Think Out Loud

Tribal native nursery in Eastern Oregon aids in salmon habitat restoration, recovery

Two decades ago, there were roughly 10 indigenous plant nurseries in the country. Since then, that number has blossomed [https://modernfarmer.com/2021/04/indigenous-plant-nurseries-look-to-revive-landscapes-and-cultures/] to around 100, including one operated by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. The nursery only grows native plants, with its primary goal to grow vegetation to aid in restoration of natural habitats in Eastern Oregon. Gail Redberg is the CTUIR Nursery Manager. She gives us a tour of the facility, shares some of what they grow and why it’s important.

Umatilla County cities partner with nonprofit to provide temporary housing

The nonprofit Stepping Stones Alliance [https://stepping-stones-alliance.org/] formed in 2020 to provide a year-round shelter for people experiencing homelessness in and around Umatilla County. The organization partnered with [https://www.hermiston.gov/commdev/page/project-path] several cities and the county to build a temporary housing project, which opened in 2023 [https://www.opb.org/article/2023/12/08/umatilla-county-homeless-shelter-holds-grand-opening-months-of-delays/]. The facility includes an overnight shelter, as well as individual shelter units where “members” can receive wraparound services while seeking more permanent housing.   We’ll hear more about how the project is going from Executive Director Jesalyn Cole, who took us on a tour of the site. We’ll also talk with member Sean Scanlon, who came to Stepping Stones last year.

New dashboard explores impact of drought on Umatilla First Foods

The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation recently launched a dashboard [https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/4da9afb8ac2842058851d40625a03094] that looks at drought indicators on the reservation and how they impact First Foods [https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/4da9afb8ac2842058851d40625a03094/page/First-Foods-Monitoring]. Community members can also submit their own [https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/4da9afb8ac2842058851d40625a03094/page/Share-Information] observations and photos to illustrate the data collected by the tribes.   Lyndsi Lewis is the water quality coordinator for the CTUIR Water Resources Program [https://ctuir.org/departments/natural-resources/water-resources/]. She joins us to talk more about the ecological — and cultural — impacts of drought.

DOE overhauls the longtime Hanford Nuclear Reservation advisory board

For decades, a wide array of groups have had representatives on the Hanford Advisory Board [https://www.hanford.gov/page.cfm/hab]. They’ve provided input on a variety of issues around the cleanup of waste and contamination from the nuclear reservation in central-southeast Washington. Now, the Department of Energy under President Trump is curtailing the board [https://www.nwpb.org/local/2026-08-14/us-department-of-energy-whittles-down-hanford-board-that-gives-feds-state-advice-on-cleanup]. The advisory board is going from 70 members, including alternates, to 20. The new members will be selected by the government, and any group members or representatives of tribal nations will no longer speak for a constituency but only for themselves. Critics say these changes will reduce representation and accountability, while the DOE says [https://www.energy.gov/em/articles/doe-strengthens-hanford-advisory-board-empowers-local-community] the changes standardize the board and “enhance engagement with those that live closest to Hanford.”   We talk with Senior Correspondent for Northwest Public Broadcasting Anna King [https://www.nwpb.org/people/anna-king], who’s covered the Hanford Nuclear Reservation cleanup for the last 20 years, to learn more about the impact of this change.

What nitrate water pollution means for residents in Eastern Oregon

For three decades, many residents in Eastern Oregon's Umatilla basin have been drinking nitrate-polluted [https://www.opb.org/article/2026/03/19/lower-umatilla-nitrate-monitoring-rules/] drinking water. Some residents blame nearby food-processors and farms that use nitrogen-rich fertilizers for the issue.   Last week, a $6.2 million settlement [https://www.opb.org/article/2026/08/12/oregon-farm-madison-ranches-settlement-lower-umatilla-basin-nitrate-pollution/] was reached between Madison Ranches and the people living in Morrow and Umatilla Counties who filed the suit. Kaleb Lay, director of policy and research at Oregon Rural Action [https://www.oregonrural.org/], took OPB’s Think Out Loud on a tour of affected areas, along with Jim Doherty, a rancher and former Morrow County Commissioner. We’ll also hear from Paulo Lopez whose well is polluted.