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
OC facilitated the Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ) Local Stakeholder Advisory Committee and several technical working groups. The committee and working groups worked to develop an implementation-ready TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load) for bacteria and sediment impairment in water bodies in the mid-coast basin. OC also facilitated a Statewide TMDL Policy Committee to gather input … Read more
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) asked Oregon Consensus, in partnership with the William D. Ruckelshaus Center, a joint program of Washington State University and the University of Washington, to conduct a situation assessment of regional views about salmon and steelhead recovery planning in the Columbia River Basin over … Read more
In 2013, Oregon Consensus and Oregon Solutions facilitated a collaborative effort between the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department and county parks (through the Association of Oregon Counties) to change the distribution formula for recreational vehicle (RV) registration fees, enhance partnership efforts between state and county parks providers, and consider jurisdictional transfers of park properties. Over time, … Read more
The Renewable Energy and Eastern Oregon Landscape Conservation Partnership was convened by the Oregon Governor’s Natural Resources Policy Director and the Deputy State Director for the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to address renewable energy development and habitat conservation across Eastern Oregon. The group addressed sagebrush and sage grouse issues, and developed criteria for identifying … Read more
The Malheur National Wildlife Refuge working group, with more than 30 diverse members, developed a draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Impact Statement to guide refuge management from 2012 until 2027. From 2008 through 2011, Oregon Consensus provided facilitation and collaborative governance training to Malheur Wildlife Refuge staff and other stakeholders. The group strengthened working … Read more
In 2011, Oregon Consensus facilitated an Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife task force that reviewed dog and raptor training regulations in Oregon. The task force included the Oregon State Police; representatives of the birding, hunting and dog training communities; and other interested stakeholders.
In 2011, the City of Salem and the North Santiam Watershed Council asked Oregon Consensus to conduct a neutral assessment of the potential for collaborative approaches to water management in the North Santiam Basin. The North Santiam River serves a broad variety of water needs including municipal water supply, irrigation, recreation, and ecological services for … Read more
In 2008 through 2011, Oregon Consensus (OC) worked with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ ) to support DEQ’s Portland Air Toxics Solutions (PATS) project. The PATS project was a collaborative effort to develop Oregon’s first area-wide air toxics reduction plan for the Portland region through a broad, community-based effort. OC is assisted DEQ … Read more
In 2011, Oregon Consensus conducted an assessment on behalf of the City of Portland Healthy Working Rivers Office, examining applicant experiences with the multi-agency permitting process for maintenance dredging in areas of the Columbia and Willamette Rivers and Columbia Slough. The assessment gathered input from a wide variety of stakeholders, including dredging firms, owners of … Read more
Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar and senior officials of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) have expressed a strong desire to find new approaches to managing land included in the Oregon and California Lands Act of 1937 (O&C Act). BLM and Oregon Governor Kitzhaber are interested in exploring approaches to creating a policy framework for … Read more
Ecosystem services are life sustaining processes of nature, such as wetlands purifying drinking water, vegetation preventing erosion, healthy soil producing crops, and clean rivers supporting abundant fish populations. Owners whose lands produce ecosystem services historically have been compensated only through sales of products, such as food and timber. Ecosystem services marketplaces provide a system for … Read more
“The improved monitoring strategies will greatly improve our ability to assess and adaptively manage Columbia Basin salmonid populations.” – Project participant Oregon Consensus helped design, convene and facilitate a Regional Workshop to develop agreement on a Columbia Basin Coordinated Anadromous Fish Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Strategy. The five-day workshop included more than 70 representatives of … Read more
“Since an ecosystem approach will provide healthier landscapes and quantifying these values will provide ways for landowners to access revenues for the benefits they provide, it helps landowners stay on the land and also provides a way for the regulated community to more efficiently invest in mitigation activities.” ~ Project participant An ecosystem services marketplace allows … Read more
In 2009, Antelope Ridge Wind Energy Project LLC (Antelope Ridge) submitted to the Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE) a Notice of Intent to build a 300 megawatt wind-powered electric generating facility in Union County, Oregon, near the Cities of Union and La Grande. Approval in the form of a Site Certificate from the Oregon Energy … Read more
“Cooperation between diverse interests can lead to a better understanding of the issues from multiple points of view. It will help lead to a balanced problem solving approach.”—Participant, Federal Forest Lands Advisory Committee project Nearly 60% of Oregon’s 30 million acres of forest is federally owned—about 25% of Oregon’s land base. Forests provide rural jobs, … Read more
The Exempt Groundwater Well Policy Consensus Work Group worked toward stakeholder consensus about whether changes should be made to Oregon’s policy on exempt groundwater wells. Legislation modifying the state’s exempt groundwater well policy was proposed during the 2007 legislative session and previously. In late 2007, State Representative Jackie Dingfelder requested assistance from Oregon Consensus in … Read more
Several preliminary permits had been issued and several more were pending for wave energy development projects on the Oregon coast. As the exposure and discussion of impacts increased, questions arose about the role of state government in developing policy and planning for wave energy. In 2007, in response to those questions, the Oregon Governor’s Office … Read more
From June 2005 – June 2007, Oregon Consensus worked with the Deschutes Water Alliance, the Deschutes River Conservancy and other stakeholders to assess feasibility of convening a collaborative process to address water management in the Deschutes River Basin. Oregon Consensus provided the facilitation services of RESOLVE, Inc., to conduct an assessment. The assessment report, presented … Read more
In 2006, Clackamas County Sewer District #1 was faced with considerable disagreement from concerned citizens when it announced its proposal to build the Clearwater Treatment Facility. The district appointed a Citizens Advisory Council (CAC) to bring citizens together with other stakeholders to address options for the location and financing of new waste water treatment facilities. With the assistance of neutral facilitation services provided … Read more