OLCV Talk

Senate Passes Emergency Response Fund to Fight Invasive Species

On an 18-11 vote, the Oregon Senate just passed HB 2020, a bill to create an emergency response fund to detect and quickly respond to invasive species outbreaks. (More about the bill). It was the third OCN Priority bill on invasive species to head to the Governor's desk, giving OCN a 3-for-3 record this session on invasives. Congrats to Trout Unlimited and Native Fish Society, who worked on this bill.

Republican Senators Nelson and Starr joined 16 Democrats in voting Yes. Democratic Sen. Betsy Johnson joined 10 Republicans in voting No. Sen. Prozanski was absent.

Huzzah! Senate Passes Bill to Protect Oregon from Invasive Species!

On a 26-4 vote, the Oregon Senate passed HB 2220B, a bill to create mobile boat check stations and fight invasive species such as quagga and zebra mussels and aquatic plants.

The bill -- an OCN Priority bill -- now heads to the Governor! Congrats to everyone who worked on this bill, including Native Fish Society and Trout Unlimited, and the Oregon Invasive Species Council. Senator Walker carried the bill on the floor. Senators Boquist, Ferrioli, George and Girod voted no.

House Passes Important Invasive Species Legislation 44-15

On a 44-15 vote, the Oregon House just passed House Bill 2220B, a bill to create mobile check stations to inspect and clean boats that may be infected with invasive quagga or zebra mussels or aquatic plants.

Rep. Jenson (R-Pendleton), co-chair of the Natural Resources Subcommittee of Ways and Means, carried the bill on the floor. Many thanks to all the citizens who spoke out on this issue, and the bipartisan group of legislators who supported it, including Rep. Jenson.

The bill is an OCN Priority for a Healthy Oregon bill, and now heads to the Senate for consideration. Voting NO were Reps. Cameron, Clem, Freeman, Hanna, Huffman, Kennemer, Maurer, Olson, Richardson, Sprenger, Thatcher, Thompson, Weidner, Whisnant, and Wingard.

Oregon Being Invaded by 15-Foot Carrots

I just had to write that headline.

Maybe it's not precise, but here's the scoop: Giant Hogweed, native to Asia, can grow from 10 to 15 feet tall. It is a member of the carrot and parsnip family. It's also an invasive species, and it's in Northwest Oregon at about 100 sites. It's the featured invasive species of the month.

OLCV is working to pass two more OCN Priority bills to stop invasive species this session: HB 2220 and HB 2020.

House Bill 2220 would allow the creation of mobile check stations to inspect and clean boats to prevent the introduction of invasive snails and mussels into Oregon's waterways. If mussels find their way to Oregon's waters they could cause millions of dollars of damages to Oregon infrastructure and ecosystems. HB 2220 also increases the penalties for intentionally introducing invasive species, something that can happen when fisherman stock a favorite non-native fish in the wrong lake. Such an action required a $6 million eradication effort in Southern Oregon's Diamond Lake just three years ago.

House Bill 2020 would set up an earmarked fund to respond quickly to invasive species outbreaks. It is seeded with $300,000. Quick response to eradicate invasive species can save taxpayers millions of dollars, and prevent expensive damages to key industries such as Oregon’s billion-dollar-a-year nursery industry.

Please contact your legislators today via email or at 800-332-2313 and urge them to pass both of these bills!

Every Day without Quaggas Means Money Saved

The state is very nervous about potential arrival of aquatic invasive species in Oregon, according to a story in today’s Oregonian. The story explains the dangers of invasive species and what the Oregon Legislature could do about it right now.

According to the story, Oregon has “marshalled efforts to keep out [the quagga mussel], delaying its arrival on the hulls of boats as long as possible. The damage here would go into the hundreds of millions of dollars, they say.”

Left to reproduce and spread at will, invasive species – ranging from various species of plants, to bait fish dumped into lakes, to thumbnail-sized mussels that spread by grabbing on to the bottom of boats -- could end up costing the state billions of dollars and causing irreparable harm to Oregon’s land and waters.

