Betsy Johnson, rural lawmakers and loggers rip Oregon forests plan
Former candidate for Oregon governor Betsy Johnson and a convoy of about 100 loggers, timber owners and students on Wednesday blasted an increasingly controversial plan for 600,000 acres of state forests. They say the Habitat Conservation Plan would lead to a decline in logging, revenue for communities and jobs in the state’s timber industry. Timber groups say they were originally told the plan would allow harvest of 225 to 250 million board feet of timber annually — close to the most recent 10-year average. However, projected harvest levels of 165 to 182.5 million board feet for 2024 and 2025, incorporating elements of the plan, have sounded alarm bells across Oregon’s forestry sector. (Zach Urness/Salem Statesman Journal)
Investors seek class-action status in lawsuit against Dutch Bros
Dutch Bros Coffee plans to fight a lawsuit seeking class-action status, accusing the Eugene-based company of misleading investors. The lawsuit, filed March 1 in U.S. District Court in the Southern District of New York by investor Jerry Peacock, alleges Dutch Bros President and CEO Joth Ricci and Chief Financial Officer Charles Jemley artificially inflated the stock’s price between March and early May 2022 by withholding inflation-related challenges the company was facing at the time. Dutch Bros has yet to formally respond to the lawsuit’s allegations, but did release a statement, saying it believes “the lawsuit is without merit and [we] will strongly defend against the claims.” (Nick Morgan/Grants Pass Daily Courier)
Salmon forecast looks similar to previous years, posing the same vexing choices
Expected returns of fall salmon should be very similar to last year’s actual returns, according to the forecasts recently released by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. “You could literally say the runs are very similar to the last three seasons,” said Ryan Lothrop, the Columbia River fisheries manager for the WDFW. But that means the department is facing some vexing decisions, primarily centered around the lower river Chinook hatchery stocks, or “tules.” At only 77,000 adults, this year’s projection is lower than last year’s actual return. How do you protect these fish while allowing harvest on the other robust runs? “Trying to handle that is quite a challenge,” Lothrop said. (Terry Otto/The Columbian)
Portland City Council approves $55K settlement for protester injured in 2020
The Portland City Council approved a $55,000 settlement with a woman who said she was injured by Portland police officers while protesting peacefully during a June 5, 2020, protest against police brutality and racism. Portland police allegedly shot Dominique Bouchard in the leg with a rubber bullet and shoved her to the ground, breaking her wrist, Bouchard’s lawsuit stated. Bouchard required surgery to have a metal plate and screws inserted into her wrist. Her medical bills totaled around $31,000. Through her attorney Jason Kafoury, Bouchard sought $550,000 from the city. Bouchard’s incident was one of a dozen use-of-force cases against Portland cops from summer 2020 protests that Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt dropped in September 2021. (Anna Del Savio/Portland Tribune)
Oregon lawmakers again face debate on 500-acre canola limit
Lawmakers are considering permanently restricting canola cultivation in Oregon’s Willamette Valley to 500 acres, a limit initially set a decade ago to enable research on the crop. Though that study ended six years ago — in which it concluded that canola poses no greater hazard to contaminate specialty seed crops than related plants — the 500-acre cap has endured along with the controversy over the crop’s regulation. Previous legislation has twice extended the acreage restriction. Senate Bill 789 would impose it in perpetuity. Supporters say the bill is a lasting compromise to minimize conflict among canola and specialty seed producers. Opponents say confining canola production to 500 acres is arbitrary, particularly since radish and turnips are grown for seed without restriction — despite being just as liable to genetically contaminate the region’s Brassica specialty seed crops. (Mateusz Perkowski/Capital Press)
