Eastern Oregon

Concern is growing in farm country that while the Snake River dams may not be physically removed, environmental groups may successfully get the dams “functionally disabled” in the name of fish conservation.  Eastern Oregon Representative Cliff Bentz during last week’s Natural Resources Subcommittee on the Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries said the conversation around fish populations is not looking i

Unlike its neighbors across the west, Oregon’s snowpack is in very good shape for this time of year.  Matt Warbritton with NRCS said there are several states across the west, such as Washington, experiencing a snow drought.  The Beaver State he noted is on the opposite end of that spectrum.   “And especially ...

The Greater Idaho movement is applying more pressure on Oregon lawmakers this legislative session.  Matt McCaw, with the Greater Idaho Movement, said his group is working with lawmakers.   "We have a bill that’s already been introduced on the Senate side that invites the state of Idaho to begin border talks with the state of Oregon," McCaw noted.  "We have another b...

New research conducted in Eastern Oregon shows strategically grazing cattle could reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires.  Oregon State University Extension’s Sergio Arispe has spent a lot of time studying invasive weeds in Malheur County.   “Invas...

On Friday, Oregon senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced funding they say will boost habitat restoration in the eastern portion of the state.  The $679,690 from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will go to five projects, supporting management of invasive grasses, reducing wildfire risks, and restoring sagebrush habitat.   “Rest...

On Friday, representatives from USDA’s Rural Development were in the Tri-Cities, attending a ribbon-cutting for a new biofuels facility.  The facility, owned by Vancouver-WA based Tidwater Terminal Company, received over $3 million via the Inflation Reduction Act, which looked to increase the availability of domestic biofuels.  Betsy Dirkson...

Ever visited Oregon's Coldest City? It's located in the Blue Mountains of eastern Oregon

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife was very busy last week with several depredations in the eastern part of the state.   Investigators were called all to private pasture land in the Silver Creek area of Harney County on Monday, February 27th.  Th...

The final week of the year was a busy one for Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife crews, as they were called to depredations leading to the deaths of four calves.     The first incident was reported Christmas Sunday, on private land in Union County’s High Valley area.  When crews arrived...

Despite the spring rains we saw across much of the Pacific Northwest, drought conditions continue for much of Central and Eastern Oregon.  The water year officially ended in July, and Larry O’Neill, with the Oregon Climate Office, says conditions didn’t improve much in the last two months.   “The average...