In Oregon, private landowners may “lethally remove beaver without a permit,” according to guidance from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. A bill moving its way through the state legislature would change that. Advocates say that the current classification of beavers as a “predatory animal” on private lands limits data and ODFW control of the rodent. The bill aims to classify beavers as a “furbearer” on private lands which means the animal would be treated similarly to a raccoon or fox. Beavers already have this designation on public lands. Opponents say the current classification allows landowners, like producers, to keep their property safe from damage.

In a statement, the Oregon Farm Bureau, which is opposed to the bill, wrote that the bill “allows for no consideration of a farmer or ranchers’ operation, time, expense, or economic loss, including any losses related to the delay in management while they try to determine the complicated management structure HB 3464 A has created.”
We learn more about the bill, from Sristi Kamal, the deputy director of the Western Environmental Law Center and a proponent of the bill.

Oregon voters narrowly passed Ballot Measure 114 which, among many other provisions, would require a background check and permit before people are sold firearms. But that measure is now tied up in a court challenge with no clear timetable for implementation. Meanwhile, Democratic lawmakers in the Oregon legislature have advanced a gun safety bill that would make a few different legal changes. HB 2005 passed the House and is scheduled to be heard by the Senate. Republican senators have been deliberately absent from the chamber in recent weeks, slowing the progress of considering this and other legislation.

We invited senators from both major parties to join us to discuss the gun safety proposal. We hear from Democratic Sen. Floyd Prozanski from South Lane and North Douglas counties, and Republican Sen. David Brock Smith from Port Orford.

Many of those who serve time in a state prison are in need of treatment for mental health or substance use disorder. That treatment is largely unavailable but a bill in the Oregon legislature aims to change that. Oregon Representative Maxine Dexter, D- Portland, says the lack of treatment means that adults in custody are losing their constitutional right to health care while incarcerated. They also are not getting what they need to be successful in the community when released, as approximately 90% ultimately are. We talk with The Lund Report’s managing editor Emily Green about what the bill would do and why supporters say it’s so desperately needed.

A recent article published in The Bend Bulletin revealed shocking descriptions of disruptive student behavior. The accounts were provided by teachers, counselors and other staff working in the Bend-La Pine School District, the fifth-largest school district in Oregon. Their experiences were chronicled in a survey the Bend Education Association sent to its union members to hear their concerns about disrupted learning and the impact it has on their ability to teach. The district, which is currently under contract negotiations with the union, has created a task force of teachers, counselors and administrators to address this problem. It has also invested $12 million to reduce class size and expand mental health programs for students. Noemi Arellano-Summer with The Bend Bulletin joins us to talk about her reporting on this issue, and what’s being done to address it.

Last week, a sinkhole estimated to be 10 feet wide and 30 feet deep appeared on the Oregon coast at Cape Kiwanda. This is the second sinkhole to appear on the cape this year. Laura Gabel is the coastal field geologist for the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries. She joins us to share what exactly sinkholes are, how they happen and what could have led to the two that appeared on the coast.

Researchers from the USDA have been testing drones as a way to protect livestock from wolf attacks. Drones can have a speaker, camera or spotlight attached to them, allowing for different ways to distract a wolf. We learn more about how researchers are using the technology as a non-lethal way to manage wolves and livestock. Paul Wolf, the SW District Supervisor for USDA Wildlife Services, and Dustin Ranglack with the National Wildlife Research Center join us.

Today, Tillamook Bay is largely separated from the ocean by a 4 mile long spit of sand and scrub brush known for its beach and hiking trail. But in the early 1900’s, this strip of land was home to an ocean resort town, complete with an indoor dance pavilion and swimming pool, along with houses, cabins and roads. Jerry Sutherland’s new book “Bayocean: Atlantis of Oregon” tells the story of how this area was built and later destroyed. He joins us to share the history.

Leaders in cities all around Washington state are considering new bans on illegal drug possession or using such drugs in public. State lawmakers had enacted a temporary law after a 2021 Washington supreme court decision known as State v. Blake struck down the state’s previous drug possession laws. Efforts to pass a new permanent drug law in the final hours of the 2023 legislative session failed. On Tuesday, May 16, Governor Jay Inslee is convening a special session to pass a new drug law. We learn more from OPB’s Olympia correspondent Jeanie Lindsay.

Researchers at Washington State University have made history with a German-style sausage. It's the first university to receive authorization from the Food and Drug Administration to have gene-edited pigs enter the food chain for human consumption. A company called Acceligen had previously received such an authorization for cattle, according to the university. We'll learn more about what this means for food production from Jon Oatley, a professor in the School of Molecular Biosciences at WSU.

The Salem High School Class of 1944 have set a Guinness World Record for the longest running reunion. As first reported by the Statesman Journal, Trudie Meier Gavette and Gayle Priem have taken over the organization of the now annual high school class reunions. The first event was the 10-year reunion in 1954. But after their 75th a few years ago, alumni decided they should hold the events annually. Last year, they decided to look into the Guiness Book of World Records for longest running reunion. Gayle’s daughter, Shannon Priem, took the lead on submitting the documents and getting witness statements and other requirements. The news of the world record will be celebrated June 17 at the 79th reunion on the Willamette Sternwheeler in Salem. Gayle and Shannon Priem join us along with Trudie Meier Gavette to talk about the recognition and what the tradition means to them.