Drought and Water

On Thursday, Idaho Senators Jim Risch and Mike Crapo as well as West Virginia's Shelley Moore Capito, Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, joined 47 of their Senate Republican colleagues in introducing a formal challenge to the Biden administration’s WOTUS rule.  Tha...

Central Oregon’s Crook County remains the only place in the western United States under a D-4, or Exceptional Drought, designation.  And again, county leaders have asked for a state drought declaration.  County Judge Seth Crawford says he’s also talked with the Governor about funding a biomass plant that would use juniper trees to create power, but more studies are needed.   “Then we can go to dif

Four western senators introduced legislation Tuesday aimed at reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfires across the region.  The Wildfire Emergency Act, introduced by Oregon’s Ron Wyden, California senators Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla as well as Montana’s Steve Daines would allow the Forest Service to leverage private financing to accelerate forest restoration projects and create a program

For many stretches across the Pacific Northwest, the past couple of years have been hot and dry.  And while those conditions have taken a toll on pasture lands across the region, Jeff Clark, Pasture Market Development Specialist with Corteva Agriscience, said proper planning will help ensure those pastures are ready for the heart upcoming season.   “...

A new report from the Oregon Secretary of State’s Office reveals big gaps in the state’s management of water resources.  Secretary Shemia Fagan said this basic human need is at risk.   "Our federally recognized tribes are unable to ensure that their people have access to clean water, and across the state we are not immune to the mega-drought that is incapacitating other parts of the western U

Dry conditions continue for much of the Pacific Northwest.  But for one state, soil moisture conditions have returned close to normal.   According to the latest USDA numbers, 34% of Washington is considered abnormally dry for this time of year.  That is a dr...

Thursday, several members of the House of Representatives, including Washington’s Dan Newhouse, Illinois’ Mike Bost, North Carolina’s David Rouzer, and Iowa’s Mariannette Miller-Meeks led 192 other House Republicans in a letter blasting the Administration for its "premature and reckless WOTUS final rule".  The Members demand th...

The Oregon Department of Forestry was scheduled to release the next draft of the controversial Wildfire Risk Map in March, but that has been put on hold, thanks to action by state lawmakers.  Under 2021’s Senate Bill 762, ODF was charged with the creation of the map, but the first draft that was released in August proved so unpopular statewide, the Department pumped the breaks for another six mont

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, American Farm Bureau Federation, and 16 other farm and builders’ groups are not waiting around for the Supreme Court to clarify the definition of WOTUS.  NCBA, AFBF, and others filed a lawsuit in federal court against the Biden EPA last week for its final WOTUS rule.   The NCBA’s C...

The Columbia-Snake River Irrigators Association is running an attached full-page "open memo" ad in several regional papers and magazines to address three key areas.  The CSRIA’s Darryll Olsen said the first item deals with the Lower Snake River biological opinion litigation that is ongoing.   “And t...