The Oregon Natural Resources Report - Agricultural News from Oregon

From Oregon Small Woodlands Association,
Woodlander Update,

SEATTLE, Washington — A coalition of conservation organizations filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the Bush administration alleging that federal officials diverted $350 million from the public treasury to forestry foundations “dominated by the timber industry.”

The suit alleges that the administration violated federal appropriations law when, in September 2006, without any public process or congressional approval, the administration steered $350 million from Canadian lawsuit settlement funds to the foundations.

[Oregon Dept. of Agriculture Release] Gypsy moth trapping in Oregon has officially ended for 2008 with a final tally of 12 gypsy moths detected statewide- the same number of catches as last year. A majority of detections have taken place in a residential area of Eugene, which could lead to a proposed project next spring to eradicate the plant-eating invasive insect.  Officials are generally pleased with the results considering what it was like in the mid-1980s when some 19,000 gypsy moths were trapped in Lane County alone.

From American Forest Research Council
AFRC Newsletter, 10/21/08,

Everyone agrees that we want to prevent illegal logging and have checks and balances in place to assure that no illegally harvested and/or processed wood makes its way into our country. With the enactment of the 2008 Farm Bill, the Lacey Act was amended for the purpose of combating illegal logging and expanding the Lacey Act’s anti-trafficking protections to a broader set of plants and plant products. The idea was to halt environmental damage from illegal timber harvests in places such as the Amazon and Congo Basin, while protecting U.S. manufacturers from cheaper foreign wood imports.

A special update from Sandi Schukar, Oregonians for Food and Shelter.

The news about Paulette.  She’s home, and darned happy to be there.  They couldn’t get a flight out of Vienna until Tuesday, so they arrived at PDX Tuesday night.  Both she and Ken were exhausted from a long day of travelling, so they spent the night with Ken’s brother who lives in the Portland area.  Within an hour of leaving there on Wednesday morning, Paulette was on her cell phone checking in with all of her political cronies and completely up to speed on the election races and polling.  Did we expect anything less from her?

In all seriousness, she is SO happy to be home and thanks all of you for your cards, well wishes and prayers.  She saw her doctor yesterday.  He wants her doing NOTHING until at least the first part of December.  She didn’t like what he had to say, but will be a good patient and follow doctors’ orders.

From: www.energytrust.org

PORTLAND, Ore. –– Umpqua Bank, a subsidiary of Umpqua Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ: UMPQ), and Energy Trust of Oregon Inc., an independent nonprofit organization, are joining forces to help Oregonians invest in energy efficiency and renewable energy as energy prices continue to rise.

The two organizations are working together to offer GreenStreet Lending, affordable loan products that make it possible for consumers and businesses to make energysaving improvements and harness solar power in their homes and businesses.

Oregon Department of Forestry Press Release: A little over a year ago, a bridge-building crew working in a remote area of the Clatsop State Forest rescued a state inspector, and next week they will be awarded a medal.  Steve Godwin, Dwain Farner, Ron Billings and Larry Boettcher of Vinson Brothers Construction will receive the “Civilian Service Medal” Oct. 10 at the Oregon EMS Conference in Bend. The award recognizes a civilian who provides extraordinary service during the course of an EMS emergency.

By Oregonians In Action Education Center, Looking Forward,

Remember the Measure 49 campaign?  Those trying to pass the measure made some very interesting promises.  Here’s a sample of some of the arguments that Measure 49 supporters put in the Voters’ Pamphlet:

– “Measure 49 protects the property rights of small individual landowners by immediately allowing them up to 3 houses on their property, if the law allowed it when they bought their land.”

From Oregon Dept. of Agriculture,

Oregon’s berry industry gets a boost from “Froozer” — A Florida company with a new frozen treat product ready to unveil in the next few weeks has come all the way to Oregon for great tasting ingredients. Froozer- the product created by Cool Frootz, LLC- is giving local growers credit for what is used in some of its recipes by clearly stating on the product label, “Made with Oregon Berries.”

Oregon’s strawberry industry, in particular, is thrilled with the Froozer partnership. For a commodity in need of more visibility, the “state-of-origin” labeling is a big boost.

From Oregon Association of Nurseries,

With the markets in turmoil, nursery industry consultant Don Richards wrote in to share the following suggestions for nursery operators hoping to survive the current economy. We at the Oregon Association of Nurseries believe these are sound suggestions, and so without further ado, we wanted to share them:

1. Operate on your own money. Try not to use lines of credit or credit cards beyond the minimum required to keep operating. Use them some to maintain activity, but not to cash flow.

Submitted by: Gienie Assink

A new bi-state fisheries advisory group met  in Portland this last week to develop recommendations on a catch-sharing plan for sport and commercial fisheries on the lower Columbia River.

Created by fish and wildlife commissions in Washington and Oregon, the group met Wednesday October 15, 2008 at the Oregon Institute of Technology.

The first objective was to develop and recommend a new plan for allocating harvest opportunities for spring and summer Chinook salmon between sport and commercial fisheries.

