dry, often treeless. "
Thats true it's different.....and different is sooo good !!
I think we can all see you like the valley and the green, rain and the small croweds of liberals here and there, where are you at ? Eugene ?
Some have discovered the hidden beauty of the High deserts of eastern OR. and WA.. There's nothing like it, High shaperal country, smell of sage in the air after a rain storm, Meadowlarks singing in the grassy fields, Hawks and Vulturs in the sky, Rock bluffs and stone canyons, patches of wooded pin forest with flowing with gental creeks and streems, lakes and mountains to the west to make for a great sunset and water shead, wide open space to let your spirit free...........Oh dont for get the BLUE skies and some snow..
I have been living in Eastern Washintion ( high shaperal desert) for 35 years but travel a lot in usa ........

[Cornerguy1]

Some beautiful places in that wasteland:

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i316/Cornerguy1/hartmountain1.jpg (broken link)

[naturegirl1969]

cornerguy1, your right on target a picture is worth a thousand words, absolutely breathtaking!

[pw72]

Originally Posted by NightBazaar

I have to agree with the wide ranging diversity of Oregon's topography. Even in some of the "wastlands", there are fascinating locations to be found. The lava beds and lava caves are one example. Seeing antelope grazing or running wild is another beauty. Even places like Hole in the Ground in Central Oregon is interesting to see and think about.

Sure, Eastern Oregon is different, but so is the Willamette Valley, the Oregon Coast, Southern Oregon, and so on. Oregon is a large sized state with a lot of different features. The Willamette Valley from Eugene to Portland is only a small part of the state.

By the way, there's one small area of Oregon (can't remember the name) bordering Idaho, that uses Central Standard Time instead of Pacific Standard Time. Talk about diversity! LOL!

The Ontario, Oregon area in far eastern Oregon is actually in the mountain time zone, not central, to connect with nearby Boise. The good news is because mountain time zone tv programming starts an hour earlier, late night shows can be seen at 9:30pm pacific! Helps get a better night sleep

[Rickers]

Originally Posted by MimzyMusic

I feel like you don't enter Oregon until you are under Mt. Hood. Eastern Oregon is a wasteland, and the pretty parts of it are closer to Boise than they are to Portland.

Someone needs to get a new pair of eyes or at least open up the ones God gave you. All of Oregon is absolutely beautiful.