Coast Range Radio
Coast Range Association
At Coast Range Radio, we interview folks who work to build just communities that provide for people and the natural world. We are particularly interested in the connections between Pacific Northwest forests, social justice, and the climate crisis.
Coast Range Radio is an independent radio show and podcast hosted by Michael Gaskill. Michael is a lifelong rural Oregonian and climate justice organizer.
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Top 10 Coast Range Radio Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Coast Range Radio episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Coast Range Radio for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Coast Range Radio episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
Why Do Oregon Democrats Keep Killing Climate Legislation, With State Rep. Mark Gamba
Coast Range Radio
05/13/25 • 44 min
As of this recording on May 6th, we are well into the 2025 Oregon Legislative session. And I, like many others, am still struggling to find a coherent throughline to the session.
And many climate justice advocates are increasingly wondering whether Oregon’s Democratic led government has given up on meaningful climate action. But there is still a lot that can happen in the next two months of the legislative session, and your voice really does matter.
To walk me through where things stand, and where we as citizens can make the greatest impact this session, I’m joined by my old boss, State Representative Mark Gamba.
Mark Gamba represents Oregon’s House District 41, which encompasses Milwaukie and parts of Southeast Portland. He is also one of Oregon’s most outspoken climate advocates, and one of my favorite returning guests.
As always, if you appreciate Coast Range Radio, which is now completely independent, please help me out by recommending or sharing an episode with two friends!
The show email is [email protected], please let me know what you think of the show!
What Southern Environmental Justice Organizers Can Teach Us About Fighting Biomass in the PNW
Coast Range Radio
04/29/25 • 43 min
Biomass energy, that is, burning pelletized wood for electricity generation, is a classic false climate solution. It has been devastating forests and communities in the Southeast for years, and the Biomass industry is dead set on expanding into the Pacific Northwest.
We did a deep dive into Biomass a couple of years ago, which you can find in the Coast Range Radio podcast feed.
But with the Trump administration and Congressional Republicans (along with some Democrats) attempting to gut protections for forests, now is a good time to learn from activists in the South and check in on the state of Biomass here in the Northwest.
So I’m joined by two amazing guests, Dr Treva Gear with The Dogwood Alliance, and Brenna Bell of 350PDX.
While you’re here, please make sure you're subscribed, and consider leaving us a nice review on your podcast app!
My email is [email protected], reach out anytime with questions, feedback, or just to say hi.
Show Notes:
https://www.nobigbiomasspnw.org/
"Burned: Are Trees the New Coal?" - https://burnedthemovie.com/
10/24/22 • 29 min
Ballots are out for the 2022 general election, and it is no exaggeration to say that this is the most consequential election for Oregonians in years if not decades.
Three out of six of Oregon’s seats for the US house of representatives are considered tossups where either the Democrat or Republican could win, and the race for Governor is anyone’s game. To put that into perspective, Republicans haven’t held the Governor’s seat since 1986, and our federal delegation to the US House could swing from a 4-1 Democratic majority to a 4-2 Republican majority.
We at the Coast Range Association don’t make candidate endorsements, but I want to help listeners understand the choices we have and the stakes of this election.
Whether we are looking at climate action, forest management, environmental and wildlife protections, women’s rights to control their bodies, investments in our rural communities, or any other issues you care about, the choices we make in this election will have real, tangible impacts.
There is a lot of great reporting and trustworthy organizations out there to help you understand your choices, and though we’ll mainly be talking about the governor’s race today, our local elections are deeply impactful to our lives as well.
However you vote, your choice really matters. That’s true with every election, buy more so this year than in a long time here in Oregon.
So with that in mind, I reached out to Hillary Borrud from The Oregonian to learn more about the Governor’s race, and then I spoke with Sidra Pierson from the Rural Organizing Project about their non-partisan voter guide.
I hope you enjoy the show, and if you know folks that don’t plan to vote or are undecided about who to vote for, talk with them!
As always, I love hearing feedback and show ideas. My email is [email protected].
Official State Voter Pamphlet: https://oregonvotes.gov/voters-guide/english/votersguide.html
Hillary Borrud Articles: https://www.oregonlive.com/staff/hborrud/posts.html
Governor Candidates on Climate Action: https://www.opb.org/article/2022/09/16/oregon-governor-race-candidates-elections-2022-climate-change-crisis/
Rural Organizing Project STAND Election Guide: https://rop.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/2022-STAND-election-guide-English.pdf
Republican Money in Statehouse Races: https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2022/10/republicans-pour-astounding-money-into-races-for-oregon-legislature-hoping-to-flip-state-senate-to-gop-for-1st-time-in-20-years.html
Measure 113: https://ballotpedia.org/Oregon_Measure_113,_Exclusion_from_Re-election_for_Legislative_Absenteeism_Initiative_(2022)
VoteSmart- Non-partisan website showing candidate funding, positions, endorsements, and more: https://justfacts.votesmart.org/election/20
Challenging Wall Street Forestry - Chuck Willer
Coast Range Radio
04/27/20 • 28 min
In this episode we introduce the important work of the Coast Range Association and discuss Oregon's private forestland ownership and taxation issues identified through the CRA research program, Challenging Wall St. Forestry. We are speaking with Chuck Willer, Executive Director and Principle Researcher of the Coast Range Association.
