RDI News Posts

Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Projects Funding in Oregon

2012-02-02 20:45:42 UTC

USDA Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack recently announced a new report that outlines a strategy and series of actions for management on 193 million acres of national forests and grasslands managed by the U.S. Forest Service. As part of the accelerated restoration strategy, $40 million for 20 forest and watershed restoration projects have been announced for the upcoming year. The funding includes ten new projects under the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration (CFLR) program, continued funding for the original ten projects selected under the CFLR program in 2010, and an additional $4.6 million to support other high priority restoration projects. The following new projects in Oregon are approved for funding in 2012: Southern Blues Restoration Coalition, Oregon - $2,500,000; Lakeview Stewardship Project, Oregon - $3,500,000. The Deschutes Skyline, Collaborative Forest Landscape project in Oregon was approved for funding in 2010 and will continue to receive funding in 2012.

U.S. Recession Hikes Rate of Rural Poverty

2012-02-02 20:12:08 UTC

The Daily Yonder recently published an article regarding rural poverty rates. The percentage of people living in poverty was higher in rural America than in either exurban or urban counties in 2010, according to the U.S. Census. And these rates have increased since the recession began in 2007. In 2007, before the recession began, 15.8 percent of those living in rural counties fell under the poverty line. Three years later, that rate in rural counties had increased to 17.8 percent. Click here to read the article in its entirety.

Representative Gene Whisnant Holds Town Halls

2012-01-25 22:50:44 UTC

Representative Gene Whisnant will hold “Meet & Greet” Town Halls to discuss Oregon’s first “even year” Annual Session with citizens in Redmond, Bend, and Three Rivers/Sunriver area. The town halls will give constituents an opportunity to ask questions and share their concerns ahead of the session.

The Town Hall Schedule

Three Rivers/Sunriver area on Thursday, January 26, from 9:00 am to 10:30 am at the Sunriver Library in the Sunriver Business Park at 56855 Venture Lane, Sunriver (come in side door)
Bend on Thursday, January 26, from 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm at Awbrey Glen Golf Club, 2500 NW Awbrey Glen Drive

Strong Sense of Community Makes a Difference

2012-01-21 00:59:15 UTC

When a regional chain retailer closed down the general store in Cambridge, Nebraska, a rural town with a population of just more than 1,000 people, the community came together to find a solution and decided to open their own store. The local investor-owned Cambridge General Store took a lot of time, energy, and generosity to begin, but the store has thrived in its first seven-plus months of business. Visit the Daily Yonder to read the article, Store Closing? No Problem in Cambridge.

Funding for Rural Renewable Energy Projects Slashed

2012-01-11 21:05:08 UTC

A recent article in Sustainable Business Oregon focuses on funding cuts for the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). REAP is a key program that funds energy diversification and efficiency in Oregon’s rural areas. The program has helped fund small projects for farms, ranches, orchards, and other rural businesses in Oregon, and its funding will be reduced as a result of cuts at the federal level. Click here to read the article in its entirety.

A Look at Oregon's 2011 Tech Stories

2012-01-05 22:46:50 UTC

A recent article in the Oregonian takes a look at the year in Oregon technology. Oregon technology spent the year on an upswing, rebounding from four years of steep job losses. Intel added employees, Oregon's old-line tech companies boosted sales, and the state's entrepreneurs attracted more investment than in any year since the dot-com era. And yet Oregon tech employment remains 6 percent below where it was at the end of 2006. For all the upbeat headlines, the rebound is still in its early, fragile state. To read this article in its entirety, click here.

The Value of Oregon's Farmland More Than Just Economic

2012-01-05 22:23:26 UTC

Farming's direct economic impact in Oregon adds up to 10 percent of the state's sales, 12 percent of jobs and 7 percent of its value-added activity, according to a new report by the state Department of Agriculture. But dollar signs don't tell the full value of the 16 million acres devoted to farming and ranching in Oregon. It is also believed that farmland provides ecological and even social benefits as well. Read the report in its entirety in the Oregonian.

Without Timber Payments, Oregon Counties Question the Future

2011-12-22 23:38:00 UTC

An article in the Oregonian takes a look at the impact of the loss of federal funding intended to replace decades of timber harvest revenue in Curry County, Oregon. Without timber payments, the county's expenses will exceed general fund revenue by more than $350,000 in 2012-13. The deficit is projected to grow to more than $3 million the next year, and the county may cease to function. Click here to read the article in its entirety.