The Oregon Natural Resources Report - Agricultural News from Oregon

Ranchers rage at Blumenauer Farm Bill amendment

By National Cattlemen Beef Association

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and more than 40 of the nation’s most influential commodity trade associations are urging Congress to stand with farmers, ranchers, and rural communities by voting down the amendment offered by U.S. Reps. Dave Brat (7th Dist. – Va.) and Earl Blumenauer (3rd Dist. – Ore.) to the 2018 Farm Bill.

Oregon’s famous farmer told ‘You ain’t gonna make it!’

By Oregon Family Farm Association,

As a former high-tech fugitive fleeing to the hills, Matt Roloff and his wife Amy, first dug down roots on a small patch of gently sloping acreage in Helvetia, more than one quarter century ago. Before kids, before TLC network fame (Little People, Big World show), and before pumpkins had ever entered his marketing plan, Matt caught the farming bug and left all the status symbols behind—granite countertops, manicured lawn, clean shoes, and nicely appointed suburban home—to move into an old house on 22 acres with a small peach orchard.

“That little guy? He ain’t gonna make it!”

Log prices hit 25-year record

By Rick Sohn, PhD
Coquille Lumber

Lumber prices are strong, and log prices are stronger, continuing to set a sustained-price record. Rising mortgage rates are still relatively low while other statistics also point to market strength.

Recent trends of lumber, logs, home construction, and housing markets, are reviewed in this month’s timber report.

Farm Bill amendments are a disaster

By American Farm Bureau,

As farmers and ranchers suffer under an agriculture recession entering its fifth year, the American Farm Bureau Federation and more than 300 other organizations are calling on House members to stand firmly against amendments to the farm bill (H.R. 2) that would hurt farm and ranch families.

“A core purpose of a farm bill at any time is to help the country’s farmers and ranchers weather factors beyond their control, including natural disasters, disease, and high and rising foreign subsidies, tariffs, and non-tariff trade barriers. This is especially true during hard economic times,” the groups wrote in a May 9 letter.

10-Year Study: Trout thrive after logging

By Oregon State University,

A decade-long study of cutthroat trout in the Oregon Coast Range has found that logging practices conducted in accord with the Oregon Forest Practices Act had no adverse impacts on coastal cutthroat trout and coho salmon populations or movements.

In studies of logging practices prior to passage of the act in 1971, changes to fish habitat were documented from the use of stream channels as transportation corridors for logs and from other changes to riparian areas adjacent to streams. One of the landmark studies of such practices occurred in the Alsea River watershed in the late 1960s.

Oregon’s trade with China

By Josh Lehner,
Oregon Office of Economic Analysis

Oregon regularly ranks as the 10th to 15th most trade-dependent state in the nation, depending upon the year. The Brookings Institute goes so far as to rank the Portland region as a Top 10 most trade-dependent metropolitan area. And a lot of Oregon-produced goods flow through the Portland region on their way to customers around the globe. As such, there is no question our regional economy, and the Pacific Northwest more broadly, has a larger exposure to trade than many parts of the country. In particular, our trade is primarily with other Pacific Rim countries, Canada and China being the most prominent. Overall these trade relations have been beneficial for Oregon and Northwest firms and products. However, when the script flips, as it may be starting to, these previous tailwinds for economic growth can turn to headwinds.

Explaining Oregon’s new clean air regulation (SB 1541)

By Oregon Prosperity Project,

In October of 2017 the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and Oregon Health Authority (OHA) compiled finalized draft rules to establish a new Cleaner Air Oregon program. The draft rules would have created a costly regulatory program that would do little to improve the state’s air quality and required businesses that use any number of a list of 600 chemicals to report that data and pay off fees for emissions. Additionally, the rule would have created increased burdens on DEQ staff. A recent Secretary of State audit of DEQ revealed that their air permitting program needed improved systems and increased personnel for permitting and that they were failing to implement the current air programs.

Battling fake meat

By National Cattlemen Beef Association,

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association submitted official comments to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) outlining key principles for the regulation of fake meat products. The comments, filed in response to Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) Petition Number 18-01, encourage USDA to look beyond modifying “standards of identity” in order to provide adequate protection for beef producers and consumers.

“It is critical that the federal government step up to the plate and enforce fair and accurate labeling for fake meat,” said Kevin Kester, President of NCBA. “As long as we have a level playing field, our product will continue to be a leading protein choice for families in the United States and around the world.”

Amateur hour at State Land Board

By John Charles
Cascade Policy Institute

Oregon owns 1.5 million acres of School Trust Lands that must be managed for the benefit of public education. When profits are earned, the money goes into the Common School Fund, an endowment. Last year, the Fund distributed more than $70 million to local schools.

The Trust Lands are managed by the State Land Board, comprised of the Governor, the State Treasurer, and the Secretary of State. By policy, they are supposed to sell money-losing lands and keep the profitable ones.