…it’s always been clear that various Measure 37 claims were going to cause problems for surrounding landowners. Many M37 claims have been more about greed and selfishness than they were about sad old ladies wanting to build a house on their own land.  As a result, we’ve seen a flush of claims that seek to turn agricultural land into subdivisions, which - aside from making an irretrievable commitment of that land – raise all sorts of legitimate fears in the hearts of surrounding farmers and ranchers of conflicts that may arise with their new subdivision neighbors over the dust, noise, smell and whatever other perceived nuisance their agricultural practices may generate.  This one, however is a whole different bird altogether…

You have to admit, it takes a certain…flair, I suppose…to propose leveling a small pumice butte and slapping down a large geothermal plant and/or a 100-home subdivision smack dab in the middle of a National Monument.  And, once again, the proposal supporting this particular claim is going to create all sorts of problems for the neighbors.  For the US Forest Service, which manages the Newberry National Volcanic Monument, it creates a land use that is generally inconsistent with the management objectives within the caldera itself.  For the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, it creates an additional layer of human disruption in an area that is basically managed as a wildlife refuge.  For traditional users of the features and attractions inside the crater, it creates disruption from pumice mining operations, more crowding if a hundred extra recreational homes are added, and – as a no-cost bonus - a radically altered view if some substantial portion of the pumice butte in question is hauled away…

It was pretty apparent at the time to anyone who actually studied the matter that Measure 37, as a tool to force local jurisdictions to waive land use and zoning requirements, was not going to be painless for those unsuspecting souls who thought they didn’t have a dog in that fight.  Now we’re getting a chance to see just how far-reaching the impacts could be…