eastern Oregon

Since being elected, to recognize and appreciate my constituents’ views, I have read, listened, discussed, and repeatedly reached out.

An Eastern Oregon woman lost $600,000 to the gold bar scam. Maddy Alvarado, with the Oregon Department of Justice, said the scammers convince the victim their money is at risk.

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

Typically, here in the Northwest, the snowpack’s high-water mark is April 1st, meaning the region has only a few more weeks, or perhaps months on the snow season.  When it comes to the Oregon, Matt Warbritton with NRCS says the statewide snowpack is pretty robust right now.   “...

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 ...

Governor Tina Kotek announced Tuesday the appointment of Kirk Maag to the Oregon State Board of Agriculture.  Maag, an environmental and natural resources partner at Stoel Rives law firm, says his personal roots to Oregon’s agriculture community run deep.  He grew up wo...

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...

The higher elevations of Oregon have received much needed snow this fall and winter, leading to very good snowpack numbers across the state.  Matt Warbritton with NRCS said right now, the statewide snowpack is 142% of normal.   “Snowpack is probably most notable across many parts of Southern Oregon, Eastern Oregon, where it's now well above normal. Snowpack in those r...

The Oregon Department of Agriculture's Noxious Weed Control Program announced last week that Mark Porter has been selected as their new Rangeland Health Specialist.  In this new role, ODA said Porter will provide capacity and technical expertise to collaborative efforts across Oregon that create resilience to climate change and wildfire and conserve and improve the productivity of Oregon’s natural

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...