Make the McKenzie Connection!
Make the McKenzie Connection!
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The U.S. Forest Service has announced its intention to update a 30-year-old plan for managing forests in the Northwest. The agency has issued a Notice of Intent to amend the Northwest Forest Plan. The plan covers management for 19 million acres of forest in California, Oregon, and Washington and was adopted in 1994 but has not changed since. Nick Goulette, co-executive director of the Watershed Research and Training Center, said the plan needs improving, especially as climate impacts on the...
The pause on student loan repayments is over, meaning people will have to start paying back their debts for the first time in three years, starting next month. A few tips can help people prepare for this change. Lane Thompson, Oregon Student Loans Ombuds, said it is important to know who your servicer is. For many, their loans were transferred to another company during the pause. Thompson also noted some are paying loans for the first time and advised borrowers to use the federal government’s w...
Six projects to improve communities in Oregon have received grants from AARP. The organization has announced the recipients of its annual Community Challenge program. Oregon’s grant projects total more than $65,000. Stacey Triplett, engagement director for AARP Oregon, said this quick-turnaround program fills a gap for many communities. “Funding that’s local, that’s meant to be flexible, that comes right out within weeks of when it’s been requested is hard to come by,” Triplett pointed out...
The nomination process is open for a prestigious award handed out to volunteers in Oregon each year. The Andrus Award for Community Service award is named after AARP founder, Doctor Ethel Percy Andrus. AARP Oregon will select a person or couple age 50 or older, who performs services without pay in their communities. AARP State volunteer president for Oregon, Michael Schultz, said he has spent his whole career with nonprofit organizations and that these organizations rely on volunteers. “Our c...
A new survey found older Oregonians are concerned about the cost of living in many aspects of their lives. The Vital Voices research program from AARP dove into issues affecting Oregonians age 45 and older. Bandana Shrestha, state director for AARP Oregon, said the cost of health care and housing top the list of topics on people's minds. "One big takeaway from the survey is that Oregonians are really feeling affordability and the economic pressures in all aspects of their lives," Shrestha...
Under a proposal in the Legislature, Oregon’s service agencies could see spending cuts, which could hit hardest in rural areas. Under the Committee on Ways and Means co-chair budget, state agency spending would be cut by 2.5%. John Mullin, an advocate for the Human Services Coalition of Oregon, said the proposed budget could hurt health providers’ Medicaid reimbursement rates, which is bad news for rural Oregon. “There are really some very challenging issues about finding providers in rural...
A film premiering this week tackles the potential harms of the nuclear industry. Portland State University professor emeritus Jan Haaken directed the documentary “Atomic Bamboozle: The False Promise of a Nuclear Renaissance.” The film draws on historical lessons from the campaign to shut down the Trojan Nuclear Power Plant in Rainier, Oregon. The plant closed in 1992. Haaken said the nuclear industry is promoting a new design concept known as small modular reactors, or SMRs. Her initial int...
Imagine community projects that can be turned around quickly. Sounds unlikely? A program that does just that is now open for applications. Started in 2017, the AARP Community Challenge program provides grants to improve cities and towns for people of all ages. The city of Tigard is one recent recipient. The program helped fund what's called a Launch Pod food business accelerator. Lloyd Purdy, economic development manager for the City of Tigard, said two food cart businesses have been selected...
Oregon is pursuing an aggressive climate plan to switch to renewable energy sources, but it faces one often overlooked issue: enough high-voltage power lines to facilitate the transition. An Oregon law requires utilities to cut greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2040. However, the Northwest's aging transmission lines will need a reboot to ensure wind and solar resources on the east side of the Cascades make their way west. Emily Moore, director of climate and energy at the Sightline Institute,...
An audit of community colleges in Oregon has implications for the state's legislative session, which started this week. The report from the Secretary of State's Audit Division in December pointed to the need for a greater role from the commission overseeing higher education. Ben Cannon, executive director of the Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission, said there have been some modest gains in completion or transfer numbers over the past decade. Although overall numbers hover around...
It can be challenging for parents and caregivers to shield their children from bigotry and hatred online, but there are a few tips they can follow. Lindsay Schubiner, Momentum program director at the Western States Center, said the work is especially crucial because white nationalist groups are using the internet to recruit people. She pointed out young people are developing identities and ideas in relationship to everything around them, including what they see and hear online. "As hate...
Oregon is joining the ranks of states providing paid leave for all workers. In January, employees and employers will begin paying into the program. Workers will be able to apply for benefits in September. Karen Humelbaugh, director of the Paid Leave Oregon program for the Oregon Employment Department, said the program is important for the safety and welfare of communities. "Some of us have had paid leave through our employer, but many Oregonians do not have any form of paid leave," Humelbaugh...
With the election a little over a month away, some say caregiving and long-term care are issues too big for candidates in Oregon to ignore. There are about 460,000 family caregivers in the state providing $5.7 billion of unpaid care, according to a 2017 estimate. Yvonne Smith, a faculty member at Clackamas Community College, said some people may not even realize they are caregivers. "For example, if you are helping someone manage their medications if you're doing someone's grocery shopping if...
