05/12/2008

Perch crowd trout from Eastern Oregon reservoir
Two years ago, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife poisoned Oregon's Diamond Lake to deal with an exploding tui chub population that had ruined a showcase trout fishery.

05/09/2008 Long winter takes toll on St. Helens' elk herds The state Fish and Wildlife Department reports about 150 elk died of malnutrition and causes related to the snow and cold the extended into April.  Also: Volcano cam

Beware toxic garden boxes Planting your own fruits and vegetables has become a growing trend. But what you may not know is that the garden box you're working in could be contaminating your food.  Video: KGW report

05/08/2008 Winter's worn out welcome: Snow delays campground openings Between 3,000 and 5,000 foot-elevations still had anywhere from three to fourteen feet of snow. Some recreation areas may not open until early to mid-July, officials said.  Also: Elevation Maps

Bill would end grazing rights on Siskiyou monument in Oregon
A four-year effort to buy out cattle ranchers who hold grazing leases on the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument is moving forward in the Senate.

Weak cherry harvest blamed on cold temperatures
Fresh cherry pie on the Fourth of July? Perhaps not on the East Coast this year, and consumers can blame freezing spring temperatures in the Northwest.

05/06/2008 Spring chill delays Portland's rose blooms At the Portland International Rose Test Garden in Washington Park Tuesday there were plenty of buds -- but almost no rose blooms.

The Dalles pair accused of hoarding fish
The Oregon State Police cited two men from The Dalles on accusations they took illegal steps to capitalize on a program that pays anglers to catch a predator that thrives on juvenile salmon.

05/01/2008 Feds declare West Coast salmon fisheries disaster This is a first step toward providing federal disaster assistance to commercial and charter salmon fishermen and related businesses in California, Oregon and Washington.

Interior Sec. would ease ban on guns in national parks
Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne proposed new regulations today that would allow guns in some national parks and wildlife refuges.

05/02/2008

First ever “green” greenhouse at Portland State
By design, greenhouses are built to trap heat and keep it inside. However, a new greenhouse on the Portland State University campus does it better than just about any other.

05/01/2008

Wyden urges Forest Service to approve logging
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden has asked the U.S. Forest Service to quickly approve logging in areas of Grant and Harney counties that were burned by wildfire in recent summers.

04/29/2008 Trapping of sea lions to continue despite death, protests A recent law allows selected animals to be captured or killed in order to save salmon on the Columbia River.  Video: Sea lions captured  Background: Sea lion controversy

Shipper to pay $7.25 million for illegal ocean dumping in NW A federal judge has approved a $7.25 million fine against an Egyptian shipping company that dumped oil sludge at sea, the largest penalty for dumping ever assessed in the Pacific Northwest.

04/28/2008

Buffett expected to face questions about the Klamath
The wisdom of billionaire Warren Buffett will be on display again next weekend when he fields questions from a throng of Berkshire Hathaway shareholders.

Popular Oregon fishing spot drains on opening day
Angler Doug Evans took his family to a pond in the Denman Wildlife Area at noon Saturday. The water level quickly seemed to dip and then it dipped some more.

04/24/2008 Report: Fishing more dangerous in NW than Alaska A new federal report says fishing off the West Coast has one of the highest death rates among commercial fishing -- even higher than in Alaska.  Also: Salmon fishing cancelled

04/25/2008

Snake River fishery set to open April 26
Strong returns in the Snake River have allowed the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to open a spring chinook fishery below Hells Canyon Dam.

04/23/2008 USGS says big northwest quake likely to be even bigger Newly revised earthquake predictions for Oregon say the Big One could be bigger and more damaging than previously predicted.  Video: Quake maps  Also: 'Swarm' of quakes at Ore. coast

04/24/2008

Oregon watershed plans 10-year restoration model
The Bonneville Environmental Foundation says it has reached an agreement with the Coos Watershed Association for a 10-year model restoration and monitoring program to restore salmon runs to the rivers and streams that flow into Coos Bay.

04/23/2008

Sewage leak spills into Fanno Creek
A break in a pressure sewer caused a sewage leak Wednesday afternoon at the Fanno Pump Station in southwest Portland.