To learn more visit www.coastrange.org.
Rural Communities & Oregon's Private Forests - Chuck Willer
Coast Range Radio
04/27/20 • 29 min
This is the second episode of Coast Range Radio. We continue our conversation about private forestlands in Oregon with Chuck Willer, Executive Director and Principle Researcher of the Coast Range Association.
We dive in deep on the transition of private forestland ownership, taxation, and what this means for Oregon’s forests, rural communities, and our fight against the climate crisis. We then outline future discussions on Oregon’s forests and climate and the good news of how a Green New Deal would benefit rural Oregon communities.
To learn more visit coastrange.org. Email us at [email protected].
Oregon's State Forests Need Your Help! Creating an Enduring Conservation Legacy on the North Coast
Coast Range Radio
05/08/23 • 37 min
Oregon manages over half a million acres of state forest land. That land is every bit as public as national forests, but historically, the state and the timber industry has treated it as just another timber plantation.
But that’s finally changing, and right now, the Oregon Board of Forestry is considering a Habitat Conservation plan which would set aside almost half of that land for long term stream and forest habitat conservation in the most critical areas of the forest.
This would be a huge win for salmon, steelhead, and other endangered species, and provide a major source of temperate rainforest carbon sequestration when we need it the most.
Unsurprisingly, the timber industry has launched an all-out misinformation campaign to stop this habitat conservation plan, even though it would still allow for logging in much of the state forest.
That’s where you come in. Your voice is needed, and there are many ways big and small for you to use it! If you’re inspired by this conversation today, please go to forestlegacy.org to learn more and get involved. And share this episode with your friends!
Ok, to break all of this down, I am so excited to be joined by Bob Rees. Bob is a 6th generation Oregonian who has worked for decades as a professional fishing guide, and serves as the executive director of the Northwest Guides and Anglers Association.
Show Notes:
State Forest Campaign Website: https://forestlegacy.org/
https://wildsalmoncenter.org/2020/10/19/a-70-year-conservation-plan-for-the-tillamook/
Bob Rees: https://nwguidesandanglers.org/contact-us/
Coast Range Association State Forest Page: https://coastrange.org/forests/
Is the Forest Service "Falsifying the Scientific Record" on Wildfires? With Chad Hanson, PhD
Coast Range Radio
05/22/23 • 29 min
Wildfires are a fact of life in the American west. They have played a major role in our western ecosystems for millenia. But as the climate crisis deepens, and more people move into wildfire country, fires loom larger and larger in the public consciousness. Wildfires are reshaping everything from our landscapes to our politics, and the implications of how we respond to them will play a huge role in shaping our future.
In the midst of this, a scientific debate is raging over what the science tells us about how to protect communities and live with fire. At the heart of that debate is the Forest Service. As the manager of almost 200 million acres of land, there is a tremendous amount at stake in how the US Forest Service interprets that science and implements management policy.
So I’m excited to be joined by one of the authors of a new scientific paper alleging that the forest service has been falsifying the scientific record around wildfires in order to justify more logging on federal lands.
Chad Hanson is the director and principal ecologist for the California based John Muir Project, which he co-founded in the 90s.
Show Notes:
Countering Omitted Evidence of Variable Historical Forests and Fire Regime in Western USA Dry Forests: The Low-Severity-Fire Model Rejected
Chad's book, Smokescreen: https://www.kentuckypress.com/9780813181073/smokescreen/
https://johnmuirproject.org/
Protect Mature and Old Growth Forests on Federal Land: https://www.climate-forests.org/take-action
Protect Oregon's State Forests: https://coastrange.org/stateforests/
Representative Mark Gamba is NOT Happy About Oregon's 2023 Legislative Session - Part One
Coast Range Radio
07/10/23 • 28 min
As the dust settles on another chaotic legislative session, I wanted to look back, revisit some of the bills we dug into on previous episodes, and explore how we can keep pressure on our legislators between sessions.
I couldn’t think of a better person to guide us through the good, the bad, and the ugly of this legislative session than one of oregon’s most tireless climate champions, State Representative Mark Gamba.
I’ve known Mark since I worked as the field director for his 2020 congressional bid, so I knew I could trust him to give a no BS account of his perspective on the session.
