Podcasts about oregon department

It’s not uncommon for adults in custody in the U.S. to find themselves in solitary confinement for a range of behaviors, both violent and non-violent infractions. The practice is well-documented as being psychologically and socially damaging and to worsen the mental health outcomes for those subjected to it. The Oregon Department of Corrections is facing a class action lawsuit over the practice.  And separately, a group of lawmakers has sent the agency a formal request to adopt U.N. standards known as Mandela rules, which would sharply curtail the use of isolation as a common form of discipline. Rep. Farrah Chaichi, D- Beaverton/Aloha, led this effort and she joins us to share more about the lawmakers’ letter, the DOC’s response and what she sees as the next legislative steps.  

In this episode, Cory Connors talks with Kim Holmes about Oregon's landmark position as the first U.S. state to implement Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging. Kim traces her path into sustainability — from a paralegal detour to a master's in urban studies at Portland State University, through hands-on recycling and waste characterization work with Community Environmental Services — before landing in her current role leading Oregon's CAA team. She breaks down what a producer responsibility organization actually does, how Oregon's "shared responsibility" model differs from other states, and what's driving the buildout of the Recycle On network of drop-off sites across the state.Key Topics Discussed:Kim's career path into recycling and sustainability policyWhat the Circular Action Alliance is and how it supports producer compliance across Oregon, California, Colorado, Maine, Minnesota, and WashingtonOregon's shared responsibility model between producers, local governments, and haulersThe Recycle On brand: public education, outreach, and drop-off collection networkHow producer fees are calculated and why they vary state to stateBuildout of Oregon's 144 planned collection points, including partnerships with transfer stations and Southern Oregon GoodwillMaterials accepted at drop-off centers (film, rigid plastics, foil, shredded paper, glass) versus the curbside systemHow Recycle On differs from Oregon's Bottle Bill deposit systemThe NAW constitutional challenge to Oregon's EPR law and its narrow preliminary injunctionEPR's long track record internationally (Canada, Europe, and beyond) versus its newness in the U.S.Recent wins: roll cart rollouts in The Dalles, new truck deliveries in Southern Oregon, and transportation cost reimbursement for rural communitiesThe Contamination Audit Center and Contamination Reduction Funding mechanismWorking toward a national responsible end-market verification standard with SCS GlobalHow other states are watching Oregon's implementation and where harmonization may emergeResources Mentioned:Recycle On Oregon page Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ)SCS GlobalContact:Listeners can learn more about Oregon's EPR programs, find drop-off locations, and get in touch with the Circular Action Alliance team at recycleon.org/oregon.Thank you for tuning in to Sustainable Packaging with Cory Connors!Support our Sponsors Learn more here:- 3M- Specright- Forest https://anewearthproject.com/collections/new-earth-approvedConnect with CoryConnect with Cory on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cory-connors/I'm here to help you make your packaging more sustainable! Reach out today and I'll get back to you asap. This podcast is an independent production and the podcast production is an original work of the author. All rights of ownership and reproduction are retained—copyright 2022.

This is the second part of a two-part podcast on energy affordability. In our previous episode, we talked with Representative Craig Williams of Pennsylvania and Janine Benner, director of the Oregon Department of Energy.  For this episode, we're joined by Katherine Jereza, an assistant secretary in the U.S. Department of Energy who directs the Office of Electricity, and Joseph Pereira, the director of Colorado's Office of the Utility Consumer Advocate.  In the worlds of both politics and policy, energy affordability is a hot topic. The U.S. saw largely flat electricity demand from the late '90s until just a couple of years ago. Increasing demand from both homes and businesses, electrification of cars and trucks, the growth of data centers and other factors have strained the nation's ability to meet demand. Rates have increased and legislators are increasingly concerned that consumers will face more and larger rate increases.  Assistant Secretary Jereza discussed how energy affordability is affected by challenges in both generation and transmission of energy and how data centers offer promise to help run the grid more efficiently. She also discussed resources for states that are trying to keep down energy costs for their residents. Pereira explained how his office functions as a consumer advocate, how his agency approaches energy affordability, and the concerns he brings to the debate around data centers and how they can affect ratepayers.  Resources Colorado Office of the Utility Consumer Advocate Factors Affecting Electricity Prices, U.S. Energy Information Administration NCSL 2025 State Legislative Energy Trends Report Office of Electricity, U.S. Department of Energy

Oregon is moving to gut its compulsory school attendance laws — and the reason is exactly as infuriating as it sounds. With nearly a third of all students chronically absent, the Oregon Department of Education isn't cracking down. It's proposing to repeal the state's longstanding attendance mandates entirely, replacing enforcement and truancy consequences with a feel-good "performance growth indicator" framework that treats showing up to school as optional feedback data.Senate Bill 315 would eliminate 11 attendance-related statutes, stripping the fines and sanctions that were meant to keep kids in classrooms. The department calls existing law a "compliance" model that creates "tension" with a more supportive approach. Translation: they've given up. Oklahoma is apparently the role model here — a state that already softened its truancy laws — which tells you everything about where Oregon's education establishment thinks the floor is.Governor Tina Kotek has presided over an Oregon school system posting some of the highest chronic absenteeism rates in the country, a collapse that accelerated after 2020 and never recovered. The bureaucratic answer? Reclassify the problem until it disappears on paper. If 33% of kids won't go to school, the progressive solution is apparently to stop caring whether they show up at all.Subscribe to @reasonablenews for daily coverage of Pacific Northwest policy disasters, failed governance, and the common-sense takes you won't find anywhere else. Hit the notification bell — we'll see you next episode.#Oregon #Education #PublicSchoolsGO PREMIUM WITH REASONABLE+ FOR UNCENSORED ACCESS

In January of 2027, people on Medicaid will need to meet a slate of new requirements mandated by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, or HR1. Some people on the Oregon Health Plan will need to confirm that they are working, volunteering or attending school every six months. And everyone will need to renew twice a year, rather than once every two years. All this paperwork will be handled by the Oregon Department of Human Services, in collaboration with the Oregon Health Authority. Both departments are working hard to make sure they are ready for the January deadline. Vivian Levy, Interim Medicaid Director for the Oregon Health Authority, and Nate Singer, Director of Eligibility Partnership at the Oregon Department of Human Services, join us to explain how Oregonians will be impacted.

