Environmental divide.

Byline: The Register-Guard

Neither Gov. Ted Kulongoski nor Ron Saxton would admit it, but there is relatively little difference between the two candidates on many central issues in the governor's race. But vast forests and broad rivers separate them on environmental issues ranging from salvage logging to salmon protection.

If Republican Saxton beats Democrat Kulongoski on Nov. 7, no arena of state action would change as thoroughly as environmental policy. Saxton would almost certainly roll back environmental initiatives that have helped define Kulongoski's governorship, starting with his order to the Department of Environmental Quality to adopt California's rigorous auto emission standards. Also on the chopping block: Kulongoski's fierce resistance to the Bush administration's efforts to eliminate protections for nearly 2 million acres of roadless lands in the state.

Indeed, the difference between Kulongoski's and Saxton's approaches to the state's environment are every bit as stark as the difference between those of Bill Clinton and George W. Bush at the national level. That should matter a great deal to Oregonians who care about protecting the environment and the remarkable quality of life that it affords this state's residents.

Republicans have been responsible for many of this state's landmark environmental achievements, ranging from the land-use system that was Gov. Tom McCall's legacy to Sen. Mark Hatfield's wilderness and river protections. But Saxton, despite his professed love of outdoor activities such as fly-fishing and backpacking, is no McCall when it comes to land use, and he's no Hatfield when it comes to the outdoors.

On the other hand, Kulongoski's environmental credentials are well established. The governor single-handedly brought Oregon into the front lines of the fight against global warming when he sidestepped the Legislature and ordered the DEQ to adopt California's new tailpipe standards, a move that will significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions and increase gas mileage. In another major global warming initiative, Kulongoski has proposed legislation that would require utilities to get 25 percent of their electricity from new sources of renewable energy by 2025.

Saxton says he'll seek to stop the new emissions rules, claiming they'll increase the cost of new cars and impose an unfair burden on rural Oregonians who need heavy vehicles. While Saxton says he supports encouraging renewable energy, he dismisses Kulongoski's proposed mandates for utilities as a "gimmick." As for global warming, Saxton concedes it's a problem but says the federal government, not individual states, should deal with it.

Saxton's right: The feds, not the states, should deal with global warming. But the Bush administration and Congress haven't shown the slightest inclination to act. In the absence of national leadership on the most critical environmental issue of our day, states must do whatever they can until the ostriches in Washington, D.C., start doing their jobs.

Kulongoski and Saxton disagree on other pivotal environmental issues. Saxton criticizes Kulongoski's efforts to stop salvage logging in environmentally sensitive roadless areas, such as the Mike's Gulch sale in the Biscuit fire zone in Southwestern Oregon. But he conveniently fails to acknowledge the growing body of scientific evidence that says salvage logging and reforestation can destroy biological diversity that natural recovery can best nurture.

Kulongoski sued the federal government in an aggressive move aimed at forcing Columbia River hydropower operations to do a better job of protecting endangered wild salmon runs. Saxton has criticized that lawsuit, arguing that he could work more effectively with federal officials without going to court, a position that ignores the federal government's sub-abysmal track record on salmon protection.

Not surprisingly, Kulongoski's views are closely aligned to environmental groups that support his candidacy, and he has been endorsed by the Oregon League of Conservation Voters. Meanwhile, Saxton's environmental positions are aligned with the business groups that have helped bankroll his campaign. As of last month, he had received more than $900,000 from timber companies that have bitterly opposed Kulongoski's efforts to protect roadless lands and limit salvage logging.

After nearly four years in office, Kulongoski has a record that's vulnerable to criticism on a number of fronts. But the incumbent's record on the environment has been bold, visionary and consistent. It's one of the main reasons why Oregonians should give him a second term.