It's Your Oregon: Dan Carver
I would like to see the land use laws that were implemented by Tom McCall and others enforced so that we can continue the legacy of green that Oregon has built its reputation upon.
Dan Carver, Shaniko, OR
What is your idea of a perfect Oregon day?
My idea of a perfect Oregon day is a day I get to be a hand on the ranch and not be strapped in the office doing government paperwork or myriads of other tasks. About one day a month, I get to be a hand on the ranch and do things that are fun like tending the livestock, fixings fences, checking on springs and enjoying nature. That’s my perfect day, but it doesn’t happen nearly often enough.
What would you like Oregon to look like in 20 years that is different from today?
- Dan and Jeanne Carver
It would be a lot more fun if we could step back and have two million people instead of three and a half million people. I would like to see the land use laws that were implemented by Tom McCall and others enforced so that we can continue the legacy of green that Oregon has built its reputation upon. There’s a lot of talk going on right now about how to change the land use laws. I worry all the time that nature will lose because money usually wins. I would like to see Oregon not regress into more pavement and more and more people, but inevitably, I think that’s coming.
OEC talks about “It’s Your Oregon.” What does Oregon mean to you?
Oregon means to me controlled growth, green space and open space where you can get away from the maddening crowds. It means opportunities. We have a social conscience. Our big cities, Eugene and Portland, have young, thriving populations that believe in environmental issues and they’ll vote to take care of the land. We can do business without a lot of government interference and we have the opportunities to live in and enjoy a good place. Jeanne and I get to travel quite a bit. We get the opportunities to go to places like Colorado, Montana and Idaho that used to be nice, but aren’t anymore because there weren’t any rules in place.
What is the most important environmental issue to you today?
Population explosion. We continue to watch the population exploding all over the world and this puts pressure on our air and water. I believe this is the most important issue.
What is the one thing you want people to know?
I want people to know that 60% of the food on their plates comes from foreign countries and that the farmer and rancher in America is struggling financially and having a very tough time making a go of it. Continuing to outsource is eventually going to catch up with us.
