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Tribal advocates keep up legal pressure for fair political maps; 12-member jury sworn in for Trump's historic criminal trial; the importance of healthcare decision planning; and a debt dilemma: poll shows how many people wrestle with college costs.

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Civil rights activists say a court ruling could end the right to protest in three southern states, a federal judge lets January 6th lawsuits proceed against former President Trump, and police arrest dozens at a Columbia University Gaza protest.

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Rural Wyoming needs more vocational teachers to sustain its workforce pipeline, Ohio environmental advocates fear harm from a proposal to open 40-thousand forest acres to fracking and rural communities build bike trail systems to promote nature, boost the economy.

Report: Going 'Natural' May be Best Weather Insurance

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Wednesday, October 29, 2014   

PORTLAND, Ore. - Protection that's natural is least expensive and may be best when it comes to threats to life and property in Oregon because of floods and coastal storms.

According to a new report from the National Wildlife Federation, investments in natural infrastructure need to be boosted as severe weather continues to happen more often, with some events connected to climate change.

Report author Patty Glick, a senior climate-change specialist at the federation, said they found that natural flood control, such as wetlands, tend to be overlooked.

"We also tend to undervalue the benefits that natural infrastructure, such as the vegetation along our rivers and streams, can provide for us," she said.

The report recommends strengthening the Clean Water Act, as well as making improvements to the federal flood-insurance program to better reflect true risks of building in flood zones.

Wesley Dupont, executive vice president and general counsel for the insurance company Allied World, said it makes good business sense to take proactive steps to protect communities, especially given the impact of climate change.

"They need to begin to think about cost-effective, nature-based approaches to risk mitigation," he said. "It just makes good business sense."

The report estimated that for every $1 spent on natural infrastructure restoration and improvements, $4 can be saved in weather-damage expenses.

The report, "Surviving Climate Change with Natural Defenses," is online at nwf.org.


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