by Craig Pope, Polk County Commissioner Michael Cairn’s recent criticism of rural county governments in his Statesman Journal op-ed deserves a response. Mr. Cairns lives in Polk County, where I serve as a County Commissioner charged with balancing the budget in the face of declining revenues. As one of 18 […]

by Rex Storm, Forest Policy Manager Associated Oregon Loggers Lawsuit Threat Faces Land Purchasers: Environmental groups filed a notice of intent to sue two private landowners—claiming timber harvest of marbled murrelet seabird habitat would violate the federal Endangered Species Act. The 1,453 acres, formerly part of the Elliott State Forest, […]

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the Public Lands Council filed comments on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ “interpretive” rule. The rule will make the Natural Resource Conservation Service a regulatory compliance agency, resulting in cattle producers putting less […]

Natural Resource News Note: With Washington legalizing pot stores this week, it is expected that like Colorado, Washington border sales will see an increased sales to out-of-state buyers. Watch the KOIN-TV news interview below.

By Oregon Dept. of Agriculture The Oregon Department of Agriculture has suspended the license of a commercial pesticide operator based in Eugene following an incident that has left an estimated 1,000 bees dead at a north Eugene apartment complex this week. The action taken against Glass Tree Care and Spray […]

By Rick Sohn, PhD Umpqua Coquille LLC Timber Industry Report Seasonal changes in the stud and log price relationship are accompanied by lower Housing Starts and Building Permits. This slow recovery could last 4 more years. Statistics from recent years for lumber manufacturing, home construction, and housing markets are compared. […]

By Cindy National Corn Growers Association Hillary Clinton seems to be everywhere these days and this week she spent over an hour at the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) convention in San Diego chatting with BIO president and CEO Jim Greenwood, a former congressman from Pennsylvania. The wide ranging discussion touched […]

By Sen. Doug Whitsett Oregon State Senator (Klamath Falls) The Oregon Department of Forestry did an exceptional job of stopping the Bryant Fire in West Langell Valley. The wildfire consumed about 1,350 acres of privately owned timber and brush-covered land. The fire is now contained, completely lined, and is well […]

 Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife The Oregon Department of Agriculture and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife have extended the closure of all mussel harvesting to cover the entire Oregon Coast, from the Columbia River to the California border. The closure is due to elevated levels of paralytic […]

By Oregon State University Extension  Office Organic farmers use cover crops and organic fertilizers, compost and other amendments to add nutrients to their soil. But are they getting the best bang for their buck? A new online tool from the Oregon State University Extension Service does the math so that […]