Wyden Announces Framework For O&C Lands

Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) today announced a framework for legislation to resolve century old O&C Lands issues that he plans to introduce and see passed into law. Successful O&C legislation will create jobs in the woods, protect our clean water sources, old growth trees and habitats, and establish a permanent and stable source of revenue for O&C counties. The goal of this announcement is to get the greatest amount of local input while fleshing out the legislation.

 “This is legislation that can pass the Congress and be signed by the President to increase timber jobs, protect the natural resources that Oregonians depend upon and provide an opportunity for rural communities to fund local services. This legislation will build bipartisan consensus by working within the framework of existing federal laws.” Wyden said.

Wyden, chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, has made passage of forestry reform legislation, for both the O&C lands and federal forest land on the east side of the Cascades, a top priority for this Congress. Wyden was a key architect of the only two major pieces of forestry legislation- the Healthy Forests Restoration Act and Secure Rural Schools and Counties Self-Determination Act – to become law over the past 20 years.

Governor John Kitzhaber said: “I want to thank Chairman Wyden for his strong leadership on this important issue, and for pushing forward a durable solution that provides adequate funds for county services, a stable and certain supply of timber and maintains protections for our forest and aquatic environments.”

His proposal would designate a substantial portion of the O&C lands for sustainable timber harvests while setting aside a roughly equivalent amount of land for permanent conservation. The plan ensures that the revenue from land marked for commercial harvest will be returned to the counties that host federal lands, minus costs to the government.  

Drive Safe This Memorial Day Weekend

In keeping with the “Click It or Ticket” mobilization running May 20 – June 2, Oregon State Police, county sheriffs and local police agencies urge local and long distance travelers to be aware of the increased enforcement efforts during the Memorial Day Holiday weekend.

Starting 6:00 p.m., Friday, May 24, through 11:59 p.m., Monday, May 27, Oregon State Police (OSP) troopers working with our law enforcement partners will focus enforcement efforts at encouraging vehicle occupants to buckle up, keeping impaired drivers off the road, and deterring distracted and dangerous driving behavior that affect everyone’s safety.

“OSP troopers are committed to these important interagency mobilization efforts, day and night, to keep our highway users safe and roads open for travel,” said OSP Captain Ted Phillips, Patrol Services Division director.

During the 2012 Memorial Day holiday period, ODOT’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) reported three people, all ‘vulnerable highway users’, died in three separate traffic crashes in Oregon. Last year’s victims were a pedestrian, a bicyclist, and a motorcycle operator. Since 1970, more than 260 people died after being involved in crashes during the holiday period that kicks off the summer travel season. More than half occurred in alcohol-involved crashes.

Prior to the start of the current annual “Click It or Ticket” campaign, ODOT noted in Oregon that 61 vehicle occupants who died in crashes in 2012 were completely unbelted. The majority of those – 49 – were occupants in pickups, and two-thirds of the unbuckled fatalities occurred in nighttime crashes.

During the previous six Memorial Day holiday weekends, OSP troopers arrested over 470 DUII drivers, including 64 DUII drivers arrested during last year’s 78-hour period. Troopers’ stepped up enforcement effort supports Operation C.A.R.E. (Combined Accident Reduction Effort) and the work of other law enforcement agencies in Oregon and around the country to discourage the most common causes of injury crashes – speeding and impaired drivers.

National Safe Boating Week

In recognition of the start of National Safe Boating Week, May 18-24, 2013, the Thirteenth Coast Guard District is emphasizing boating safety for all Pacific Northwest boaters.

In conjunction with the North American Safe Boating “Wear it! Always wear your life jacket!” campaign, the Coast Guard reinforces the following boating safety messages:

• Take a paddler education course. Paddlesports are the fastest growing segment of recreational boating, with more than 300,000 paddlecraft (primarily kayaks) now being sold annually. Paddlecraft are an extremely affordable entry point to recreational boating.  Like any other watercraft, paddlers should seek out paddler education before heading out on the water.  CLICK HERE to obtain more information on paddlesport safety.
• Wear a personal floatation device/life jacket at all times.  The law states you must have a PFD for every person on board, but the Coast Guard suggests you go one step further and wear your PFD at all times when boating.  It is much more difficult to locate, access, or don a PFD at the moment the accident occurs.  CLICK HERE for more information on personal floatation devices/PFDs.

Salmon and Halibut Seasons Posted

The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission at its meeting today made official the 2013 ocean salmon and Pacific halilbut seasons, including several fisheries that opened earlier in this month under temporary rules. The Commission adopted regulations for ocean coho and chinook salmon fishing in Oregon’s territorial waters that are in line with the seasons set by Pacific Fisheries Management Council in April for ocean waters beyond three miles.

 If the strong salmon returns predicted for the Sacramento, Klamath and Columbia rivers materialize, sport and commercial anglers should enjoy good fishing under seasons very similar to those in 2012. This year’s fisheries also include an opportunity for sport anglers to harvest wild coho in September south of Cape Falcon.  

New Driving With Cell Phone Laws go into effect 2012

Drivers accustomed to sneaking a phone call in here and there — hoping they
might get away with it — will have few if any excuses left after Jan. 1,
2012. That’s when a law modifying Oregon’s ban on cell phone use goes into
effect, along with a few other transportation-related laws aimed at
increasing safety on our roads.