In this episode of the Explore Oregon Podcast, host Zach Urness talks with Debbie Colbert, director of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.  

Colbert became the first female director of ODFW, an agency tracing its history back to the 1800s, in May of 2024.

In the podcast, she talked about her background as a field scientist and her first year as director, before jumping into hot-button topics like fee increases for fishing and hunting licenses, the future of Oregon's hatcheries and wild fish, wolf management, whale entanglement and some big wins for like the coastal coho salmon recovery.

In this episode of the Explore Oregon Podcast, host Zach Urness talks with Debbie Colbert, director of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Colbert became the first female director of ODFW, an agency tracing its history back to the 1800s, in May of 2024. In the podcast, she talked about her background as a field scientist and her first year as director, before jumping into hot-button topics like fee increases for fishing and hunting licenses, the future of Oregon's hatcheries and wild fish, wolf management, whale entanglement and some big wins for like the coastal coho salmon recovery.

Everything to know about exploring Oregon's best …

Explore Oregon Podcast: The state's most beautiful places and biggest issues

In this episode of the Explore Oregon Podcast, ho…

Trailblazing Oregon Fish and Wildlife director talks fishing fees, wolves, coho boom and more

In this episode, host Zach Urness reposts a conversation with author Glenn Voelz about the rise of Oregon's search and rescue, from the pioneer age to the modern era.

Voelz is author of the book "Oregon Search & Rescue: Answering the Call," which covers the state's best-known searchers, high-profile disasters and how both shaped modern search and rescue.

The book and podcast cover famous disasters on Mount Hood, how groups such as the Mazama's began Oregon's early search and rescue tradition and even the state's biggest political crisis.

In this episode, host Zach Urness reposts a conversation with author Glenn Voelz about the rise of Oregon's search and rescue, from the pioneer age to the modern era. Voelz is author of the book "Oregon Search & Rescue: Answering the Call," which covers the state's best-known searchers, high-profile disasters and how both shaped modern search and rescue. The book and podcast cover famous disasters on Mount Hood, how groups such as the Mazama's began Oregon's early search and rescue tradition and even the state's biggest political crisis.

In this episode, host Zach Urness reposts a conve…

How Oregon's greatest disasters fueled rise of search and rescue (repost)

In this episode, host Zach Urness dives into the sale of 92-foot Abiqua Falls and the effort to preserve it as a new park.

Urness talks with outdoors writer and author Adam Sawyer about what makes Abiqua Falls so special and the unique space it's occupied in becoming one of the state's most loved places. They also talk about the waterfall going up for sale and concerns that brings. 

Then Urness talks with Travis Williams, executive director of the Willamette Preservation Trust, about efforts by the Oregon Legislature to purchase the waterfall and combine it with other nearby land to create a new recreation site.

In this episode, host Zach Urness dives into the sale of 92-foot Abiqua Falls and the effort to preserve it as a new park. Urness talks with outdoors writer and author Adam Sawyer about what makes Abiqua Falls so special and the unique space it's occupied in becoming one of the state's most loved places. They also talk about the waterfall going up for sale and concerns that brings. Then Urness talks with Travis Williams, executive director of the Willamette Preservation Trust, about efforts by the Oregon Legislature to purchase the waterfall and combine it with other nearby land to create a new recreation site.

In this episode, host Zach Urness dives into the …

Spectacular Abiqua Falls is for sale. What to know about the effort to preserve it

In this reposted episode, host Zach Urness talks with Randy Dersham, director of the documentary film "Oregon's Boat."

The film, which won the award for Best Feature at the Oregon Documentary Film Festival, is now available to watch for free on YouTube or at the film's website.  

Dersham describes the evolution of one of the world's most famous boats — the McKenzie River Drift Boat — that took place in Eugene and on the McKenzie River.

The boat evolved under a series of colorful fishing guides, woodworkers and adventurers to become the ideal boat for navigating whitewater rivers across the West.

In this reposted episode, host Zach Urness talks with Randy Dersham, director of the documentary film "Oregon's Boat." The film, which won the award for Best Feature at the Oregon Documentary Film Festival, is now available to watch for free on YouTube or at the film's website. Dersham describes the evolution of one of the world's most famous boats — the McKenzie River Drift Boat — that took place in Eugene and on the McKenzie River. The boat evolved under a series of colorful fishing guides, woodworkers and adventurers to become the ideal boat for navigating whitewater rivers across the West.

In this reposted episode, host Zach Urness talks …

Trailblazing Oregon Fish and Wildlife director talks fishing fees, wolves, coho boom and more

Explore Oregon Podcast: The state's most beautiful places and biggest issues

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Explore Oregon Podcast: The state's most beautiful places and biggest issues

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