Oregon Archives | Northwest Public Broadcasting

West Coast Fishery Rebounds After Years Of Conservation Efforts

By Cassandra Profita December 16, 2018

Groundfish trawlers will soon be allowed to catch more fish as depleted populations recover from overfishing. CREDIT: MICHAEL BENDIXEN/OPB

Federal fishery managers are increasing the catch limits for several West Coast species that were overfished and severely restricted for years. Surveys show depleted populations of yellow eye and bocaccio rockfish, cow cod and ocean perch — all classified as groundfish — are rebounding decades ahead of schedule. Read More

From Oregon To Connecticut, Communities Face A Shortage Of Police

By NPR News December 12, 2018

Officer Christian Bruckhart collects used needles from a vacant site in his patrol area in New Haven, Conn. CREDIT: RYAN CARON KING/CONNECTICUT PUBLIC RADIO

The severity of the officer shortage varies by location, but the national trend is clear: Since 2013, the total number of working sworn officers has fallen by about 23,000. The number of officers per capita is down even more sharply, from 2.42 per 1,000 residents in 1997 to 2.17 officers per 1,000 in 2016. Read More

Bill To Allow Killing Columbia River Sea Lions To Help Salmon Heads To President Trump’s Desk

By Cassandra Profita December 12, 2018

Sea lions have been eating steelhead and other fish at Willamette Falls in ever greater numbers.Photo courtesy of ODFW

Congress has agreed to make it easier to kill sea lions threatening fragile runs of salmon in the Northwest. A bill approved by the House this week changes the Marine Mammal Protection Act to lift some of the restrictions on killing sea lions to protect salmon and steelhead in the Columbia River and its tributaries. Read More

‘Bundyville’ Tells A Story Of Anti-Government Extremism Set In The Rural West, Says Podcast Host

By Scott Leadingham December 11, 2018

'Bundyville' is a seven-part podcast from Longreads and Oregon Public Boradcasting, hosted by Leah Sottile. CREDIT: Illustration by Zoë van Dijk for Longreads

Journalist Leah Sottile covered the 2016 Malheur Wildlife Refuge occupation and its aftermath with the Bundy family. This year she released a deeply reported podcast about the Bundys – called 'Bundyville,' a collaboration between Longreads and Oregon Public Broadcasting. Read More

Lagging Northwest Apple Exports Worry Growers And Packing Houses As Tariff Uncertainty Continues

By Anna King December 7, 2018

With harvest wrapped up, the regional apple industry is in prime packing time. But growers and shippers are nervous. The fruit isn’t moving to international markets as quick as usual because of the trade wars. Read More

Scent Research Could Help More Salmon Find Their Way Home

By Jes Burns December 6, 2018

OSU's Maryam Kamran is conducting research on salmon olfactory homing in an effort to prevent hatchery fish on the Elk River from straying. CREDIT: JES BURNS/OPB

Apparently, salmon don’t like the smell of watercress. The aroma of shrimp doesn’t pique their interest either. And the fragrance, eu de steelhead? A definite no-go. Continue Reading Scent Research Could Help More Salmon Find Their Way HomeRead More

Washington Utility Regulators Deny Acquisition Of Avista By Canadian Firm

By Doug Nadvornick December 6, 2018

Washington utility regulators say the Canadian utility Hydro One may not acquire the Spokane-based utility Avista. In a statement, the state Utilities and Transportation Commission said "the proposed merger does not serve the public interest." Read More

Report: Climate Change Is Already Bringing Problems To Northwest — And It Will Get Worse

By Cassandra Profita November 28, 2018

The Eagle Creek Fire as seen from the Cascade Locks Hatchery. To keep hatchery fall chinook from dying because of the fire, Oregon officials released them early. CREDIT: OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE

The Northwest is already seeing the effects of climate change, according to a new national climate assessment. Continue Reading Report: Climate Change Is Already Bringing Problems To Northwest — And It Will Get WorseRead More

Dread The Dark? West Coast Lawmakers Say It’s Time To Stop The Clock ‘Fall Back’ Routine

