Legislative Update
Central Oregon LandWatch Watches Over Salem
LandWatch’s 2021 Legislative Advocacy Kickoff event was a thundering success! On February 4, we “zoomed” in together, with our Executive Director, Ben Gordon, leading off as our emcee and outlining the importance of our legislative work.
Curious about the event? You can watch the recorded live stream here.
We were joined by newly elected House District 54 (Bend) State Representative Jason Kropf, who summarized the opening activities of this, the 81st Legislative Assembly. Rep. Kropf described the new restrictive protocols at the capitol due to the pandemic but also the enhanced opportunities for remote access to proceedings and the ability we all have to provide testimony during hearings without having to drive over to Salem.
Following Rep. Kropf, Wildlife Program Director Nathan Hovekamp, spoke to LandWatch’s current focal areas of legislative advocacy.
This session, we are focused on four key areas:
1. Wildfire
Statewide land use planning is our best defense against the increasing risk of wildfire. Read our position. Find out more...
2. Housing
The presumed tradeoff between affordable housing and healthy, compact communities is a false choice. Find out more...
3. Rural land use
While Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) inside Urban Growth Boundaries (UGBs) can provide needed housing, the proliferation of ADUs outside UGBs contributes to sprawl. Find out more...
4. Appeals fees
Excessively high appeal fees shut the public out of land use decision-making. Find out more...
Our lobbyist, Jonathan Manton, provided a fascinating insider view of the legislative session, summarizing the session dynamics, the consequences of COVID-related safety concerns on session scope and pacing, the importance of allies and coalitions, the effectiveness of expert testimony coming from LandWatch.
PROVIDING TESTIMONY
Here are some examples of written testimony LandWatch has submitted so far this session:
We support HB 2548, which directs the study of funding for wildlife corridor road crossings.
We oppose HB 2655, which would lead to greater fragmentation of rural lands.
We oppose HB 2705, which would lead to proliferation of ADUs on rural lands.
We oppose HB 2708, which would promote sprawl through extra UGB expansions.
We support HB 2728, which would ban brutal and unjustified mass coyote killing contests.
To conclude the event, Communications and Outreach Manager, Caitlyn Burford, detailed the pathway of bills through legislative committees and our review of thousands of bills to narrow them down to our list of priorities. She explained the critical importance of citizen involvement in shaping what becomes state law, specifically, the value of your emails and letters to state senators and representatives as well as your written or oral testimony on specific bills.
GET INVOLVED!
There will be many upcoming opportunities on the horizon to shape bills of interest to you! We are currently tracking close to 100 bills that concern land use, rural lands, urban form, housing, wildfire policy, water issues, and wildlife. The Oregon State Legislature and the Oregon Legislative Information System are user-friendly websites and comprehensive resources for learning about and engaging in the legislative process.