In this episode, host Zach Urness talks with an Oregon wildfire chief about why the 2026 season has been historically bad and what to expect for the rest of the summer. Urness talks with Kyle Williams, the Oregon Department of Forestry's deputy director of fire operations, about the seemingly endless number of fires burning in central and eastern Oregon, how they started and why they've grown so large. They talk about firefighting tactics and what to expect on the west side of the state the rest of summer. Likely this week, Oregon will burn more acres than have ever been recorded in a modern fire season — and it'll happen before the calendar even hits August.

In this bonus wildfire update episode of Inside Deschutes County, Deschutes County Emergency Manager Ben Duda and Al De Vos with the Oregon Department of Forestry use the Akawa Butte Fire as a starting point for a discussion about wildfire response, preparedness and public safety in Central Oregon. They explain how agencies work together during a wildfire, what residents should know about evacuations and emergency notifications, and where to find trusted information throughout fire season.

Firefighting crews are working around the clock to contain the dozens of wildfires burning across Central, Eastern and Southern Oregon. The Oregon Department of Forestry is coordinating with state, local and federal agencies to contain large wildfires that have triggered level 1, 2 and 3 evacuations and led to air quality advisories in more than a third of the counties in the state.    The agency’s complex incident management teams have taken command of the Akawa Butte fire burning near Sisters and are assisting on several fires that are part of the Rowe Creek Complex. A state-to-state mutual aid agreement has allowed ODF to get help from Florida firefighters who took over command on Monday of the Evans Creek fire in Southern Oregon.   Kyle Williams, ODF’s Deputy Fire of Fire Operations, joins us for more details.

More than 500,000 acres have burned in Oregon from wildfires that were sparked last week by lightning storms. That includes the Rowe Creek Complex that has grown to roughly 150,000 acres and triggered level 1, 2 and 3 evacuation notices for residents in Wheeler and Wasco counties. The fires have also led to air quality advisories for more than a third of the counties in the state.   Rangeland Fire Protection Associations have been working with state and federal agencies to respond to the Rowe Creek Complex and other fires in remote, difficult terrain. There are currently 29 RFPAs in Oregon. Their members are ranchers and private landowners who volunteer to help fight wildfires on private rangelands in coordination with the Oregon Department of Forestry and other state and federal agencies.   Ted Netter is a rancher and chairman of the Oregon RFPA Advisory Committee and the fire supervisor of the Lower Bridge RFPA which serves Jefferson and Deschutes counties. Ross Ryno is a rancher and member of the Twickenham RFPA which serves parts of Wheeler county. They join us to talk about their efforts to protect their homes and communities from the Rowe Creek Complex and Akawa Butte fire burning near Sisters.  

 According to the Oregon Department of Emergency Management, wildfires have burned more than 300,000 across the state so far. Fire officials say that lightning strikes last week ignited dozens of fires which were fueled by dry vegetation, hot weather and windy conditions. An estimated 1,500 Oregonians are under Level 3 — GO NOW! — evacuation orders.   Oregon State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple joins us with an update on the status of the fires and how agencies are responding.  

Henley High School students spent two years converting a school bus into a mobile command center that the Oregon Department of Forestry will use during wildfire season.

Alix Pedraza is the Director of Community Engagement at the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Over the last decade at the department, she has been working with Communities of Color, forging a relationship that empowers people to spend time in the outdoors recreating responsibly and connecting them to agency resources. Alix spent some time with The Outdoor Communicators Podcast host Tim Akimoff, of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, talking about how she built this program. If you want to learn more about Alix Pedraza and her program, please feel free to reach out to her.  South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Alix Pedraza - Director of Community Engagement Office of External Affairs P.O. Box 167, Columbia, SC 29202 Phone: (803) 734-9885 Email - pedrazaa@dnr.sc.gov

According to the Oregon Department of Human Services, more than 60,000 Oregonians have lost their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits since the passage of the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" last July that cut spending on SNAP, Medicare and other programs to offset tax cuts championed by President Trump and Republicans in Congress.   The law made changes to SNAP, including eligibility restrictions and work requirements for able-bodied adults 64 and younger without children under the age of 14 in their SNAP household. SNAP recipients who don’t qualify for an exemption can meet the 80-hour monthly work rules in several ways, including paid work, volunteering or participating in a SNAP Training & Employment Program. The program helps SNAP recipients with job placement, career coaching, pre-apprenticeship training, tuition assistance and other support provided by WorkSource Oregon and community-based organizations.   This month, ODHS began requiring interviews to check eligibility for households applying for SNAP or renewing their benefits. Nate Singer, Oregon Eligibility Partnership Director at ODHS, shares how Oregonians are being impacted by federal changes to SNAP, along with Matt Newell-Ching, Senior Policy Manager at Oregon Food Bank, and Jesse Aronson, WorkSource Program Manager at Worksystems, the Portland metro workforce development board serving Portland, Multnomah and Washington counties.  

Our topic on this episode is energy affordability. In the worlds of both politics and policy, energy affordability is a hot topic. The U.S. saw largely flat electricity demand from the late '90s until just a couple of years ago. Increasing demand from both homes and businesses, electrification of cars and trucks, the growth of data centers and other factors has strained the nation's ability to meet demand. Rates also have increased and legislators are increasingly concerned that consumers will face more and larger rate increases. To offer some perspective, we sat down with Representative Craig Williams of Pennsylvania, and Janine Benner, the director of the Oregon Department of Energy.  Benner discussed how her agency focuses on an energy strategy for the state, how it works with the Oregon Public Utility Commission, and the challenge posed by scores of data centers around Oregon. She also explained how all of these elements work in the context of Oregon's ambitious clean energy goals.  Williams, who has extensive experience in the energy industry as a lawyer, talked about the demand challenge that's hitting the electrical system now and is expected to continue to increase, the effect of data center growth in Pennsylvania and what he sees as the right legislative approach to the problem.  Resources Factors Affecting Electricity Prices, U.S. Energy Information Administration NCSL 2025 State Legislative Energy Trends Report Oregon Department of Energy

Oregonians overwhelmingly voted against Measure 120, a proposal meant to address funding shortfalls for the Oregon Department of Transportation.   Known as the gas tax, the measure would have increased the state’s gas tax by 6 cents per gallon, temporarily hike payroll tax, and double fees for registrations and titles. Without the tax, the agency only has funding to support core services until the end of 2027. Daniel Porter is ODOT's Finance and Budget Division Administrator. He joins us to share how he’s thinking about the future of the agency’s budget.  

