Does 1000 Friends support Regional Planning?
Yes. Within the framework of existing land use laws, state-supported regional planning is needed in several parts of Oregon. Local governments across the state face difficult planning challenges, and require better coordination between affected jurisdictions, during Oregon’s current period of unprecedented growth. Other worthwhile proposals for pilot projects under the 1995 legislation included: Lower Umatilla groundwater management study; Salem-Keizer regional framework plan; planning for the impacts of the Snake River Correctional Institute; better coordination of development along the I-5 corridor in Douglas County. Nothing in Oregon’s land use laws prevents these legitimate planning objectives and 1000 Friends supports their funding. Today, “commuting sheds” and sprawling development patterns extend across city, county, and even state boundaries. Problem areas include the Rogue-Bear Creek Valley, Central Oregon (from Madras to La Pine, including Prineville and Sisters), the Central
