$500 Million ratepayer hike wasted on absent threat in Oregon known as cryptosporidium By Natural Resource Report: The Oregonian reports that Oregonians are expected to pay over $500 million in higher utility bills to stop a parasite that does not exist in Oregon. The EPA is forcing Oregon to take […]

Update on Current Policy News Affecting Forest Business & Timber Supply by Rex Storm, Forest Policy Manager Associated Oregon Loggers BLM Withdraws Timber Sales: The Bureau of Land Management in January unilaterally cancelled two timber sales on the Medford and Coos Bay Districts, totaling 20.9 million bdft. The Chew Choo […]

American Farm Bureau Federation supports Bills to Preempt EPA Greenhouse Gas Regs By American Farm Bureau Federation WASHINGTON, D.C., March 3, 2011 – The American Farm Bureau Federation supports legislation introduced today in both the House and the Senate that would preempt regulation of greenhouse gases by the Environmental Protection […]

Growing Middle Class Changing Dynamics in China By Marri Carrow U.S Grains Council China is a global leader in the production of a number of agricultural products – from rice to pork to milk – while also being the world’s second-largest producer of corn. Yet the country is also the […]

Livestock theft concerns rise during calving season — The internet gives rise to would-be rustlers By Oregon Department of Agriculture, A crime that has been around since the days of the old west has evolved with modern technology. Cattle rustling, or livestock theft in general, is still a major concern […]

Senate bill would merge 10 agencies into one Natural Resource News Note: The Oregon Senate is hearing Senate Bill 521 which would move 10 state natural resource agencies under one authority. That central agency would be the Oregon Department of Natural Resources. The Oregon Farm Bureau opposes the bill telling […]

Timber Industry Report which includes timber, lumber prices and a prediction on Oregon home values. By Rick Sohn, Umpqua Coquille LLC Overall, the good news outweighs bad news. Some recent federal and international developments are reported. See below for details and a six-year span of prices and analysis of lumber, […]

Below is a letter from Jonathan Schlueter, Executive Director of the Westside Economic Alliance, to the Oregon Land Conservation and Development Department regarding the Metro 2030 plan: West Side Economic Alliance Re: Objections to Metro 2030 Capacity Ordinance for Housing and Employment Last month, Metro presented your agency with their […]

Local growers seeing upswing –Growers reporting signs of recovery By Curt Kipp Oregon Association of Nurseries Nursery growers in Oregon are reporting signs of recovery from the sour economy, according to Mateusz Petrowski of the Capital Press (Salem, Ore.). Consumers are more confident, and as a result, retailers are placing […]

The American Soybean Association Sees  Disproportionate Cuts to Agriculture in the House Continuing Resolution The American Soybean Association February 16, 2011…Saint Louis, Missouri… The American Soybean Association (ASA) today expressed its concern with the disproportionate cuts in agriculture spending in H.R. 1, the Continuing Resolution (CR) for Fiscal Year (FY) […]