As wildfires grow larger and more destructive across the West, state governments are having a hard time paying for response and prevention. Oregon lawmakers were called into an emergency session in December 2024 after the state’s most expensive fire season left the Oregon Department of Forestry with nearly $100 million in unpaid bills. They also created a new tax in the 2025 session on nicotine pouches, such as Zyn, to fund wildfire prevention.   Kyle Williams is the deputy director of fire operations for ODF. He joins us with more details about the state’s wildfire funding ahead of what could be a historic fire season.  

A mining operation that will create close to 100 jobs and cost upwards of $60 million to build could be coming to Baker County. As first reporter in the Baker City Herald, Sumpter Development LLC is planning to reopen four historic mines near Bourne. The company is currently meeting with the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries to see if it can get permission and permits from the state agency to use the mines. Jayson Jacoby is the editor of the publication and reported on this story. He joins us to share more.

People REALLY love their impervious surfaces. Concrete structures practically permeate human-built landscapes. Rather than layering ever more concrete on top of living soils, in waterways, and all over the countryside, what if we re-established our connection with natural ecosystems and put a stop to the concrete madness? One of the most inspiring developments of environmental and cultural restoration involves the cleanup of tons and tons of concrete. We're talking dam removal today. So grab a sledge hammer, a few sticks of dynamite, and a wrecking ball, and come along as we explore the battle between concrete placement and concrete removal. And don't miss our interview with Tara Lohan, author of Undammed: Freeing Rivers and Bringing Communities to Life. Originally recorded on 3/17/26.Sources/Links/Notes:The Reef Line“Underwater ‘traffic jam' off Miami beach, CBS News, November 3, 2025Miami Beach's New Traffic Jam Frolics With the Fishes, New York Times, December 1, 2025We Finally Know Why Ancient Roman Concrete Stood The Test of Time, Science Alert by Michelle Starr, October 29, 2025L“Concrete: From Ancient Origins to a Problematic Future” by Mary Soderstrom. University of Regina Press, 2020.“Concrete: From the Ground Up” by Larissa Theule. Candlewick Press, 2022.“This is the total weight of everything humans have created since 1990” World Economic Forum, December 6, 2021“Global human-made mass exceeds all living biomass” Nature.com, December 9, 2020“Undammed: Freeing Rivers and Bringing Communities to Life” by Tara Lohan. Princeton University Press, 2025Map of U.S. Dams Removed Since 1912“Ten years after Oregon's largest dam removal” Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, 2017“‘Salmon Everywhere' One Year After Klamath Dam Removal” California Department of Fish and Wildlife, 2025Undammed: The Klamath River Story podcast“First Descent: Kayaking the Klamath River after the largest dam removal in U.S. history” Oregon Public BroadcastingCar Free AllianceAuto MatTransportation Action Network“Stop this destructive, car-centric development” Hindustan Times, December 22, 2025Ridges to RifflesRivernetwork Member DirectoryDepave.orgRelated episode(s) of Crazy Town:Episode 48, “The Taming of the Slough: Humanity's History of Trying to Control Water”Episode 123, “Mailbag: The Crazy Townies Speak!”

For more than four years, business teacher Marcia Latta has been helping youth improve their financial literacy at McKay High School in Salem. In recognition of her efforts, Latta was recently named the Oregon Financial Empowerment Educator of the Year by Oregon Treasurer Elizabeth Steiner. The Salem Statesman Journal first reported news of Latta’s award, which includes a $1,500 cash prize for Latta, $500 for her school and $500 total in college savings plan gift certificates for her students.     Starting next year, all Oregon high school students will be required to earn a half credit in personal finance education in order to graduate. Latta teaches two classes at McKay, including one that’s a requirement on personal finance that helps high school juniors understand bank loans for car or home purchases, how to save for retirement and other financial concepts. For three years now, Latta has also used a grant from the Oregon Department of Human Services to organize free tax preparation clinics for students, many of whom she says get refunds on their filed returns.    Latta joins us to share her work educating youth about their personal finances.  

Matthew Vargas, a biologist with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife presented the Ashland City Council with options to consider in managing the deer population.

