Defending Rural Communities and Natural Resources
Defending Rural Communities and Natural Resources
[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. …
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 …
Oregon’s 2022 short legislative session ended on Friday, March 4, lasting just a few weeks. We want to highlight and celebrate the passage of some important new legislation in the land use, affordable housing, and environmental sustainability realms: Providing Funding for the Oregon Agricultural Heritage Program: Grants to Keep Working Farms and Ranches in Sustainable Production The Oregon Agricultural Heritage Program, …
Josephine County, Oregon––Rogue Advocates and 1000 Friends of Oregon have appealed a Josephine County land use decision to re-designate and rezone nearly 90 acres of forest land to rural residential to allow a residential subdivision with 5-acre minimum parcel sizes. Over 15,500 acres in Josephine County have already been re-designated as non-resource lands, with local decision-makers repeatedly failing to consider …
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 …
Article by Damian Mann published in Ashland Tidings on June 11, 2021. The Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals recently rejected a zone change by Jackson County commissioners that could have opened the door to widespread development of rural properties. “It is difficult if not impossible to understand what findings the Board of Commissioners relied upon to support the decision,” …
Ashland, OR. May 14, 2021 – In response to two separate petitions filed by Rogue Advocates, a public-interest land use watchdog, the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA) has reversed an annexation approval by the City of Ashland and remanded a zone change approval by Jackson County. On May 12, LUBA agreed with Rogue Advocates that the City of Ashland did not follow their municipal code in approving the Grand Terrace annexation just north of the city limits on Highway 99. The next day, LUBA again ruled in favor of Rogue Advocates when they …
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.” Read Craig Anderson’s, Land Use Programs Manager, testimony …
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 …