KWSO News 10/30/25

Oregon Governor Declares Statewide Food Emergency Amid SNAP Suspension

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek declared a 60-day statewide food emergency due to the federal government shutdown suspending SNAP benefits for 757,000 Oregonians starting November 1st.

She is allocating $5 million from Temporary Assistance for Needy Families funds to food banks and calling on Oregonians to donate and volunteer.

This declaration establishes a statewide incident command to manage emergency food distribution through November and December and ensure a swift re-activation of SNAP benefits when the shutdown ends.

Additionally, the Governor will continue to demand that USDA use every available fund of Oregon taxpayer dollars so no Oregonian will go hunger. Earlier this week, seh and other Oregon leaders sent a letter to USDA Secretary Rollins.

Resources for those in need are available at needfood.oregon.gov, alimentos.oregon.gov, or by calling 2-1-1.

Trump Administration Proposes Vast Expansion of Cattle Grazing on Western Public Lands

The Trump administration proposes opening up over 24 million acres of public lands for cattle grazing, primarily managed by the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service across the Western U.S., including 14 million acres in Oregon and Washington.

This is part of a plan to strengthen the U.S. beef industry and lower prices, with annual sales of Oregon’s cattle exceeding $1.2 billion. While the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association sees potential benefits for ranchers, conservation groups like the Western Watershed Project argue it will harm wildlife, damage ecosystems, and contribute to wildfires by promoting invasive grasses.

They also point to a report indicating the BLM already fails to manage existing allotments effectively. This proposal, along with a controversial plan to import beef from Argentina, has drawn mixed reactions, with cattle industry groups largely opposing the latter due to concerns about undercutting American ranchers.

KWSO Weather for Central Oregon

Today: Mostly cloudy, with a high near the 50s.

Tonight: Patchy fog after 5 am, otherwise, mostly cloudy with a low around the 30s.

Tomorrow: Patchy fog before 8 am. It’ll be mostly cloudy with a high near the 60s.