To buy the beaver pelt from Randy's Garage Sale, click here - shopfreshtracks.com This week on Fresh Tracks Weekly, we are joined by Skyler, the Sage Grouse Conservation Coordinator for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. We take a deep dive into the critical role sage grouse play in the western ecosystem and explain why big game hunters should be invested in the health of these birds and their habitat. We also catch up with Michael in his latest installment of the fishing corner. We also jump into a few news stories: Over half of the reintroduced wolves in Colorado have died or been killed, leading to a pause in further translocations due to budget constraints and sourcing difficulties. Oklahoma has begun releasing pen-raised deer into the wild to test for genetic immunity to Chronic Wasting Disease, a move that has drawn significant criticism from the scientific and hunting communities. The Congressional Sportsmen Foundation is raising alarms over new bills in Massachusetts that could shift wildlife management areas toward preservationist models, potentially limiting active habitat management and hunting access. Online retailer Etsy has announced a ban on the sale of most fur items starting in August 2026, a decision that trappers and small business owners argue ignores the role of trapping as a vital wildlife management tool. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update. We have three stories for you this week, a major confirms nobody is replacing DJI in the consumer market, the FCC opens public comments on drone spectrum reforms, and Oregon tells the FCC to build drone test sites in the mountains.First up this week, a major report from The Verge confirms what we have been saying for months: nobody is coming to save the consumer drone market. According to the report, massive defense contracts have absorbed almost every American company that might have built affordable consumer drones. For example, Skydio confirmed they will not return to the consumer market, and the U.S. Army recently ordered $52 million worth of their X10D tactical drones. Why build a $500 consumer drone when the Pentagon is spending millions? We did see the Antigravity A1 hit the market recently, which is an 8K 360-degree drone that sold 30,000 units shortly after launch. But Antigravity is still a Chinese company, so they face the exact same supply chain exposure. Meanwhile, the Zero Zero HoverAir Aqua is reportedly dead in the water after failing to get FCC certification before the December ban. When volunteer fire departments or Search and Rescue can't afford a $10,000 enterprise system, they rely on affordable consumer drones. As we've said time and time again, this isn't a problem we're going to feel right now… This will be a major problem in 2-3 years. Speaking of, the Federal Communications Commission has released Public Notice DA 26-314, asking our drone industry what needs to be fixed to help the United States lead the global drone race. The notice covers six policy areas, but spectrum access is the biggest one. Right now, most U.S. drones operate on unlicensed 2.4 and 5.8 gigahertz bands, which are the same crowded frequencies used by your home Wi-Fi router. The FCC is asking if the industry should shift to the licensed 5030 to 5091 megahertz band. They previously allocated a 10-megahertz block at 5040 to 5050 megahertz for direct frequency assignments, but this has sat dormant. The FCC also wants to speed up experimental licensing and address Counter-UAS rules. Currently, Section 333 of the Communications Act prohibits willful interference with radio communications, preventing any counter-drone system that jams a signal. Comments are due by May 1st. We will have to see if they can create a credible framework before current exemptions expire in 2027.And our third story, all interconnected this week, The Oregon Department of Aviation has drafted an eight-point response to the FCC public notice. But instead of just asking for abstract reforms, Oregon is telling the FCC exactly where to build new UAS innovation zones. They identified three specific test corridors in real terrain: one in the Cascades near Oakridge, another along the Columbia River Gorge, and a third in southeast Oregon. Oregon argues that testing drones in flat, controlled academic labs does not produce data that transfers to real-world conditions. For example, wildfire response or emergency medical delivery are dealing with mountain passes, line-of-sight obstructions, and weather. Oregon also backed the push toward the 5030 to 5091 megahertz band for command and control links, emphasizing that safety-critical operations cannot rely on unlicensed bands. They also asked the FCC for a simple waiver process for trusted deployment of foreign drones during this transition period. That's all this week, join us in Post Flight where we share our opinions that may or may not be suitable for YouTube, and we'll see you next week! https://dronexl.co/2026/04/06/fcc-da-26-314-drone-spectrum-licensing-public-notice/https://dronexl.co/2026/04/07/oregon-fcc-drone-dominance-test-sites/https://dronexl.co/2026/04/07/verge-dji-ban-nobody-replacing-consumer-drones/

Bitcoin Lightning payments, self-custody yield, and stablecoin interoperability are converging on one infrastructure layer, and the companies building it are already seeing massive demand. Tedd Huff, CEO of fintech advisory firm Voalyre and founder of Fintech Confidential, sits down with Jesse Shrader, co-founder and CEO of Amboss Technologies, to break down how Lightning Network infrastructure is reshaping payment processing, treasury strategy, and compliance for fintech operators worldwide.Card networks charge 2% to 5% per transaction. Lightning brings that to 0.29%. Square just announced zero Bitcoin processing fees for its entire retailer network. The Genius Act is flooding the market with stablecoins, but those assets live on blockchains that do not talk to each other. Jesse explains how Taproot Assets on Lightning can unify fragmented stablecoin systems through cross-asset, in-flight currency exchange. He also walks through how Rails, a self-custodial Bitcoin yield product with over 2,600 on its waitlist, lets companies earn yield from payment routing without giving up custody. The conversation includes real founder lessons on fundraising, board strategy, and preparing for a future where AI systems pay each other.FIND OUT MORE1️⃣ Lightning payment processing at 0.29% is a 10x reduction from card network fees; run the math on what your business saves annually.2️⃣ Self-custody yield is now possible on Bitcoin without handing your asset to a third party; Rails automates the infrastructure so you do not need to be an expert.3️⃣ Build your board with the smartest people you have ever met, and replace anyone who is not fully invested in your success.4️⃣ Map your fiat compliance obligations into decentralized payment environments now, before a sanctions violation forces the conversation.5️⃣ Start designing guardrails for AI agents with spending authority; machine-to-machine payments are expected within three to five years.LINKSGuestJesse Shrader on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shraderjesse/CompanyAmboss Technologies: https://amboss.tech/Amboss Space (Lightning Network Explorer): https://amboss.space/Rails: https://www.amboss.tech/railsAmboss on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ambosstechFintech ConfidentialPodcast: https://fintechconfidential.com/listenNotifications: https://fintechconfidential.com/accessLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fintechconfidentialX: https://x.com/FTconfidentialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fintechconfidentialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/fintechconfidentialSupportersDFNS provides wallets as a service that is API first, multi-chain by design, and secured with MPC so you can launch across over 50 blockchains without managing private keys. Request a demo at fintechconfidential.com/dfnsSkyflow is a zero trust data privacy vault delivered as an API that lets you collect, secure, and tokenize personal information with built-in features for PCI, CCPA, GDPR, and SOC 2 compliance. Visit skyflowsecure.comHawk AI provides AI tools for real-time payment screening, ML transaction monitoring, and dynamic customer risk rating to make compliance more effective and help fight fraud and financial crime. Visit gethawkai.comAboutJesse Shrader is the CEO and co-founder of Amboss Technologies. He holds a degree in Environmental Resources Engineering from Humboldt State University and previously worked in highway asset management at the Oregon Department of Transportation. His experience handling calls for class action lawsuits against banks exposed him to predatory overdraft practices and pushed him toward building decentralized payment infrastructure.Amboss Technologies is a payment infrastructure and data analytics company built on Bitcoin's Lightning Network, founded in 2021. Its products include Magma (liquidity marketplace), Rails (self-custodial yield), Reflex (compliance automation), and Amboss Space (network explorer).Tedd Huff, CEO of fintech advisory firm Voalyre and host of Fintech Confidential. Fintech Confidential is a production of DD3 Media, bringing you the people, tech, and companies that change how you pay and get paid.Chapters00:01:02 DFNS: Wallets as a Service (Sponsor)00:02:20 Welcome to Web3 with FTC00:02:51 Meet Jesse Shrader and Amboss00:05:32 Rails Launch and Bitcoin Yield Demand00:06:37 From Engineering to Bitcoin Infrastructure00:09:18 Stablecoins, Genius Act, and Interoperability00:12:39 Self-Custody Yield with Rails00:16:40 Why Lightning Over Layer One00:19:08 Amboss Product Suite00:21:45 Compliance, Sanctions, and Reflex00:24:15 Skyflow: Data Privacy Vault (Sponsor)00:25:17 How Rails Generates Yield00:29:31 Lower Fees and Merchant Adoption00:35:24 Founder Lessons and Fundraising00:39:30 Build Your Board Strategically00:41:50 Crystal Ball: AI Paying AI00:45:18 Voltage Partnership Announcement00:47:12 Hawk AI: Fighting Financial Crime (Sponsor)00:47:57 Disclaimer

