In January 2024, the Oregon Council on Developmental Disabilities (OCDD) enlisted Oregon Consensus to facilitate Council and leadership meetings throughout 2024. OCDD advances social and policy change so that people with developmental disabilities, their families and communities may live, work, play, and learn together. OCDD is comprised of 60% people with intellectual and developmental disabilities … Read more
The introduction to the Vision for Oregon’s Forests states: “Forests are an integral part of the social, economic and environmental fabric of our state, and as such, their vulnerability is ours as well. Clean air and water, sustainable forest products, biodiversity, public health and safety, and many more critical benefits Oregonians rely upon require a … Read more
A May 30, 2024 “Water Policy: Call to Action” presentation was made to the Interim Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Wildfire in which a small group of water law experts referenced a Letter to Governor Kotek sent in January with a call for modernizing Oregon’s water laws. In this, priority area 4 described the … Read more
SB 1545 (2022) provided a $200 million investment package, referred to as “Future Ready Oregon,” and enacted several provisions related to workforce development, including a directive to the Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC), in consultation with the State Workforce and Talent Development Board, to establish a program to convene three statewide industry consortia representing the … Read more
Beginning in January 2023, in conjunction with Oregon Consensus’ overall process support for implementation of the Oregon Landscape Resiliency Strategy (OLRS), OC staff began assisting federal and state partner agencies (Oregon Department of Forestry; Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife; Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board; U.S. Forest Service; Natural Resource Conservation Services; and the Bureau of … Read more
Increases in wildfire frequency and severity across the western US have prompted changes to fire management programs in many states. In Oregon, SB 762(2021) created a number of programs and a significant, one-time investment from the State to address recommendations from a 2019 Wildfire Council Report related to three key strategies: create fire-adapted communities, develop … Read more
Beginning in June 2024, the United States Forest Service (USFS) enlisted Oregon Consensus to provide technical assistance, issue resolution, and mediation on best practices for public engagement between USFS and place-based forest collaboratives. Place-based forest collaborative groups are multi-partner entities that develop and promote balanced solutions to land management challenges. Dialogue across these diverse partner … Read more
In 2021, a Tribal Water Task Force was formed in response to a joint letter sent to the Governor from 9 Tribes requesting a more direct engagement with the State on matters related to water management and policy. Oregon Consensus and the Institute for Tribal Government facilitated the process. The Task Force focused on shared … Read more
In the Fall of 2023, in conjunction with Oregon Consensus’ overall process support for implementation of Oregon Landscape Resiliency Strategy (OLRS), OC staff helped federal and state partner agencies (Oregon Department of Forestry; Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife; Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board; Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board; U.S. Forest Service; Natural Resource Conservation Services; and … Read more
At the request of representatives from the renewable energy sector, fishing industry, labor unions, environmental groups, and other interests, Oregon Consensus facilitated an informal work group to explore the impacts and benefits of offshore wind along Oregon’s coast. This work group has recommended that Oregon develop an “Offshore Wind Roadmap with Exit Ramps.” The Roadmap … Read more
Oregon Consensus was asked by a coalition of nonprofit organizations engaged in renewable energy issues (Defenders of Wildlife, Natural Resources Defense Council, Renewable Northwest, and Oregon Natural Desert Association) to help facilitate a collaborative effort around renewable energy facility siting. These groups recognize that there is the potential for expanding renewable energy in Oregon, but … Read more
The Recreation, Education, and Innovation (REI) program, housed within the State Forests Division of the Oregon Department of Forestry, is embarking on a strategic visioning process to develop internal agency agreement on a vision and common set of values for the REI program, as well as a process for future strategic planning that explores how … Read more
The Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) asked Oregon Consensus to conduct an assessment and follow-up facilitated sessions involving staff from OWEB and members of the Oregon Coalition of Land Trusts (COLT), as well as individuals intimately familiar with drafting Measure 76, which permanently allocated a percentage of lottery proceeds to OWEB and guides the use … Read more
Oregon Consensus assisted policy and executive leadership, and two technical work groups of the Bonneville Power Administration, US Bureau of Reclamation, and US Army Corps of Engineers and their cooperating agencies to develop an environmental impact statement for Columbia River System Operations. It was due for completion in 2020. Photo: Tony Webster, Wikimedia Commons
Starting in October 2017, the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) hosted meetings with local governments, recycling collectors, recycling processors, and industry representatives to address short-term responses to China’s 2018 ban on the import of certain recyclables from the United States. In May 2018, DEQ launched a longer-term planning process with a convening of these representative … Read more
Northwest Regional Newborn Bloodspot Screening (NWRNBS) is a program of the Oregon Health Authority’s (OHA) Oregon State Public Health Laboratory. An Advisory Board was established by the Legislature in 2019 to provide strategic policy advice to OHA’s Public Health Newborn Screening Laboratory program. Oregon Consensus was brought in to help establish the group’s Governance Agreements … Read more
Oregon’s natural resource agency leadership began a process to engage communities, experts, and interest groups to examine the Governor’s 100-Year Water Vision. The water vision was drafted as a starting place and an invitation to stakeholders, agencies, and tribes to help shape a long-term vision and plan for strategic investments in Oregon’s water and water … Read more
OC provided facilitation support to a Department of State Lands rules advisory committee designed to provide input on new rules related to easements for crossing of trust and non-trust lands. Beginning in spring 2018, OC began providing facilitation support to a second rules advisory committee that designed to provide input to the Department of State … Read more
An estuarine research project was conducted by PSU faculty from the Environmental Science and Management Department and others with funding from Oregon Sea Grant. The project, captioned “Linkages between forestry practices and Oregon’s estuarine shellfish,”clarified connections between forest management regimes and contaminants in estuarine shellfish to inform future forestry policy discussion. Oregon Consensus facilitated an … Read more
As a follow up from OC’s 2012 Columbia Basin Salmon and Steelhead Situation Assessment, NOAA fisheries held a basin-wide collaborative forum to reconcile overlapping efforts for salmon and steelhead into a consistent and comprehensive set of integrated goals that provide a common path toward recovery. OC provided consultation services to NOAA and others in support … Read more