Crime rates among young people have dropped dramatically in recent decades - despite media coverage pointing toward a supposed "crime wave" led by youth. That's the finding in a recent report from The Sentencing Project, which shows the share of overall arrests of people younger than 18 was cut in half between 2000 and 2019. Deena Corso is the juvenile services division director for Multnomah County. "The trend very much for juvenile crime nationally - and then it's mirrored here locally - has b...
In an effort to boost workers in critical industries, Oregon lawmakers are considering a major investment in education and workforce development. Proposed by Gov. Kate Brown, the $200 million Future Ready bill is a package of proposals to lower barriers to construction, health care, manufacturing, and technology jobs. One of the proposals is $17 million for career pathways programs setting up short-term ways to earn credentials, with help from program navigators. Mark Mitsui, president of Portla...
House Bill 4130 would allocate $5 million for wildlife crossings in problem spots across the state. In Oregon, there are about 7,000 collisions with deer each year, costing Oregonians $44 million in total. State Rep. Ken Helm, D-Beaverton, a chief sponsor of the bill, said there's broad support for wildlife crossings, including some Republican co-sponsors. "These types of projects are not partisan," he said. "We've got Republicans and Democrats, senators and House reps on the bill already. It'll...
Oregonians can get free help with their income taxes once again this year. However, as in recent years, the pandemic is changing what the assistance looks like. Typically, the AARP Foundation's Tax-Aide program happens in-person, focusing specifically on people over age 50 or those who have low to moderate incomes. Kathy Goeddel, assistant state coordinator for the AARP Foundation's Tax-Aide program in the Portland Metro area, said the recent surge in COVID-19 cases means protocols are in place...
Recent data on ocean conditions could be good news for struggling salmon in the Northwest. But advocates for the species warn this isn't enough to stop their alarming slide. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is expecting ocean waters to remain cold and more food abundant for the fish along the West Coast. However Miles Johnson, senior attorney with Columbia Riverkeeper, noted this doesn't necessarily mean better conditions for a crucial part of their lives - in the rivers...
Healthcare workers at an Oregon hospital have achieved what they say is a "win" after several strikes in recent months. Nearly 300 workers and members of Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 49 at McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center in Springfield are celebrating increases in their pay, their health subsidies and education fund. Aaron Green, a certified nursing assistant at McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center and a member of SEIU Local 49, was among those who went on strike in Octobe...
Supporters of the Build Back Better Act are touting the benefits it will bring to families in Oregon and across the country. A number of provisions in the legislation would directly help families, such as extending the Child Tax Credit. The credit went into effect during the last round of pandemic aid from Congress, providing cash directly to families monthly. Loren Naldoza, legislative and communications manager for Neighborhood Partnerships, a housing and economic policy organization in...
Oregon is following the FDA and CDC, which recommend booster shots for people 65 and older who received the Pfizer vaccine at least six months ago. Boosters are also encouraged for younger people at risk of severe infection because of other medical conditions, and for front-line workers. Dr. Kristen Dillon, senior advisor of the COVID Response and Recovery Unit for the State of Oregon, said the vaccines provide good protection, but decline over time and in a more pronounced way for older...
Hundreds of Oregon businesses have signaled their support for legislation protecting rivers across the state. In an open letter, more than 200 businesses have thanked Sen. Ron Wyden - D-Ore. - and Sen. Jeff Merkley - D-Ore. - for introducing the River Democracy Act. The measure would protect about 4,700 miles of rivers in Oregon as wild and scenic. The rivers were selected through a public nomination process. Chris Daughters, who signed the letter, owns the Caddis Fly Angling Shop in Eugene....
discuss the Oregon Legislature’s proposed voting maps closed this week. After receiving detailed census data in August, lawmakers released their recommended redistricting maps on September 3rd. They began holding virtual public meetings in the state’s five current Congressional districts last Wednesday, with two scheduled for each district through Monday., followed by a statewide meeting that day. Precious Edmonds, advocacy director for We Draw Oregon, pointed out people of color have seen the...
Wildfire season has obvious effects on air quality outside, but hidden impacts on air quality also are lurking inside some homes. Environmental and health groups - as well as the Oregon Health Authority - are warning about burning natural gas inside, such as from gas stoves. The Oregon Environmental Council's Environmental Health Program Director Jamie Pang-South said cooking with fossil-fuel-based gas appliances releases nitrous oxide, carbon monoxide, methane, and small particulate matter....
A new report identifies some of the most ecologically important rivers in Oregon (including the South Fork McKenzie). Conservation Science Partners looked at 54,000 miles of unprotected rivers and streams in Oregon, highlighting watersheds with outstanding water quality, recreational value and that support rare or at-risk species. More than 5,700 river miles were in the range of at least 30 aquatic Species of Greatest Conservation Need. Caitlin Littlefield, lead scientist for Conservation Science Partners, said many rivers are under threat as...
