It's Your Oregon: Jeanne Carver

What is your idea of a perfect Oregon day?

My perfect Oregon day is in the interior of Oregon, hiking down one of the great canyons and picnicking by a creek.

What would you like Oregon to look like in 20 years that is different from today?

My prime wish is that we still have the same vista here on our place that we have today. That we don’t become crowded. Preventing the chopping up of land and open spaces is very important to me. I want to see the large tracts of open space and forestlands preserved, wherever in Oregon they may be. That’s critical.

OEC talks about “It’s Your Oregon.”  What does Oregon mean to you?

Jeanne tends their Columbian sheep

Maybe it’s because I live at the Imperial Stock Ranch, but I always look at things with a historical perspective. When I think of Oregon, I think of a self-reliant spirit and an attitude of getting it done. An attitude of ‘we can get it done, no matter what the obstacle or the challenge, we’re going to find a way to overcome.’ Oregon is just a great place because of its incredibly diverse terrain and topography. It’s a great place to inspire the human spirit.

What is the most important environmental issue to you today?

It is definitely population. Particularly the influx of people. We have many, many people coming into Oregon and this country as they’ve always done, but today they’re coming so rapidly and in such numbers without an attachment to place. They don’t have the sense of place like we who have roots here, and it’s going to impact all of us as we go forward. The majority of voters and decision-makers are from different cultures and that’s going to influence decisions here. That’s of concern.

What is the one thing you want people to know?

Jeanne takes a moment to reflect at Imperial Stock Ranch

That we need to honor God’s creation. That we need to honor the natural cycles that are here that we’ve been commanded to be stewards of. Together we can figure out how to get it done and make it better.