Our Organic Northwest

Oregon Lawmakers Approve Field Burning Rampdown

(Flickr photograph by chrisjohnbeckett)

SALEM, OR - Oregon lawmakers narrowly gave final approval on Monday to a bill that would end most field burning in the state over the next two years. The smoke from the burns is blamed for health problems in nearby communities. Some grass seed farmers say they need to burn their fields after harvest to combat pests and weeds. But Charlie Tebbutt with the Western Environmental Law Center dismisses the farmers’ argument. (Full Story)

Stimulus Projects Planned for Northwest Coasts

(Flickr photograph of the Oregon coast by ru 24 real)

Leading federal officials have announced close to 24 million dollars in coastal restoration projects. The plan is to improve habitat and provide jobs in Oregon and Washington. Head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and former Oregon State professor, Jane Lubchenco, laid out the rationale for the 50 projects across the country. They include nine along the coast of Oregon and Washington. (Full Story)

A Wet June Helps Idaho Fish Down the River

(Snake River Flickr photograph by oregon ducatisti)

COEUR D'ALENE, ID - Most of the Northwest has had normal or drier than usual weather this spring. But some of the traditionally driest areas have experienced one of their wettest Junes in years. Some areas of southern Idaho and eastern Oregon have had three or four times the normal rainfall. That’s good news for salmon. Inland Northwest Correspondent Doug Nadvornick reports.

EPA gives states OK for tougher tailpipe exhaust rules

(Flickr photograph by aliciagriffin)

OLYMPIA, WA - West Coast states can forge ahead with tougher tailpipe emissions rules. The federal government has granted trendsetter California a long-awaited OK. But the Obama Administration’s plans to increase gas mileage standards on a national basis mean West Coast states will not go it alone. Correspondent Tom Banse reports.

This Year’s Northwest Cherry Harvest Could Set Records

(Flickr photograph by jen maiser)

Cherry farmers across the Northwest are probably going to churn out a record crop this summer. That’s as long as it doesn’t rain as Richland Correspondent Anna King explains.

In the next month Northwest cherry farmers could make millions, or lose their entire crop. It all depends on Mother Nature. If it gets too hot, cherries ripen cherries faster than workers can pick. Even a small amount of rain can get absorbed into the cherry’s tender flesh and split the fruit. (Full Story)

Crabbers and Scientists Collaborate on Ocean Research

(Flickr photograph by bertabetti)

Oregon crabbers are helping researchers collect data on the ocean's temperature and oxygen levels. The unusual collaboration could help solve some of the mysteries off the Oregon coast. Rachael McDonald reports.