Regulatory Update
By Oregonians For Food and Shelter,
OFS submitted comments to the Board of Agriculture ahead of their meeting regarding budget reductions and program prioritization. We emphasized that prioritization should focus on measurable program impacts, lowering Pesticide Analytical Response Center (PARC) and Pesticide Stewardship Partnership (PSP) due to inefficiencies and data concerns, while elevating predator control, wolf assistance, and agency modernization for their clear economic and operational benefits. OFS supports targeted reform of PSP rather than elimination and strongly advocates preserving Agricultural Water Quality grants as essential tools for compliance and long-term resilience. Ultimately, prioritizing programs with proven outcomes and direct benefits to producers are key to a resilient future for Oregon’s agricultural community.
The Oregon Climate Action Commission (OCAC) is accepting public comments on a draft report that would establish updated statewide goals for carbon sequestration and storage on Oregon’s natural and working lands. The draft updates a 2021 proposal and recommends more ambitious sequestration targets through 2035 and 2050 to guide future implementation of “Natural Climate Solutions” on forests, farms, and rangelands. A separate report evaluating specific Natural Climate Solutions strategies is expected later this summer. In comments submitted by OFS, we raise concerns that the report attributes recent declines in net carbon sequestration to a long-term trend without adequately accounting for the outsized influence of large wildfire years since 2020. We believe reducing wildfire risk and protecting existing carbon stocks may play a larger role in achieving future sequestration goals than the report currently acknowledges. Public comments are due on July 2, 2026.
OFS continues to develop comments on the Draft Fungicide Strategy where we will focus on the streaked horned lark, a listed species that is commonly found in agricultural habitats. In response to requests submitted by OFS and other agricultural groups across the country, EPA has extended the comment period for 21 days until July 20, 2026. Reach out to Dani ([email protected]) for any Fungicide Strategy questions.
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