skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Saturday, April 27, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Louisiana teachers' union concerned about educators' future; Supreme Court hears arguments in Trump immunity case; court issues restraining order against fracking waste-storage facility; landmark NE agreement takes a proactive approach to CO2 pipeline risks.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Speaker Johnson accuses demonstrating students of getting support from Hamas. TikTok says it'll challenge the ban. And the Supreme Court dives into the gray area between abortion and pregnancy healthcare, and into former President Trump's broad immunity claims.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The urban-rural death divide is widening for working-age Americans, many home internet connections established for rural students during COVID have been broken, and a new federal rule aims to put the "public" back in public lands.

Oregonians Picked Rivers for Protection in Congressional Bill

play audio
Play

Thursday, February 4, 2021   

PORTLAND, Ore. -- New legislation in Congress would protect rivers Oregonians have identified as their most cherished.

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., released the River Democracy Act on Wednesday.

After hearing from nearly 2,500 Oregonians about which rivers they want protected, the bill would give 4,700 miles of rivers and streams across Oregon a Wild and Scenic River designation.

Chad Brown, president and founder of the group Soul River, and a Navy veteran, said Oregon's rivers are places where people can recharge.

"The river's a special place," Brown maintained. "And it's definitely a place of medicine, of natural medicine, that we all need to enrich our soul, our mind, our body and our spirit."

Brown noted rivers help him and other veterans cope, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

About 2% of Oregon's waterways are currently protected as Wild and Scenic. Wyden's office received more than 15,000 nominations for river miles across the state.

Opponents of Wild and Scenic designations worry it could impact industry along rivers and streams.

Liz Hamilton, executive director of the Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association, said the bill bodes well for protecting salmon and steelhead, and boosting the state's outdoor recreation sector, which generates $15.6 billion dollars in consumer spending, and is a boon for rural economies.

Hamilton added Wyden has worked on protecting Oregon rivers for decades, and the state could sustain more recreation.

"Our industry in particular has learned that there's not enough public spaces for people," Hamilton argued. "The access has been crowded, and the need for more public space is really clear to us through this pandemic."

Hamilton also noted the bill would help protect clean sources of water, especially from wildfire risks.

The legislation ensures only federal lands are affected by Wild and Scenic designations and Native American tribes have a voice in how rivers are managed.

Support for this reporting was provided by The Pew Charitable Trusts.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
The United Nations experts also expressed concern over a Chemours application to expand PFAS production in North Carolina. (Adobe Stock)

play sound

United Nations experts are raising concerns about chemical giants DuPont and Chemours, saying they've violated human rights in North Carolina…


Social Issues

play sound

The long-delayed Farm Bill could benefit Virginia farmers by renewing funding for climate-smart investments, but it's been held up for months in …

Environment

play sound

Conservation groups say the Hawaiian Islands are on the leading edge of the fight to preserve endangered birds, since climate change and habitat loss …


Jane Kleeb is director and founder of Bold Alliance, an umbrella organization of Bold Nebraska, which was instrumental in stopping the Keystone Pipeline. Kleeb is also one of two 2023 Climate Breakthrough Awardees. (Bold Alliance)

Environment

play sound

CO2 pipelines are on the increase in the United States, and like all pipelines, they come with risks. Preparing for those risks is a major focus of …

Environment

play sound

April has been "Invasive Plant Pest and Disease Awareness Month," but the pests don't know that. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says it's the …

Legislation to curtail the union membership rights of about 50,000 public school educators in Lousiana has the backing of some business and national conservative groups. (wavebreak3/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Leaders of a teachers' union in Louisiana are voicing concerns about a package of bills they say would have the effect of dissolving labor unions in t…

Health and Wellness

play sound

The 2024 Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium Public Conference kicks off Saturday, where industry experts and researchers will share the latest scientific …

Environment

play sound

Environmental groups say more should be done to protect people's health from what they call toxic, radioactive sludge. A court granted a temporary …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021