This 4rth of July I would like to honor our firemen and our foresters who work hard to protect our natural resources. This photo is from the Colorado fire when it overwhelmed entire neighborhoods this summer.

Sacrificing to the Sacred Owl By Margaret Goodwin, In ancient religions, practiced by primitive cultures, it was customary to make sacrifices to sundry gods and idols. Some of the more sanguinary cults engaged in human sacrifice. We like to consider such practices far removed from our civilized modern society. However, […]

Oregon counties get rescue timber payments By Guest Opinion Oregon counties are set to receive a much needed but short term one year extension of federal timber payments. The advancement was made possible by a last minute House-Senate conference committee agreement that is part of the federal transportation bill. The […]

WSU Extension Trains U.S. Troops on Afghanistan’s Viticulture Photo: U.S. Army Spc. Joseph Wilhelm (right), with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, patrols a grape vineyard with members of the Afghan National Army during Operation Mountain Cougar, in Char Shaka, Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on […]

legislators voted on issues of interest to agriculture. By Washington Farm Bureau FULL SCORECARD HERE Our primary goal during the 2012 legislative sessions was once again to prevent the passage of bills that would have increased the tax or regulatory burden on the agricultural industry. Because of the makeup of […]

Tentative Deal Reached on Highway Transportation Bill by National Association of Wheat Growers Republicans and Democrats in Congress have reached a tentative agreement on a two year deal to finance the nation’s highways. The $8.4 billion dollar bill comes just days before the previous Transportation Bill expires on Saturday June […]

By National Cattlemen’s Beef Association The U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee hosted a hearing today, June 27, 2012, to deliberate on the “Superfund Common-Sense Act” introduced by Congressman Billy Long (R-Mo.) According to National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President J.D. Alexander, the legislation (H.R. 2997) would prevent the Environmental Protection Agency […]

Statement by Bob Stallman, President, American Farm Bureau Federation, Regarding Supreme Court Decision on Health Care: By American Farm Bureau Federation “Farmers, ranchers and rural residents need affordable and accessible health care. We remain concerned that mandating individuals and businesses to buy insurance will impose an expense that creates economic […]

By Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, Debris from the March 2011 tsunami that struck Japan is starting to reach Oregon’s coast. Some of it may carry invasive species that could pose a serious threat to Oregon’s marine environment and native species. There are a number of things that Oregonians […]

American Forest Research Council, The timber industry is pleased that the U.S. Supreme Court  announced it will review a 2010 Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision requiring National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits for forest roads. “We are happy the Supreme Court recognizes the importance of this issue. EPA’s […]