Oregon is known for our spectacular coastline, public beaches, and diverse natural resources. 1000 Friends of Oregon has worked to protect these resources from poor land use planning and inappropriate development, from the Coast, to Smith Rock, to Steens Mountain, to Portland stream protection.

In response to the passage of Senate Bill 100 in 1973, the newly created Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC) adopted 19 statewide planning goals to help the state plan for Oregon's future. Our natural resources are primarily governed by Goal 5 (Open Spaces, Scenic and Historic Areas and Natural Resources), and Goal 6 (Air, Water and Land Resources Quality). Oregon’s Coast is governed by Goal 16 (Estuarine Resources), Goal 17 (Coastal Shorelands), Goal 18 (Beaches and Dunes) and Goal 19 (Ocean Resources).

1000 Friends is currently working on the multi-year Oregon Coastal Futures Project, a collaborative effort to help plan for the future of one of Oregon's great treasures.

With your help, we can continue to advocate for protection of Oregon’s coastal and natural resources.

Coastal Documents
1000 Friends and Coastal Protection
About the Coast
The Future of the Oregon Coast: Can It Be Saved from Sprawl?

Natural Resources Documents
The Battle for Smith Rock
Oregon Named "Most Endangered"

Coastal Links
Oregon Coastal Futures Project
Full Set of Coastal Links
Oregon Coastal Management Program
Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Oregon Surfrider Foundation

Natural Resources Links
Statewide Planning Goals
Oregon Conservation Network
Audubon Society of Portland
"Environmental Characteristics of Smart Growth Neighborhoods" a report by the Natural Resources Defense Council

General
Local Groups Working to Promote Coastal and Natural Resource Protection
Contact Our Natural Resources Staff Attorney
Contact Our Coastal Advocate, Cameron La Follette

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Oregon was cited primarily because its nationally admired land-use planning program, which protects natural and scenic resources and controls urban sprawl, is imperiled by the regulatory payment scheme of Measure 7, as well as other pending ballot measures that could irreparably degrade the state's urban and rural landscapes.

Scenic America separately singled out Central Oregon (Deschutes, Jefferson, and Crook Counties) and the Wallowa Lake Moraine as two more of America's most threatened landscapes -- endangered places of beauty or distinctive community character that face an immediate threat.

Central Oregon was named because rapid growth has exacerbated existing problems with lax local environmental and land use standards and enforcement. For example, in Deschutes County, more than half of all new housing permits are authorized outside urban growth boundaries, leading to unsightly and inefficient rural sprawl.

Wallowa Lake (pictured) is thought to be the best-preserved glacial moraine lake in North America. The vacationers' paradise is the ancestral home of the Nez Perce Nation, located in an area of unsurpassed natural beauty in northeastern Oregon near the town of Joseph. But inadequate local laws recently allowed permits for up to seven large homes on a 110-acre strip of land along the so-far scenic and undisturbed western rim of the lake. Plans for additional development are in the works; those plans are being resisted by 1000 Friends and local allies.

For more information, visit http://www.scenic.org/lcl/2001lcl/index.html