However, I didn’t realize just how honest and unfiltered he was prepared to be. He had a lot to say about how business gets done in Salem that I think people need to hear, and I think his perspective is one that you don’t often hear from a politician, regardless of party affiliation.
We covered a lot of ground, and I just can’t bear to edit it down to thirty minutes, so I’m breaking our conversation into two episodes. I will release the second half in two weeks. Make sure to subscribe to Coast Range Radio wherever you get podcasts so you can be sure to catch the full conversation.
Feedback, questions, suggestions? My email is [email protected].
Research Links/Show Notes:
Representative Mark Gamba’s legislative website: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/gamba
Some of our allied organizations’ 2023 Session recap:
- https://oregonwild.org/about/blog/assessing-wreckage-2023-oregon-leg-session?utm_source=alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=062823_orleg&emci=43ed9420-da15-ee11-a9bb-00224832eb73&emdi=d077785f-0d16-ee11-a9bb-00224832eb73&ceid=12095021
- https://www.olcv.org/session-is-over-heres-how-we-did/
- https://www.beyondtoxics.org/2023-legislation/
- https://standuptofactoryfarms.org/
About the Oregon Forest Resources Institute:
https://www.opb.org/article/2020/08/04/oregon-forest-resources-institute-osu-timber-industry-investigation-lobbying/
https://www.propublica.org/series/the-cutting
Polluted By Money Series:
North Coast Land Conservancy's Katie Voelke on Oregon's Land-Sea Connection, reckoning with ownership of stolen lands, and more!
Coast Range Radio
08/14/23 • 29 min
North Coast Land Conservancy, or NCLC, has been working to conserve land along the northern Oregon coast and coast range for nearly 40 years, and Katie Voelke has been its Executive Director since 2008.
In this interview, she discusses NCLC's conservation philosophy, Oregon's land-sea connection, reckoning with the ownership model of conservation on stolen indigenous lands, and more.
Learn more about North Coast Land Conservancy at https://nclctrust.org/
Learn about our organization, the Coast Range Association at https://coastrange.org/ , and my email is [email protected]
06/13/23 • 28 min
As regular listeners may know, the Coast Range Association is a member of the Forest Climate Coalition, which is pushing for strong and durable protections of mature and old growth forests on our federal lands.
As you probably also know, mature and old growth forests are absolute superstars for preserving biodiversity and sequestering carbon. Both of those ecosystem services are desperately needed in the face of the twin crises of climate chaos and ongoing mass species extinction.
As an added bonus, they generously offer these services free of charge, and give us cold clean drinking water to boot! What’s not to love??
Well, the timber industry has long viewed our public lands as an extension of their own fiefdoms, and many of our public lands managers remain fully bought into an outdated and destructive model of "forest management" that prioritizes plantation style tree stands and harvest quotas above all other values.
And that’s where we come in!
After years of pressure from the conservation community and in the face of mountains of scientific research, the Biden administration issued an executive order on earth day on 2022(*) aimed at inventorying and protecting mature and old growth trees and forests on federal lands.
This could, and I am underlining could with a giant metaphorical sharpie here, be an absolute game changer, and everyone listening should be incredibly excited about the potential of that executive order.
Buuut - the devil is in the details, and the only way to get from Biden’s well meaning but vague executive order to actual lasting protections for our most important forests is massive public pressure and engagement towards the federal agencies tasked with implementing that order.
Enjoy the show, get inspired, and take action at https://coastrange.org/blmaction/
Show Notes:
Coast Range Association BLM Comment Page: https://coastrange.org/blmaction/
Climate-Forests Action Page (for both the Forest Service and the BLM: https://www.climate-forests.org/take-action
CRR #45- “Fighting for Mature and Growth With Lauren Anderson”: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1046044/11295389
White House fact sheet on President Biden's Executive Order on Forests: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/04/22/fact-sheet-president-biden-signs-executive-order-to-strengthen-americas-forests-boost-wildfire-resilience-and-combat-global-deforestation/
(*) Note: I incorrectly stated the year of the executive order in the episode, sorry!
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FAQ
How many episodes does Coast Range Radio have?
Coast Range Radio currently has 112 episodes available.
What topics does Coast Range Radio cover?
The podcast is about Crisis, Society & Culture, Interview, Climate Change, Nature, Podcasts, Science and Oregon.
What is the most popular episode on Coast Range Radio?
The episode title 'Worth More Standing: The Poor Windy Timber Sale with George Sexton & Sangye Ince Johannsen' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Coast Range Radio?
The average episode length on Coast Range Radio is 31 minutes.
How often are episodes of Coast Range Radio released?
Episodes of Coast Range Radio are typically released every 14 days, 4 hours.
When was the first episode of Coast Range Radio?
The first episode of Coast Range Radio was released on Apr 27, 2020.
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