Defending Rural Communities and Natural Resources
Defending Rural Communities and Natural Resources
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 …
[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. …
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 …
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 …
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 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, …
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 …
The Box R Ranch has been operating an unpermitted mine operation since the 1990’s in the Greensprings area approximately 1 ½ miles off Hwy. 66. This has historically been a small operation until 2018 when Box R contracted to supply rock for the reinforcement of both Hyatt and Howard Prarie Dams. The increased haul traffic led to several public complaints …
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 …
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 …
Save the date: On February 4, 2021 from 12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m., 1000 Friends of Oregon will hold a webinar to discuss the 2021 legislative session. Open to the public! It is a great opportunity for community members from the Rogue Valley region to get involved in land use legislation! RSVP for the webinar link