Amazon has a big footprint in Morrow County driven by tax incentives, cheap power and available land. A new complaint from the Oregon Department of Justice claims that some of those tax incentives and land sales were approved by people who benefitted from the company’s purchase of internet services from a small company called WindWave. Mike Rogoway, business and technology reporter for The Oregonian, reported the details of this story and joins us to explain.

Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update. We have five stories for you this week. First, Oregon exposes the real cost of the DJI ban. Second, the FAA reveals DJI makes up 96% of US drones. Third, the Commerce Department updates drone export rules. Fourth, Indiana prosecutes illegal drone deer scouting. And finally, a drone assists in a 900-foot tower rescue. Let's get to it.First up, the Oregon Department of Aviation has released a white paper exposing the real-world cost of the federal DJI ban. They surveyed 25 state transportation departments, and the numbers are staggering. Across those states, at least 467 drones are currently grounded or restricted. The total national exposure is estimated to be anywhere from $50 million to $2 billion! Wisconsin reported that 100% of its fleet is grounded. Colorado lost 90% of its capacity, and Oregon itself has exactly ONE compliant drone still operational out of 22. The white paper is recommending a waiver until September 2027 to give our drone industry time to catch up.New FAA-funded research puts a hard number on DJI's market dominance. The ASSURE A83 2025 Annual Report analyzed Remote ID telemetry data from 64 monitoring locations. DJI platforms make up more than 96% of detected drones in US airspace. Skydio accounted for just over 1%, and all other manufacturers combined made up less than 2.4%. Looking at the specific models, the DJI Mini 4 Pro alone accounts for 19% of all detected platforms. The Air 3 sits at 13%, and the Mavic 3 Pro holds 8%. More than 93.7% of the top 22 detected platforms weigh 3 pounds or less. Heavy-lift models like the Matrice 400, Agras T50, and FlyCart 30 remain a tiny fraction of overall flights. The US Commerce Department is streamlining drone export controls. The Bureau of Industry and Security published an interim final rule that makes two big changes. It removes the license requirement for commercial drones with a maximum endurance under one hour when exported to allied nations. Second, it opens a faster pathway for certain longer-range systems, like heavy-lift 25-liter agricultural sprayers and cargo delivery drones. Previously, these drones were caught up in the Missile Technology Control Regime, which was designed to restrict systems capable of carrying a 500-kilogram payload at least 300 kilometers. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources is bringing its first-ever prosecution for illegal drone deer scouting. Under Indiana law, you can legally use a drone to recover an animal that has already been harvested, but using it to scout or locate game during the season or 14 days prior is strictly illegal. Conservation officers seized a drone and pulled the forensic data. The GPS logs, timestamps, flight paths, and other data reportedly showed hundreds of images systematically tracking a specific trophy buck to a baited area. The suspects are allegedly facing charges for drone scouting.In Texas, two people were trapped in a hot air balloon basket that collided and became snagged on a communications tower 925 feet in the air. Longview Fire and first responders had to execute a highly complex high-angle rescue, assisted by drone. The passengers were safely rescued after a four-hour operation, but the crew still had to remove the tangled balloon using a cage and cable system. That's all we've got this week, we'll see you in the community for Post Flight where we share our opinions that aren't suitable for YouTube. Have a great weekend! https://dronexl.co/2026/03/03/oregon-exposes-real-cost-dji-ban/https://dronexl.co/2026/03/02/indiana-drone-deer-scouting-prosecution/https://dronexl.co/2026/03/02/925-feet-down-one-drone-call/https://dronexl.co/2026/03/01/us-commerce-department-drone-export-controls/https://dronexl.co/2026/03/03/faa-research-dji-us-drone-platforms/

Matthew Vargas, a biologist with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife presented the Ashland City Council with options to consider in managing the deer population.

We're joined by REAL LIFE Volcanologist Dr. Vanessa Swenton, the Lead Field Geologist at the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries to talk Dante's Peak, the 1997 disaster classic starring Pierce Brosnan & Linda Hamilton, recently released on 4K UHD from Kino Lorber. Find us on Instagram!

Last month, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek signed an executive order creating an interagency council to better support immigrants and refugees in the state. According to the Oregon Department of Human Services, there are more than 400,000 immigrants in Oregon, making up nearly 10% of the state’s population and nearly 13% of the state’s workforce.    The Office of Immigrant and Refugee Advancement at ODHS is leading this new effort which aims to boost coordination and communication between multiple state agencies amid the toll heightened immigration enforcement is taking on communities and the state services they rely on.     According to OIRA director Jessica Ventura, the council had its first meeting last week and aims to deliver a plan by late spring that identifies how to align and boost state programs to support immigrants and refugees while upholding the state’s sanctuary law. Gov. Kotek and Ventura join us for more details about the Interagency Council for Immigrant and Refugee Coordination and to share what they’ve been hearing from dozens of community partners who advocate on behalf of these vulnerable Oregonians.  

