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Douglas County Forester Whitney Henneman Receives National Recognition for Forestry Excellence

Douglas County Forester Whitney Henneman Receives National Recognition for Forestry Excellence

Whitney Henneman, a forester from Douglas County, has been honored with national recognition at the Society of American Foresters (SAF) 2026 Annual Convention in Tacoma, Washington. She was named the District 2 Oregon Presidential Field Forester. The SAF acknowledged Henneman for her exceptional work in applying forestry principles on the ground, utilizing sound, scientific methods, and adaptive management strategies. Henneman's career spans various roles, starting in California where she worked in timber cruising for Sierra Pacific Industries and reforestation for Roseburg Forest Products. Upon moving to Oregon, she served as a log buyer for C&D Lumber and a forester for Silver Butte Timber Company. Currently, Henneman is a forester and co-owner of True North Natural Resources Consulting. Her professional commitments also include serving as a board member for the Coos Forest Protective Association and the Oregon Department of Forestry’s Southwest Fire Protection District.
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Sierra Pacific Industries Seeks Wildlife Biologist Aide for Forestry Division in California

Sierra Pacific Industries Seeks Wildlife Biologist Aide for Forestry Division in California

Sierra Pacific Industries Seeks Wildlife Biologist Aide for Forestry Division in California
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UN climate talks start in the year of disasters, energy price shocks and fast rising temperatures

UN climate talks start in the year of disasters, energy price shocks and fast rising temperatures

The United Nations climate negotiations will open in Turkey with a focus on three key narratives
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New Law Facilitates Cleanup of Abandoned Hard-Rock Mines, Bodie Mine First Success Story

New Law Facilitates Cleanup of Abandoned Hard-Rock Mines, Bodie Mine First Success Story

The Bodie Mine in rural north-central Washington has become the first site to be cleaned up under the Good Samaritan Remediation Abandoned Hard-Rock Mines Act of 2024. This new law addresses liability issues that previously hindered the cleanup of tens of thousands of abandoned mines across the U.S. The Bodie Mine, which had been contaminating Toroda Creek with heavy metals for decades, saw 790 tons of mine tailings removed and the stream rehabilitated by Trout Unlimited. The project, funded by various sources including the EPA and corporate partners, demonstrates the law's effectiveness in allowing non-liable entities to undertake environmental remediation without assuming future legal responsibility.
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Ivory Coast Cocoa Farms Hold Over 1 Billion Wild Trees, Offering Forest Restoration Potential

Ivory Coast Cocoa Farms Hold Over 1 Billion Wild Trees, Offering Forest Restoration Potential

A recent study conducted by scientists from CIRAD and Félix Houphouët-Boigny University in southern Ivory Coast estimates that at least 1.05 billion young wild trees are growing within the country's cocoa farms. Field inventories identified 272 species among these trees, which primarily originated from seeds dispersed by animals and wind. This discovery highlights a previously underrecognized natural resource that could play a significant role in restoring Ivory Coast's forest cover. The country has experienced substantial deforestation, with its forest cover shrinking from approximately 16 million hectares in the early 20th century to less than 3 million hectares today, largely due to agricultural expansion. The study suggests that existing reforestation programs, which typically involve nursery-grown plants, could be supplemented by leveraging this natural regeneration within cocoa plantings.
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National Wheat Foundation Announces 24 National Winners in 2026 Yield Contest

National Wheat Foundation Announces 24 National Winners in 2026 Yield Contest

The National Wheat Foundation has revealed the 24 national winners of its 2026 National Wheat Yield Contest, representing 10 states. These winners achieved an average yield of 146.4 bushels per acre. Anne Osborne, Executive Director at the National Wheat Foundation, highlighted that the contest evaluates not only yield but also quality, with top quality awards to be announced later. Montana and Washington each had four national winners. In addition to the national accolades, the contest recognized four winners in a pilot digital yield category and 71 state winners from 22 states, who averaged nearly 135 bushels per acre in traditional categories. The winners will be honored at the Commodity Classic on March 2nd in New Orleans.
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Copper Prices Decline Amid Democratic Congressional Sweep and Reduced Tariff Speculation

Copper Prices Decline Amid Democratic Congressional Sweep and Reduced Tariff Speculation

Copper Prices Decline Amid Democratic Congressional Sweep and Reduced Tariff Speculation
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Trump elevates hardliner Stephen Miller as chief of staff after midterm defeat

Trump elevates hardliner Stephen Miller as chief of staff after midterm defeat

By Bo Erickson, Nandita Bose, Steve Holland and Trevor Hunnicutt WASHINGTON, Nov 6 (Reuters) - US President Donald Trump named trusted aide Stephen Miller as his chief of staff on Friday, giving the architect of some of his toughest domestic policies one of the most powerful jobs in Washington after
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Genetic Sequencing Links Washington Dairy Bird Flu to Idaho, H5N1 B3.13 Genotype Confirmed

Genetic Sequencing Links Washington Dairy Bird Flu to Idaho, H5N1 B3.13 Genotype Confirmed

Genetic sequencing has confirmed that the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) detected in two Washington dairy herds is consistent with transmission from Idaho, likely through cattle movement. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced that the virus is H5N1 genotype B3.13. The first two detections in Washington dairy herds were reported on October 8, with the National Veterinary Services Laboratories completing whole genome sequencing on the same day. This B3.13 genotype has been implicated in most HPAI cases in U.S. dairy herds, stemming from the original spillover event in the Texas Panhandle in late 2023. The Washington herds exhibited clinical signs consistent with H5N1 infection, and surveillance is ongoing in the affected areas and throughout the state.
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US labor market regains ground as job growth surges, unemployment rate falls to 4.1%

US labor market regains ground as job growth surges, unemployment rate falls to 4.1%

By Lucia Mutikani WASHINGTON, Nov 6 (Reuters) - US job growth accelerated in October and the unemployment rate fell to 4.1%, suggesting that the labor market could be strengthening after stumbling in mid-summer and keeping the Federal Reserve on track to raise interest rates in December.
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US continues to generate jobs, yet inflation is eroding the spending power of millions of Americans

US continues to generate jobs, yet inflation is eroding the spending power of millions of Americans

U.S. employers created a surprising 165,000 new jobs last month, and the unemployment rate dipped to 4.1%
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US Treasury sanctions Canadian money services firms over Iran-related transactions

US Treasury sanctions Canadian money services firms over Iran-related transactions

WASHINGTON, Nov 6 (Reuters) - The US Treasury said on Friday that it had imposed financial sanctions on eight money services firms based in Canada that it alleges have facilitated transactions with sanctioned Iranian entities.