natural resources

On Monday, southwest Washington’s Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and North Carolina’s David Rouzer introduced the bipartisan Jobs in the Woods Act. The legislation looks to connect young people with careers and training in forestry.

The country’s top land managers testified before U.S. senators last week to defend sweeping budget cuts for the nation’s public lands and a plan to sell 3.3 million acres managed by the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management so communities can build housing.   T...

Washington Democrats announced Monday the Representative that will chair the House Agriculture & Natural resources Committee for the 2025-2026 session.  Federal Way’s Kristine Reeves was tapped by the House Democratic Caucus, noting the appointment underscores Representative Reeves’ dedication to addressing the critical issues facing Washington’s agricultural and natural resource sectors.    “

This fall, voters in Oregon will select a new Governor.   Betsy Johnson, a Central Oregon native, and longtime state lawmaker, said she’s an aggressive advocate for the farming community across the state.  She says currently overregulation is one of the most pressing issues Oregon farmers are facing at the state level.   “Kate Brown...

The University of Idaho announced three new shortened degree programs Wednesday that the school says will address growing workforce needs. The College of Natural Resources programs prepare students for jobs in fire mitigation, forestry operations and nursery management after two years of education, rather than four ...

The Department of Agriculture will invest nearly $75 million for 15 partner-led projects to address natural resource concerns on private lands. This year, projects funded by the Regional Conservation Partnership Program's Alternative Funding Arrangements focus on climate-smart agriculture and forestry and other conservation priorities and improve access for historically underserved producers ...

During Thursday’s House Natural Resources Committee markup meeting for a roughly $31.7 billion portion of President Biden’s $3.5 trillion budget resolution, eastern Oregon’s Cliff Bentz offered a trio of amendment he said will benefit rural communities across the Beaver state. Bentz sai ...

Work continues on the University of Idaho’s new basketball arena, constructed adjacent to the Kibbie Dome in Moscow. What makes the Idaho Central Credit Union Arena unique is the fact that it was constructed with mass timber. Dennis Becker, dean of the University of Idaho’s College of Natural Resources said many are shocked that timber, a renewable resource can be used to build such a large facil

The USDA recently published its 90-Day Progress Report on Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry. The agency said it represents an important step toward President Biden’s Executive Order on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad and the shift towards a whole-of-department approach to solutions. ...

The Oregon Farm Bureau is warning legislation currently under consideration will hurt Oregon’s economy and Natural Resources sector in multiple ways. Lawmakers are debating House Bill 2357, which would remove funding for the Oregon Forest Resources Institute. Sar ...