Regulatory Updates By Oregonians for Food and Shelter, This week, Oregon DEQ held its second rulemaking hearing related to the implementation of the Recycling Modernization Act passed in 2021. Since the passing of that bill, OFS has been working closely with DEQ and our members to request an exemption for […]

Why do I need water rights for irrigation? BY Oregon State University Extension Office Many new and beginning farmers as well as long-time land managers are unaware that a legal right is needed to use surface water and groundwater for irrigation of any crops that intended for sale. This includes […]

Linn County Commission Votes to Restrict Agriculture By Oregonians for Food and Shelter, Linn County approved a new restriction on large poultry farms, only allowing sites to obtain the state’s water quality permit if they are more than a mile from any existing residential structure. This is Oregon’s first local […]

The American Farm Bureau Federation Press Release, The American Farm Bureau Federation, National Corn Growers Association, and the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association joined The American Petroleum Institute today in filing a lawsuit in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals challenging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s heavy-duty vehicle emissions standards for […]

By Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Press Release, (6/14/24) CHILOQUIN, Ore.—The Commission today adopted rules to implement HB 3464 passed by the 2023 Oregon State Legislature, aka the “Beaver Bill,” which remove the complicated dual classification of beavers so they are now solely managed as furbearers (rather than predatory […]

By Oregon State University Extension Service, MONMOUTH, Ore. – Ruby ran through the high pasture grass, nose to the ground, looking for the scent of an active vole tunnel. The dog sat down suddenly, alerting her handler to the scent. A group of more than 40 who attended Voles, Dogs […]

Oregon Environmental Justice Council Statewide Listening Sessions By Oregonians for Food and Shelter, Oregon’s Environmental Justice Council will begin holding “listening sessions” around the state to hear about environmental justice (EJ) concerns directly from impacted communities. This work is outlined in HB 4077, passed in 2022, which formalized the Council. […]

Heading into Warmer Summer Months, Wyden and Schrier Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Combat Catastrophic Wildfires The West has experienced growing wildfire risks over the past 20 years By Oregon U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Representative Kim Schrier, D-Wash.,  reintroduced the bipartisan National […]

By Oregonians for Food and Shelter Legislators were back in the Capitol for quarterly “Legislative Days” this week. With the next session still over half a year away and many policy makers focused on the election cycle, the content was relatively light. On both the Senate and the House side, […]

By Oregon U.S. Representative Rep. Lori Chavez-Deremer, press release: Key provisions would help mitigate wildfires, support specialty crop growers, and improve rural child care Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR-05), a member of the House Agriculture Committee, successfully secured several bipartisan proposals in the committee’s Farm Bill, which was approved by the […]