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
Beginning in early 2022, the College of Forestry (COF) at Oregon State University (OSU) requested assistance from Oregon Consensus in conducting assessment interviews and facilitating a stakeholder advisory committee to inform the development of a new forest management plan (FMP) for OSU’s McDonald and Dunn Research Forests. The group includes a diverse range of stakeholders … 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 support the development of an all-lands wildfire risk reduction 10-year Strategic Action Plan (SAP). Project partners include Mt. Hood National Forest, Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area, Oregon Department of Forestry, and Natural Resources Conservation Service, along with community members and other … 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
Parts of the Harney Basin are experiencing significant groundwater declines. The Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) initiated a rulemaking for the Greater Harney Valley Groundwater Area of Concern to update how groundwater is managed to better balance uses with how much groundwater is available. That update will include reductions in groundwater withdrawals. In late 2023, … Read more
The Partnership for Lake Abert and the Chewaucan (PLACe) formed in spring 2023 to address water management issues in the area. At the request of a group of local producers and environmental organizations, Oregon Consensus and Oregon State University conducted an assessment with a number of interested parties to find ways to sustain livelihoods, get … 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
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
Since 2014, Oregon Consensus has provided facilitation support to the Harney Basin Wetlands Collaborative (HBWC), which is convened by the High Desert Partnership. Initially, Oregon Consensus worked with local landowners, non-governmental organizations, and federal and state agencies to help design and implement a collaborative effort to combat invasive carp and preserve important bird habitats at … Read more