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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.

Midway through 2023’s legislative session, we’re bringing you a short housing roundup, including a win we’re celebrating and the other housing bills we’re still supporting. The seven housing bills we are still working on in the legislature are all aimed at making it easier to build more affordable and diverse housing that’s located close to the things people need to get to, such as schools, stores, parks, and more.

Advocacy from the Linn County community helped preserve a tract of prime farmland, saving it from becoming industrial land as part of a land swap proposed by the City of Millersburg. Local public efforts ensured that this land remained outside the UGB as farmland, instead of forever losing acres of rich soil that feed our state.

The Oregon legislature took a momentous step toward making sure that every Oregonian has the opportunity for accessible, affordable housing choices in every community. We will need you to share your support for HB 2001 as it continues to move through the legislature.

A win-win is possible for semiconductor expansion applications and Oregon’s farms, forests, and watersheds. But the window of opportunity closes in two months—our state must act now! Since the introduction of Senate Bill 4 (SB 4)—which focuses, in part, on ways to support the expansion of the semiconductor industry’s footprint in Oregon—1000 Friends, local land use groups, and hundreds of Oregonians have urged the State’s Joint Committee on Semiconductors to act fast and strategically to meet the May 2023 application deadline.

As a member of the Just Crossing Alliance, 1000 Friends is excited to see our federal partner step in and request the inclusion of a movable lift span as one of the design options for the Interstate 5 Bridge Replacement Program.

This month, the Land Use Board of Appeals rejected a Marion County effort to use the home-occupation statute as a backdoor to open farm and forest lands to businesses hosting large-scale, nonfarm events.

As Metro Council approves UGB swap, we celebrate conditions but remain concerned on regional planning needs

Check your knowledge of Oregon's land use planning system with this answer key.

The 2023 Oregon Legislative session got off to a fast start on January 17, with approximately 2000 bills filed. 1000 Friends is following about 150 that relate to land use, working to pass bills that will lead the land use planning program into the next 50 years, including on housing for all, using land use tools to address climate change, supporting local farmers, and reforming transportation spending to provide more ways for more people to get around.

We will need you to be successful! Read more about what we're tackling and how you can help!