MEDFORD, Ore. — Beginning next week, another $2 million in federal timber payments will be paid out to Oregon counties In February, the Bureau of Land Management reduced the secure rural schools funding paid to 18 Oregon counties by 10% in anticipation of automatic spending cuts, called sequestration. However, the Sequester was only a 5.1% … Continue reading »
County Leaders React to Mill Closure
CAVE JUNCTION, Ore. – Josephine County leaders said the closure of a longtime mill will have major economic impacts on the county. Rough and Ready Lumber announced it was closing last week. The mill’s owners said they could not maintain a steady supply of logs from nearby federal forests, and said lawmakers in Washington, D.C. … Continue reading »
Timber Counties Troubles Continue
GRANTS PASS, Ore. — Rural counties in Southern Oregon and Northern California are being told to pay back millions of dollars in federal timber payments. In a statement, both Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkely say rural communities should not have to pay the price for poor sequester cuts by Washington politicians. While that issue … Continue reading »
Commissioners Speak to D.C. Lawmakers
MEDFORD, Ore. — County leaders take a message to Washington, D.C., telling lawmakers how to help struggling counties. The main issue is the counties’ reliance on federal timber payments. County commissioners looked to lawmakers and fellow county leaders for alternatives during that trip to the Nation’s Capitol. County commissioners across the Rogue Valley spoke to … Continue reading »
Timber Panel Gives Options to Lawmakers
CAVE JUNCTION, Ore. — The governor’s special panel to address county timber payments says it has come up with options to help counties, logging, and the environment. In October, Governor John Kitzhaber put together a special panel of county leaders, timber companies, and environmental groups to try to solve the issue of reduced O & … Continue reading »
Timber Funding Decision Not Made
GRANTS PASS, Ore. – Programs in Josephine County will have to wait even longer to find out how much they will receive in federal funding. On Wednesday, the Josephine County Commissioners approved a carry over amount for their budget, but will decide how much each agency gets at a later date. Some the groups vying … Continue reading »
