SALEM, Ore. – Oregon has an official state rock, bird, fossil, tree, fruit and more, but a move to designate the reddish Jory soil as the official state dirt somehow didn’t get past the Legislature.
A committee swept it under the rug in March after a single hearing, so for now the soil will remain common Willamette Valley dirt despite pleas from soil scientists.
Wine may have played a part.
About 20 states have an official soil to highlight soil’s importance as a natural resource.
“This somehow came out that people were talking about a state dirt,” said Rep. Mitch Greenlick, D-Portland, who sponsored the bill to ensconce Jory soil among the pear, the thunder egg and Western meadow lark.
Official state recognition can promote a cause or serve as a marketing tool, such as touting pears, but may not do much for dirt.
In 2005 Guy DiTorrice of Newport led the successful effort to name Metasequoia as the state fossil and brought in MacKenzie Smith, a young fossil collector, who gave testimony.
“It’s one thing to say no to a 54-year-old fossil collector from the coast. It’s another to say no to 11-year-old boy from the Portland metropolitan area,” DiTorrice said.
Likewise, the pear lobby recruited princesses from Hood River’s Blossom Court to address lawmakers in 2005 and the Pear Bureau Northwest served fruit slices Capitol’s lobby and gave away stuffed toy “Pear Buddies.” It worked.
But the state soil contingent had no such flair and depended on testimony about the vital role of soil in forestry, agriculture and the environment.
Soil scientists picked Jory from approximately 3,500 soil types in the Northwest, deeming it the most representative for Oregon.
“Any soil you pick is going to be objectionable to somebody,” said Herb Huddleston, a retired Oregon State University professor and soil scientist who lobbied for Jory.
The soil is named after Jory Hill in Marion County, where it abounds.
The legislation was introduced on behalf of Richard Page, a Jory family relative.
Page doubts he’ll try again, noting that some commentators were less than kind and called a state soil “a dumb idea.”
Salem lobbyist picked the resolution as one of two candidates for his “Turkey of the Session” award along with a bill to allow death certificates to be filled out in any color of ink.
Backers of the state soil never asserted it was the best for all crops but said it is great for wine grapes.
That, it appears, was the coup de grace.
Wine growers argue over whether the volcanic Jory or Willakenzie, a soil from marine origins, produces the best pinot noir.
Sen. Gary George, R-Newberg, from the middle of the pinot noir district, said honoring Jory might devalue grapes grown in anything else.
Wine industry representatives agreed.
Scott Burns, a geology professor and past president of the Oregon Society of Soil Scientists, said he knew the idea was doomed when George raised the issue.
But Greenlick says he’ll try again.
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