The Latest

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Undoing urban growth boundary isn’t the answer to our housing crisis

We don’t need to compromise our principles and sacrifice farms and forestlands to development to confront the housing crisis. Read our op-ed, co-written with Habitat for Humanity Portland Metro and Community Alliance of Tenants, and published in the Oregonian on Sunday, December 4th.

Inclusionary housing and why it matters to all Oregonians

By 2035, city planners estimate that Portland’s population will add more than 100,000 new households. Without strong housing policies in place, that growth will lead to an even larger homelessness crisis and threaten our farmland and natural areas through subdivision expansions. Here's what we're doing about it.


LULI comes to Central Oregon

Since 2012, our innovative Land Use Leadership Initiative (LULI) program has graduated over 200 Oregonians with the knowledge and skills to shape their local communities through effective land use planning. So it was only a matter of time and resources before we launched a LULI in Central Oregon, guiding 27 advocates to mastery on key issues like wildfire, drought, and housing through the lens of land use policy...

Sandy Wright: the exit interview

After seeing up close how the environmental consultancies she worked for mainly helped their customers “skirt the laws and do as little as possible,” Sandy Wright knew something had to change. So twenty years ago, she left her industry to use her knowledge of regulations and her skills in communication to conserve and protect the Oregon she loved, capping her career as our Chief Philanthropy Officer for the last five years. “With 1000 Friends of Oregon, I found a bigger tool to help save our land.” 1000 Friends Executive Director Sam Diaz sat down with Sandy to ask what drives her and what her next chapter might hold.

1000 Friends is hiring a Communications Manager

1000 Friends of Oregon is looking for a Communications Manager to capture, transform, and amplify our complex statewide work into a variety of compelling, personal, and impactful outputs.

Planning for Tech Investments that Don't Compromise Farmland Protections

We have the opportunity to bring federal funding and jobs to Oregon with the CHIPS and Science Act. But, there are many pitfalls policymakers may fall into without adequate research and engagement. 1000 Friends of Oregon is offering an approach to avoiding these pitfalls and creating a win-win for Oregonians. Learn what we're proposing.

Remembering Land Use Advocate Merilyn Reeves

On October 7, Merilyn B. Reeves passed away peacefully at home. Oregon land use activists know her as the fiery, tenacious redhead who seemed to always have the right words at the right time, whether at an LCDC meeting, a local land use hearing, or a strategic planning retreat.