By Tom Banse November 20, 2018

Changing the clock for the first Daylight Saving Time in 1918. CREDIT: U.S. SENATE HISTORICAL OFFICE

According to some Oregon and Washington legislators, it's high time to get rid of the twice-yearly ritual of changing clocks. This past month, 60 percent of California voters approved Proposition 7, a ballot proposition to make daylight saving time permanent. Read More

Officials Worry ‘World’s Smallest Harbor’ In Depoe Bay Could Shrivel Unless Dredged

By Tom Banse November 17, 2018

City leaders in Depoe Bay are anxiously awaiting word if silt accumulating at the south side (image right) of their harbor will be dredged in 2019. CREDIT: CITY OF DEPOE BAY

If you've traveled the central Oregon coast, you might remember the signs marking Depoe Bay's claim to fame: the "World's Smallest Harbor." But now that harbor is getting even smaller because of accumulating silt. City officials are on tenterhooks because of the problem. Silt buildup renders the fuel dock inaccessible at low tide. Read More

In Eastern Oregon, Pendleton Has Become A Drone-Testing Hub, With Hopes For More

By Tom Banse November 12, 2018

The latest variant of the Cubic Ares unmanned reconnaissance drone during flight testing at Pendleton on October 28. CREDIT: CUBIC CORP.

A dream to make rural Pendleton, Oregon into a drone testing mecca is becoming very real. It's so real, in fact, that the city-owned airport has run out of hangar space to rent to global aerospace companies. Now, the Pendleton airport is seeking millions more in public funding to help expand. Read More

Oregon May Be Over-Hunting Cougars — Which Could Cause More Conflicts

By Erin Ross November 9, 2018

Problem encounters with cougars have increased in Oregon's Willamette Valley. CREDIT: NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

Groups of Oregonians, particularly hound hunters, say that Oregon’s cougar population is growing out of control. Cougar advocates, on the other hand, say that Oregon is over-hunting cougars, which research suggests can lead to an increase in problem encounters. Read More

Oregon Re-Elects Kate Brown As Governor

By Lauren Dake November 7, 2018

Gov. Kate Brown celebrates her Election Night victory at the Democratic Party of Oregon 2018 election party on Nov. 6, 2018 in Portland. CREDIT: JONATHAN LEVINSON/OPB

Democratic Gov. Kate Brown defeated Republican state Rep. Knute Buehler in the race to see who will hold Oregon’s highest office. Continue Reading Oregon Re-Elects Kate Brown As GovernorRead More

Lost No More: Coho Salmon Return To Oregon’s Lostine River After 40 Years

By Courtney Flatt November 2, 2018

Coho salmon have returned to Oregon's Lostine River in late 2018. CREDIT: RICK SWART/OREGON DEPT. OF FISH & WILDLIFE

For the last 40 years, something has been missing from Oregon’s Lostine River: coho salmon. Now, 42 coho have made it to the waters in the last two weeks. Continue Reading Lost No More: Coho Salmon Return To Oregon’s Lostine River Read More

Troubled Oregon Dairy Announces Shut Down

By Courtney Flatt October 26, 2018

A controversial dairy in Oregon has been cited for numerous manure and waste violations. Courtesy of Friends of Family Farmers

A troubled mega-dairy in Oregon has announced its plans to shut down. After racking up multiple environmental violations, Lost Valley Farm’s owner has been fired and a trustee wants to sell the property. Continue Reading Troubled Oregon Dairy Announces Shut DownRead More

ICE Removes Immigration Detainees From Federal Prisons, Including Washington; 3 Remain In Oregon

By Conrad Wilson October 21, 2018

The federal corrections center in Sheridan, Ore. CREDIT: OPB

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has all but abandoned its use of federal prisons to house detainees. Three ICE detainees that remain are inside the federal prison in Sheridan, Oregon. Continue Reading ICE Read More

Reunification 101: Some Northwest Schools Moving Beyond Emergency Drills And Toward Aftermath

