BY Oregon Tax News, Pot appears to be back on the docket in 2010, as four states debate legalizing marijuana and the impacts such a move could have on businesses and the economy.  Business owners are concerned that legalization will make them subject to new discriminatory lawsuits for not hiring […]

By Rex Storm, Forest Policy Manger Oregon Associated Loggers, Small-Engine Industry Fights EPA Ethanol Rule: Boaters and small-engine-industry groups worry about engine performance problems, as the federal Environmental Protection Agency considers mandates that could dictate 15% ethanol in the nation’s gasoline.  The EPA has postponed a final decision on the […]

From Oregonians In Action, For the first time since the passage of Senate Bill 100 in 1973, the 2009 Oregon legislature approved legislation giving counties the authority to review their rural zoning plans, rezone land that was improperly zoned as agricultural land or forest land, and fix nearly 40 years […]

By American Farm Bureau Federation, To have food you must have water. This may seem like commonsense to farmers, but unfortunately many consumers don’t connect the two. Consequently, a tug-of-war game being played out in some states over water rights is pitting municipalities and residents against farmers and ranchers. Little […]

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) filed a petition yesterday in the DC Circuit Court of Appeals challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) recent greenhouse gas (GHG) “endangerment finding” rule. “EPA’s finding is not based on a rigorous scientific analysis; yet it would trigger a cascade of future greenhouse gas […]

Department of Fish and Wildlife, The same conditions that led to a banner run of hatchery coho salmon last year appear to have had a similar effect beneficial to winter steelhead. Several Northwest Region fish hatcheries operated by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife are reporting strong returns of […]

ODA Director maintains optimism for ag in the new year By Oregon Department of Agriculture, Oregon Department of Agriculture Director Katy Coba is an optimist by nature. Even though her tendency to look on the bright side may be challenged in the new year as some operators have had to […]

By Oregon Small Business Association, In a recent transaction in the Pacific Northwest, Jefferson Land Trust sold 400 metric tons of timber resources.  What makes the deal remarkable is that it didn’t sell any wood—instead the sale was for the carbon stored in the trees.  It was the first direct […]

By Rick sohn Umpqua Coquille LLC Several statistics are improving!  Studs, logs, housing starts, and permits (and mortgage rates) are all up .   This is an excellent time to buy a home, as explained below, due to historically low mortgage interest rates and federal tax credits available to qualifying new […]

Iraq offers opportunities and challenges for U.S. colleges of agricultural sciences By Sonny Ramaswamy Oregon State University Extension Service, CORVALLIS, Ore. – After nearly 30 years of war and neglect, Iraq is preparing to rebuild its system of higher education. As part of that effort, Sonny Ramaswamy, dean of the […]