A scene along Wassen Creek in the Devil's Staircase area. Photo by Kristian Skybak. For more see http://www.flickr.com/photos/kristiansven
Update: Adding Press Release by Cascadia Wildlands
A bill to protect the Devil’s Staircase, and another that expands the Oregon Caves National Monument, have been approved by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
The vote is a “milestone” according to Senators Wyden and Merkley. The bills now go before the full Senate for consideration.
Farmers in the Klamath Basin may see a huge increase in federal dollars coming their way, to help them cope with this summer’s drought.
An emergency spending bill before the Senate will add another $10 million in drought aid. That’s on top of the $8.75 million the feds have already spent.
Cathedral Rock along the John Day River. Photo from the National Park Service.
It looks like the Wyden-Merkley bill creating a new Wilderness Area in Eastern Oregon finally gets a hearing this morning.
The Senate Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests will take testimony starting at 11:30am Pacfic time. The hearing will be streamed live.
Courtesy National Park Service
It’s not exactly a ban on tourist flights over Crater Lake. But it’s a big step in that direction.
On Monday, the Senate passed a bill that gives the National Park Service unusual powers to regulate air tours over the Southern Oregon landmark.
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 and Merkley added to the urgency with a letter to federal officials warning of a “crisis of historic magnitude”, and asking the feds to take immediate action.
A Whitebark Pine in the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. Photo by Dave Powell, U.S. Forest Service
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 and Forests.
The bill has divided Oregon’s environmental community.
LNG pipeline protesters at a December 2009 rally in Portland.
Although this is listed on my events story of the day, it’s worth a new mention. Oregon DEQ is holding a public meeting tonight in Astoria about the Bradwood Landing LNG project.
Also, I’ve learned a little bit more about the Wyden-Merkley LNG bill.
An LNG protest sign from December, 2009.
Oregon’s two Senators are joining forces on a bill that could bring LNG projects in our state to a grinding halt.
Wyden and Merkley want to take away control over LNG projects from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). They’ve introduced a bill that would return that power to the states.
Whether or not Wyden and Merkley are outright trying to stop LNG in Oregon is unclear. But given the current political landscape in this state, that’s a real possibility, should the bill become law.
