The Oregon Wildfire Risk Explorer map, created by Oregon State University as part of a new wildfire policy directed by Senate Bill 762, outlines wildfire risk at the property ownership level across the state.
Oregon postpones wildfire risk mapping and rulemaking plans after public backlash
After withdrawing a controversial map of wildfire risk on every property statewide, the Oregon Department of Forestry is planning to spend the next year talking with the public and revising the map.
Latest Stories
With a few cups of water, scientists use eDNA to study reclusive, rare creatures off West Coast
A growing technology is helping scientists save time and effort when they study rare critters and vast places.
Biden administration launches environmental justice office
Forty years after a predominantly Black community in Warren County, North Carolina, rallied against hosting a hazardous waste landfill, President Biden’s top environment official has returned to what is widely considered the birthplace of the environmental justice movement to unveil a national office that will distribute $3 billion in block grants to underserved communities burdened by pollution.
The racism, and resilience, behind today’s Pacific Northwest salmon crisis
OPB investigative journalist Tony Schick shares this reporter's notebook. "Salmon have been endangered my entire life," he writes. "Here’s what I didn’t realize until I started reporting."
Oregon environmental head steps down ahead of schedule
Richard Whitman oversaw the state's efforts to combat climate change and pollution.
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As Oregon pushes more electric vehicles, a gap emerges in access
State and local organizations are building programs to connect EVs with more rural and low-income people, as well as communities of color.
Scientists work to keep Oregon’s Crater Lake clear for years to come
The clarity of Crater Lake, Oregon's only national park, has remained uncompromised for decades. But other changes are afoot, many of them wrought by a warming climate. Some of these changes have profound implications for the lake’s ecology — and perhaps for its iconic appearance.
Zenith Energy to phase out crude oil at Portland terminal
Zenith Energy is proposing to phase out crude oil with renewable fuels in five years. The move comes after the city of Portland and a state environmental agency denied key permits that would have allowed Zenith to expand operations.
Oregon Supreme Court won’t hear appeal of $1B timber verdict
The denial affirms a lower court decision saying the "greatest permanent value" of Oregon forests is more than just timber revenue.
Biden plans floating platforms to expand wind power off shores of Oregon, other states
The Biden administration hopes to develop floating platforms in the deep ocean for offshore wind towers that could power millions of homes and vastly expand offshore wind in the United States.
Boardman smokestack demolished, marking the end of a coal-fired era in Oregon
A contractor demolished the towering smokestack at Portland General Electric’s shuttered coal-fired power plant near Boardman on Thursday morning, heralding the end of the era of coal-fired power generation in Oregon.