New Josephine County leaders, Wiyot land return, Oregon's wind roadmap

Aerial view of the California coastline courtesy of the California Coastal Commission. (California Coastal Commission (https://www.coastal.ca.gov/) ) The JPR news team gathers for a weekly roundtable to discuss the stories shaping coverage across the region. Stability returns to Josephine County (https://www.ijpr.org/politics-governm...) Josephine County officials appointed two new members to its board of commissioners after months of turmoil following recall efforts that left the board without a quorum. Officials selected Colene Martin, a business owner and former Grants Pass and Josephine County Chamber of Commerce CEO, and Gary Richardson, a longtime school board member and engineer, from a pool of nine finalists. Both appointees previously ran for the seats and said they hope to restore stability and spur economic recovery Historic land transfer to Wiyot Tribes (https://www.ijpr.org/law-and-justice/...) In a landmark decision centered on environmental justice, the California Coastal Commission approved the transfer of a Humboldt County property to local Wiyot (https://www.wiyot.us/) tribes. This move follows years of permit violations by a developer who constructed a 21,000-square-foot home on land containing cultural materials from a historic Wiyot village. Mapping Oregon’s offshore wind future (https://www.ijpr.org/environment-ener...) Oregon has released the final draft of its offshore wind roadmap, outlining possible pathways for ocean-based energy development. The plan differs from those in some coastal states by examining scenarios that range from hosting turbines to focusing solely on supply chain opportunities. State officials said the roadmap highlights the need for community benefit agreements and sets decision points where Oregon could pause or reconsider participation. Guests • Jane Vaughan, JPR reporter • Roman Battaglia, JPR reporter • Justin Higginbottom, JPR reporter