1000 Friends of Oregon

1000 Friends of Oregon is a private, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that advocates for sustainable communities, protection of farmland and forests, and conservation of natural areas and resources in the US state of Oregon with a focus on land-use planning. It was established in 1975, following the creation of Oregon's statewide land use system in 1973 by then-governor Tom McCall and attorney Henry Richmond.[1] By 1994, the organization had about 2,500 contributors and supporters.[2] Richmond served as the organization's first executive director. During the 1980s, one of the group's ongoing activities was fighting what it saw as improper land-use by the rapidly growing community of Rajneeshpuram, created in a rural part of central Oregon by the followers of the guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh.[2][3]

Richmond was succeeded as director in later years by Robert Liberty (in 1994),[2] Bob Stacey (2002–09),[4] and – as of March 2010 – Jason Miner.[5]

Current initiatives

The group's current work falls into three broad categories: advocating for vibrant, climate-friendly communities and neighborhoods, promoting Oregon's rural economy through policy and planning with the Healthy Rural Economies initiative, and an effort to foster future leadership in Oregon's land use community through the Land Use Leadership Initiative.[6] The group carries out this work through its Portland headquarters and three regional offices, working statewide with cities and counties and at the Oregon legislature.

Measures 37 and 49

The group strongly opposed Measure 37, a controversial land-use ballot initiative passed by Oregon voters in 2004. 1000 Friends brought litigation in 2005 that led to Measure 37's being ruled unconstitutional by a circuit court,[7] but the ruling was later overturned by the Oregon Supreme Court. The organization then advocated, successfully, for the passage of 2007's Measure 49, which limited the impacts of Measure 37.[1]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Howe, Deborah. "1000 Friends of Oregon". The Oregon Encyclopedia. Retrieved December 23, 2012.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Beggs, Charles E. (June 19, 1994). "1,000 Friends of Oregon Keep Eye on Land Use, Growth". The Los Angeles Times. (Associated Press). Retrieved December 23, 2012.
  3. ↑ Zaitz, Les (April 14, 2011). "25 years after Rajneeshee commune collapsed, truth spills out – Part 1 of 5". The Oregonian. Retrieved December 23, 2012.
  4. ↑ Mortenson, Eric (October 8, 2010). "Metro race between Tom Hughes, Bob Stacey boils down to nuances in policy". The Oregonian. Retrieved December 23, 2012.
  5. ↑ Mortenson, Eric (March 19, 2010). "1000 Friends of Oregon names new director". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on March 30, 2010. Retrieved March 23, 2010.
  6. ↑ Mortenson, Eric (November 4, 2011). "For 1000 Friends of Oregon, land-use legacy is a flame that needs tending". The Oregonian. Retrieved November 17, 2011.
  7. ↑ "Judge rules Measure 37 unconstitutional". Portland Business Journal. October 14, 2005. Retrieved December 23, 2012.

External links