By Tom Banse October 15, 2018

Teacher Jeremy Thomas holds up an all-accounted-for sign after the school evacuation. CREDIT: TOM BANSE / N3

It's a sad fact of life that K-12 students must practice for calamities such as earthquakes, fires, lockdowns or active shooters. Now a few public schools in the region are roping in parents and guardians to practice for the aftermath. Read More

Your Word Of The Day Is ‘Torrefaction.’ First-Of-Its Kind Plant To Open In Eastern Oregon

By Tom Banse October 7, 2018

Biomass Operations Specialist John Rowell stands next to a boiler that awaits installation pending permits. TOM BANSE / NW NEWS NETWORK

Construction begins soon in eastern Oregon for the first commercial-scale "torrefaction" facility in the country. If you don't know what that word means, you're in good company. But the process itself isn't all that exotic. Think of how your coffee beans get crispy. Read More

Public Lands Grazing Helps Ranchers, Sage Grouse, Study Says

By Courtney Flatt October 6, 2018

A male greater sage grouse struts its stuff on Bureau of Land Management land in this April 21, 2012, photo. Bureau of Land Management

Grazing restrictions on public lands may have unintended consequences for greater sage grouse, according to a recent study. The imperiled birds depend on habitat on both public and private lands, and much of that habitat can be lost when ranching operations go under. Read More

Oregon Voters To Decide The Fate Of State’s Sanctuary Law

By Conrad Wilson October 4, 2018

The Oregon capital building CREDIT:CHRIS LEHMAN / NORTHWEST NEWS NETWORK

Oregon’s sanctuary law for immigration is simple on paper. It says no law enforcement agency can use its money, equipment or personnel for the purpose of detecting or apprehending people whose only violation is being in the country unlawfully. Continue Read More

New U.S. – Mexico – Canada Trade Deal Helps Northwest Agriculture, With Much Uncertainty Remaining

By Anna King October 1, 2018

Winter wheat is harvested in a field farmed by Dalton and Carson North near McCracken, Kansas. CREDIT: CHARLIE RIEDEL/AP PHOTO

The new trade agreement signed Sunday at midnight called the USMCA short for the U.S. Mexico, Canada Agreement by the Trump Administration, could change things on some Northwest farms. Farmers are hopeful this new agreement will lift their commodity prices -- many of which are low right now. Read More

Report: Salem Knew For Years That Algae Could Threaten Water

By Dirk VanderHart September 17, 2018

File photo. Low levels of cyanotoxins were found in the Salem, Oregon, drinking water supply due to an algae bloom in Detroit Lake. CREDIT - SHEILA SUND/TINYURL.COM/YBQ8VPHD

When toxins from algae made Salem’s drinking water potentially hazardous earlier this year, the city was unprepared to deal with both the public relations fallout from the breach and the more concrete matter of helping citizens access clean water. Read More

Hunt Planned For Cougar Suspected Of Killing Oregon Hiker

By Erin Ross September 13, 2018

This March 8, 2006, file photo provided by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife shows a cougar in the Beulah Wildlife Management Unit in Oregon's Malheur County. Oregon authorities say a dead hiker whose body was recovered this week was likely killed by a cougar, marking the first verified fatal attack by a wild cougar in the state and the second in the Pacific Northwest in 2018. CREDIT: BRIAN WOLFER/ODFW/AP

The search is on for the cougar suspected of killing a hiker near Mount Hood. It is the first confirmed fatal attack by a wild mountain lion in the state. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife plans to use mules and dogs to search for the mountain lion. Read More

Portland Novelist Who Penned ‘How To Murder Your Husband’ Essay Charged With Husband’s Murder

By NPR News September 12, 2018

Nancy Crampton-Brophy has been charged with the murder of her husband, Daniel Brophy. She is the author of romantic suspense novels, who in a 2011 blog post outlined various motives and methods of killing a husband. CREDIT: PORTLAND POLICE BUREAU