That’s why the Oregon Conservation Network made Invasive Species one of six priorities for this year’s legislative session. Senate Bill 571 has already been signed by the governor. This bill increases penalties for anyone who intentionally introduces non-native species of fish into Oregon’s lakes and rivers. Just such activity caused the tui chub fish to take over the Diamond Lake ecosystem, and cost taxpayers $6 million to clean up.

We need two other bills to pass, too. HB 2220 would authorize the creation of border stations to check boats coming into Oregon for invasive plants and mussels. HB 2020 would set up an emergency response fund to fight invasives. Both bills are in the Natural Resources Subcommittee of Ways and Means Committee, and we are working to get them heard next Tuesday. Both would help address the problem that the Oregonian’s story illuminated today.

How Is Oregon's Environment Faring This Session?

It’s been a busy five months at the Capitol, and as the session enters its final weeks, we still have a lot of work to do.

Hundreds of environmental bills were introduced this session, an even dozen of which we prioritized, on six key issues. As of today, only two priority bills have made it to the Governor. In short, the session hasn’t exactly gone swimmingly.

 

While the session is not over, right now legislators have a lot of work to do to meet the bar set by the 2007 session, when the Oregon Legislature moved the state forward to fight climate change, fight toxins in rivers, expand the bottle bill, and more. That session was defined by groundbreaking legislation that set goals for reducing global warming pollution and spurred the growth of local renewable energy sources.

 

But a lot has changed since 2007 – most obviously, the state of our economy. And while the climate crisis offers Oregon a chance to create local jobs for Oregon families (The New York Times reports today Oregon leads the nation in green jobs), the 2009 Legislature has yet to send any of the four Oregon Conservation Network priority climate bills to the Governor. The state’s budget woes have proven to be a powerful distraction, and an excuse for inaction.

 

That’s not to say we haven’t seen some small and not-so-small victories, such as:

• TriMet and the Lane Transit District will be able to more adequately fund transit.
• People who dump non-native fish into Oregon lakes and rivers will face increased penalties.
• Oregon’s rivers will be protected from phosphates in household dishwashing soap.
• Homeowners will be able to use gray water to water their lawns and gardens.
• Penalties for corporate polluters will be increased for the first time in 36 years.

 

A critical climate bill, House Bill 2186, passed the House last month, but has yet to pass the Senate. And the House passed a consensus bill (HB 3013) related to OCN's Marine Reserves priority, which is now in the Senate.

Yet the Legislature has missed some opportunities -- like making Oregon's bottle bill more robust -- and may even send the state backwards on climate. Here are some of the battles we’re fighting right now:

 

• HB 2186 - the Senate may considerably weaken the version the House passed, or not take it up at all.
• We may end up fighting against Senate Bill 80, which could be irreparably altered to benefit corporate polluters. Sadly, this bill was once the centerpiece of this session’s climate and jobs package.
• HB 2940 would dramatically cut Oregon’s commitment to our clean energy, undermining the Renewable Energy Standard targets passed in 2007.
• Liquefied natural gas and HB 3058: It’s been an all-session battle against out-of-state corporations determined to site their dirty LNG facilities in our beautiful state. The House passed HB 3058, and it now sits in the Senate. A story in Monday’s Oregonian highlights the battle of grassroots organizations fighting the deep-pocketed fossil fuels energy industry.

 

The session isn't over yet. There's still time for significant progress on climate, water, marine reserves, and invasive species this session. There’s still time to stop major threats and pass key bills that will protect the Oregon we love. That’s what we’re fighting for… Stay tuned.

Invasives Priority Bill to Governor, While Quagga Mussels Found in Washington

Senate Bill 571, an OCN Priority for a Healthy Oregon, passed the Oregon House on a 60-0 vote this morning. The bill will increase penalties on those people who introduce invasive fish into Oregon waters. The bill now heads to the Governor for his signature. Congratulations to all those who helped move this important bill forward! (more about the bill)

Meanwhile, two other invasive priority bills, House Bill 2220 and House Bill 2020, remain in the Joint Ways and Means Committee. HB 2220 would authorize a set of border stations to check boats coming into Oregon for invasive plants and mussels. HB 2020 would set up an emergency response fund to fight invasives. Both are particularly timely in light of today's news that a boat in Washington was found to be carrying quagga mussels, which can cause huge ecological damage and millions of dollars of damage to public water infrastructure.

