Environmental groups have withdrawn from an effort to update Oregon’s plan for managing gray wolves days before a final meeting of stakeholders, throwing the future of negotiations over wolf management and protections into question. Read More
A small number of Northwest communities have an outsized level of exposure to wildfire, according to data released by the Forest Service. Continue Reading Analysis Reveals Northwest Communities Most Threatened By WildfireRead More
With fire costs rising and forest revenues shrinking, the federal government created an industrial complex around wildfire. Then it failed to rein in spending. Continue Reading How Fire Consumed The Forest Service BudgetRead More
The Trump administration has finalized a roll back of Obama-era regulations for oil trains. Continue Reading Feds Change Oil Train Safety Rules. Northwest Governors Not PleasedRead More
Federal and state agencies have come to realize fires should not be fought at all costs and, in fact, many should not be fought at all. Excluding natural fire led to forests burning in bigger, more destructive ways. Each year, hazardous fuels accumulate faster than we can reduce them through selective logging and burning. Read More
A proposal for a $1.1 billion renewable fuels refinery on the Columbia River could be held up by a dispute over land use zoning. Continue Reading Land Use Conflict Hangs Over Plan For Renewable Fuels Refinery On Columbia Read More
The West is in the midst of another intense fire season. Fires in California and Oregon have claimed lives and homes and burned up farmland. As part of EarthFix’s ongoing series on wildfire, reporter Tony Schick spoke with interim Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen about what her agency is doing to reform fire management and reverse the fire problem. Read More
The West is way behind on reducing the buildup of hazardous fuels we created. And much of the work we do to reduce those fuels is missing the key ingredient: fire. Continue Reading Efforts To Reduce Wildfire Risk Fall Short, Buck ScienceRead More
The Substation Fire east of The Dalles has killed one person and burned more than 70,000 acres on a mix of Bureau of Land Management and private land. The fire is estimated to be 92 percent contained as of Monday morning. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Here’s what we know about it and how wildland fire investigations occur. Read More
The U.S. Forest Service and others have been saying for decades that we need to allow more wildfire on the landscape. But so far, we haven't practiced what we preach. Continue Reading Can ‘Moneyball’ Fix How The West Manages Wildfire?Read More
Federal officials anticipate a big wildfire season in the Northwest throughout July, August and possibly into September. Continue Reading Big Wildfire Season And Summer Of Drought Await The NorthwestRead More
A group of senators from western states want to expand a national effort to boost timber production and restore natural conditions on overstocked forests using thinning and other restoration work. Continue Reading Senators Look To Expand Thinning Work Read More
The U.S. House passed has approved a bill that would circumvent a federal judge’s order for dams on the lower Snake River to spill more water and protect current dam operations through the next four years. It was sponsored and pushed by two Washington state Republicans. Read More
After a six-year delay, Timberline Lodge says it is moving forward with construction of a mountain bike park on Mount Hood. Continue Reading Mount Hood Bike Park Moves Forward After Lawsuit DismissalRead More
Canadian oil has found a new route to Asia: It’s moving by rail through Washington to a shipping terminal in Portland. In the long run, Canada wants to expand its Trans Mountain pipeline to move oil from the Alberta tar sands west to British Columbia — and from there onto ships that would travel through the Salish Sea and then to Asia. Read More
A new study claims government killing of wolves can increase the risk to nearby farms, providing further evidence for the ineffectiveness of the so-called “lethal control” policy approach. The report also casts doubt on an earlier research paper, which government agencies often use to support the practice. Read More