How to get away with murder? Maybe don't write a blog post about getting away with murder. Continue Reading Portland Novelist Who Penned ‘How To Murder Your Husband’ Essay Charged With Husband’s Read More

If ‘Free College’ Sounds Too Good To Be True, That’s Because It Often Is

By NPR News September 12, 2018

More than a dozen states offer what are known as free college programs. But a new review finds states vary wildly in how they define both "free" and "college." Continue Reading If ‘Free College’ Sounds Too Good To Be True, Read More

Oregon Hiker Likely Killed By Cougar, Authorities Say. Would Be First Documented Fatality In State

By NWPB News September 12, 2018

Authorities say a dead hiker whose body was recovered this week was likely killed by a cougar, marking the first fatal attack by a wild cougar in Oregon and the second in the Northwest this year. Continue Reading Read More

In Oregon, Tracking Down Sex Partners To Stop A Surge In STDs

By Kristian Foden-Vencil September 10, 2018

Mary Horman (left), a registered nurse for Clackamas County, and Liz Baca, a disease intervention specialist for the county, search for the right address in an Oregon neighborhood. Part of their job is to get information to people who may have a serious, treatable infection, yet not realize it. CREDIT: KRISTIAN FODEN-VENCIL

The U.S. is in the middle of a steep and sustained increase in sexually transmitted diseases. So how are public health officials responding? Continue Reading In Oregon, Tracking Down Sex Partners To Stop A Surge In STDsRead More

Oregon Attorneys Argue State’s Juvenile Sentencing Laws Are Unconstitutional

By Conrad Wilson September 7, 2018

Justin Link leaves court in chains after a plea hearing in Deschutes County Circuit Court in Bend, Ore., Monday, June 11, 2001. Link, along with four other teenagers charged in connection with the murder of Barbara Thomas. He is appealing his sentence in the case. CREDIT: DON RYAN

Attorneys and lawmakers in Oregon say the state is violating the U.S. Constitution because of laws that require juveniles convicted of murder to be sentenced to what amounts to mandatory life imprisonment. Continue Reading Oregon Read More

Do You Know The ‘Puffin Man’? Rediscovering Oregon’s Iconic Haystack Rock

By NPR News September 7, 2018

A rocky outcropping on Oregon's coast is home to dozens of rare tufted puffins and, this summer, volunteer Art Broszeit — a de facto expert on the exotic cold climate birds. Continue Reading Do You Know The ‘Puffin Man’? Read More

Oregon Construction Worker Sues Company, Says He Was Fired For Not Attending Bible Study

By NPR News August 31, 2018

Ryan Coleman, 34, accused his former employer — a construction company in Oregon — of firing him for refusing to attend required Bible study meetings. CREDIT: CORRINE SCHRAM

A man in Oregon says he was fired from a construction job because he did not want to attend weekly Bible study meetings. Continue Reading Oregon Construction Worker Sues Company, Says He Was Fired For Not Attending Bible Read More

Insects Could Eat Twice As Much Wheat By The End Of The Century

By NWPB News August 30, 2018

A burn scar near Moro, Oregon, from the Substation Fire. CREDIT: ERICKA CRUZ GUEVARRA

Climate change might lead to bigger populations of hungrier insects. This could have serious consequences for grain-growing regions in the Northwest and across the world. Continue Reading Insects Could Eat Twice As Much Wheat By The End Of The Read More

Oregon Launches First Statewide Refillable Bottle System In US

By Cassandra Profita August 29, 2018

Double Mountain Brewery founder Matt Swihart grabs freshly bottled pale ale from the bottling line in Hood River. The brewery's new beer is among the first to be sold in Oregon's new refillable beer bottles. CREDIT: CASSANDRA PROFITA

The next time you’re shopping for beer in Oregon, take a close look at the bottle. A select few will be thicker and heavier than usual with the word “refillable” stamped into the glass. Continue Reading Oregon Launches First Statewide Refillable Read More

Tribes And Conservation Groups Study What’s Leading To Low Lamprey Counts

By Brian Bull August 28, 2018

Gary Vonderohe (right) of the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, administers a low-grade shock to a lamprey, as volunteers stand by with nets to capture it. CREDIT: BRIAN BULL