Invasives Day at the Capitol Well-Received

This morning the House Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Rural Communities  Committee heard two Priorities for a Healthy Oregon bills that will significantly address invasive species concerns in Oregon. Invasive species have the potential to cost Oregon, private business, and taxpayers millions of dollars each year if allowed to invade the state.

House Bill 2220 would allow  check stations at borders for invasive species carriers like boats and potentially off-road vehicles. It was received enthusiastically by the committee, which is simply waiting for technical amendments to be delivered from legislative counsel before moving the bill to the floor.  Members are also exploring legal concerns within the state constitution for stopping motorists in addition to funding the creation and maintenance of the border stations.

House Bill 2020, a partner invasive species bill, establishes a specific fund to promptly respond to invasive species outbreaks. Prompt response is the second most efficient way to address invasive species--behind preventing initial introduction in the state. Funding sources were discussed, such as establishing a fee for non-motorized boat users (kayaks, etc) who often use public facilities, or looking to the off-highway vehicle community, which has a budget dedicated to services for riders. Vehicle owners have expressed interest in directing those funds to creating check station. The bill is also waiting for amendments.

Chair Clem joked that we could at least move forward with "Visit, but Don't Invade" signs at the borders with other states.

Tansy Ragwort Ain't the Only Noxious Thing 'Round Here

Noxious weeds are a big problem in Oregon.

Luckily, the Oregon Legislature is considering making our state's response to invasive weeds smarter, stronger, and more comprehensive.

House Bill 2212 is the effort by the Oregon Department of Agriculture to use its structure set up to fight tansy ragwort (pictured) to fight all noxious weeds, while including key national model weed law provisions to ensure we have the best response possible.

OLCV worked with representatives of the Oregon Toxics Alliance, Nature Conservancy, and Oregon Tilth to ensure the integrated weed management approach language in the bill is strong and functional.

The House Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Rural Communities Committee sent the amended bill to the floor on a 6-1 vote yesterday. The full House is scheduled to vote on it within a week.

Countdown to 2009

Countdown to the 2009 Legislative Session that is...

The first day of session is January 12 and we can't wait to get to work.

We'll be working on critical environmental legislation as a member of the Oregon Conservation Network (OCN), a coalition of fifty of Oregon’s leading environmental groups. 

Implement Global Warming Solutions We must take action to reduce global warming pollution, which if left unchecked will lead to increased forest fires, water shortages, and major disruptions to our economy. The Legislature should place a mandatory, declining cap on global warming pollution.

Promote Water Conservation Farmers, fishermen, cities, businesses and local communities all need adequate water supplies to thrive. It’s our responsibility to ensure a legacy of healthy rivers for everyone and everything that depends on them

Preserve Oregon’s Coastal Legacy Global warming, pollution, increasing population, and coastal development are taking a toll – and our ocean’s future health is at risk. The Legislature should create a system of marine protected areas and reserves in Oregon’s Territorial Sea.

Increase Transportation Options As the Oregon Legislature considers new transportation investments, we must make sure to use more efficient land use planning and invest in transportation options. This will reduce the amount of time Oregonians spend in traffic, improve our health, and reduce the amount we spend on gas.

Ensure New Energy Supplies are Responsible Liquefied natural gas (LNG) emits 20-30% more global warming pollution than domestic natural gas. LNG terminals planned for Oregon would mainly send gas to California, which has rejected LNG because of safety and environmental concerns.

Stop the Spread of Invasive Species Oregon must take action to stop the spread of invasive plant, animal, and aquatic species. The Legislature should require boats entering the state be cleaned, to prevent the introduction of invasive snails and mussels into Oregon’s waterways.

Learn more about our Priorities for a Healthy Oregon.

To stay up to date on our priorities and other environmental bills during the session, sign up for SalemWatch, our legislative e-newsletter.