Defending Rural Communities and Natural Resources
Defending Rural Communities and Natural Resources
Walking the Applegate Valley Ridge Trail with Jimmy, looking down on the developing Rogue Valley on one side and the forested mountainsides and farmed bottomland of the Applegate Valley on the other, Jimmy envisions simultaneously both the past and the future. Maybe, just maybe, we can have an impact and paint a more sustainable future that reflects the natural beauty …
Did you know Oregon has protected over 16 million acres of farmland since 1973? This shows our state’s dedication to keeping rural areas beautiful. But, three new bills – HB 2400, HB 2422, and HB 2316 – could change that. We strongly oppose these bills, fearing they could cause rural sprawl and harm our farming efforts. Oregon is known for …
With a few breakthrough projects this year and changes behind the scenes at Rogue Advocates we have quite a lot to tell you! We thank all of you who contributed generous donations, both in time and monetarily, that have allowed us to see so much done halfway through the year in Jackson and Josephine Counties. The State of Oregon is …
In early 2024 the Josephine County Commissioners introduced and approved revisions to Chapter 19 of the county comprehensive plan to relax or eliminate minimum wildfire and safety mitigation standards for development of structures throughout the county. Josephine County is the only area in Oregon that does not fund a county wide fire district. At the local hearing Rogue Advocates stressed …
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 …
It has been a busy year for us here at Rogue Advocates, as we’ve said before, and now as this year ends, we want to tell you what your continuing support has allowed us to accomplish! Thanks to your continuing donations and support, we have successfully participated in multiple land use applications. Oregon Farm & Forest Lands came under threat …
Happenings in Rogue Valley and Statewide It has been a busy year for us here at Rogue Advocates! Thanks to your continuing donations and support we have been able to successfully participate in multiple land use applications. Oregon Farm & Forest Lands came under threat by multiple legislative bills and commercial developments over the last year what would have set …
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, …
Mail Tribune, November 28, 2022 –– A local land-use watchdog group has published a guide aimed at making Oregon’s often complicated land-use system easier to understand. If more people understand the state’s land-use rules — which involve urban growth boundaries and a host of laws intended to preserve the state’s farm and forest lands — more people will be equipped …
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: …
[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. …
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 …
As a first step to address wildfire risk and hazards, the 2021 legislature passed Senate Bill 762, a comprehensive wildfire preparedness and resiliency bill. Under the bill, the Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) was tasked with developing recommendations for changes to Oregon’s land use planning rules to make our communities safer from wildfire and adjust Oregon’s land use …
Subscribe Past Issues As we know all too well in the Rogue Valley, Oregon has faced devastating losses to human life and property from wildfires that have been severely exacerbated by climate change. The Rum Creek Fire is the latest reminder of the devastating risks posed by wildfires in our region. The fire threatens over 7,000 structures, has claimed one …
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 …
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 …
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 …
News Coverage KDRV, Josephine County zoning change reversed by State Board, published on June 10, 2022 KTVL, Advocacy groups win land-use appeal against private developer in Merlin, published on June 15, 2022 Press Release Grants Pass, OR, June 8, 2022—The Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA) ruled in favor of Rogue Advocates and 1000 Friends of Oregon that the Josephine …
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 …
Mail Tribune, Guest View, Local Opinions, April 3, 2022 In case you haven’t noticed we are in an ever-worsening drought in the region. It’s clear to anyone who’s watching that the climate change chickens have come home to roost with a vengeance and the Rogue Valley is once again staring down the barrel of another fast approaching long, hot, high-risk …