With their tube-like bodies, gaping gill slits, and especially their sucker-like mouths lined with jagged teeth, lampreys aren’t the most aesthetically pleasing creatures. They look like they jumped out of a Ridley Scott sci-fi horror film. But for some Northwest Native tribes, they're a significant part of the culture. Read More

As Wildfire Seasons Worsen, Scientists Point To Summer Precipitation As Major Driving Factor

By Emily Schwing August 20, 2018

Washington fire managers responded to nearly 70 new fire starts August 11, 2018, including the Grass Valley Fire that threatened the Grand Coulee Dam area and forced hundreds of evacuations. CREDIT: INCIWEB

Wildfire activity in the American West is likely to get worse in coming years. A new study out in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences points to the lack of precipitation in the summer as the major driving factor when it comes to increasing fire severity. Read More

Scientists Sunk A Rare Blue Whale Skeleton. Now They Need Money To Bring It Back Up

By Tom Banse August 20, 2018

An OSU team salvaged the bones from this blue whale in late 2015. CREDIT: OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY

There’s a set of massive whale bones resting on the bottom of the bay in Newport, Oregon. Scientists from Oregon State University put them there with a plan for a future display on shore. But they’re having trouble finding the money to retrieve the rare blue whale skeleton from beneath the waves. Read More

Fires In Canada And California Add To Northwest’s Smoky Haze

By Emily Schwing August 14, 2018

Fires across the region have blanketed the Northwest in smoke. Blazes in California and British Columbia are also adding to the thick, reddish-gray haze. Continue Reading Fires In Canada And California Add To Northwest’s Smoky HazeRead More

A History Teacher, An Obsession With A Sunken Ship, And The Crew Searching For Its Wreck

By Tom Banse August 10, 2018

Shipwreck hunters Jeff Groth, right, and Scott Williams methodically towed a magnetometer back and forth over a search grid -- "mowing the lawn," as they called it. CREDIT: TOM BANSE / NW NEWS NETWORK

An Oregon-based group of shipwreck hunters wants to find the historic remains of the first steamship to provide service in the Puget Sound in the 1800's. The shipwreck search was inspired by one Port Townsend, Wash., man's obsession. Read More

The Entire Northwest Is Abnormally Dry, With Severe Drought In Parts Of Washington And Oregon

By Emily Schwing August 9, 2018

Washington map of U.S. Drought Monitor conditions for August 7, 2018.

The U.S. Drought Monitor says the entire state of Washington is abnormally dry. In Oregon, nearly 90 percent of the state is facing moderate to severe drought. Continue Reading The Entire Northwest Is Abnormally Dry, Read More

High Temps Across The Northwest Could Break Records, Add To Wildfire Concern

By Emily Schwing August 7, 2018

Firefighters from a Washington state Department of Natural Resources crew took this photo of the Boylston Fire Thursday, July 19, 2018.

Weather predictions across the West are calling for excessive heat and more dry weather this week. That forecast is anything but good news in the Northwest, where significant risk of wildfire continues to increase. Continue Reading Read More

When It Comes To Wildfire, Politics Lag Behind Science

By Cassandra Profita August 6, 2018

In this May 23, 2017 photo provided by Chelan County Fire District 3, logs burn near Leavenworth, Wash. The wildfire prompted evacuation orders for homes and cabins at a popular Washington state hiking and skiing destination. CREDIT: BEN TORKELSON

A variety of forest experts say that one of the best ways to reduce the threat of these mega-blazes is to use fire itself. They say we need to increase the pace of prescribed fire and let some wildfires continue to burn when it’s safe to do so.Of course, there’s not nearly as much political support for letting fires burn as there is for putting fires out. Read More

Resources Stretched Thin As Northwest Fire Season Intensifies; Pacific Crest Trail Closed In Places

