Congressman Greg Walden A bill authored by U.S. Reps. Greg Walden (R-Hood River) and Earl Blumenauer (D-Portland) to force the U.S. Forest Service to complete a land exchange on Mt. Hood today passed the House of Representatives in an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote, 415-1. The Mount Hood Cooper Spur Land Exchange […]

Wall Street Editorial, Feb 10, 2017 Someone should tell Mr. Trump the damage that his trade policies are already doing to the rural and farm-state voters who put him in the White House. This year the U.S. is expected to export $134 billion in agricultural goods, from pork to nuts […]

By Oregonians for Food and Shelter OFS testified on three bills of concern to our members. The first two were in the House Committee on Agriculture & Natural Resources. HB 2038 provides funding for what is known as the “Farm to School” program. This program connects schools to local farmers […]

Congressman Peter DeFazio Press Release, Congressman Peter DeFazio (D-OR)  cut through bureaucratic red tape in the Trump Administration and helped to secure an increased catch limit for groundfish species caught in the Pacific Northwest Region. Every two years, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) sets a biennial catch limit […]

By US Chamber of Commerce, Karen Harbert, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber’s Institute for 21st Century Energy, issued the following statement following President Trump’s signature on the Congressional Review Act Resolution repealing the so-called Stream Protection Rule: “We commend Congress and President Trump for working quickly to overturn […]

The Association of O&C Counties, The Association of O&C Counties (AOCC)  filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, claiming the Obama Administration’s inclusion of Oregon & California (“O&C”) lands within the newly-expanded Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument violates the O&C Act, and exceeds the scope of […]

By Healthy Forests, Healthy Communities, Writing for The Hill, a Washington DC newspaper, we explain how reforming federal forest management can help President Trump achieve his goal of boosting American manufacturing jobs: President Donald Trump has consistently pledged to create more American jobs by promoting domestic manufacturing and reforming federal regulations.  Forest […]

By Oregonians for Food and Shelter There was one bill of interest to OFS members heard in the House Committee on Transportation. The bill, HB 2291, would require some farm trucks carrying pesticides, fertilizer, fuel or other “hazardous materials” to meet paperwork and signage requirements. Katie testified against the bill […]

By Oregon Farm Bureau, The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the Bonneville Power Administration are planning to make changes to the Columbia River System operations. The Columbia River System consists of 14 different federal projects in the Columbia Basin, including the Columbia River dams. When […]

By Rick Sohn, PhD Umqua Coquille LLC Timber Industry Report January 28, 2017 Interest rates are leveling off, lumber and logs are steady, home values continue a steady rise, and housing starts are rising slowly, despite tightening home inventories. Canadian lumber exports are creating headaches. Recent trends of lumber, logs, […]