Environment Oregon’s 2024 program agenda

Environment Oregon is a policy and action group with one mission: to restore and protect the natural world. Our staff works for clean air, clean water, clean energy, wildlife, open spaces, and a livable climate. Our members across the state put grassroots support behind our research and advocacy.

Here are our program priorities for 2024.

Save Oregon Oldest Trees

Amidst our current biodiversity and climate crisis, the destruction of older forests and trees is the embodiment of a wasteful, short-sighted mentality. We should not be destroying precious habitat and some of our most valuable natural carbon sinks. Our forests should be places of conservation, not destruction. We’re calling on the Biden administration to protect mature and old growth trees on all federal land in Oregon and across the country.

Protect Oregon’s Ocean

Home to diverse wildlife from the smallest krill to large gray whales, the ocean off of Oregon’s coast — and the ecosystems they support — are worth preserving for future generations. We support fully funding Oregon’s marine reserves program to ensure its continued success, and finding opportunities to protect even more special places off of our coast, including Heceta Bank.

Bring Sea Otters Back

Sea otters are one of the most beloved animals on earth. Unfortunately, more than one hundred years ago, pioneers and trappers hunted sea otters to near-extinction off of the Oregon coast. We, along with our ocean, are still paying the price. Without otters around to keep them in check, purple sea urchin populations have exploded in recent years, mowing down kelp forests and creating a nearshore wasteland where few other species can survive. Without kelp, many fish and sea creatures are left without shelter, habitat, or their primary food source. Healthy kelp forests are also essential for sequestering carbon in our warming world, so our ability to fight climate change is hindered. Environment Oregon supports efforts underway to reintroduce sea otters to the Oregon coast, to help bolster the endangered species and restore the health of the kelp forest ecosystems.

Permanently Protect Owyhee Canyonlands 

The Owyhee Canyonlands is a special place that should be permanently protected. It has a diverse set of natural wonders: colorful canyon peaks, racing waters and rare wildlife living undisturbed in their natural habitat. The area also provides endless recreational opportunities, such as hiking up towering rock formations, walking along lava flows, and kayaking, canoeing or rafting on the Owyhee River as rainbow and redband trout swim alongside. This spectacular place, one of Oregon’s greatest treasures, should be permanently protected.

Connecting Nature

We need more nature. More nature means abundant wildlife in our world – from butterflies floating by, to coyotes howling at night, to whale tails breaching the surface just visible from shore. Nature works better when it’s connected. Wildlife crossings are typically overpasses or underpasses that allow wildlife to safely cross major roads that run through their habitats. Oregon currently only has a handful of completed wildlife crossings, much fewer than other Western states, but because of investments made by the Oregon Legislature in recent years that number will soon grow. We support continued investments in this critically important infrastructure.

Right to repair

We generate way too much waste, and companies use their power in the marketplace to make things harder to repair. This only adds to the amount of waste going to landfills. We support legislation that gives every Oregonian and every small business access to the parts, tools, and service information they need to repair products.

Wildlife over Waste

Nothing we use for a few minutes should pollute the environment and harm wildlife for hundreds of years. Plastic pollution is creating an environmental disaster for ocean wildlife: plastic and other marine debris kills millions of sea turtles, seabirds and marine mammals every year. Plastic also contributes to climate change at every step of its lifecycle, from production to pollution. It’s time to move beyond single-use plastic by getting rid of the most harmful waste, and stopping the use of things we truly don’t need.

That’s why Environment Oregon supports:

The Recycling Modernization Act. The Oregon legislature passed the Plastic Pollution and Recycling Modernization Act in 2021. This law will modernize Oregon’s recycling system, ensure responsible end markets for recyclables, bring producers in to start bearing some of the costs of the system and bring recycling to even more Oregonians. These big changes will be going into effect on July 1, 2025, and this year we will be working to help ensure its strong implementation. 

Preventing the permitting of new or expanded “chemical recycling” facilities in Oregon. So-called “chemical recycling” is a false solution to our plastics problem, which exacerbates the climate crisis and distracts from real solutions like reducing plastic production and transitioning to a zero waste system. We support restricting the expansion of these facilities in Oregon.

Clean energy homes 

We have the ability to harness clean, abundant energy from the sun, the wind and the earth, and to fully repower our society with 100 percent renewable sources. Federal tax credits and rebates passed under the Inflation Reduction Act makes it easier and more affordable than ever to electrify our buildings. Not only are electric technologies like heat pumps and induction stoves more efficient, they can also be powered by renewable energy like solar and wind rather than fossil fuels. We support policies in Oregon that further encourage a shift away from burning fossil fuels in our residential and commercial buildings and power our homes and businesses with clean energy.

The Cleanest Energy: Efficiency & Conservation

Improving energy efficiency saves energy, lowers bills, makes homes and workplaces more comfortable and reduces pollution. For all these reasons, reducing energy waste should be the first fuel we turn to.

Destination: Zero Carbon

Transportation is Oregon’s number one source of global warming pollution, with greenhouse emissions from cars, trucks, buses and other vehicles surpassing every other source. We simply can’t solve global warming without changing how Oregonians get around. Environment Oregon supports policies that encourage the shift to zero emission vehicles and reduce the need to drive by making it easier, cheaper and more enjoyable to travel on foot, bike or public transit.