Does Oregon need a Goal 20? We aren’t opposed to the idea. In the meantime, we also think that the 19 land use planning goals we’ve already got just happen to make a pretty good climate strategy.
Climate change contributes to an unstable Oregon: It increases the frequency and severity of wildfire, accelerates drought conditions, and affects all sectors of the economy and ways of life. Changing climate conditions require climate action that helps vulnerable populations and impacted communities adapt to climate change. Oregon’s land use planning system is intended to ensure economic, community, and environmental health through comprehensive land use planning, and meaningful climate action using the land use program has been understood to be among the necessary components to protect the health and future of Oregon.
Land use policy IS climate policy.
For nearly 50 years, Oregon’s land use planning program has helped keep Oregon ahead of the curve when it comes to the effects of climate change. Learn more about why land use planning and climate change mitigation go hand in hand.
One of the Portland metro region’s largest employers sought a less-admirable top spot by more than doubling their carbon emissions at their Washington County campus. Not on our watch.
1000 Friends helped shape the 2023 legislation that will affect how communities site large-scale solar facilities in the state. Now, LCDC rulemaking is on the horizon, with the goal of identifying low-conflict areas for solar facilities so we can help meet climate goals while protecting valuable lands.
Meaningful climate action is necessary to defend the health and future of Oregon. In 2020, Governor Kate Brown signed executive order 20-04 establishing the Oregon Climate Action Plan (OCAP), a bold set of actions by state agencies to address our changing climate. In this Oregon Stories, we look back at OCAP and its successes, as well as highlight the future of the land use planning system and how we can use it to mitigate and adapt to climate change.