Oregon Legislature floats HB 3481 which taxes timber to pay for wildfires. By Taxpayer Association of Oregon, The 2015 Legislature has been having hearings on Timber Tax bills including HB 3481.  The idea behind HB 3481 is to tax timber to help pay for wildfires.   It is almost like […]

By American Forest Resource Council Forest Products Industry Responds to Draft Resource Management Plans for Western Oregon’s BLM O&C Lands Statement of Tom Partin, President, American Forest Resource Council The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released draft Resource Management Plans for six districts in Western Oregon encompassing over 2.5 million […]

By American Farm Bureau Federation The American Farm Bureau Federation today applauded the Senate Committee on Finance for its approval of the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015. “We thank Chairman Hatch and Ranking Member Wyden for their leadership in introducing this important piece of legislation to […]

By Oregon Cattlemen’s Association Mr. Chairman Holvey and members of the committee, As Executive Director of the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association, I, Jerome Rosa, ask you to please vote no on HB 2012. Oregon’s minimum wage is currently at $9.25 per hour and as such, is the second highest minimum wage […]

By American Forest Resource Council Northern Spotted Owl: Addressing the Real Threats to the Species The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) recently announced it will consider changing the status of the Northern Spotted Owl (NSO) from “threatened” to “endangered” as owl populations continue to decline. The species’ listing in […]

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association The House voted 240 to 179 today for full repeal of the death tax, a tax that is threatening the livelihoods of farmers and ranchers across the country. National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President Philip Ellis said H.R 1105 Death Tax Repeal Act of 2015 is commonsense […]

By Oregon Farm Bureau, In addition to hearings on bills addressing forestry issues and antibiotic use in food animals, Farm Bureau testified on several land use bills. Bike paths in farm zones On Tuesday, the House Committee on Rural Communities, Land Use, and Water heard HB 3367, which requires a […]

William O’Keefe Chief Executive Officer, George Marshall Institute Boost Energy Exports and Show U.S. is Serious about Growth, Free Trade America has rewritten the rules of the global energy economy, thanks in large part to the tremendous surge in production of shale oil and natural gas. And now there is […]

By National Association of Wheat Growers The National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) applauds the introduction of legislation that will create a national, science-based labeling standard for foods containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and urges Congress to quickly pass the bill. “We are pleased by the introduction of this bipartisan […]

Oregon Senator Ron Wyden Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Mike Crapo, R-Idaho,  moved another step forward in providing a bipartisan wildfire funding solution that will ensure vital resources in the fight against catastrophic wildfires across the West. The senators attached a provision to the Senate budget that sets the stage […]