Oregon, California growers sue to reopen South Carolina plant market
The OAN and the California Association of Nurseries and Garden Centers sued the state of South Carolina in U.S. District Court over that state's Regulation 27-78, which pertains to Phytophthora ramorum.
According to the plaintiffs, the South Carolina regulation oversteps federal authority and limits the ability of Oregon and California nurseries to ship plants to that state. As a result, plants valued at more than $1 million have been needlessly destroyed at owner expense. If successful, the lawsuit would overturn the regulation and restore market access.
Metro, counties approve regional growth plan
Officials from Metro and the three Portland-area counties – Clackamas, Washington and Multnomah – approved an urban and rural reserves map last week with the intent that it will guide regional growth for the next five decades. The regional plan (PDF) designated 28,000 acres of rural land that could be made available for urbanization for a 50 year timeline. [Read more]
Immigration reform will help the economy, Fed chairman say
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told a Senate committee last week that immigration reform is one of the key issues to advancing the nation's economic recovery. “I think our immigration policy which restricts severely the number of highly-trained skilled immigrants is a problem because bringing those kind of folks in helps our high-tech industries develop more competitively,” he told the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs. [Read more]
Membership benefits include the OAN Member Directory
Are you a member of the OAN? One of the benefits of membership is access to a select and exclusive group of nursery professionals. Not only do you get the opportunity to network in person at association and chapter events, you also get contact information for all the OAN members at your fingertips. The new OAN Member Directory will be the only place where contact information for every OAN member is listed. Get the most out of your industry involvement. Renew your membership and receive the exclusive OAN Member Directory when it is published in late August.
Scholarships are available from the Oregon Nurseries Foundation
Applications are now available for the 2010 college scholarships offered by the Oregon Nurseries Foundation. There are 16 different awards sponsored by individuals and Oregon Association of Nurseries Chapters as a way to support the next generation of green industry professionals. All applications must be postmarked or delivered to the OAN office no later than April 1, 2010. Eligible persons include graduating high school seniors, current college students, and college graduates embarking on a graduate student research project. For more information about the scope of the awards and for an application form, browse scholarship.oan.org.
Oregon: The State of Perfection
Digger magazine features Bountiful Farms.
Our second annual tour of Oregon nurseries reveals how quality plants are grown here. - Clip 4
