Congressman Greg Walden

This is the second half of a one hour program that examines the types of minerals found in Oregon, their importance to our economy and in our daily lives, and the impacts of state and federal regulations and land withdrawals on the mining industry.   In Part 4, an ex-Navy SEAL who has been instrumental in developing the suction dredge technology for placer mining in river beds talks about the environmentalists’ litigation against mining and the recently passed law that bans suction dredging in California. Then the state geologist from the Josephine County office of the Dept. of Geology and Mineral Industries discusses how ... Read Full Story

This is the first part of a two-part series focusing on the timber industry in Oregon. This one-hour program looks at how responsible forest management is important for healthy forests, and examines the negative impact of federal regulation and environmental litigation on the timber industry and on local economies in rural Oregon. These three videos make up the first half hour of the program, which includes interviews with people working in forestry, logging, trucking, and sawmills. The second half hour, which includes interviews with representatives of county, state, and federal forest programs, will be published next month. In Part 1, a forester explains the ... Read Full Story

This is the first half of a one-hour program that examines the mining industry in Southern Oregon. (The second half hour of this program will be posted next month.) In the first segment, a gold miner shows us the adit of a gold mine in Josephine County, Oregon, where there’s still plenty of gold in the ground but the challenge is getting it out. He also shows us one of the best places for gold panning along the Rogue River, but cautions about running afoul of the new regulations. Then a retired state geologist discusses the different types of minerals found in Southern Oregon, ... Read Full Story

These three videos make up the second half hour of a one-hour program that looks at how responsible forest management is important for healthy forests, and examines the negative impact of federal regulation and environmental litigation on the timber industry and on local economies in rural Oregon. In Part 4, the Josephine County Forestry Supervisor hoots for a spotted owl and explains the impact of federal regulations on county forestry practices. Then, the retired Director of Forestry in Josephine County talks about the Biscuit fire and how current federal forest practices leave our forests vulnerable to an even more catastrophic fire. In Part 5, ... Read Full Story

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