By Lauren Creany and Sam Diaz
Last month, 1000 Friends of Oregon and Save Helvetia hosted a community panel and discussion on “Oregon’s Tech: Where Could it Land?” at the stunning Ponzi Vineyards fireplace room in Washington County. The event featured Oregon State Representative Susan McLain, Metro President Lynn Peterson, Keith Leavitt of the Port of Portland, Kirstin Greene of Department of Land Conservation and Development, and Mary Kyle McCurdy with 1000 Friends of Oregon Deputy Director.
We heard from our panelists about the work of the Oregon Semiconductor Competitiveness Task Force, and problems and solutions around one of the Task Force’s focuses: industrial land availability and readiness. Panelists sparked a lively conversation about challenges and opportunities to position Oregon as a competitive state for investments in chip manufacturing, research, and development authorized under the federal CHIPS and Science Act 2022.
We invite you to read the Task Force's initial recommendations. Working with some of our local affiliate groups, Forestry and Agricultural Advisory Committee members, the team at 1000 Friends created recommendations for how we can create these high-earning tech jobs while not sacrificing our farms, forests, watersheds, and scenic areas. We encourage you to be on the lookout for other opportunities to share your thoughts with us and with the Joint Committee on Semiconductors, especially during this legislative session.