The Latest

Oregon is known for its temperate weather, not the three-digit, record-setting temperatures we experienced at the end of June and into early July. Some parts of the state reached 117 degrees, not far from the average temperature of Death Valley, home of the world record for the highest temperature ever recorded.

Farmers and conservation groups decry Columbia County’s approval of the controversial Columbia River estuary industrial port expansion.

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Henry Richmond, founder of 1000 Friends of Oregon and father of land use planning.

“[T]he problem for western civic societies is not so much defending against hostile and abusive use of technology. Instead, it’s failing to use technology to rediscover what democracy should be for the modern nation state: citizens participating personally in public debate and having meaningful say in policy decisions that affect them—without the distorting and corruptible role of legislative proxies or elitist agency officials.”

Oregon's 2021 Legislative Session was one for the history books. Not only was it the first all-remote session, but between authoring and introducing three bills, advocating for over 50 others, and monitoring a list of over 200 pieces of legislation, we had our hands full.

On the final day of the 2021 legislative session, the legislature passed Oregon’s first comprehensive wildfire preparedness and resiliency bill, Senate Bill 762.

We're still celebrating the definitive win for Hood River residents that came with the state Land Use Board of Appeals' (LUBA) unanimous decision to overturn the Hood River County Commission’s fourth extension of the DeeTour amphitheater development permit. Thrive Hood River's victory in the appeal effectively ends the 8-year threat posed by this ill-conceived large-scale concert venue sited on the banks of the East Fork of the Hood River. 

The Oregon Court of Appeals ruled today that the Oregon Aviation Board’s plan to expand the Aurora Airport onto farmland must comply with state land use laws. The ruling reverses and remands an earlier Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA) order favoring the aviation board.

After nearly 40 years leading nonprofit environmental and conservation efforts, including the last four years at the helm of 1000 Friends of Oregon, our Executive Director Russ Hoeflich will be retiring July 1, 2021.

The month of May is recognized as Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. AAPI Heritage Month marks a time to acknowledge the accomplishments and contributions of our AAPI communities to the United States and beyond.