Commentary
Forest accord seen as good for Oregon woodlands, wildlife – but also for how collaboration can work
After nearly a year of negotiations, representatives of timber companies, small forestland owners, and conservation and fishing organizations reached an agreement through the Private Forest Accord. The negotiations were an effort to avoid an expensive and messy fight at the ballot box over competing initiatives around Oregon’s forest laws. The agreement proposes changes to the […]
Deal over Oregon forestlands a historic step to protect environment, help private woodlot owners
Last Saturday will go down in Oregon’s history as a truly remarkable day. In the early hours of the morning, following five long days of intense negotiations that capped off over a year of constructive conversation led by Governor Kate Brown, six negotiating representatives from the forest sector, including myself representing small forest owners, signed […]
Time running out for Oregon families to get life-changing monthly payments
As the pandemic continues into its second year, Oregon families need money in their pockets now to cover the basics – accessing food and buying clothing, or meeting housing, utilities, and education costs. Findings in October from the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities show that 89% of low-income families in Oregon are getting relief […]
Your guest commentary welcome – but please heed our guidelines
Through guest commentaries, Oregon Capital Chronicle will provide a safe place for discussion of state issues and policies. We invite you to participate in civil discourse that is informative, engaging and thought provoking. Of particular interest are pieces that consider solutions – how do we as Oregonians fix an issue or progress on better care […]
Oregon should act to slow drain of college talent that is heading out of state
Buried amidst the excitement of our state securing a sixth Congressional district, the 2020 Census data flashed a warning sign for Oregon’s future. For the first time ever, deaths outnumbered births in the state in 2020, leaving Oregon completely dependent on in-migration for population (and, in turn, economic) growth. There are many reasons for this […]
Oregon shows how workers can be protected when they face extreme heat, smoke
As a result of climate change, the United States experienced a particularly dangerous and hot summer this year. New record highs were set all over the country and the Pacific Northwest was particularly hard hit. As of September 2021, according to the National Weather Service, the state of Oregon had a record 88 days over […]
Oregon’s climate efforts need robust push from governor, state commission
In any given year, some Oregonians thrive while others struggle. Lately though, no one is untouched by society-wide crises, one after the next, breaking on us like waves in a relentless tide. People all express similar feelings: overwhelmed, tired, and at a loss. The global pandemic continues to disrupt our lives. The dangerous heating of the […]
Oregon state legislator imposes his own term limit
It has been an honor and a privilege to serve Oregon and especially what was House District 25 (Keizer, St. Paul and Newberg) for these last six years. In 2013, I was in the fifth year of my conservative talk radio show in Keizer and had the state representative for Keizer at that time, Kim […]
We welcome your commentaries – but please heed our guidelines
Oregon Capital Chronicle provides a safe place for discussion of state issues and policies. We invite you to participate in civil discourse that is informative, engaging and thought provoking. Of particular interest are pieces that consider solutions – how do we as Oregonians fix an issue or progress on better care of our people and […]
Even Oregon’s smallest streams play big role in fate of the climate
A river, as all great things, must start somewhere. Like the network of blood vessels in your body, our watersheds are interconnected. You have big arteries running to your organs, and from those arteries stems a complex network of millions of tiny blood vessels that allow the rest of your body to function. So too […]
As Oregon’s wildfire season fades, new approaches to managing risk need to take hold
In 1910, fire rampaged through western Montana and northern Idaho, burning more than 3 million acres of prime timber, destroying towns and buildings, and causing many fatalities. This Great Fire of 1910, or “Big Burn,” was a political catalyst for our current human-fire relationship. Multiple policies followed that focused on and prioritized fire exclusion, suppressing […]
Vaccinations advance at Southern Oregon University despite regional challenges
ASHLAND – Education works. Outreach makes a difference. Encouragement is a key. Southern Oregon University is located in and serves a region where COVID-19 vaccination is not yet universally accepted as the most effective weapon against our ongoing pandemic, and the most direct path toward a pre-COVID way of life. But SOU gladly qualifies as […]