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The Oregon Sierra Club says it won’t support Senator Wyden’s logging bill for Eastern Oregon. The group had been withholding judgement ever since the deal was announced almost two months ago. But now, the group’s Conservation Director Ivan Maluski tells me that without some changes, the Sierra Club will oppose the measure. His critique of the...
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Long time adversaries in Oregon’s timber wars told the Senate today they’re ready to make peace, at least in Eastern Oregon. The setting was a hearing on the Eastern Oregon Logging bill sponsored by Senator Wyden. Based on a historic compromise between timber and conservation groups, the bill hopes to revive the region’s logging industry...
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See streaming video of hearing at this link. 1:29pm: Kerr admits the conservation community is split over the bill. Many groups still believe in preserving forests from development because that activity has been harmful in the past. More are recognizing that restoring forests are now what’s needed. 1:05pm Not a fan of the bill, Larry Blasing...
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While no one is using the “D” word yet, officials at the state, federal and local levels are bracing for what could be the worst drought ever in the Klamath Basin. Governor Kulongoski was in the region this morning for a meeting with area officials about what needs to be done now to prepare. Senators Wyden...
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Tomorrow, the Senate gets its first look at a compromise logging bill for Eastern Oregon. Ideally, the bill is supposed to end years of timber wars. No more logging for the sake of logging. Instead, timber harvests happen as part of a greater effort to restore forests. Old growth trees are off limits. But Eastern...
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Faced with a difficult decision about protecting – or not protecting – the Greater sage-grouse, Interior says it’s going to split the difference. Secretary Ken Salazar announced Friday morning that the sage-grouse deserves to be listed by the Endangered Species Act, but that’s not going to happen anytime soon. The official label is that listing...
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If we’re ever going to restore the Willamette River basin, it’s going to cost a huge chunk of money. Anywhere from about $593 million to $1.2 billion, according to Oregon DEQ. In a new report, DEQ says decades of farming, logging and urban development have degraded the basins streams and rivers.
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Senator Wyden’s logging bill for Eastern Oregon forests picked up the support of Senator Merkley today. Merkley’s office issued a press release saying he’ll co-sponsor the bill, officially known as the Oregon Forest Restoration and Old Growth Protection Act of 2009. It has a first hearing March 10 with the Senate Subcommittee on Public Lands...
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We all know there’s something special about Oregon’s forests. A new study by the Wilderness Society says if you’re looking for a place to store carbon, Oregon forests are the best in the nation. Using Forest Service data, the Society says the top ten best forests for storing carbon are all in the Pacific Northwest. Six...
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After decades of leaching mercury into the streams and rivers of Lane County, the EPA has put the former Black Butte Mine on the Superfund clean up list. The mine is located about ten miles south of Cottage Grove. EPA has documents thousands of cubic yards of tailings and soil that’s been contaminated by mercury...
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