04/22/2008

Louisiana company fined $240,000 in ocean dumping off Oregon
The U.S. Attorney's office in Portland announced Tuesday it has charged Kinder Morgan Bulk Terminals Inc. with violation of the federal Ocean Dumping Act.

04/23/2008

ODFW biologist to present Upper Klamath salmon plan
An Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist has drafted a proposal to reintroduce chinook salmon to the Upper Klamath Lake and its tributaries.

04/22/2008 Pesticide linked to geese deaths at Keizer lake A pesticide typically applied by farmers and golf course managers to kill rodents has been linked to the recent die-off of more than 65 Canada cackling geese at a private lake in Keizer.

04/21/2008 Review finds fault with spotted owl recovery plan The Bush administration's plan for assuring the survival of the northern spotted owl while allowing increased logging in old growth forests has received another bad review.

Determined Oregonian invents blackberry bush annihilator
He's developed a gizmo that combines teeth and a rake, attached to a front-end loader, that digs up blackberries by their roots.

04/19/2008 Volunteers hit downtown streets for "Butt Hunt" Dozens of volunteers took to the streets of downtown Portland Saturday, all targeting the same thing: cigarette butts.

04/18/2008 Experts say rain, not clear-cuts, triggered Hwy. 30 landslide Heavy rains activated rifts in a slope that had collapsed before, causing the December landslide that shut down U.S. 30 in northwest Oregon, expert reviews have concluded.  Background: Slide took out homes

PacifiCorp to limit turbines to help endangered Klamath fish
PacifiCorp has agreed to shut down two small hydroelectric powerhouses at Upper Klamath Lake during late summer and early fall so they won't kill endangered fish.

Group names Oregon's Rogue River to threatened rivers list
American Rivers has listed the Rogue River second on its annual list of most threatened rivers.

04/17/2008

Managers close chinook season below Bonneville
Higher than expected catch rates have led Oregon and Washington fishery managers to announce a 12:01 a.m. Monday closing for all sport fishing for spring chinook in the Columbia River below Bonneville Dam.

04/18/2008

Portland Airport gives compost to travelers
Travelers returning through Portland International Airport Friday will be offered free compost as part of the Port of Portland's celebration of its environmental efforts.

04/16/2008 Judge rules no halt to sea lion trapping, killing Those favoring the removal say the sea lions are damaging salmon runs listed under the Endangered Species Act and protected at great expense.

04/15/2008 Hundreds of thousands of ladybugs set free in Canby A group of Canby 4th graders released 250,000 ladybugs into the wild on Tuesday, as part of their school’s ongoing Earth Day celebrations.

04/16/2008

Feds to protect land for two endangered plants
Federal authorities expect that land already set aside for threatened fairy shrimp in southern Oregon will also serve to protect two species of endangered plants.

04/15/2008 Almost 60 dead geese discovered in latest die-off at Keizer lake The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife says about 60 dead Canada cackling geese have been recovered in recent days at Staats Lake in Keizer.

04/14/2008

Experts analyze whether we'll get a warm summer -- or not
After a much-enjoyed sunny weekend, temperatures plummeted on Monday, dropping by nearly 30 degrees in just two day’s time.

Three more quakes rattle Oregon Coast Three more earthquakes struck off the Oregon Coast over just a 90-minute span on Sunday night, according to USGS.  Video: KGW report on earthquakes

Ore. company aims for solar-powered water purification
As president of Sol-Win, Inc. Janet Quinn dreams of water, specifically portable purified waters.

04/10/2008 Salmon fishing cancelled, Governor declares emergency West Coast fisheries managers have voted to cancel all commercial salmon fishing off the California and Oregon coasts this year.

04/11/2008

Oregon counties join Sierra Club to curb global warming
Multnomah and Clackamas counties joined the Sierra Club in a plan to fight global warming by aiming to reduce the counties' greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050.

04/10/2008 Scientists investigate 'swarm' of earthquakes off Oregon Coast A magnitude-five earthquake off the Oregon Coast was the latest in a series rattling the Northwest that geologists were describing as a significant swarm of quakes.  Video: KGW report on earthquakes

04/09/2008

DEQ assesses Portland $586,6000 for sewer discharge violations
Portland must pay a $117,320 fine and complete four local environmental improvement projects valued at more than $500,000 to settle a DEQ penalty over sewage discharges.

