SALEM â Funding for the Oregon Forest Resources Institute would be substantially decreased under a bill thatâs been cleared for a House vote by a key legislative committee.
The institute provides education to landowners and the public about forest management but has come under fire from critics for alleged bias and lobbying on behalf of timber interests.
Currently, OFRI receives nearly $4 million in annual funding from a timber harvest tax.
Under House Bill 2357, 67% of the harvest tax revenues would be directed to accounts aimed at encouraging sound forestry practices and assisting family forestland owners, overseen by the Oregon Department of Forestry.
Anyone caught using a noose as a form of intimidation will now face potential criminal consequences, under a bill headed to Gov. Kate Brown. On Tuesday,
SALEM — A pair of Republican senators in Oregon appear to be pulling back on a bill that would have impacted two of their colleagues’ leadership roles in the state
/ Gov. Kate Brown tours Sitton Elementary in Portland, Oregon, on March 5, 2021. On Monday, Brown blasted a legislative plan to fund schools in the state, saying it could shortchange students who have historically been left behind.
In a biting letter sent Monday, the governor said the plan was likely illegal, and could harm some students.
Gov. Kate Brown this week issued a blistering rebuke to lawmakers’ plans to fund K-12 education for the next two years, suggesting a portion of the budget could be illegal and that a plan to increase spending could shortchange students who have been historically left behind.