PORTLAND, Oregon, Dec. 14 -- The Alliance Defending Freedom issued the following news release: Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys representing an Oregon mother of five who wishes to adopt siblings under the age of 10 from foster care filed a notice of appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit Wednesday after a lower court ruled against her. Oregon state officials categorically excluded Jessica Bates from the adoption process because she refused to speak or act against her belief  more

BROOKFIELD, Wisconsin, Dec. 12 -- The American Malting Barley Association posted the following news: * * * Press release reproduced with permission from Dr. Brigid Meints. The American Malting Barley Association strongly supports the referenced project and looks forward to the resulting work. * * * A national project focused on organic naked barley for multiple end-uses, led by Dr. Brigid Meints of Oregon State University, has been re-funded after two successful iterations. "Developing Mult  more

PORTLAND, Oregon, Dec. 14 -- The Mercy Corps issued the following statement on Dec. 13, 2023: * * * The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) concluded today in Dubai with a final agreement that falls far short on delivering the change needed to effectively fight the climate crisis. The implementation of the Loss and Damage fund on the first day of the conference signaled that it was possible for leaders to unite behind action to protect the planet and its people, but the final deci  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 -- The Defenders of Wildlife issued the following news with six groups on Dec. 12, 2023: As the United States faces escalating impacts from the joint biodiversity and climate crises, leading conservation groups including Defenders of Wildlife, the Endangered Species Coalition, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Oregon Wild, Sierra Club, Wildlife Conservation Society, and World Wildlife Fund today applauded Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) for introducing a resolution in th  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 (TNSres) -- The Wildlife Conservation Society issued the following news release on Dec. 12, 2023: As the United States faces escalating impacts from the joint biodiversity and climate crises, leading conservation groups including Defenders of Wildlife, the Endangered Species Coalition, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Oregon Wild, Sierra Club, Wildlife Conservation Society, and World Wildlife Fund today applauded Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) for introducing a resolut  more

SEATTLE, Washington, Dec. 15 -- Earthjustice issued the following news release on Dec. 14, 2023: An agreement to restore the Columbia Basin announced today by the White House, the States of Oregon and Washington and four Columbia Basin tribes marks a turning point in the long-standing effort to protect and restore Snake River salmon, an iconic Pacific Northwest species that could face extinction without action. Based on a Tribal-state initiative backed by federal commitments, a coalition of fi  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 16 -- The Wilderness Society issued the following statement on Dec. 15, 2023: * * * Today, the U.S. Forest Service issued a Notice of Intent to amend the Northwest Forest Plan, which encompasses 19 million acres of federal forest lands in Washington, Oregon, and Northern California. The news follows the creation of and months of planning and coordination by a Federal Advisory Committee that provides the Forest Service advice and recommendations for sustainable, climate-adapte  more

PORTLAND, Oregon, Dec. 14 -- The Mercy Corps issued the following joint statement on Dec. 13, 2023: * * * A new program that trains refugees displaced by the Somali civil war to become entrepreneurs and start their own small businesses has launched within the Kobe, Hilaweyn, and Melkadida refugee camps in Ethiopia. DREAMS (Delivering Resilient Enterprises and Market Systems) for Refugees is a partnership that merges Village Enterprise's poverty graduation program with Mercy Corps' expertise i  more

PORTLAND, Oregon, Dec. 14 (TNScapv) -- The Mercy Corps issued the following news release: Nearly four million refugees are hosted by just four countries in East Africa - that is over 10% of the global number of refugees. Uganda, Kenya, Sudan and Ethiopia are countries of asylum for millions of people fleeing conflict and climate change, many of whom are experiencing protracted displacement. Yet those host countries already face a multitude of challenges ranging from violent conflict and continu  more

PORTLAND, Oregon, Dec. 15 -- The Mercy Corps issued the following statement on Dec. 14, 2023: * * * Violence, severe food shortages, and a lack of basic necessities after eight months of conflict in Sudan have forced 6.3 million people to flee their homes, the majority of whom are women and children, and placed a tremendous strain on neighboring countries. According to new projections, 17.7 million people across Sudan face high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above), with the   more

DENVER, Colorado, Dec. 14 -- The National Wildlife Federation issued the following news release: National Wildlife Federation and Trout Unlimited announced their support for an Owyhee Canyonlands National Monument as another means of protecting Oregon's Owyhee Canyonlands in the event that the Malheur Community Empowerment for the Owyhee does not pass in Congress. National Wildlife Federation and Trout Unlimited fully support the legislation sponsored by Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), which is th  more

DENVER, Colorado, Dec. 15 -- The National Wildlife Federation issued the following news release: The National Wildlife Federation applauded members of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee for advancing two key pieces of legislation that will conserve wildlife habitat and safeguard sporting traditions in Colorado and Oregon. The Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy (CORE) Act - approved with bipartisan support - will conserve wildlife habitat and migration corridors, expand hunti  more

SEATTLE, Washington, Dec. 15 -- The National Wildlife Federation issued the following news release: Standing by the leadership of the Nez Perce, Yakama, Warm Springs, and Umatilla Tribes and after three decades of litigation, the National Wildlife Federation joins a coalition of fishing, conservation and energy groups in a significant step forward in the long-standing legal battle to restore and conserve Snake River salmon and steelhead runs. The joint agreement with the Biden administration, t  more

ARLINGTON, Virginia, Dec. 16 -- The National Grain and Feed Association issued the following statement on Dec. 15, 2023: * * * The Biden administration on Dec. 14 announced a $1 billion plan with environmental groups, four tribal governments and the states of Washington and Oregon meant to address salmon declines in the Columbia and Snake River system. The settlement announcement proposes that the administration help fund and conduct studies on "how the transportation, irrigation, and recreati  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 14 -- Oregon Wild issued the following news release on Dec. 13, 2023: As the United States faces escalating impacts from the joint biodiversity and climate crises, leading conservation groups including Defenders of Wildlife, the Endangered Species Coalition, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Oregon Wild, Sierra Club, Wildlife Conservation Society, and World Wildlife Fund today applauded Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) for introducing a resolution in the Senate calling on th  more

EUGENE, Oregon, Dec. 15 -- The Western Environmental Law Center issued the following news release on Dec. 14, 2023: Today, wildlife conservation groups sued Burlington Northern Railway Company (BNSF) for operating trains and authorizing use of its tracks by other companies that have killed many federally protected grizzly bears in or near the Northern Continental Divide and Cabinet-Yaak grizzly bear recovery zones in Montana and Idaho, respectively. Pending the completion of processes begun in   more