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SNW Partners with National Leader in Electric Transportation

I am writing this from the Klamath Basin, where I have been meeting with Tribal members, local residents, organizations, and landowners about our decades-long work in one of the most spectacular landscapes in the Northwest. 

I am pleased to announce the next phase of our electric tractor pilot program ---- including an exciting partnership with Forth. See below for more details, along with updates on the Klamath dams removal process and our westside forest work in both Oregon and Washington.

In other news, our Northwest Community Forest Forum is going virtual this year on October 28 - 30! Stay tuned for more details and check out the highlights from last year's Nisqually Community Forest Field Tour in the meantime. 

And, as always, a huge thank you to our donors and funders who have continued their support to our work, especially during these times.

Sincerely,

Greg Block, President
SustainableNorthwest.org

SNW Partners with Forth on Electric Tractor Pilot

Partnerships form the backbone of our work. We are pleased to announce that our electric tractor pilot includes Forth, a national leader in electric transportation. And thanks to recent success, electric tractors will be landing on farms near you and serving diverse producers across the state. This is the first dedicated statewide effort to test, prove, and scale electrification in agricultural equipment. While this first phase is focused on electric tractors, this effort is part of a broader initiative to advance electrification for the agricultural and forestry sector for years to come.

If you would like to learn more and support this work, please contact Bridget Callahan, bcallahan@sustainablenorthwest.org

Next Steps in the Removal of the Klamath Dams

In July, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ruled on a proposal from dam owner PacifiCorp and the Klamath River Renewal Corporation (KRRC) to transfer ownership of four Klamath River dams from PacifiCorp (owned by Berkshire Hathaway Energy) to the non-profit KRRC, which would then remove the dams --- including the J.C. Boyle dam pictured above. FERC’s order is technically consistent with the terms of the agreement signed by Sustainable Northwest and stakeholders in 2016, known as the Amended Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement (or KHSA). The agreement can proceed with PacifiCorp as a co-licensee; however, the agreement requires PacifiCorp’s concurrence in such an arrangement. PacifiCorp has long demanded a clean break from the project, and all associated liabilities, before dam removal moves forward.

Sustainable Northwest is working with organizations and individuals across the region to urge Berkshire Hathaway (the owners of PacifiCorp/Pacific Power) to engage quickly and energetically with the other signatories to the Amended Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement to come to resolution over specific issues of concern to PacifiCorp.

The best way to limit cost overruns is for PacifiCorp, Oregon and Washington, Tribes, commercial and recreational fishing groups, conservation groups, local communities, and the KRRC to work together to keep the project on schedule. We oppose dam delicensing and must seize this opportunity to join together to restore over 300 miles of river habitat for salmon. If successful, this will be the largest dam removal and river restoration effort ever undertaken in the U.S., if not the world.

Westside Forest Work

Sustainable Northwest is continuing its critical work on westside forests throughout Oregon and Washington through engagement with Forest Collaboratives and National Forests that are part of the Northwest Forest Plan.

In April, Sally Bernstein, our Forest Program Coordinator, began as the Coordinator for the Darrington Collaborative, a Forest Collaborative on the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Sally spearheads outreach and engagement with internal and external partners, leads on administrative tasks, and supports the collaborative in navigating strategic planning and governance.

In addition, our Senior Forest Scientist Trent Seager is working with Cascade Pacific RC&D to launch a forest-wide Collaborative on the Siuslaw National Forest. The National Forest and newly forming Collaborative cover 8 counties in western Oregon. Trent will help with on-boarding of the new Coordinator, and provide technical assistance and science engagement as the Collaborative discusses forest restoration and management while protecting the habitat of federally listed species such as the Marbled Murrelet and Northern Spotted Owl. Look for more details in future newsletters!

Chaney at the Five Senses of Juniper event at SNW Wood in 2019
 

Staff Profile:
Chaney Harter, Donor Engagement Manager

After growing up in Oregon, Chaney decided to give the East Coast a shot and went to college just outside of Philadelphia. Realizing that she missed both actual mountains (she's sorry, but the Poconos just don't count) and the rain, she moved back to Portland in 2015.

Chaney has worked for several non-profits ranging from a Scandinavian cultural center to an economic development organization. Her extensive background in communications and fundraising forms the basis of her role at Sustainable Northwest. Her current position as Donor Engagement Manager allows her to connect diverse groups of individuals, foundations, and companies to the critical work that SNW is doing across the region, especially with traditionally underserved populations.

Once the SNW staff are back at the Morrison street office, Chaney looks forward to resuming her role as the person who updates the comics taped to the communal fridge.

THANK YOU TO OUR SUPPORTERS!
 

Supporters Who Gave From Apr. 2020 - Jul. 2020
  • Citrine Advisors
  • Coca-Cola North America
  • Craft3
  • Crane Creek Family Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation
  • Eric Owen*
  • Investment Management Group
  • Jeff Nuss
  • Jine Frederick
  • John Bailey*
  • John and Patricia Rose
  • Mark Smith*
  • Mason, Bruce, and Girard
  • Mike and Audrey Llewelyn
  • Mike Merz
  • Ochoco Lumber Company
  • Paul and Lory Utz
  • Richard and Janet Meganck
  • Schwabe, Williamson, and Wyatt
  • Simon Moreira
  • Tides Foundation
  • Tim and Billie Taylor and the Laird Norton Company
We couldn't do our critical work without the support of people, foundations, and companies like you!

*indicates a monthly donor
A view of Eastern Oregon from an excursion that Green Markets Associate Jordan Zettle took in August 2020 with his wife Carissa.

Header photo credit: USFS 2007
Electric tractor photo: Courtesy of Solectrac
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