Rob Davis
I cover the environment and business in the Pacific Northwest.
Have a Tip for a Story?
If you live in the Pacific Northwest and have details about an abuse of power by a business, a government agency or an elected official, I want to hear from you.
What I Cover
I’ve been an investigative reporter in Oregon for more than a decade, examining the intersections of corporate influence, natural resources, pollution and public health. Lately I’ve covered the role of Nike, a major Northwest company, in corporate responsibility.
My Background
Before joining ProPublica, I was a special projects reporter on the investigations team at The Oregonian.
My 2021 investigation into how industrial logging hollowed out Oregon communities, “The Cutting,” a partnership between The Oregonian, ProPublica and Oregon Public Broadcasting, prompted a state audit and multiple bills introduced in the Legislature. It received the John B. Oakes Award for Distinguished Environmental Reporting.
My 2019 series “Polluted by Money” helped spur a long-stalled constitutional amendment that cleared the way for campaign donation limits in Oregon. The stories received awards including the John B. Oakes Award, the Collier Prize for State Government Accountability and the Scripps Howard Award for Environmental Reporting.
My 2016 examination of lead contamination in National Guard armories led to closures and cleanups of hundreds of buildings around the country.
I’m from the Eastern Shore of Maryland and started in journalism at the Hanover (Virginia) Herald-Progress. I’ve also worked at the Fredericksburg (Virginia) Free Lance-Star and Voice of San Diego.
I’m based in Portland, Oregon.
“We Have Counties in Deep Trouble”: Oregon Lawmakers Seek to Reverse Timber Tax Cuts That Cost Communities Billions
For decades, corporate timber benefited from tax cuts that devastated local budgets. Lawmakers want change and have filed dozens of bills, making this one of Oregon’s most consequential sessions for forest policy.
Local Reporting Network
Timber Tax Cuts Cost Oregon Towns Billions. Then Polluted Water Drove Up the Price.
Rural communities in Oregon paid millions of dollars for clean, safe drinking water because the state didn’t protect their watersheds from logging-related contamination.
Local Reporting Network
Oregon Governor Calls for Audit After Our Reporting on State Institute That Lobbied for Timber Industry
The Oregon Forest Resources Institute worked to undercut academic research and acted as a lobbying and public relations arm for the timber industry.
Local Reporting Network
What Happened When a Public Institute Became a De Facto Lobbying Arm of the Timber Industry
Internal emails show a tax-funded agency has acted as a public-relations agency and lobbying arm for Oregon’s timber industry.
Local Reporting Network
Big Money Bought the Forests. Small Logging Communities Are Paying the Price.
Wall Street investment funds took control of Oregon’s private forests. Now, wealthy timber corporations reap the benefits of tax cuts that have cost rural counties billions.
Local Reporting Network
Help Us Understand Logging and Timber Practices Across Oregon
Logging shapes the state’s economy and environment. ProPublica, Oregon Public Broadcasting and The Oregonian are teaming up to report on the issues.
Local Reporting Network