by Rex Storm, Forest Policy Manager Associated Oregon Loggers Congress Attempts to Defund USFS Planning: When the US House Interior Appropriations Committee passed its FY2013 budget for the US Forest Service in June, it eliminated all funding for national forest planning and implementing its horrible new Planning Rule. The Committee […]

By Kurt Kipp, Daily Digger Oregon Association of Nurseries The Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries has announced that the state minimum wage will rise by 15 cents to $8.95 per hour, effective January 1, 2013. The annual wage hike is mandated by Chapter 653 of the Oregon Revised Statutes, […]

Business and Labor leaders to testify in support of shipping terminals and coal exports and a new radio ad featuring the Democratic co-speaker of Oregon House is released touting the benefits of coal export terminals to rural communities Alliance for Northwest Jobs & Exports Touting the job creation and tax […]

By Rick Sohn, Umpqua Coquille LLC Strong product prices and a Building Permits record high for this recovery are positive, while interest rates have hit bottom, and average home price gains are deceptive. Four-year market trends of lumber, logs, housing, and mortgage statistics are shown below. Interpretation.

By Curt Kipp Daily Digger Oregon Association of  Nurseries Pete Brentano, co-owner of Brentano’s Tree Farm LLC in St. Paul, Ore., has been appointed to the 10-member Oregon Board of Agriculture. Brentano has a long record of nursery industry involvement, including serving one year as president of the Oregon Association […]

As promised, the Renewable Fuels Association submitted an opinion piece for publication in the Wall Street Journal. After all, in a recent editorial, the Journal editorial staff said they were more than happy to give RFA President and CEO Bob Dinneen space to voice his opinion.Not surprisingly, the Journal rejected […]

by Cindy Corn Commentary National Association of Wheat Growers The corn harvest this drought-damaged year is running three times ahead of normal pace right now at 15% nationwide. On the state level, some numbers are simply unprecedented, like Missouri where 53% of the crop is harvested compared to 15% on […]

California Governor signs Timber Reform By California Farm Bureau Rural regions that rely on forests and timber sales will benefit from a bill signed by Governor Brown Tuesday. The new law gives forest landowners a longer window in which they can harvest timber under state-approved plans, and makes other reforms […]

By Oregon Forest Resource Institute The Malheur Lumber Company in John Day has been granted a reprieve from the closure that parent company Ochoco Lumber announced last month. The promise of private landowners to supply the mill with enough timber supply for a month or two to keep it open […]

EQC Considers Implementing 1000 ft. Pesticide Buffers By Oregonians for Food and Shelter August 9th, Nina Bell, on behalf of Northwest Environmental Advocates (NWEA), submitted a petition to the Environmental Quality Council (EQC) asking them to put pesticide buffers into rule. The petition would implement the terribly flawed National Marine […]