By Emily Schwing August 1, 2018

The Ryegrass Coulee Fire began late Monday, July 9 and quickly spread between Ellensburg and Vantage, closing Interstate 90. CREDIT: WASHINGTON STATE DOT

Fire officials say this year is on par with 2014 and 2015 – two of the worst seasons on record in the Northwest. Things are ramping up nearly a month earlier than previous years, and resources are stretched thin. Continue Reading Resources Read More

Can Oregon Control The Wild Horse Population? Advocacy Group Says Sterilization Too Dangerous

By Courtney Flatt August 1, 2018

Wild horses graze on the Warm Springs reservation in Central Oregon. CREDIT: TOM BANSE

An animal advocacy group says the federal government shouldn’t perform sterilization surgeries on wild horses in southeastern Oregon to control their numbers. Continue Reading Can Oregon Control The Wild Horse Population? Advocacy Read More

Measure To Ban State Funding For Abortion Qualifies For Oregon Ballot

By Jeff Mapes July 27, 2018

An initiative that would ban state funding for abortion is heading to the November ballot in Oregon, setting up an election battle over abortion in what has been regarded as one of the most pro-choice states in the country. Continue Read More

Efforts To Reduce Wildfire Risk Fall Short, Buck Science

By Tony Schick July 26, 2018

A member of the Wolf Creek Hotshots uses a drip torch to ignite the forest floor during a prescribed burn near Sisters, Oregon. CREDIT: JES BURNS

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

Cougars In The News: Shift In Range Brings More Reported Encounters

By NWPB News July 26, 2018

Northwesterners are hearing a lot about mountain lions lately. Since May, an extremely rare fatal attack in the Washington Cascades, a Willamette Valley pool party interrupted by a wandering cat and a viral Facebook video of a mountain lion lounging in a southern Oregon woman’s living room have made headlines across the region. Are the Northwest’s mountain lions acting Read More

Measure To Repeal Oregon’s Sanctuary Law Makes November Ballot

By Dirk VanderHart July 19, 2018

Three decades after Oregon blazed a trail by enacting statewide sanctuary laws, voters will have a say in repealing them this fall. Continue Reading Measure To Repeal Oregon’s Sanctuary Law Makes November BallotRead More

Big Oregon Substation Fire Burning Lots Of Wheat — And Exports — For Northwest Farmers

By Anna King July 19, 2018

Charred grasslands from the Substation Fire near Moro, Oregon, Wednesday, July 18, 2018. CREDIT: MOLLY SOLOMON/OPB

East of The Dalles, Oregon, the Substation Fire has charred over 50,000 acres and is still spreading. A lot of that charred ground so far is golden, soft white wheat. And when grain burns, farmers can lose a lot of money – even if they have crop insurance. Read More

‘It’s Just A Tinderbox Out Here’: North Central Oregon Fire Near The Dalles Grows Fast

By Ericka Cruz Guevarra July 18, 2018

A grass fire near The Dalles, Oregon, forced evacuations of area residents. CREDIT: WASCO COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE

A fast-growing wildfire east of The Dalles, Oregon, that forced evacuations Tuesday, July 17 and the following day is expected to make a push to the south and east due to dangerous fire conditions in the area, fire officials said. Read More

Stranded Oregon Woman Drank Water From Moss To Survive After California Cliff Plunge

By NWPB News July 16, 2018

An Oregon woman who was badly injured and stranded for a week after her Jeep plunged 250 feet over a cliff into the ocean near Big Sur in California says she survived by drinking fresh water dripping from moss until she was rescued by a couple hiking along the beach. Read More

Nearly 100 Oregon Municipal Water Systems Will Test For Algae Toxins

By Dirk VanderHart June 29, 2018

Nearly 100 water systems in Oregon will begin collecting samples for harmful contaminants from algae blooms. Shown is Bull Run Reservoir 1, part of Portland's water system. CREDIT: FINETOOTH

Nearly 100 public water systems around Oregon—including the state’s largest—will be required to begin testing for harmful contaminants from algae blooms under new rules unveiled by the Oregon Health Authority. Continue Reading Nearly 100 Read More