Irene Jerome is a forestry professional with deep roots in Oregon, whose family has lived on Juniper Flat near Maupin since 1879. Growing up as the oldest of three girls on a family ranch in southern Wasco County, she gained early experience in agricultural work, from riding horses and helping with calves to driving tractors.

Irene's forestry career began unexpectedly when she took a job driving a garbage truck for the U.S. Forest Service after high school, drawing on her truck-driving experience from the ranch. During a time when the Forest Service was actively recruiting women, they offered to hire her full-time if she pursued a forestry degree. She attended Oregon State University and went on to work for the Forest Service for approximately 14 years, primarily at the Hood River District.
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In Eastern Oregon, a $400,000 Business Oregon Economic Equity Investment Program (EEIP) grant to High Desert Partnership catalyzed significant rural economic development across eight counties. Over 15 months, the program supported 138 small businesses, distributed $183,687 in direct grants to 49 businesses, and leveraged an additional $197,964 in funding. The initiative created 32 full-time and 9 part-time jobs while focusing on entrepreneurship and business development through three key pillars: classes/workshops, technical assistance, and grant funding.

The program was particularly successful in supporting diverse entrepreneurs, with women comprising 84% of fund recipients and participants spanning various racial backgrounds (73% white, 22% Latino, 2% Asian, 2% tribal). Notable success stories include Chef Aly Sedlock's Wild Sage Restaurant in Condon, Lindsey Briggs' River Street Market in Enterprise, and Keith Kennedy's Teku Nobi food trailer. Following this success, High Desert Partnership secured an additional $350,000 in Round 2 funding to continue supporting rural Oregon's economic development.

Pictured: Keith Kennedy's Teku Nobi and his food trailer on an overnight trip to La Grande to have a fire suppression system installed.

When the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released its annual winter weather outlook in October, it predicted a slowly developing La Nina weather pattern, which would mean wetter than average weather for Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. 

That has proven to be the case for the last few months in the Harney Basin. As of Jan. 7, the snow water equivalent data provided by the Natural Resources Conservation Service at Snow Mountain was 377 percent of normal and at the Rock Springs site, it was 370 percent of normal. READ MORE.