Timber Industry Report May 1, 2015 By Rick Sohn, PhD Umqua Coquille LLC With disappointing stud prices, log prices, and housing starts, spring is weaker than expected, more like a premature summer. Low unsold home inventory and mortgage rates do offer promise. Trends of lumber, home construction, and housing markets, […]

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association The House Agriculture Committee approved legislation that would repeal Country of Origin Labeling (H.R. 2393) by a bi-partisan vote of 38 to 6. National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President and Chugwater, Wyoming, cattleman Philip Ellis applauded the action. “I thank Chairman Conaway (R-Texas), Rep. Costa (D-Cali.), and […]

Healthy Forest, Healthy Communities By Jodi Schneider McNamee “If future generations are to remember us with gratitude rather than contempt, we must leave them something more than the miracles of technology. We must leave them a glimpse of the world as it was in the beginning, not just after we […]

By Oregonians for Food and Shelter Bills of Interest Scheduled for Hearings The Legislative Session is ramping back up next week with a couple of OFS priority bills up for hearings. HB 2443 – On Monday, the Natural Resources Ways & Means Subcommittee will hold a hearing on HB 2443. […]

NFIB The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) urged the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit to uphold federal privacy laws and prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from releasing sensitive data on farmers and ranchers to environmental activist organizations. “The idea that the EPA has the […]

Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission  The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission  decided to direct ODFW staff to develop two options for delisting wolves from the state Endangered Species Act: one that would delist wolves in eastern Oregon (boundary Hwys 97-20-395) and one that would delist wolves statewide. The state’s Wolf […]

Oregon’s top two newspapers, The Oregonian & Statesman Journal gave strong editorials on behalf of Oregon timber during Obama’s visit.  See excerpts below: From Statesman Journal Editorial Page Editor Dick Hughes: “But there’s an even more important issue that cries for your help: increasing timber harvests on federal lands.Trees are […]

Renewable Fuels Association Morning Consult released the results of a national survey conducted on behalf of the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA). Morning Consult contacted 2,047 registered voters on April 5–7. The results show that Americans overwhelmingly support the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) as 62% came out in support of the […]

By Oregon Farm Bureau Following the legislative deadline, bills moved more slowly through committees this week. Next week brings several controversial bills, including mandatory background checks for firearms transfers and workforce-related legislation. PERS ruling The Oregon Supreme Court struck down a significant portion of PERS reforms that were passed in […]

By Oregon Cattlemen Association Over the past few years, ranchers have had little hope of being fully compensated for the impact of reintroducing wolves into Oregon. HB3514, a bill that is currently awaiting a hearing from the revenue committee, could help change that. HB3514 is a bill that, “expands credit […]