In December 2018, the State Land Board directed the Department of State Lands (DSL) to work collaboratively with Oregon State University to develop a proposed plan for transforming the Elliott State Forest into a research forest, while meeting the Land Board’s vision and direction for the forest. In response, DSL established the Elliott State Research … 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
In response to a request from the Water Environment Services of Clackamas County, Oregon conducted an assessment of the potential opportunity for a collaborative agreement-seeking process to address issues related to governance of wastewater infrastructure in Clackamas County. Oregon Consensus then facilitated the process.
Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) is developing a master plan for Pilot Butte State Viewpoint in Bend, Oregon. Pilot Butte is a 500-foot extinct volcano with panoramic views of the Cascades Mountains and the city of Bend. Tens of thousands of people visit the park each year. Oregon Consensus worked with OPRD’s internal team … Read more
The 93,000-acre Elliott State Forest, just northeast of Coos Bay, Oregon, is made up primarily of state-owned lands dedicated to Oregon’s Common School Fund under the authority of the State Land Board. Since the forest was established in 1930, timber harvest has served as the primary source of revenue. In 2017, due to declining timber … 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
OC was asked by the Polk County Soil and Water Conservation District, on behalf of the steering committee for the Salt Creek Watershed Collaborative, to conduct an assessment to see whether and how a collaborative process might help resolve issues related to flooding in the Lower Salt Creek watershed and floodplain. Over the last couple … Read more
OC worked with a representative stakeholder work group convened by Oregon Parks and Recreation District to assist in developing an alternative for managing Bates Pond that meets multiple objectives, focusing on maintaining cultural and historic values and addressing fish passage and habitat needs.
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
The Harney County Watershed Council asked Oregon Consensus to facilitate place-based water resource planning for the Malheur Lake Basin, per a pilot grant from Oregon Water Resources Department. A water availability work group looked at sprinkler irrigation technologies and conservation practices that could be among several strategies for sustainable water management in the basin. Potential … Read more
The Burns, Oregon, district of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) engaged Oregon Consensus to convene and facilitate the BLM Burns District Wildfire Collaborative. The group worked to increase fire resiliency in southeast Oregon by improving collaboration and communication related to fire prevention, response, and recovery.
The Sage-Grouse Conservation Partnership (SageCon) is an unprecedented collaborative effort among federal, state, and private stakeholders to address landscape-scale threats to greater sage-grouse while acknowledging rural economic and community interests across eastern Oregon’s sagebrush range. Resulting from the SageCon process, the 2015 Oregon Sage-Grouse Action Plan details voluntary and state-regulated conservation measures to preserve habitat … Read more
Bates Pond, located in Bates State Park on the Middle Fork of the John Day River, is the last remaining feature of the historic mill town of Bates, Oregon. For several years, area stakeholders have grappled with issues related to restoration of Bates Pond and fish passage for threatened steelhead and bull trout populations. The … Read more
Oregon Consensus and the William D. Ruckelshaus Center conducted a convening assessment for The Columbia River Gorge Commission. The assessment explored opportunities to engage regional stakeholders in a collaborative effort to develop a comprehensive regional urban area policy for the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. The overall purpose of the project was to help … Read more
Oregon Consensus and the William D. Ruckelshaus Center assisted the Columbia River Gorge Commission in designing and convening a stakeholder engagement process to develop legal descriptions for the thirteen urban area boundaries established in the gorge by the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Act of 1986. As part of the Act, Congress provided a … Read more
OC facilitated a working group that explored collaborative approaches to public land management and ecological preservation on the 500,000 acre Beatys Butte Common Allotment located between Hart Mountain and Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge in Lake County, Oregon. Stakeholders involved in the process included Beatys Butte Grazing Association, the Oregon Natural Desert Association, cattle grazers, conservation … Read more
Oregon Consensus provided facilitation services to the Oregon Governor’s Task Force on Genetically-Engineered Agriculture. The task force identified and framed the major issues between growers of genetically-engineered (GE) agricultural products and other producers, including organic growers. The task force also identified areas of alignment and disagreement related to GE and non-GE food products, including information … Read more
The Swan Island-North Portland Air Quality Forum, convened by Oregon Representative Tina Kotek and Metro Councilor Sam Chase, brought together residents and businesses in a collaborative effort to address air quality in the Swan Island and north Portland area. Oregon Consensus facilitated the forum, and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality provided technical assistance. The … Read more
OC facilitated a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) cooperating agency advisory group (CAAG) that is leading a public engagement process to develop a Resource Management Plan for Western Oregon. The cooperating agency role derives from the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, which calls on federal, state, and local governments to cooperate with the goal … Read more