Get grounded in energy fundamentals with our mini-episode series: Getting Grounded. We're breaking down Oregon's energy sources. Up next: Geothermal Guest: Rob Del Mar, ODOE senior policy analyst Resources: • Geothermal Energy in Oregon: https://www.oregon.gov/energy/energy-oregon/Pages/Geothermal.aspx • Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries' interactive map of geothermal springs and wells in Oregon: https://gis.dogami.oregon.gov/maps/gtilo/ • Newberry Volcano Project: https://mazamaenergy.com/newberry/ • Neal Hot Springs: https://www.enbridge.com/about-us/renewable-energy/geothermal • Oregon Institute of Technology's Geo-Heat Center: https://www.oit.edu/library/about/collections/archives/all-collections/geo-heat

The Oregon Department of Education released 2025 graduation rates on Thursday, January 29, and Hillsboro School District students reached an impressive milestone with 90.43 percent of high school seniors graduating within four years of their first entry into high school. This marks the first time since Oregon began using the cohort graduation rate calculation method in 2008-09 that the district average has been above 90 percent. Three of the district's five high schools had individual rates above 90 percent: Century, Glencoe, and Liberty. Hillsboro Online Academy reached its highest rate ever, and Hilhi achieved its second-highest rate. The District's graduation rate is 7.41 percentage points higher than the state average, and 2.88 percentage points higher than last year's rate of 87.55%. Notable gains were seen in the graduation rates of Students with Disabilities, Students Experiencing Poverty, Students from Underserved Races/Ethnicities, Ever English Learners, and students identifying as Hispanic/Latino and Black, which aligns with the District's strategic priority to help students achieve success that is not predictable or predetermined by their race, ethnicity, or any other identities. Learn more on our website. Our featured video is from Superintendent Reiman as he delivers his second semester address. In it, the superintendent thanks students, staff, families, and community members for a strong and successful first half of the year and shares important messages about the short legislative session, anticipated budget reductions in 2026-27, our 2026 bond development process, and a reminder that HSD schools are safe and inclusive spaces for all students. View the three-and-a-half-minute video on our website. Hot News is produced and emailed to HSD families and staff each week school is in session. Please add the address to your “safe sender” list to make sure you always receive the latest issue. Please also bookmark our district website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hsd.k12.or.us⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to stay informed about what's happening in our district and schools.

Danielle Brigida is the Senior Director of Wildlife Communications & Strategy at the World Wildlife Fund. Prior to that role, she was a Deputy Director of Digital Strategy at the U. S. Department of the Interior and the National Social Media Manager for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Your host, Tim Akimoff of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, first met Danielle in her earlier roles and has often bounced ideas off of her and leaned on her vast experience over the years. It seemed a long podcast conversation was overdue, so pull up a chair and have a nice eavesdrop session on a conversation between two friends who have been bantering about conservation communication and the many challenges therein over the last decade.  Learn more about the World Wildlife Fund Contact your host Tim Akimoff timothy.a.akimoff@odfw.oregon.gov (907) 887-4496

From fee increases to new rules for campground reservations, there are some big changes coming to Oregon State Parks this year. On this week's episode of the Peak Northwest podcast, we talk to Stefanie Coons, interim director of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, about what park visitors can expect for the year ahead, as the department hits a major budget shortfall. Coons has temporarily taken over the department as parks director Lisa Sumption works as interim director of the Oregon Department of Transportation. As you make your spring and summer plans at Oregon parks, here's what you need to know. Here are some highlights from this week's show: How bad is the budget shortfall? Visitors can expect higher camping and parking fees for 2026. What is Division 15 and what do those rule changes mean? Several major construction projects are now on hold. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the Explore Oregon Podcast, host Zach Urness previews the upcoming Oregon legislative session and outdoor-related bills that will be considered this February. Topics include: - A potential legal fix to the lawsuit and affordability crisis facing ski areas and outfitters and guides. Pete Wallstorm with the Oregon Outfitters and Guides Association details why the issue has become such a big deal. - An increase to the Oregon hotel tax to fund wildlife conservation — the so-called 1.25% for wildlife. - The practice of "corner crossing" to access public lands sometimes cut off by private land - An effort to reduce the number of people who need to purchase Waterway Access Permits to float small boats on rivers and lakes - Gov. Tina Kotek nominated Kacey KC to become lead the embattled Oregon Department of Forestry. She'll need to be confirmed by the Oregon Senate this February. - Oregon's ski areas are struggling to stay open amid the worst snow season in Oregon since 2015, and it's not expected to get any easier.

Get grounded in energy fundamentals with our mini-episode series: Getting Grounded. We're breaking down Oregon's energy sources. Up next: Biomass. Guest: Michael Freels, ODOE senior policy analyst Resources: • Oregon State University's Oregon Wood Innovation Center: https://owic.oregonstate.edu/ • Origin of Charcoal Briquettes: Collection: https://scua.uoregon.edu/repositories/2/resources/9251 • Bioenergy in Oregon: State of Oregon: https://www.oregon.gov/energy/energy-oregon/pages/bioenergy.aspx • Resource Review: Biomass (2020 Biennial Energy Report): https://www.oregon.gov/energy/Data-and-Reports/Documents/2020-BER-Technology-Resource-Reviews.pdf#page=31 • Oregon Department of Forestry: Oregon Department of Forestry: https://www.oregon.gov/odf/forestbenefits/pages/biomass.aspx

The Oregon Department of Human Services recently evaluated the first phase of a pilot program that gives $1,000 a month to youth experiencing homelessness. So far, the direct cash transfer program is producing promising results, including significant reductions in youth homelessness and improved mental health outcomes for participants. Now, early into its second phase, the program is riding the tailwinds of the first.    Matt Rasmussen is the program manager for the Youth Experiencing Homelessness Program at the OD HS. He joins us to talk about the successes and challenges of the first pilot phase and aspirations for the second. Gabi Huffman, a youth consultant and former recipient of direct cash transfers, also joins us to share her experience with the program.  

