Representative Gilliam Offers Replacement Bill To ‘Plastic Bag Ban’ By State Representative Vic Gilliam Creates ‘Oregon Plastic Bag Recycling Goals’ to increase recycling and avoid bag ban Salem – Rep. Gilliam today offered Chair Rosenbaum amendments to SB 536, removing the immediate ban on plastic bags and proposing ‘Oregon Plastic […]

Cougar still being seen in Bend neighborhood — Residents reminded of safety precautions By Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Update, May 13: Last night, at approximately 10 p.m., an adult male cougar was trapped in the Deschutes River Woods area. The cougar was euthanized a short time later. According […]

Oregon Congressman Greg Walden has asked the EPA to follow through on energy study — House also passes bill to lift ban on new offshore domestic energy production WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) head Lisa Jackson calling on the agency […]

AFBF’s Johnna Miller and AFBF chief economist  Bob Young on the impact of weather on agriculture. By American Farm Bureau Federation Johnna Miller: From wet weather and floods to drought and wildfires, Mother Nature has put farmers behind schedule with spring planting. Bob Young: If the weather is exactly perfect […]

The Free Trade Agreement in Congress Takes a Step Back with Obama Administration Insistence on TAA stipulation By National Association of Wheat Growers Members of the Obama Administration said this week that the passage of three pending free trade agreements must be linked with renewal of Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA), […]

U.S. Geological Survey CORVALLIS, Ore. —Barred owls may be more abundant in coniferous forests of the Pacific Northwest than previously recognized, according to research published today in the Journal of Wildlife Management. This finding likely has implications for the recovery of the federally threatened northern spotted owl. Related studies about […]

Oregon on alert for Equine Herpes Virus By Oregon Department of Agriculture A recent outbreak of the neurological form of Equine Herpes Virus (EHV-1) traced to a horse show in Utah has not been reported in Oregon, but veterinarians around the state have been alerted to monitor any signs of […]

By Kate Campbell California Farm Bureau Federation During a live interview on CNN following President Obama’s speech on immigration, CFBF President Paul Wenger said farmers “need a path for people to legally come into this country to work.” Immigration reform returned to the forefront of national discussions last week, after […]

Estate Tax Bill Passes House! By Oregon Farm Bureau, HB 2541, the 2011 estate tax bill, has passed the House Floor and is headed to a Senate committee – most likely the Senate Revenue Committee. We have positive indications that the bill will be worked by Senator Burdick (D-Portland) and […]

With Speculation Contributing to Rising Gas Prices, Senators Demand that CFTC Produce Plan by May 23 to Rein in Excessive Speculation in West Texas Crude Oil Wyden Press Release: WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) led a bipartisan group of 17 Senators in calling […]