Key to forestry-environment settlement is an agreement on timber aerial spraying

February 22, 2020

By SAM STITES/Oregon Capital Bureau SALEM — The fate of the landmark deal signed between a coalition of timber companies and environmental groups depends on lawmakers acting on legislation that would reform certain Oregon logging practices. The deal brokered by Gov. Kate Brown and announced earlier this month outlines a process for the two warring sides to set aside

Funding for Oregon coast’s “Shake Alert” system moving through special session of Legislature

February 20, 2020

By SAM STITES/Oregon Capital Bureau SALEM — Oregon would prepare 250,000 households to become self-sufficient following a catastrophic earthquake under legislation advancing in Salem. The legislation, Senate Bill 1537, also would double the number of monitors that would alert Oregon coast and in the Willamette Valley residents to an earthquake. The proposals are the latest effort to prepare Oregonians for

“Historic” forest agreement may add pressure on GOP senators to stay in session, not walk out

February 15, 2020

By SAM STITES/Oregon Capital Bureau SALEM – The deal between the timber industry and environmentalists is intended to end the war in the woods that has beset Oregon forestry issues for decades. But not everyone is cheering what Gov. Kate Brown described as a “historic” deal between timber and environmental groups. But critics now suspect something is more at

Oregon lawmakers make adjustments to greenhouse gas bill to ease impact on rural areas

February 13, 2020

By CLAIRE WITHYCOMBE/Oregon Capital Bureau SALEM — Lawmakers revealed changes Wednesday to the plan to cut back on the state’s greenhouse gas emissions that would ease the impact on rural Oregon and adopt elements proposed by Timber Unity. The revisions are part of the continuing effort of Democratic sponsors to drive a policy that has greater statewide acceptance. The proposed

Yachats rainfall in 2019 was second-lowest in past 10 years, again

January 2, 2020

It was a very dry year in Yachats. Again. Yachats received a total of 50.43 inches in rain in 2019 — the second-lowest amount of rain over the past 10 years of record keeping by the city of Yachats. It was the second consecutive dry year in Yachats this decade. Until 2019, the second-lowest rainfall in the last decade

A very dry November and big water leak creates some worries for city of Yachats

December 3, 2019

November rain in Yachats was the lowest recorded in the last 10 years, resulting in an 11-month total rainfall amount for the area just 71 percent of normal. There were just 2.38 inches of rain recorded at the city of Yachats’ wastewater treatment plant in November. The previous low November rainfall amount was more than double that – 4.92

First coastal “King Tides” of the season begin Monday, Nov. 25

November 24, 2019

Get ready for some big tides starting this week. “King Tides” – when normal high tides are higher than usual – occur once a month during the winter and summer. And the first of the winter King Tides is Monday, Nov. 25 through Wednesday, Nov. 27 on the Oregon coast. High tides through Wednesday are about a foot higher than

OSU hauls blue whale bones out of Yaquina Bay after three years of “cleaning”

November 24, 2019

By MICHELLE KLAMPE/OSU NEWPORT – After more than three years at the bottom of Yaquina Bay, the skeleton of a 78-foot blue whale has been put on dry land so it can be preserved and prepared for a public display. With the help of a team of technical divers from the Oregon Coast Aquarium in the water and a crane

Central Lincoln PUD sells out shares of its first community solar system in just two days

October 31, 2019

By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews.com On the cloudy Oregon coast, the Central Lincoln People’s Utility District just discovered that well-priced solar power can still be popular. On Tuesday, Oct. 22, the utility offered customers a chance to purchase panels in its first community solar system. It expected the 215 solar panels atop its office and shop in Florence to take weeks

Port of Alsea delays $2.66 million marina project for a year because of permit issues

October 18, 2019

By Quinton Smith/YachatsNews.com WALDPORT — Delays in getting a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is forcing the Port of Alsea to delay rebuilding its marina and boat ramp for a year. The marina was scheduled to close Oct. 23 and the port and its contractor, Bergerson Construction of Astoria, had hoped to start work in November.