Yesterday afternoon, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent opened fire on a man and woman during an attempted traffic stop in East Portland, according to local and federal law enforcement officials. Responding to a report of a shooting, Portland Police found the man and woman who were shot and applied first aid before the two were transported to local hospitals for treatment.    U.S. Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the Portland shooting occurred as Border Patrol agents were stopping a vehicle. She claimed the driver and passenger were members of a Venezuelan gang and that the driver attempted to run over the federal agents, prompting one of the agents to open fire in self-defense.    According to Portland Police Chief Bob Day, the FBI is leading an investigation into the shooting. Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield said the Oregon Department of Justice would open its own investigation. Federal, state and local officials, including Portland Mayor Keith Wilson and Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek condemned the shooting. Portland Police said they made six arrests during a protest Thursday night outside the ICE facility in south Portland that attracted hundreds of people.    The shooting in Portland happened just one day after a U.S.  Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent shot and killed a U.S. citizen, Renee Nicole Good, in Minneapolis.    Joining us for more details is OPB reporter Joni Auden Land.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife estimates 14.5 million wild vertebrate animals are killed on Oregon’s roadways each year. Data shows it’s difficult to control driver behavior with things like road signs and traffic regulations. A more effective way to mitigate animal fatalities is by redirecting the animals themselves. Wildlife crossings — human-made structures that allow animals to safely pass through habitats near roadways — have been a successful tool in preventing animal-motor fatalities. States like Montana, Colorado and California have over 100 wildlife crossings, while Oregon has only six. Rachel Wheat is a spatial ecologist who serves as the wildlife connectivity coordinator for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. She joins us to discuss her work and tactics for improving transportation infrastructure for wildlife in Oregon.

The Oregon Department of Energy, or ODOE, recently published its Oregon Energy Strategy which centers on “decarbonization” by eliminating the generation of fossil fuels in Oregon.ODOE director Janine Benner told the legislature, “It's not a matter of when the energy transition from fossil fuels will occur; It's already happening.”If so, It's proceeding at glacial speed. ODOE's webpage on Oregon's electricity supply shows that, between 2012 and 2024, fossil fuels remain the dominant source of electricity. It's true that wind and solar grew to 11 percent, but only after hundreds of millions in subsidies.What's most concerning today is the reality that wind and solar are intermittent. For engineering reasons, both the supply of and demand for electricity must always be in equilibrium. Sudden drops caused by weather could lead to blackouts.Grid operators need “dispatchable” energy sources. Wind and solar are not dispatchable, making them unsuited for the utility grid—and for the coming century.The energy transition isn't happening because it can't happen. Decarbonization conflicts with the demands of a modern economy. Shutting down coal and gas plants and ending fossil fuel sales would transport us back to the nineteenth century. Oregon's political leaders have embraced energy poverty at a time when electricity demand is skyrocketing. The fuels needed to power new data centers and electric vehicles are nuclear, coal, gas and hydro—none of which are planned to increase in Oregon due to regulations.Welcome to the nineteenth century. Stock up on candles.For the full commentary visit www.cascadepolicy.org

In this episode of the Explore Oregon Podcast, host Zach Urness talks with Debbie Colbert, director of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Colbert became the first female director of ODFW, an agency tracing its history back to the 1800s, in May of 2024. In the podcast, she talked about her background as a field scientist and her first year as director, before jumping into hot-button topics like fee increases for fishing and hunting licenses, the future of Oregon's hatcheries and wild fish, wolf management, whale entanglement and some big wins for like the coastal coho salmon recovery.

Over the past decade, the Oregon Department of Justice has tried shifting blame to parents in wrongful death and negligence claims against the Department of Human Services , new reporting from The Oregonian/OregonLive shows. The publication found 10 cases where this was happening. But in half of those, parents were not accused of any crimes yet were still sued by the state . Sami Edge is the assistant breaking news editor for the Oregonian. She joins us to share more on why this is happening and what it means for parents.

 In 2007, the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries released a report looking at the seismic safety of more than 3,000 schools and other public buildings. A new analysis from The Oregonian/OregonLive found that of the 138 schools in the Portland area that were considered  at “high” or “very high” risk of collapsing, 110 of those continue to have students. And of those 110, 55 of them still have not had any major renovations. At the same time, some researchers are beginning to rethink whether the current "drop, cover and hold on" safety plan is the best option for students. Lizzy Acker is a reporter for The Oregonian/OregonLive. She joins us to share more on the seismic preparedness of Portland's students and schools.

Earlier this month, Brett Hollins embarked on a road trip to Oregon from his parents’ home in San Antonio. He didn’t come to experience the high desert splendor of Central Oregon or to snap selfies at Multnomah Falls. He came to present workshops and play basketball with inmates at six prisons across the state, including Snake River Correctional Institution in Ontario and Warner Creek Correctional Facility in Lakeview, both of which he once served time in.    In 2017, Hollins was sentenced to nearly six years in prison after pleading guilty to stabbing two men during a brawl that broke out during a party he and his friends attended near the campus of Southern Oregon University in Ashland. In 2021, then-Gov. Kate Brown commuted his sentence after he had served nearly four years of his six-year sentence.   The Oregonian/OregonLive sports writer Bill Oram has extensively profiled Hollins’ amazing journey of rehabilitation, including his decision to return to Ashland to play college basketball at Southern Oregon University, where he graduated last June and served as a team captain. More recently, Oram wrote about Hollins’ return to Snake River to play basketball and inspire adults in custody with workshops he developed through his new nonprofit, The Side Door Foundation. Hollins joins us, along with Michael Reese, director of the Oregon Department of Corrections, to share their perspectives on rehabilitation and the obstacles to it inside and outside of prison.

