Oregon
Southern Oregon tribes sue feds over offshore wind energy plans • Oregon Capital Chronicle
Officials from the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians are suing the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management over its decision to greenlight two areas off the Oregon Coast for potential floating wind energy projects.
The southern Oregon tribe – which passed a resolution against floating offshore wind energy in those areas last November – filed its suit Friday in U.S. District Court in Eugene against the ocean energy bureau, accusing it of violating two federal laws meant to protect the environment and culturally significant areas.
“The decision to file this legal action was not taken lightly,” Brad Kneaper, chair of the tribal council, said in a news release. “We would much rather work collaboratively with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to determine where the best places are to develop wind energy, minimizing the impacts to the coast and our people.”
The suit comes two weeks after federal officials announced they would hold an auction for companies interested in surveying and proposing floating offshore wind energy farms in two lease areas. One area, a 61,000-acre site, is located 30 miles off the coast of Coos Bay, while the other, spanning nearly 134,000 acres, is located 20 miles off the coast of Brookings. If fully developed, wind farms on the two sites could generate more than 3.1 gigawatts of renewable energy, enough to power 1 million homes, federal officials said.
Tribal officials say the two proposed offshore areas are in the tribes’ ancestral territory and that the areas are home to fish and other marine species and have views of significant cultural, historic and economic significance to the tribe.
Kneaper said in the release that the tribe is willing to withdraw the lawsuit if the October lease sale is delayed and the bureau commits to assessing the cumulative and future impacts of wind energy development not just along the Oregon Coast, but also across all development areas being auctioned off along the West Coast.
“BOEM does not discuss pending litigation through the media,” John Romero, a spokesperson for the ocean energy bureau, said in an email.
The lawsuit
In the suit, the tribe, represented by attorney Rick Eichstaedt of the Spokane-based law firm Rey-Bear McLaughlin, accused the ocean energy bureau of violating the federal National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA, as well as the National Historic Preservation Act, which requires federal agencies to protect culturally significant sites.
The tribe claims the agency failed in an environmental assessment to consider not just the current impacts of surveying and potentially developing the areas for wind energy, but also future impacts as well as the cumulative effect of wind power generation along the entire West Coast, not just off the coast of Oregon.
The bureau has auctioned five areas off the California coast for floating wind energy projects. In July, it released an environmental assessment of the two Oregon lease areas, and said there would be no significant impact to people or the environment as companies survey, study and plan proposals.
Any projects proposed by developers would need to go through another environmental impact analysis, and the public and interested parties would also be able to comment before it could be approved and built.
Kneaper said the July assessment ignored the cumulative and future impacts of wind development, and failed to identify alternative areas that did not have the same cultural and historic importance for the tribe and marine species.
“The tribe has consistently urged that BOEM delay moving forward with wind energy development until a better understanding is made of the impacts to fish, wildlife, the marine environment and cultural resources important to the tribe,” he said. “No one, including BOEM, has an understanding of how wind development will impact the fragile marine environment.”
Kneaper accused the bureau of being driven by politics and ignoring concerns among coastal residents. In November, Coos County residents will vote on a ballot initiative to oppose offshore wind development, and a coalition of independent fishing boat operators, seafood companies and industry groups have also asked Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek to intervene to stop floating offshore wind development from moving forward.
Wider picture
Under Oregon’s climate change policies, the state needs to curb its greenhouse gas emissions by mid-century. The Climate Protection Program, which is currently being redone by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, has set a target of reducing emissions from fossil fuels in Oregon by 50% by 2035 and by 90% by 2050.
Wind energy will be needed to help achieve those goals, officials say, and offshore wind is slated to be part of the solution. The Oregon Department of Energy’s latest energy report said the state needs about 20,000 megawatts of energy to come from offshore wind by 2050 to meet that target.
The Biden administration also has wind energy plans. It is planning for up to a dozen offshore wind energy auctions through 2028, with the hope of developing a total of 30 gigawatts of wind energy – enough to power more than 10 million homes – on the East and West coasts to be deployed by 2030. The Oregon sites would account for about 10% of that, according to the bureau.
GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
It was a one-sided affair Tuesday night as the Oregon Ducks routed Air Force 98-36 in a nonconference women’s basketball matchup in Eugene.
