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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
Ashland, OR. As a result of Rogue Advocates’ successful May 2021 appeal of the Grand Terrace annexation, the City of Ashland was forced to acknowledge the multitude of ways in which the annexation’s approval violated the City’s laws. But rather than require that the applicant conform to Ashland’s annexation code––which mandates that newly-annexed areas provide “safe and accessible” bicycle, pedestrian and …
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, …
Guest Opinion published in the Mail Tribune on September 6, 2021. Gov. Kate Brown recently appeared on CNN saying, “Climate change is here, it’s real and it’s like a hammer hitting us in the head — and we have to take action.” Brown then singled out her recent signing of a “clean energy bill” (HB 2021) as evidence that Oregon …
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 …