Environment Oregon Inc

OUR CORE MISSION IS TO PROTECT OREGON'S CLEAN AIR, CLEAN WATER, AND OPEN SPACE. IN PRACTICE, OUR PROFESSIONAL STAFF COMBINES INDEPENDENT RESEARCH, PRACTICAL IDEALS, AND TOUGH-MINDED ADVOCACY TO PRESERVE OUR STATE'S NATURAL BEAUTY, PROTECT OREGONIANS FROM TOXIC POLLUTION, BUILD LIVABLE COMMUNITIES, AND SHIFT OFF DIRTY OIL AND COAL AND POWER-UP WITH EFFICIENCY, SOLAR, WIND, AND OCEAN POWER.

CLEAN ENERGY: GO SOLAR, OREGON SOLAR POWER HAS TRIPLED IN AMERICA IN JUST THE LAST TWO YEARS-WITH A NEW HOME OR BUSINESS GOING SOLAR EVERY ONE AND A HALF MINUTES. IN FY16, ENVIRONMENT OREGON CONVINCED LAKE OSWEGO, MILWAUKIE, CORVALLIS AND ASHLAND TO TAKE ACTIONS THAT WILL MAKE SOLAR MORE AFFORDABLE AND ACCESSIBLE FOR OREGONIANS. TO WIN THESE VICTORIES FOR OUR ENVIRONMENT, WE GOT MORE THAN 60 LOCAL BUSINESSES TO CALL ON THEIR LOCAL LEADERS TO PASS PRO-SOLAR POLICIES AND WE COORDINATED TESTIMONY FROM OUR MEMBERS, LOCAL BUSINESSES AND SOLAR INSTALLERS IN FRONT OF CITY COUNCILS BEFORE VOTES WERE CAST. CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O. WE ALSO LAUNCHED A CAMPAIGN IN LINCOLN COUNTY WHERE WE HOSTED A "SOLAR POWER HAPPY HOUR," WITH SPEAKERS THAT INCLUDED LOCAL SOLAR CONTRACTORS AND ELECTED OFFICIALS. CLIMATE CHANGE: COAL TO CLEAN ENERGY IN FY16, ENVIRONMENT OREGON JOINED WITH A BROAD COALITION OF ORGANIZATIONS FROM AROUND THE STATE TO PUSH FOR AGGRESSIVE ACTION ON GLOBAL WARMING. THANKS TO THIS WORK, LAWMAKERS PASSED THE CLEAN ELECTRICITY AND COAL TRANSITION ACT IN FEBRUARY, WHICH GETS OREGON OFF COAL, DOUBLES OREGON'S COMMITMENT TO RENEWABLE ENERGY TO 50 PERCENT, AND EXPANDS SOLAR OPTIONS FOR PEOPLE ACROSS THE STATE. OREGON IS PROVING ONCE AGAIN THAT WE CAN LEAD THE WAY IN PASSING STRONG POLICIES THAT PROTECT OUR ENVIRONMENT. IN SUPPORT OF THE CLEAN ENERGY BILL, ENVIRONMENT OREGON MEMBERS SENT HUNDREDS OF EMAILS AND MADE DOZENS OF PHONE CALLS TO THEIR LEGISLATORS. ADDITIONALLY, WE BROUGHT LOCAL SOLAR BUSINESS OWNERS AND LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS TO SALEM TO LOBBY DECISION-MAKERS. FINALLY, WE ORGANIZED A STUDENT LOBBY DAY THAT BROUGHT 35 STUDENTS FROM THREE COLLEGE CAMPUSES ACROSS THE STATE TO SALEM TO MEET WITH THEIR LEGISLATORS AND DELIVER 3,300 SIGNATURES THEY COLLECTED OVER FOUR DAYS IN SUPPORT OF THE BILL. PRESERVATION: PROTECT CRATER LAKE THE WOODS AND WATERS THAT SURROUND CRATER LAKE ARE HOME TO BALD EAGLES, BLACK BEARS, WOLVES, AND ROOSEVELT ELK. HOWEVER, MUCH OF THE HABITAT IS UNDER THREAT FROM BULLDOZERS, BACKHOES, AND CHAINSAWS. AROUND THE PARK, LOGGING COMPANIES ARE PUSHING TO CLEAR-CUT THOUSANDS OF ACRES OF FOREST- LAND THAT SHELTERS THE HEADWATERS TO THE ROUGE AND UMPQUA RIVERS, WHICH ARE CRITICAL FOR MAINTAINING HEALTHY RUNS OF COHO AND CHINOOK SALMON. IN RESPONSE TO THESE THREATS, ENVIRONMENT OREGON IS CALLING ON CONGRESS TO CREATE THE CRATER LAKE WILDERNESS, A 75-MILE, NEARLY HALF-MILLION ACRE WILDLIFE CORRIDOR THAT WOULD CONNECT EXISTING WILDERNESS AREAS, ENHANCE PROTECTION FOR CRATER LAKE, AND PROHIBIT LOGGING, MINING, AND OTHER FORMS OF DESTRUCTIVE DEVELOPMENT. IN FY16, ENVIRONMENT OREGON COLLECTED MORE THAN 30,000 PETITION SIGNATURES CALLING ON SEN. RON WYDEN TO INTRODUCE A BILL IN CONGRESS TO PROTECT CRATER LAKE. WE DELIVERED MANY OF THEM TO SEN. WYDEN'S OFFICE IN EUGENE ALONG WITH A MOSAIC OF CRATER LAKE MADE UP OF PHOTO PETITIONS FROM OUTDOOR ENTHUSIASTS FROM ACROSS THE STATE.