From Oregon Association of Nurseries, Wilsonville, Ore. — In a survey conducted by the Oregon Association of Nurseries, 160 growers in 12 Oregon counties reported that damage to nursery structures and crops due to late December storms range from $18 million to $31 million. “It’s now clear that damage to […]

Oregon State University:  Oregon State University, which is a leader among Oregon campuses in its use of electric and hybrid vehicles, is poised to take a larger role in emerging electric car technology at a time when Nissan North America has announced a major zero-emission vehicle partnership with the state […]

Guest Submission: SALEM — Gov. Ted Kulongoski said he fears the four-year extension of the federal safety net will run out before the new forest management plan offered by the Bureau of Land Management is implemented in Western Oregon forests. The governor said he expects litigation from environmentalists will delay […]

Guest Submission: PORTLAND, Ore. — Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden says he opposes a U.S. Forest Service decision to allow a natural gas pipeline to run through Mount Hood National Forest. The Palomar pipeline would start east of the Cascade Range in Maupin and end on the coast in Astoria. The […]

From Oregon State University, CORVALLIS, Ore. – A national leader in analyzing the impacts of climate change will direct a new legislatively established institute in Oregon that is designed to facilitate research on issues related to global climate change. Philip W. Mote, the Washington state climatologist, will direct the Oregon […]

By Western Wood Products Association, PORTLAND, Ore. – With the weakness in the U.S. economy much deeper than was seen earlier this fall, Western Wood Products Association has scaled back its earlier forecast for lumber supply and demand for 2009.The Association reports Western mills are experiencing the largest downturn in […]

Posted by Curt Kipp, Oregon Association of Nurseries, Daily Digger Blog It’s a familiar pattern: new year, new minimum wage. In Oregon, the state-mandated hourly rate is now $8.40, up 45 cents from $7.95 in 2008. Under Oregon law, the wage rises each year, automatically, based on increases in the […]

Guest Submission By MATEUSZ PERKOWSKI (Salem) Capital Press FOREST GROVE, Ore.– Staring into the placid depths of Hagg Lake, farmer and forester Hank Scott sees more than a 50,000-acre-foot reservoir. Beneath the lake’s surface once stood a handful of homes, a church, a grade school Scott attended as a boy, […]

Guest Submission If you are trying to figure out ways to produce more food from your yard, think about planting a few fruit trees. Just a few trees can produce enough fruit to last you for many months. Growing tree fruit in your backyard, however, does take considerably more room […]

Oregon Department of Forestry — December’s storm events including snow, ice, rain and winds took a heavy toll on many trees in Oregon landscapes, but arborists are advising homeowners and community leaders to exercise caution when dealing with the storm’s aftermath. That’s because there are two very common mistakes people […]