Phillipina Kyei scored 14 points in 18 minutes, and Nani Falatea and Sarah Rambus added 11 points each for the Ducks (8-3) as 4,551 watched at Matthew Knight Arena.
Oregon got contributions from up and down the roster, with 10 players scoring at least eight points and no one needing to play more than Deja Kelly’s 22 minutes. Kelly finished with eight points, eight rebounds and four assists. Elisa Mevius added eight points and eight assists.
The Ducks, who entered having lost three of their past four games, handed the Falcons (9-2) their second loss of the season and first since Air Force fell 57-51 to Army in overtime on Nov. 15.
Oregon raced to a 22-9 lead by the end of the first quarter and then matched that score in the second quarter for a 44-18 halftime lead. The Ducks continued to pull away in the second half, steadily increasing their lead the rest of the way. A 21-0 run in the fourth quarter extended Oregon’s lead to 65 before the Falcons trimmed it to a 62-point final margin.
The Ducks shot 58.9% from the field and held Air Force to 23.2% shooting. Oregon scored 68 points in the paint, 56 points on layups and 32 points off of turnovers. The Ducks also had a 23-0 advantage in fast-break points and racked up 31 assists compared with seven for the Falcons.
— Joel Odom
Safe winter driving tips in Oregon
Here are some tips to keep you safe on the roads.
A long-range forecast says heavy rain, high-elevation snow and strong winds could impact Oregon and the Pacific Northwest during the busy Christmas travel period.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a “hazards risk” for the Dec. 24 to 28 period that includes potential impacts for anyone traveling.
“Travel conditions may be negatively impacted by unsettled weather,” NOAA said in a statement.
The concern is fueled by forecasts for a low pressure system that could develop into an atmospheric river or “bomb cyclone.”
Prepare for rainy, windy Christmas travel in Oregon
National Weather Service meteorologist Noah Alviz said the key message is to be prepared and watch the forecast before hitting the road around Christmas.
“Right now there is moderate confidence,” or about 40-60% chance of a major impact, Alviz said. “The key point to take home is that if you’re on the Oregon Coast or Coast Range, to prepare for possible flooding, and if you’re traveling over the Cascades, to prepare for winter weather.”
Bomb cyclone or atmospheric river could create flooding in Pacific Northwest
Days to watch for heavy precipitation in the Northwest — and possible mountain snow — include Dec. 24 and Dec. 25-28, NOAA said.
In Oregon, long-range forecasts are trending toward the weather being warmer than normal, which could indicate a greater threat for flooding than snow, Alviz said.
“We’re into a wet pattern, with rivers gradually rising, so if we end up with another low-pressure system, bomb cyclone or atmospheric river, that could lead to some flooding,” he said. “But people will just have to stay turned on that and make sure to keep an eye out.”
NOAA echoed that sentiment.
“Please stay tuned to shorter-term forecasts, as specific impacts remain unclear for any given location at this extended forecast range,” the alert said.
Zach Urness has been an outdoors reporter in Oregon for 16 years and is host of the Explore Oregon Podcast. To support his work, subscribe to the Statesman Journal. He can be reached at zurness@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6801. Find him on Twitter at @ZachsORoutdoors.
The Oregon Ducks have lost another player to the transfer portal as the team prepares for the College Football Playoff.
Per reports from On3’s Pete Nakos on Monday, Oregon defensive back Khamari Terrell has entered the portal after three seasons with the Ducks. It’s unclear if Terrell will remain with the team during the CFP as some players that have entered the portal for playoff teams are sticking around for the postseason.
Originally a four-star prospect in the 2022 recruiting class from Shoemaker High School in Killeen, Texas, Terrell was a playmaker on both sides of the ball as well as a dynamic returner on special teams. He received offers from programs like Clemson, USC, Baylor, Mississippi State, LSU, Florida, Missouri and more. The Ducks offered him in Jan. 2022. He committed to Oregon during his official visit later that month before officially signing with the team in Feb. 2022. He also took official visits with Baylor and Mississippi State.
According to 247Sports’ rankings, Terrell was the No. 29 cornerback in the class and the No. 36 overall player in the state of Texas.
During his freshman year in 2022, Terrell appeared in 10 of 13 games, mostly as a contributor on special teams. He posted a career-high seven total tackles that season.