The advisory group will have recommendations ready by mid-November, before the final vote by the full commissions of both states in December.

From Bureau of Land Management,

Portland, OR – The BLM has completed its revision of the land use plans that will guide the management of 2.6 million acres in western Oregon. The plans were prepared to provide timber for harvest and habitat for the conservation of Federally-listed species.  Overall, the plans increase the timber harvest from current levels, meet the conservation needs of the northern spotted owl, increase habitat for marbled murrelet, maintain water quality, and improve habitat for Federally-listed fish.

by Sustainable Food News

PORTLAND – Sustainable food certifier Food Alliance Thursday unveiled comprehensive national standards for sustainable sheep and goat production with strict criteria for raising and treating the animals. “Consumers want to know the foods they buy are good for them, and good for the environment, ” said Scott Exo, Food Alliance executive director. “By verifying their marketing claims against independent standards for social and environmental responsibility, companies can increase consumers’ trust and loyalty and, often, gain market rewards. ”

This is an update on the health of Paulette Pyle, Dir. OFS
From Sandi Schukar, Oregonians For Food and Shelter,

Paulette has three fractured vertebrae.  She has quite a bit of swelling and inflammation around the spinal column, so they are waiting for that to subside before they do surgery on her – probably tomorrow or the next day.  She got a good night’s sleep last night (10/6); she is comfortable and is doing well.  Her kids have all talked with her, and they are confident that she is getting excellent care.  She is in good spirits and just SO glad to be able to talk (by phone) to her children for the first time since her accident.

Oregon Department of Agriculture Press Release
 
The Oregon Department of Agriculture has extended the area closed to recreational mussel harvesting to include the entire coast, from the mouth of the Columbia River to the California border. The closure is due to elevated levels of paralytic shellfish poisoning or PSP toxins and includes mussels on all beaches, rocks, jetties, and at the entrance to bays along the Oregon Coast.

By Guest opinion,

Many rural Oregon communities are struggling to fund vital community services and programs, such as schools, libraries, and drug enforcement efforts.  These very same communities are situated in some of the nation’s most abundant resource basins, which, if utilized in a sustainable manner, could provide abundant financial support for critical, but struggling programs. The state of Oregon contains some of the best resource lands in the United States. With 17 million acres of forest lands (33% of the total land base) owned by the government, rural Oregon has found itself in a never-ending difficult economic situation.

Read the full article and discuss it » | (3 comments)

Update from The Oregon Wheat Foundation,

Pendleton, OR — The Oregon Wheat Foundation will provide up to twelve scholarships for high school seniors whose families are members of the Oregon Wheat Growers League.  Students whose family members are employed by OWGL wheat producer members are also eligible.  The scholarship requirements include an essay on any topic related to the wheat industry and a summary of the student’s school and community involvement. 

A Special and Personal Message from Oregonains for Food and Shelter,

Many of you know that Paulette, along with her husband Ken, and their dear friend, Marylin Shannon (former State Senator from the Salem area) left last week on a pilgrimage to Medugorje.  Paulette is a devout Catholic and has dreamed of this trip for a long time.   From Wikipedia:Me?ugorje (meh’-joo-gor-yeh) is a town located in western Herzegovina in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina , around 25 km southwest of Mostar and close to the border of Croatia. Today the town is best known due to reported apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary which appeared to six Herzegovinian Croats since June 24, 1981, and is now visited by pilgrims from around the entire world as a shrine.

[Department of Fish and Wildlife Press Release] TILLAMOOK, Ore. – With this year’s return of fall chinook and coho salmon well underway on the northern Oregon coast, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and Oregon State Police want to remind anglers to closely inspect their salmon when landed. The presence of large wild coho in this year’s run makes it essential that anglers know what species they are catching before they decide to keep them. The most important feature, and the one law enforcement will likely use when checking fishermen, is the color of the gum line which is white on coho (above, left) and black on chinook (above, right).

Oregonians In Action Education Center,
Looking Forward Magazine, 6/08,

In the November/December 2003 edition of Looking Forward, we warned that the state’s newest method of restricting your property rights would be completed under the guise of “groundwater protection.”  That warning five years ago demonstrates why the name of Oregonians In Action’s publication is called Looking Forward – five years later that warning is becoming a reality.  The biggest issue in the water wars in Oregon is found between irrigators and irrigation districts and who owns the right to use the water.  The issue is fundamental and critical to rural Oregon, and the resolution of the issue could have a tremendous effect on our friends in rural Oregon.

[Oregon Farm Bureau Press Release] The Oregon Farm Bureau applauds Oregon Senator Gordon Smith’s support of the bipartisan federal combined financial aid and tax extender package, which will help restore confidence in the markets and free up the credit flows small businesses, agriculture, and Main Street Americans. “Senator Gordon Smith has risen above partisan bickering and election-time politics to support a framework of sound fiscal and economic policy that will benefit all Americans and will put the nation on the road to economic recovery,” says Oregon Farm Bureau President Barry Bushue, who also serves as Vice President for the American Farm Bureau Federation.