Category Environment & Agriculture
Grants in Oregon to tackle smoke threat to grapes, wild carrots invading fields, and more
A project by Oregon State University aims to protect wine grapes from “smoke taint.” (Lasseter Winery/Unsplash) Oregon’s wine industry, which has been hard hit by recent wildfires, might not have to worry so much about smoke spoiling grapes in the future. A plan is in…
AROUND OREGON: As salmon cook in rivers, pressure on Biden mounts
In a conference room on the Squaxin Island Reservation in Mason County near the southern edge of the Puget Sound, a dozen tribes came together this month in a show of resolve focused on saving a species—salmon—that unites indigenous peoples throughout the Columbia River Basin.…
AROUND OREGON: Oregon’s new carbon cap program takes shape, but much debate remains
The Oregon State Capitol. (Saphara Harrell/Salem Reporter) After Republicans bolted from the 2020 legislative session and once again killed Oregon’s controversial bill to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, a frustrated Gov. Kate Brown issued an executive order for state agencies to draft carbon reduction rules that…
Salem to expand parks system with two additions, but plans are years away
A tree in Minto-Brown Island Park. (Saphara Harrell/Salem Reporter) Salem is expanding its parks system after two land purchases in recent years, one in south Salem and another in northeast Salem, that total more than 60 acres. Patricia Farrell, parks and natural resources planning manager,…
Salem is more shaded than ever, thanks to city tree projects but gains are uneven
A tree in Minto-Brown Island Park. (Saphara Harrell/Salem Reporter) About a quarter of Salem is covered by trees as the result of a decade-long city effort that hasn’t shaded every neighborhood equally. The city recently released its most recent Urban Tree Canopy Assessment, showing that…
Lawmakers to give Marion County trash burner another chance to be ‘renewable’
Covanta Marion, a trash incinerator in Brooks, burns roughly 170,000 tons of garbage every year. (Troy Brynelson/Salem Reporter) Clarification, Jan. 14: The House Committee on Agriculture and Land Use will reintroduce the proposal “at the request of the Marion County Board of Commissioners.” Rep. Brian…
Water pollution lands Salem developer $33,012 fine
The Oregon Capitol (Salem Reporter archives) A prominent Salem development company is being fined by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality for polluting a marsh in Monmouth, killing nearby plant life. Regulators found that Mountain West Investment Corp. last January discharged turbid, discolored water from…
Grass growers’ annual ritual of burning seed underway, could last until October
The Oregon Capitol (Salem Reporter archives) SALEM — Plumes of smoke in the Willamette Valley, an annual ritual in Oregon, continue to be the most evident sign of farmers clearing their fields after harvesting grass seed. Growers have burned about 9,200 acres this summer to…
Federal climate change report says more wildfires, droughts and extreme weather in store for Oregon
Outdoor recreation and Oregon’s natural beauty are already seeing effects from climate change, according to a new federal report. (Salem Reporter/File) Extreme weather, severe wildfires, winter storms and droughts will all become more common as the effects of climate change in Oregon accelerate, according to…