Applications are OPEN for 2024Rogue Farm Corps Apprenticeships! Interested in exploring sustainable/regenerative farming and becoming part of the climate-smart agricultural movement? Earn a wage while you train with dedicated Host Farm mentors through a Rogue Farm Corps Apprenticeship! Apprentices learn and work at one of RFC’s partner Host Farms across the state of Oregon. This hands-on, real-world field training is …
Category: Citizen Involvement
We Need Your Help- Stop the Development of Oregon’s Protected Lands!
Rogue Advocates strongly supports the efforts of the Governor and Democratic Leadership to increase the affordability and accessibility of housing for all Oregonians statewide. However, we oppose the strategies laid out in Section 2 of HB 3414 which constitutes a major rollback of environmental protections in the state of Oregon. As it is currently written, Section 2 of HB 3414, …
Listen to our interview with the Jefferson Exchange
Land Use Program Manager Devin Kesner and Board President Jamie Talarico discussed our new publication, Participating in Land Use Planning, and tips for getting involved with local land use planning, on the Jefferson Exchange on Jefferson Public Radio. We talked about barriers to getting involved, the basics of our land use planning system, and more! Listen to the interview here: …
Urban Growth Boundaries Under Threat – Removing Barriers to Community Participation
[Jackson and Josephine Counties, OR, Nov 17, 2022]— In order to help community members effectively participate in Oregon’s complex land-use planning system, Rogue Advocates released a new community resource guide called “Participating in Land Use Planning”. This release comes at a timely moment when Oregon’s farm and forest lands are being converted by urban growth boundary expansions and new development. …
Introducing our new publication: Participating in Land Use Planning!
Public participation is powerful and central to the sustainable functioning of our government. Land use planning is dependent on the public being involved in the planning process. With enabling more public participation as our motivating force, we’ve put together a new publication to make participating in the land use realm more accessible. We know firsthand how challenging it can be …
Jackson County denies proposal for 64-acre aggregate mine
Facing sustained opposition from Rogue Advocates and community members, Jackson County made its final decision to deny an application for an aggregate mining operation on nearly 64 acres a few miles north of Shady Cove on Highway 227. The application was seeking approval for mining, crushing, sizing, stockpiling, hauling, and blasting, all within close proximity to surrounding residences as close …
Mail Tribune Guest View: Fight to protect farm and forest lands turns 30
In a June 26 Guest Opinion in the Mail Tribune, former President of Friends of Jackson County (which merged with Rogue Advocates in 2011) reflected on 30 years of ensuring sustainable development in the Rogue Valley: “In the 1970s through the early 1990s, many Jackson County rural landowners requested rezoning of agriculturally zoned land that had what they called “poor …
Jackson county residents continue to fight proposed gravel mine
Source: Kevin McNamara/KTVL On June 29th, 2022, Rogue Advocates’ Board member Steve Rouse was featured on KTVL News regarding a gravel mine proposed just north of Shady Cove and Trail. Jackson County originally denied the application based on adverse impacts to residences located as close as 100 feet from the operation that will involve blasting, mining, crushing, and hauling up …
Celebrating 15-Years of Protecting the Rogue Valley!
This month, we are celebrating our 15th anniversary of working to protect farmland, forests, and open space in the Rogue Valley by recognizing highlights to mark this milestone! Often working quietly from behind the scenes and sometimes going without notice, we bet some of these actions may surprise you. We hope you learn something new and get to know us better! Looking …
Climate-Friendly and Equitable Communities Rulemaking Could Change the Way Oregon Cities Develop
Have you heard of the Climate-Friendly and Equitable Communities Rulemaking? These rules have the potential to change the way our cities develop (for the better) and are worth learning more about! The rules could make our cities more livable, walkable, and have a big impact on reducing greenhouse gas emissions across the state. These new rules proposed by the Land …
Rogue Advocates Submits Comments on Proposed Whitehorse County Park RV Expansion
Josephine County Parks (JCP) is pursuing plans to upgrade Whitehorse County Park, a quiet park along the Rogue River located on land zoned Exclusive Farm (EF) just outside of Grants Pass. The upgrade involves for paving over significant portions of the park and removing almost 350 trees in order to accommodate 20 RV sites and 10 tent sites. Whitehorse County …
Rogue Advocates Highlights the Need for a Systemic Shift Away from Auto-Dependent Growth in Comments to LCDC’s Climate-Friendly and Equitable Communities Rulemaking
Rogue Advocates submitted public comment in advance of the December 17 meeting on the latest draft rules developed for the Land Conservation and Development Commission’s (LCDC) Climate-Friendly and Equitable Communities Rulemaking. The comments urge LCDC to ensure that its final rule reflects the urgency and severity of the climate crisis and corrects Oregon’s historic failure to meet its GHG emission reduction goals. Governor Kate Brown’s Executive Order 20-04 directed state agencies, including LCDC, …
SOCAN’s 7th Annual Master Climate Protector Course begins February 2022
Become a Master Climate Protector! Register today for Southern Oregon Climate Action Now’s 7th annual course starting on February 9, 2022. This is a 10-week course, held on Zoom every Wednesday from 6-9 pm. This course is limited to the first 20 participants; tuition payment guarantees your seat! Visit https://socanmcp.eco/ to learn more and sign up! Modeled on the extremely popular Jackson …
State Raps Ashland Annexation
Article by Damian Mann published in Ashland Tidings on June 4, 2021. Ashland’s attempt to annex 17 acres for a proposed apartment complex was rejected recently by the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals. “The decision we made is incorrect,” said Bill Molnar, city planner, at a May 25 Planning Commission meeting. The city approved the annexation, which would have …
Rogue Advocates Opposes Urban Growth Boundary Expansion Bill
HB 2708, introduced by Representative Zika, would authorize DLCD to approve any city’s request for a Urban Growth Boundary expansion for affordable housing, notwithstanding land use laws, including onto farm and forest land. There are several problems with this: Perpetuates the false notion that just adding more land means housing will be more affordable. Distracts from what cities should be …
Citizen Alert: Urgent Action on Bill Proposing Rural Residential Zoning Changes
House Bill 2655 has been introduced by representatives Zika, DB Smith and Owens and is scheduled for the House Committee on Housing on Thursday, February 4th at 8:00 a.m. The summary of the bill is that it “prohibits counties from establishing minimum lot size of more than one acre for residential zoned land.” Our partners at 1000 Friends of Oregon …
Citizen Alert: DLCD Climate Friendly and Equitable Communities Rulemaking
From the DLCD website: “On March 10, 2020, Governor Kate Brown issued Executive Order 20-04, directing agencies to reduce climate pollution. In response, the Land Conservation and Development Commission (commission) is working on updating Oregon’s Transportation Planning Rules and related administrative rules. The commission initiated rulemaking at its September 2020 meeting. That rulemaking will focus on significantly strengthening Oregon’s administrative rules about transportation …