Four Oregon Groups Ask Kotek to Stop Sunny Valley Gravel Mine on Grave Creek
A coalition of Rogue Advocates, WaterWatch of Oregon, Rogue Riverkeeper, and Friends of Country Living is urging Governor Tina Kotek to reject a deep-pit gravel operation on Grave Creek, a tributary of the Wild and Scenic Rogue River. Eighty to ninety feet deep. Within fifty feet of Grave Creek. That is the shape of what […]
Holding the Line, Building the Future: The Rogue Valley’s Stake in Oregon’s UGB Debate
A street ends at an empty field at the edge of Woodburn’s urban growth boundary. This empty field is now the potential site of a new housing development, a possibility with House Bill 4035. (Photo by Robin Linares/Oregon Capital Chronicle)
Defending Oregon’s Rural Heritage: Our Opposition to HB 2400, HB 2422, and HB 2316
Did you know Oregon has protected over 16 million acres of farmland since 1973? This shows our state’s dedication to keeping rural areas beautiful. But, three new bills – HB 2400, HB 2422, and HB 2316 – could change that. We strongly oppose these bills, fearing they could cause rural sprawl and harm our farming […]
Urban Growth Boundaries Under Threat – Removing Barriers to Community Participation
[Jackson and Josephine Counties, OR, Nov 17, 2022]— In order to help community members effectively participate in Oregon’s complex land-use planning system, Rogue Advocates released a new community resource guide called “Participating in Land Use Planning”. This release comes at a timely moment when Oregon’s farm and forest lands are being converted by urban growth […]
Jackson County denies proposal for 64-acre aggregate mine
Facing sustained opposition from Rogue Advocates and community members, Jackson County made its final decision to deny an application for an aggregate mining operation on nearly 64 acres a few miles north of Shady Cove on Highway 227. The application was seeking approval for mining, crushing, sizing, stockpiling, hauling, and blasting, all within close proximity […]
Mail Tribune Guest View: Fight to protect farm and forest lands turns 30
In a June 26 Guest Opinion in the Mail Tribune, former President of Friends of Jackson County (which merged with Rogue Advocates in 2011) reflected on 30 years of ensuring sustainable development in the Rogue Valley: “In the 1970s through the early 1990s, many Jackson County rural landowners requested rezoning of agriculturally zoned land that […]
Jackson county residents continue to fight proposed gravel mine
Source: Kevin McNamara/KTVL On June 29th, 2022, Rogue Advocates’ Board member Steve Rouse was featured on KTVL News regarding a gravel mine proposed just north of Shady Cove and Trail. Jackson County originally denied the application based on adverse impacts to residences located as close as 100 feet from the operation that will involve blasting, […]
Rogue Advocates Wins Appeal Preventing the Urbanization of Forest Land in Extreme Fire Risk Area
News Coverage KDRV, Josephine County zoning change reversed by State Board, published on June 10, 2022 KTVL, Advocacy groups win land-use appeal against private developer in Merlin, published on June 15, 2022 Press Release Grants Pass, OR, June 8, 2022—The Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA) ruled in favor of Rogue Advocates and 1000 Friends […]
Celebrating 15-Years of Protecting the Rogue Valley!
This month, we are celebrating our 15th anniversary of working to protect farmland, forests, and open space in the Rogue Valley by recognizing highlights to mark this milestone! Often working quietly from behind the scenes and sometimes going without notice, we bet some of these actions may surprise you. We hope you learn something new and […]
It’s time to say no to more fire-prone rural sprawl
Mail Tribune, Guest View, Local Opinions, April 3, 2022 In case you haven’t noticed we are in an ever-worsening drought in the region. It’s clear to anyone who’s watching that the climate change chickens have come home to roost with a vengeance and the Rogue Valley is once again staring down the barrel of another […]
Highlights from the 2022 Legislative Session
Oregon’s 2022 short legislative session ended on Friday, March 4, lasting just a few weeks. We want to highlight and celebrate the passage of some important new legislation in the land use, affordable housing, and environmental sustainability realms: Providing Funding for the Oregon Agricultural Heritage Program: Grants to Keep Working Farms and Ranches in Sustainable Production […]
Appeal Filed to Protect Josephine County Forest Land
Josephine County, Oregon––Rogue Advocates and 1000 Friends of Oregon have appealed a Josephine County land use decision to re-designate and rezone nearly 90 acres of forest land to rural residential to allow a residential subdivision with 5-acre minimum parcel sizes. Over 15,500 acres in Josephine County have already been re-designated as non-resource lands, with local […]