Cassandra Profita
OPB
Portland, OR, United States
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Past articles by Cassandra:
Swamped by public outcry, state withdraws controversial wildfire risk map
The Oregon Department of Forestry has rescinded a map that identified the wildfire risk levels on 1.8 million tax lots across the state after being flooded with complaints from concerned property owners. → Read More
What is your Oregon home’s risk of wildfire? New statewide map can tell you.
A new map identifies wildfire risk levels from zero to extreme on 1.8 million tax lots across Oregon. State officials will use the map to determine which properties will be subject to new fire safety requirements. → Read More
Report finds Oregon collared wolf likely killed by vehicle
Authorities originally thought a wolf found dead in Wallowa County in January had died from a gunshot wound, but a closer examination showed the wolf died from blunt force trauma consistent with a vehicle crash. → Read More
Grande Ronde tribe pulls out of Willamette Falls partnership
The Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde sent a letter Thursday informing the Willamette Falls Legacy Trust that it will no longer participate in discussions around building a riverwalk to restore public access to the falls. → Read More
Bill would make Oregon appliances more energy efficient
State lawmakers are considering a bill that would save Oregonians money on their utility bills by requiring home appliances to be more energy efficient. → Read More
Groups threaten to sue Portland oil terminal owner
Willamette Riverkeeper and Columbia Riverkeeper have given notice of their intent to sue Zenith Energy over construction activity at its oil terminal site in Northwest Portland. → Read More
Nez Perce Tribe reclaims 148 acres of ancestral land in Eastern Oregon
The farmland purchase reclaims an ancestral village site known as “the place of boulders,” or Am’sáaxpa, in the Eastern Oregon town of Joseph more than a century after the Nez Perce Tribe was pushed out the area. → Read More
Oregon Prepares To Fight Wildfire During Coronavirus Pandemic
One thing that isn’t being canceled this summer because of the coronavirus pandemic is wildfire season, so training for wildland firefighters has changed to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19. → Read More
Portland Air Pollution Drops Along With I-5 Traffic
The Portland metro area is seeing dramatic reductions in highway traffic and traffic-related air pollution as the coronavirus pandemic keeps people off the roads. → Read More
Oregon's COVID-19 Testing Capacity Starts Ramping Up
Oregon’s capacity to test for COVID-19 is ramping up. Providence Health & Services announced they’ve received supplies to begin testing for the disease. And the state announced a new testing contract. → Read More
Study: Ocean Acidification Is Dissolving Shells Of Young Dungeness Crab
A new study finds ocean acidification is already affecting young Dungeness crab off the West Coast. But so far, it’s unclear what that means for Oregon’s most valuable fishery. → Read More
New Year Brings New Protections For West Coast Seafloor Habitat
The new year brings new protections for corals and sponges that live on the seafloor off the West Coast. → Read More
Marine Heat Wave Similar To 'The Blob' Returns To West Coast
Scientists are monitoring a marine heat wave off the West Coast that they say is reminiscent of the massive stretch of warm water nicknamed "the blob" in 2014-15. → Read More
Portland Oil Terminal Looks To Pipe Biofuels
Zenith Energy says it wants to add renewable fuels and "a liquid intermediate" to the list of products it handles at its crude oil terminal in Portland. → Read More
Hunt For Answers Shows Oregon Rivers Not Immune To Microplastic Pollution
Two OPB reporters go on a scientific journey to discover how much microplastic pollution has made it to Oregon's most iconic rivers. → Read More
Portland Is Getting A New Swimming Beach On The Willamette
Portlanders will soon have a new place to swim on the Willamette River. On Friday, advocates are opening the city’s second swimming beach near the Hawthorne Bridge. → Read More
Without Cap And Trade, Oregon’s Climate Goals Look More Out Of Reach
On Tuesday, Senate President Peter Courtney said Oregon's cap-and-trade bill doesn’t have the votes to pass. Supporters say that could put the state's climate goals out of reach. → Read More
For Heavy-Duty Trucks, 'The Future Is Electric'
Trucking industry leaders say more and more pickup and delivery trucks will join a growing number of school and transit buses in going electric in the next 20 years. → Read More
West Coast Rockfish Rebound Faster Than Expected
Pacific rockfish populations that had collapsed from overfishing are bouncing back much faster than anyone expected, giving fishermen more fish to catch for the first time in decades. → Read More
New Council Will Advise Gov. Kate Brown On Improving Oregon's Wildfire Response
Oregon's new Wildfire Response Council will make recommendations to the governor this fall on how the state can improve its approach to wildfire. → Read More