In 2023, he continued to primarily have a role on special teams before finishing the campaign with six total tackles.
MORE: Oregon Ducks Quarterback Dillon Gabriel Signs NIL Deal With Great Clips
MORE: Oregon Ducks 5-Star Commit Kendre Harrison Reacts to Bill Belichick, North Carolina
MORE: Oregon Ducks Injury Update Ahead of Rose Bowl: College Football Playoff
Oregon has now seen the portal departures of Terrell, safety Tyler Turner, offensive tackle JacQawn McRoy and edge rushers Emar’rion Winston, Jaedon Moore and Jaxson Jones. On the flip side, the Ducks have added two defensive backs in Purdue transfer Dillon Thieneman and Northwestern transfer Theran Johnson. The new roster additions will of course continue to start rolling in once the Ducks officially begin their offseason.
But first, Oregon will face off against the winner of Ohio State and Tennessee at the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day. If the Ducks can win that game, they would advance to the Semifinals in Arlington, Texas, to play the winner of Arizona State vs. Texas/Clemson at AT&T Stadium.
The Ducks will be taking their 13-0 record and Big Ten Championship hardware into the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff. This marks Oregon’s second appearance in the CFP since debuting in the first season of the four-team playoff in 2014. The Ducks made it to the National Championship that season but fell short to the Ohio State Buckeyes, led by Cardale Jones and Ezekiel Elliott.
MORE: Oregon Ducks’ Dan Lanning ‘Attacking’ Extra Preparation Time Before Rose Bowl
MORE: Denver Broncos Quarterback Bo Nix Battling To End NFL Playoff Drought: AFC West Wild Card Race
MORE: Oregon Ducks Schedule: Three Highly-Anticipated Home Games in Autzen Stadium in 2025
MORE: Oregon Ducks Fans Color To Wear In Rose Bowl Vs. Ohio State Or Tennessee in Pasadena
Nebraska HS State Champion Easton Glandt Decides On FGCU (2025)
2 News Nevada reporter and photographer witness hit-and-run crash in downtown Reno
Reinstalled Satanic Temple ‘Holiday Display’ Damaged Again At Concord’s City Plaza
Authorities Debunk Viral Explanation for NJ Drone Sightings
Jason Eck introduced as New Mexico’s head football coach
Colorado Rockies game no. 116 thread: Zac Gallen vs José Ureña
Why Marjorie Taylor Greene was ‘kicked out’ of the Freedom Caucus according to Rep. Buck
See it: Tesla crashes into Columbus convention center at 70 mph
Fox News Politics: Georgia the whole day through
Death of missing Oregon girl found in stream ruled homicide
Trump names Herschel Walker, Nicole McGraw to ambassador positions before issuing warning to GOP senators
New European Parliament intergroups: What’s in and What’s Out
Michael Cohen: I used to execute Trump’s threats against the press | CNN Politics
GOP senator moves to block feds from disposing of border wall materials amid auction backlash
Mysterious disease in DRC is severe malaria, health authorities say
-
Business1 week agoOpenAI's controversial Sora is finally launching today. Will it truly disrupt Hollywood?
-
Politics5 days agoCanadian premier threatens to cut off energy imports to US if Trump imposes tariff on country
-
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25782636/247422_ChatGPT_anniversary_CVirginia.jpg "Inside the launch — and future — of ChatGPT")
Technology6 days agoInside the launch — and future — of ChatGPT
-
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25789444/1258459915.jpg "OpenAI cofounder Ilya Sutskever says the way AI is built is about to change")
Technology4 days agoOpenAI cofounder Ilya Sutskever says the way AI is built is about to change
-
Politics4 days agoU.S. Supreme Court will decide if oil industry may sue to block California's zero-emissions goal
-
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25546252/STK169_Mark_Zuckerburg_CVIRGINIA_D.jpg "Meta asks the US government to block OpenAI’s switch to a for-profit")
Technology4 days agoMeta asks the US government to block OpenAI’s switch to a for-profit
-
Politics5 days agoConservative group debuts major ad buy in key senators' states as 'soft appeal' for Hegseth, Gabbard, Patel
-
Business2 days agoFreddie Freeman's World Series walk-off grand slam baseball sells at auction for $1.56 million