White-nose syndrome is a fungal disease that grows on hibernating bats, causing them to wake up in the winter. The bats then burn up their fat stores while searching for food and die as a result. The disease was first detected in the northeastern U.S. in 2006 and has since spread to 40 U.S. states.   The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife recently announced that the fungus that causes the disease has been detected in bat excrement, or guano, from a bat roost at Lewis and Clark National Historic Park in Clatsop County. While no bats in the state have been observed with symptoms of white-nose syndrome yet, it’s the first documented case of the fungus in Oregon.   Emily Armstrong Buck is a wildlife health lab biologist at ODFW and the agency’s white-nose syndrome surveillance coordinator. She joins us to talk about the spread of the disease and what it could mean for Oregon bat populations.  

Last year, there were 36 whales entangled with commercial fishing gear off the coasts of Oregon, Washington and California, or found entangled with West Coast fishing gear off the coasts of other countries. That’s the highest number of whale entanglements in the West Coast region since 2018, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.    More than eight years ago, scientists at Oregon State University began collaborating with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, the commercial Dungeness crab fishery and environmental nonprofits to reduce entanglements of endangered humpback, fin and blue whales off the Oregon Coast. OSU scientists boarded research vessels and U.S. Coast Guard helicopters for surveys at sea and air to map the distribution of whales and their overlap with Dungeness crab fishing locations.      The scientists found that the risk of entanglement in fishing gear is greatest for whales in April when they gather near shore to feed off the Oregon Coast, and the crab fishing season is still underway. That observation and discussions with stakeholders led to best practices and regulations adopted by ODFW to limit the risk of entanglement by, for example, reducing crab pot limits at the end of the season.   Today, OSU scientists are expanding this work to include the risk of entanglement from other commercial fisheries, including rockfish and sablefish. They’ve also been analyzing scars on humpback whales’ tails and fins to better estimate how many whales are getting wrapped up in nets, lines, pots and buoys. Leigh Torres is an associate professor in the department of fisheries, wildlife and conservation sciences and Oregon Sea Grant Extension at Oregon State University. She joins us to share the latest with this award-winning effort to reduce whale entanglements off the Oregon Coast and beyond.

On Wednesday, the Oregon Department of Forestry announced that the emerald ash borer has now been found in the Hazelwood neighborhood in East Portland and five other new sites in the north Willamette Valley. In addition to Portland, the highly invasive and destructive beetle has now been found near other urban areas in the region, including Beaverton, Banks and Oregon City. The Oregon Department of Agriculture said that the discovery of EAB in Portland has now put all of Multnomah County into the EAB quarantine zone, which also includes Washington, Yamhill, Marion and Clackamas counties.     Native to Asia, EAB was first detected in Oregon in 2022 at an elementary school in Forest Grove. Considered to be the most destructive forest pest in North America, EAB has killed over 100 million ash trees nationwide since its arrival in the U.S. more than 20 years ago.  Joining us to discuss the spread of EAB and how the public can help efforts to contain it are Cody Holthouse, manager of ODA’s  Insect Pest Prevention and Management Program and City of Portland Forester Jenn Cairo.

 Stella-Jones, a Canadian wood products company, recently pleaded guilty to exceeding legal limits of pentachlorophenol in water discharged from its plant near Sheridan, Oregon. The chemical is used to protect wood from insects and fungi and poses a number of health concerns, including an increased risk of cancer.    According to a recent investigation from the journalism nonprofit InvestigateWest, regulators have known about Stella-Jones’s history of pollution for years. On Sep. 8, after InvestigateWest reported on this issue, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality issued a $1 million civil penalty against Stella-Jones for “numerous violations of environmental regulations” at their wood treating facility.  Kaylee Tornay is a reporter for InvestigateWest. Aspen Ford is a reporter and the Roy W. Howard Fellow at the outlet. They join us with more details on their reporting. Ruth Hyde, Western Region Administrator at the DEQ, also joins us to explain the agency’s response to Stella-Jones’s release of contaminated stormwater into the South Yamhill River.

The special session that was supposed to funnel billions of dollars into the state’s roads and prevent hundreds of layoffs at the Oregon Department of Transportation…well similar to a crumbling bridge, it fell apart. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, reporters Dirk VanderHart and Lauren Dake discuss the last week of politics in Salem. Democratic state lawmakers said they will be back later this month to pass a transportation package, because despite holding supermajorities in both chambers, the full package has not crossed the finish line.

Last Friday, Oregon lawmakers convened in Salem for a special legislative session called by Gov. Tina Kotek to pass a transportation funding bill. The special session will now likely not end until later this month to allow Democrats to muster the necessary votes to pass the bill in the Oregon Senate. On Monday, the House passed a bill that would raise gas taxes by 6 cents per gallon, hike vehicle registration and titling fees, raise costs for drivers of EVs, and temporarily double a payroll tax that funds public transit. The bill contains many elements of one introduced earlier this year by Sen. Chris Gorsek, D-Gresham, who is currently recovering from surgery and is seen as a critical vote for the passage of the new transportation funding bill to avert mass layoffs at the Oregon Department of Transportation and cuts in the agency’s services. That earlier bill failed during the regularly scheduled legislative session which ended in June.   OPB political reporter Dirk VanderHart joins us for the latest developments about the special legislative session and the political rifts that have emerged as it nears conclusion.  

The availability of child care for children ages 3 to 5 in Oregon is steadily increasing, according to a new report from Oregon State University. In 2018, three-quarters of the state’s counties were considered preschool child care deserts, but as of last year, that number dropped to just nine. However, all but two counties are still considered child care deserts for children ages 0 to 2.   Megan Pratt is an associate professor of practice at OSU and the report’s lead author. Alyssa Chatterjee is the director of the Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care. They both join us with more details on what the state’s child care landscape looks like today.  

Oregon recently launched a recycling program that aims to hold businesses accountable for the packaging waste they create. The Plastic Pollution and Recycling Modernization Act (RMA) charges producers of paper, packaging and food serviceware for the products they distribute in Oregon. The goal is to fund recycling services in small communities through the fees that businesses pay into the program.   The RMA was the first law of its kind to pass in 2021 and was followed by similar legislation in California, Colorado and a handful of other states. It’s currently facing a lawsuit from a trade group that claims the law is illegal and unfairly impacts its members.   Nicole Portley is a program plan lead for the RMA at the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. She joins us with more details on how the new program is working.