Beachgoers find 'ghost forest' along Oregon Coast High winds, heavy rain and surf pounding the Oregon Coast have uncovered a ghost forest known mostly through legendary tales in the town of Neskowin.  Raw video: Ghost forest  Slideshow: Photos of forest

04/08/2008

Wyden bill would return LNG siting authority to states
Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden, backed by influential peers, has introduced a bill in another try to recover state authority for licensing and siting liquefied natural gas terminals from federal energy regulators.

Kulongoski prepares Oregon's plan to fight global warming
Gov. Ted Kulongoski says Oregon and other states are doing the right thing by suing the Environmental Protection Agency to force the federal government to allow tougher automobile emission standards.

04/07/2008 BPA, tribes reach $900M settlement over Columbia salmon The settlement with 4 NW tribes would leave hydroelectric dams intact and federal agencies would spend $900 million on improving conditions for salmon.  Also: Coastal salmon ban looms

Kulongoski willing to sue if LNG ports not good for Oregon
Gov. Ted Kulongoski says he is ready to go to court to make sure any liquefied natural gas facilities slated for Oregon are needed and safe.

04/05/2008 California salmon collapse could lead to NW fishing ban The Pacific Fishery Management Council meets in Seattle this week and will likely vote to impose the most severe restrictions ever on West Coast salmon fishing.

04/02/2008 Agreement postpones killing of Columbia River sea lions The authorized killing of California sea lions at Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River would be postponed under a proposal agreed to Tuesday by the Humane Society of the United States and federal and state governments.

04/01/2008 Southern Oregon snowpack breaks a record Snow ranger Steve Johnson has been taking measurements for 20 years, but he couldn't believe what he saw Monday at the Siskiyou Summit on the Oregon California border.

04/02/2008

California approves millions for salmon habitat
The California Senate has approved spending $5.3 million to restore salmon habitat, responding to a population decline that may end salmon fishing off the California and Oregon coasts this year.

Oregon representatives announce wilderness plan
Representatives Peter DeFazio and Earl Blumenauer want Congress to increase wilderness protection in Oregon.

Oregon proposes greenhouse gas reporting rules
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality is proposing new rules to require certain businesses to report greenhouse gas emissions.

04/01/2008

Plans for controversial Gorge wind farm in limbo
A Massachusetts-based energy company is running into roadblocks as it tries to develop a wind farm on the hills above this Columbia Gorge town.

03/31/2008 Oregon department floats hunting, fishing fee increases The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife says it will hold a dozen public meetings around Oregon as it puts together a budget that calls for higher hunting and fishing license fees.

Removal of New Carissa is underway on Oregon Coast Crews have begun the process of removing the now fabled shipwreck, the New Carissa, that's been anchored near Coos Bay for more than nine years.

03/30/2008 Annual Oregon beach cleanup nets 110,000 pounds of trash The weather was awful, but 37-hundred volunteers turned out for Oregon's 24th annual beach cleanup and picked up about 110,000 pounds of trash along the 362-mile coastline.

03/31/2008

Worried about bee die-off, Ore. farmers press for more research
Oregon farmers are hoping that the state's premier academics will help them figure out what is causing a sudden decline in the bee population that's hitting home in the Pacific Northwest.

03/29/2008 Humane Society asks injunction against killing Columbia sea lions The Humane Society of the United States wants a federal judge to head off the capturing or killing of the salmon-eating sea lions in the Columbia River.

Winter tough on Eastern Oregon deer The long, and lingering, winter has been tough on the deer of Eastern Oregon.

Scientist says salmon seeing better ocean conditions
The precipitous drop in salmon returns to the Sacramento River System last fall and winter may have short-circuited this year's salmon fishing seasons off the Oregon coast.

03/08/2008 Oregon's new tallest Sitka spruce may have a challenger The huge Sitka spruce challenger lurking in the coastal forests of Lincoln County.  More: Man tries re-grow giant Sitka