Think Out Loud

Green Diamond timber company agreed to slow their logging operations in Southern Oregon in return for millions of dollars in payments from Microsoft and other companies seeking to offset their carbon dioxide pollution from fossil fuels. The companies are essentially paying the timber company  to grow more trees on this land. The Bootleg Fire upended the Green Diamond carbon storage plans, burning through nearly 20 percent of the company’s Klamath project lands. Reporter Hal Bernton looked into the viability of carbon offsets in an increasingly fire-prone world. He joins us with the story.

In June, a team from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently traveled to Astoria, Newport and other coastal towns in Oregon and Northern California to meet with community members about the possible reintroduction of sea otters to Oregon and Northern California. Starting in the 1700s, the marine mammals were nearly hunted to extinction from Alaska to California for the maritime fur trade, and disappeared from Oregon’s coastal waters in the early 1900s.   Last year, the USFWS released a report which found that reintroducing sea otters would be “biologically feasible,” and could help restore kelp forests, along with other benefits to the nearshore environment. But big challenges and uncertainties remain, including the impact on the Dungeness crab and other fisheries. Joining us to talk about this issue is Michele Zwartjes, supervisor for the Oregon Coast Field Office of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  We also hear from the Elakha Alliance, a nonprofit based in Siletz that has been advocating for more than five years for the return of sea otters to the Oregon coast, including publishing its own reintroduction feasibility study in 2021. Jane Bacchieri is the executive director of the Elakha Alliance. Peter Hatch is an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians and a secretary and board member of the Elakha Alliance. They join us to talk about the cultural importance of sea otters to Indigenous communities, and what their return would signify. 

The University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History has hit the road this summer. It’s offering hands-on learning through its Oregon Rocks! program, which teaches kids and families about geology. The organization is traveling throughout the state, reaching places like Portland, Pendleton and Paisley to bring science discovery to Oregon communities of all sizes. Mia Jackson is the education manager at the museum. She joins us with details about the program and why the museum wants to focus on statewide outreach.

For the first time in its history, the Deschutes County Fair and Rodeo in Redmond will feature drone light shows. The Bend Bulletin first reported on the drone light shows which will take place after each evening’s musical performance and feature more than 200 drones launching into the night sky. The drones are programmed to fly like a hive of bees buzzing with LED lights, swooping into formation hundreds of feet in the air to sculpt recognizable shapes and objects, from corporate logos to an American flag and a dirt bike stunt performer. Drone light shows are growing in popularity at outdoor events, and can offer a quieter, more environmentally friendly alternative to fireworks displays. We talk to Jonathan Segali, the CEO of Go Drone Shows, for a preview of the drone performances his company has created for the Deschutes County Fair and Rodeo, and the future of using drones for aerial entertainment. 

The Treasure Valley Reload Center is a rail project in Nyssa aimed to help farmers ship their produce to other markets. Projected to open in 2020, the center has faced a number of setbacks due to permitting and financial issues. Now, the expected operator of the project, Americold, has announced they will be removing themselves from the project. Pat Caldwell is a reporter for the Malheur Enterprise. He joins us to share more on the rail center's latest issues and what the future of the project looks like without an operator.

Last  year the University of Southern California and the University of California, Los Angeles announced that they were leaving the Pac-12. Last week, the University of Colorado did the same. The collegiate athletic conference was formed in 1959, but its future remains unclear. Zachary Neel, managing editor for USA Today’s Ducks Wire, joins us to discuss the options on the table now for athletics at the University of Oregon and Oregon State University.

Since 1995, Portland has funded the independent Regional Arts and Culture Council to provide arts education, advocacy, and administer grant funding to local artists. Recently Commissioner Dan Ryan told RACC the city wants to do that work itself. The city provides over $6 million of RACC’s $7.5 million budget, and will let that contract expire at the end of the year. Darion Jones, Senior Policy Advisor to Commissioner Ryan on Arts, Culture and Equity, and Jeff Hawthorne, Arts Program Manager for the City of Portland join us to talk about what arts funding will look like going forward.

After a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, hundreds of canoe families from across the Pacific Northwest once again paddled to Seattle, landing at Alki Beach on July 30. Canoe families will spend the next week participating in songs, dances and other protocol ceremonies hosted by the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe.  Nika Bartoo-Smith is part of a team at Underscore News that has been covering the journey. She joins to tell us about Sunday’s landing and give us a preview of the upcoming protocol ceremony. 

Youth who are blind or visually impaired face challenges if they want to play sports or even engage in physical activity their sighted peers may take for granted. The Northwest Association for Blind Athletes created Camp Spark to change that. Its free sports camps use games, physical activity, orientation and mobility to help campers develop skills - including leadership, independence, and advocacy. We talk with program manager Kirsten French and Athena Wooters, a Camp Spark counselor.

In response to increasing crime, drug use, graffiti and unsanctioned homeless camping, the city of Portland launched a “90 day reset” to clean up its Central Eastside. The results of the official effort were released recently and included lighting improvements, removing hundreds of camps, nearly 5,000 pounds of trash and 74,000 square feet of graffiti. Clare Briglio is the executive director of the Central Eastside Industrial Council and Central Eastside Together, one of the city’s three enhanced service districts.When the report was released, she praised the city’s efforts but also said the overall response was “a work in progress,” and that "businesses and residents deserve credit for their patience and passion during this time.” Briglio joins us to share more about the experiences of those in the district during and after the reset, and what she thinks should come next.