Tag Archives: Oregon Farm Bureau

Proposal to federally list native turtle draws sharp divde among environmentalists, farm groups

A move by the federal government to protect an inland turtle that lives in freshwater and wetlands mainly west of the Cascades is drawing support from thousands of environmentalists but opposition from farm groups that fear a potential listing would bring unwanted restrictions. Source: Proposal to federally list native turtle draws sharp divde among environmentalists, […]
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As Oregon proposes new groundwater rules, some agricultural groups push back

The Oregon Water Resources Department is looking for public input on major changes to the state’s groundwater policy. Oregon is one of many western states dealing with rapid groundwater depletion. In some parts of the state, over-pumped groundwater aquifers are resulting in dry wells, affecting residential and commercial sectors and irrigated farming operations. That’s on […]
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Private Oregon dam sparks lawsuit over alleged fish impacts

An environmental group has filed a lawsuit claiming a privately owned Oregon dam unlawfully harms protected fish. The lawsuit comes roughly a year after the nonprofit reached a settlement in a similar lawsuit. Source: Private Oregon dam sparks lawsuit over alleged fish impacts | Water | capitalpress.com

Oregon Farm Bureau talks about wishes for the next Farm Bill

If you pay any attention to Congress, you notice some of the annual rhythms of the work there, like having to pass special bills to keep the government funded. Some bills are so massive, Congress doesn’t come back to them for five years at a time. That is exactly the case with the Farm Bill, […]
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WATER DIVERSIONS: Transfer battle has far-reaching implications for Oregon water law

The irony of the legal dispute over upgrades to the Painted Hills Reservoir in Central Oregon is that everyone agrees the project helps the environment. Oregon’s water regulators have contributed money toward raising the dam and storing more water for fish, even though they’re now fighting the project’s owner in court. The problem isn’t the […]
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Natural gas utilities: Oregon climate program misfires in targeting them for emissions

Natural gas utilities, other companies and business groups told the Oregon Court of Appeals on Friday that state environmental regulators overstepped their authority with rules that aim to draw down climate emissions. The crux of their argument to overturn the Climate Protection Program, adopted in December 2021, was that it flouts statute by treating fuel […]
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Wildlife-hunting contests banned on public land, Oregon commission decides

Wildlife hunting contests are no longer allowed on Oregon’s public lands. The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission voted late last week to prohibit contests aimed at killing large numbers of coyotes and other unprotected mammals native to Oregon. Source: Wildlife-hunting contests banned on public land, Oregon commission decides

Handling OT: How Oregon nursery, Washington seed potato farm respond to overtime laws

Amanda Staehely worries about making Oregon’s new overtime law work at her nursery. She plans to hire more help, but also cut the hours of the nine workers she has now. “I hate doing that,” she said. “We have employees that have been here for a really long time and I would consider friends of […]
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Lawmakers Want to Give Rural Oregon a Megaphone in Wildlife Disputes

Many Oregonians would agree that the state’s natural resources, including its streams, rivers and wildlife habitat, are among its greatest treasures. But there is sharp disagreement over whose vision for those resources should take precedence. It’s a battle that erupted in the 1990s, when environmental policy shifted to favor habitat over harvest in Oregon’s forests, […]
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Oregon treasurer urges Senate to correct House ‘error’ on fill-removal fees

A top state official claims lawmakers wrongly refused to change how Oregon pays for a regulatory program that oversees work in wetlands and waterways. State Treasurer Tobias Read claims the House made a mistake by continuing the fill-removal program’s current funding model, and he’s urging the Senate to correct it. “I, for one, am not […]
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