Archives

June 28, 2021 - Controversial timber tax, farm overtime bills die

By Natural Resource News Note, Two of the Oregon Legislative Session’s most contentious bills died in Committee as the Oregon Capitol closed their 2021 Session this weekend. Farm overtime: House Bill 2358 would have required Ag employers to pay farm workers overtime if they worked more than 40 hours in […]


June 25, 2021 - Supreme Court win for farm property rights

Wall Street Journal Editorial Board, June 24, 2021 The Supreme Court’s conservative majority so far this term hasn’t broken new Constitutional ground with its narrow rulings. That changed Wednesday with the Court’s 6-3 Cedar Point Nursery decision, which significantly bolsters protections of private property rights. Two growers in California challenged […]


June 23, 2021 - Family farmers to be hit with new 17% Oregon tax

By Oregon Family Farm Association It is outrageous that the only tax increase the Oregon Legislature may pass in the 2021 Session is a tax on the smallest family-owned businesses like family farms. If your family farm is organized as a “pass-through entity” such as an LLC (limited liability company) […]


June 21, 2021 - Final week for Ag bills

By Oregonians for Food and Shelter, One more week of session remains, and bills are moving fast at this stage with most state agency budgets being finalized. We received good news on funding for the ODA Noxious weed program and we’re still advocating for money for alternatives to Chlorpyrifos. OFS […]


June 18, 2021 - New transfer tax could cost ranchers $1.4M on average

By National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, The Texas A&M Agricultural and Food Policy Center released a report quantifying the negative impact imposing new transfer taxes will have on U.S. cattle and beef producers. The conclusions of the study support NCBA’s position on tax policy for rural America that creates a viable […]


June 16, 2021 - Why is it so hard to remove dead, dying trees in Oregon?

By Healthy Forests, Healthy Communities, Anyone who pays taxes or recreates on national forests in Oregon should support the U.S. Forest Service’s efforts to remove dead and dying trees that pose safety hazards to the public. In the face of liability concerns, failure to act means the agency will be […]


June 14, 2021 - Wolf-dog hybrid spotted in bend

By Natural Resource Note, Several people who reported a wolf wandering in the China Hat Road region southeast of Bend may in fact have seen a domestic wolf-dog hybrid, according to Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife officials. Although it may resemble a wolf, the fact that the four-legged furry […]


June 11, 2021 - New water rule a blow to agriculture

By American Farm Bureau Federation American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall commented today on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) announcement of its intention to reverse the Navigable Waters Protection Rule. “The American Farm Bureau Federation is extremely disappointed in the Environmental Protection Agency’s announcement of its intention to reverse […]


June 9, 2021 - Dozen farm groups ask for AG review of harmful petition

By Natural Resource News Note, Letter from Oregonians for animal care “Twelve leading Oregon agricultural groups have petitioned the Oregon Attorney General’s Office to clarify the sweeping devastating effects (IP) 13 would have on all Oregonians. The measure would criminalize good animal husbandry practices, hunting and fishing, animal breeding of […]


June 7, 2021 - Farmers encamp next to Klamath canal headgate

By Natural Resource News Note, Several Klamath Basin farmers facing severe drought are threatening to breach the headgates of a federal irrigation project as they did during a dry period two decades ago. But even if Grant Knoll and Dan Nielsen breached the headgates, water wouldn’t irrigate their farmland because […]