AFBF Asks Ag Committees to Back Aggressive Trade Agenda By American Farm Bureau Federation, WASHINGTON, D.C,  – Combined, the Colombia, Panama and Korea free trade agreements represent almost $3 billion in increased U.S. agricultural exports. Congressional action to approve those agreements would help set an aggressive trade agenda that is […]

Securities and Exchange Commission Adopts Interpretive Guidance on Disclosure Regarding Climate Change Stoel Rives LLP, Attorneys at Law The Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) voted on Wednesday, January 27, 2010 to adopt an interpretive release to provide guidance on existing public company disclosure requirements as they apply to business or […]

Employer Gag Bill Change Oregonians For Food and Shelter, EMPLOYER GAG BILL CHANGE:  HB 3653 would revisit SB 519 that passed in the 2009 session of the legislature which in essence says that employers shall not discuss politics or religion during work required meetings with employees.  HB 3653 would reopen […]

President Proposes $1.1 Billion for BLM in Fiscal Year 2011 To Protect Resources and Manage Uses of Public Lands With a focus on renewable energy development, climate change adaptation, and other key priorities, President Obama today requested $1.1 billion in appropriations for the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land […]

Oregon’s 2009 agricultural sales post biggest percentage fall in at least 33 years By: Tiffany Woods Oregon State University Extension Service CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon’s farmers and ranchers grossed $4.1 billion in sales last year, a 14.8 percent plunge from the prior year as prices weakened in key commodities, according […]

Oregon Farm Bureau Legislative Bulletin It is the end of the first week of Oregon’s second test for regular annual sessions. The number of bills and their controversial nature is a departure from the tightly controlled nature of the 2008 special session.  It would be hard to classify any of […]

y Lynne Finnerty American Farm Bureau Federation With the U.S. facing deep economic turmoil and unemployment hovering around 10 percent, it might seem as if there’s little to be optimistic about. Agriculture, however, has helped fortify the economy when it needed it most, as other sectors such as U.S. automobile […]

Obama Budget Often Familiar, Mixed Bag in Time of Deep Deficits By National Association of Wheat Growers Obama Administration budget proposals released on Monday contained familiar ideas on cutting the farm safety net and a few positive surprises in the areas of research and trade, particularly in light of the […]

From State Senator Jason Atkinson Office, Salem – The Senate voted 27  to 1 on Thursday to override Governor Ted Kulongoski’s veto of Senate Bill 545.  The successful veto override expresses the will of the Oregon Senate that the executive branch seriously consider the benefits of producing trout in pathogen […]

American Forest Resource Council Below are three highlights from their January Newsletter.  Read the complete newsletter here. 1. Murrelet Delisting Denied 2. FS/BLM Budget Support 3. Forest Management Legislation Murrelet Delisting Denied On January 21, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) published a notice in the Federal Register denying […]