Posts Tagged ‘ 1000 Friends Of Oregon ’

Session Watch: Senate Approves Greenhouse Gas Bill

February 23, 2010
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Update:

1000 Friends of Oregon and the Oregon Environmental Council released a joint statement praising the bill.

Mary Kyle McCurdy, 1000 Friends of Oregon Policy Director says, “This victory will help create healthier, sustainable communities across Oregon. And it’s a major step for giving Oregonians better transportation choices.”

“SB 1059 is a win-win for cities and towns across Oregon,” says Chris Hagerbaumer, Deputy Director of the Oregon Environmental Council. “The bill will help create the tools and resources local governments need to make cost effective decisions on planning future growth while also improving air quality and reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions. Cities and towns of all sizes will be able to use the tools that the agencies develop.”

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Session Watch: Greenhouse Gas Bill Moves To Senate Floor

February 19, 2010
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Here’s one part of the green agenda for the special session that’s moving along. SB 1059 which lowers greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks was approved today by the Ways and Means Committee. Next stop is the Senate Floor.

This is what the bill does.

  • Requires ODOT and the Department of Land Conservation to set overall state strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector.
  • Sets emissions targets that the state’s largest metro areas have to reach by 2035. This includes Salem-Keizer, Eugene-Springfield, Bend, Medford and Corvallis. It doesn’t include Portland because that metro area is covered by separate legislation.
  • Provides the metro areas with ideas, strategies and plans to help them achieve the new goals.

Supporters hope this will lead to more mass transit in the regions covered by the bill, and help prevent sprawl.

Thanks to 1000 Friends of Oregon for the tip!

Session Watch: Greenhouse Gas Bill Moves Forward

February 11, 2010
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A bill to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks was approved this afternoon by the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee.

But rather than going straight to the Senate floor, SB 1059 will be taking an unexpected detour.

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Farmers, Conservation Groups Come Together On Urban Growth

January 11, 2010
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As the Portland metro area kicks off a long debate over growth and land use, several farming and conservation groups are joining forces on a single vision for how we should grow over the next several decades.

The members freely admit that in the past, they often didn’t agree on big issues. What brings them together now are the common goals of wanting to contain urban growth and make it more dense, while protecting what remains of the metro area’s best farmland and natural places.

It comes as the Metro regional government begins a two week period of public meetings and hearings on the matter.

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Green Groups Unhappy With Transportation Bill, Call For Changes

May 22, 2009
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Not that long ago, Oregon’s top environmental groups were optimistic, almost excited, about getting more money for mass transit, biking and walkable neighborhoods. They put their hopes in House Bill 2001, the giant transportation bill that will guide spending over the next two years.

My how things have changed.

Late this week, those same groups say the bill has morphed into a money for roads bill that leaves little to spend on other forms of transportation. “What started as a balanced transportation package has become an $840 million highway funding bill that takes the state backward,” says Bob Stacey, with 1000 Friends of Oregon. “We can’t support the package in its current form.”

HB 2001 includes a list of 50 road building or road widening projects for Oregon.  But only 37 of them are funded in the bill.  The money would come from increased gas taxes and vehicle fees.

In a letter to Governor Kulongoski, the groups are calling for three major changes.

  • Require plans for cutting global warming pollution from cars and trucks in the fastest growing areas of the state.  Right now, the bill only includes the Portland metro area.
  • Increase spending on bicycle and pedestrian projects to a minimum of 1.5% of what’s spent for roads.  Or create a new funding source for these kinds projects.
  • Have the Transportation Commission review the road projects in the bill and decide if they really are the best way to spend the money.  The current list has been criticized as pork because many of the projects have been submitted by individual lawmakers.

The letter was signed by 1000 Friends of Oregon, Oregon Environmental Council, Environment Oregon, the Bicycle Transportation Alliance, and the Oregon League of Conservation Voters.

For an interesting perspective on the issue, see this posting by former senatorial candidate Steve Novick on Blue Oregon.

The Special Joint Committee On Transportation held a hearing on HB 2001 Thursday night, and continues work on the bill starting at 1pm in Hearing Room F. If you can’t be there in person you can follow along via streaming video on the Oregon Channel website.

Enviro Groups Have High Hopes For Transportation Bill

April 27, 2009
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Environmental groups are hoping to score some big victories this week with House Bill 2001, the transportation bill.

After more than a week of behind the scenes negotiations, and public meetings, the House Transportation Committee is poised to vote on the bill.  Perhaps as soon as tomorrow.  How important is it?  Brock Howell of Environment Oregon says this could be, “The most progressive transportation bill – ever.”

Here’s what Environment Oregon and 1000 Friends of Oregon hope will be in the bill when it finally gets out of committee.

Regional Planning:

Environmental groups want the state’s three largest planning councils to officially include greenhouse gas reductions goals in the planning process.  The areas covered are Portland metro, Salem-Keizer, and Eugene-Springfield.  The benefits?  We should see more planning for bike lanes, high capacity bus lanes, mass transit, and neighborhoods that are easier to get around without using the car.  Planning is the first step in making sure these projects really get built.

More Money For Green Projects:

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Opposition Building To Metolius Protection Bill

April 21, 2009
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Despite strong support from the public and in the Oregon legislature, a bill to protect the Metolius River Basin is running into trouble.

With a public work session before the House Land Use Committee scheduled for this afternoon, it’s unclear what changes are being worked out behind the scenes in Salem.

Eric Stachon with 1000 Friends of Oregon is hearing that the main interference comes from developers of the Metolian, one of of two destination resorts proposed for the basin. The Friends are not taking part in the talks, but Stachon says one possible change may involve a land swap so that the Metolian resort could be built outside the protected area.

“We’re waiting to see what happens,” says Stachon. But he also says changes that could weaken the bill are, “frustrating given the level of support” for the plan.

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