Mt. Hood Bill Passed Congress

Mt. Hood Land Exchange Clarification Bill Ready for President's Pen Legislation written by U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Representatives Greg Walden, R-Ore., and Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., to protect and enhance Oregon’s land conservation and recreation priorities on Mt. Hood passed the Senate unanimously on December 21, 2017.  The House of Representatives passed the bill in February on a 415-1 vote. The bill now goes to the president to be signed into law. Wyden, Merkley, Walden and Blumenauer introduced the Mt. Hood Cooper Spur Land Exchange Clarification Act in the Senate and House earlier this year to help resolve a nearly nine-year-long dispute over proposed land development on the northeast side of Mt. Hood. Hood River Valley Residents Committee executive director Heather Staten expressed our gratitude on getting the bill passed, “We have been working on this historic solution for more than 15 years, and we…

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After the Smoke Clears Forum Nov. 30

After the Smoke Clears: A Forum on the Eagle Creek Fire and Recovery Thursday, November 30, doors at 5:45, show at 6:30 pm Bowe Theater, Hood River Valley High School The Eagle Creek fire threatened Gorge communities, disrupted businesses, filled our skies with smoke, and burned through cherished hiking trails. Many of us are still working through the accompanying anger, outrage, anxiety, and stress from the fire. Now that rains have come and largely put the fire out, we can breathe deep and look to the forest for what it can teach us about natural recovery systems. It's also a time to look ahead at ways we can increase resilience for the land, communities, and trails that make the Gorge such a special place.  We are pleased to be a host of After the Smoke Clears a forum featuring multimedia presentations on what happened in the fire and examining key challenges moving forward, featuring insights from a collection of…

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Heights Urban Renewal Project

The Heights Urban Renewal District is about to kick into gear. The City of Hood River is launching the project with two community input events and they need you. What are the projects and priorities that would most improve this upcoming area? The meetings build on each other, so plan to attend both if you are interested in improving the streetscape, livability, economy and beauty of the Heights. The Heights is a diamond in the rough. Urban Renewal is a chance to improve the streetscape, livability, economy and beauty of the Heights. If you live there, work there, own a business there or shop there, you've probably had some close calls crossing 12th or 13th. Urban Renewal funding could go towards improvements that make the Heights a safer and more pleasant place to walk and shop.    OCTOBER 19, 5:30-7 pm,  Hood River Fire House, 1785 Meyer Pkwy  An educational…

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H is for Harvest October 7th

You are invited to our 3rd Annual H is for Harvest Saturday October 7, 6-9 pm Springhouse Cellar, Hood River Join the Resident's Committee at one of Hood River’s coolest venues for a harvest inspired evening of live music, delicious food, Northwest wines, and exciting auction items that celebrate our beautiful county and its bounty--and support our 40 years of work protecting farms, forests, wild places and the livability of our community. D is for Delicious. We’ll provide light appetizers and desserts with more substantial food truck fare available from The Huck Truck. A is for the AMAZING items in our live and silent auctions.  We've got intriguing auction items lined up from an Ashland theater trip with luxury hotel stay to Mystic Mud pottery to 9 tons of gravel from Lane's Excavation. Check out a sneak peek of the auction here. B is for the BAND and this year we'll enjoy the swinging blues and bluesy jazz of local heros OBO - Ontiveros, Bonham…

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Westside Plan Public Forum August 15th

Nature in Neighorhoods: Missed the Show? See the Video "Make no little plans. . . ."  If you missed Mike Houck's wonderful presentation August 15 on integrating nature into neighborhoods in the City of Hood River, you can now watch it now on youtube. Mike is an inspiration and his talk provides a how-to guide for anyone who wants to shape public policy at any level whether your pet project is global climate change or getting a new crosswalk near your kid's school. Mike shares lessons learned over 40 years of successful environmental advocacy in the Portland metro region."Endless pressure, endlessly applied." Mike is the director of Urban Greenspaces Institute and founding board member of the Intertwine. He has been hugely influential in shaping how the Portland/Vancouver metro region protects and preserves natural areas, parks and trails. "In livable cities is preservation of the wild . . . ." View a video of Mike Houck's presentation here. Public Forum #2 Integrating Nature…

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e-Bike Raffle

And the E-bike Winner is . . . . Melody Woodburn is the lucky winner of our 2017 E-bike raffle. Thanks to all of you who purchased tickets and to our friends at Oregon Ebikes for making the raffle a big success.  Who needs a car? Electric bikes are a game-changer in Hood River. Be the envy of the drop-off line at school, run errands in record time, and save that gas money for a bottle of wine. The Yuba elMundo electric cargo bike can replace your family's minivan easily hauling up to 440 lbs. plus the rider.  HRVRC is raffling a swank $3,799 Yuba elMundo e-bike. The winner has their choice of sizes so it’s just right for them. Hills? What hills? Exhilarate with that “hand of God” feeling as you are gently pushed up steep hills with very little effort even when loaded down with the week’s grocery shopping. Thanks to our friends at Hood…

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Punchbowl Falls Trail Building August 12

Next Trail Building Work Party Saturday August 12, 9 am to 3 pm Punchbowl Falls County Park near Hood River is a new park that opened in 2015. We will be working on the upper of the 1-mile loop continuing the trail that was partially built by TKO volunteers last year. Work will involve new trail development along a 1.2 mile of planned trail that loops away from the riverside, back through the forested section to connect to the parking and main trailhead. We’ve made ample progress on brushing out the trail corridor, now the time has come to start in on the trail tread. Come to 5 sessions and you earn a personalized hardhat like mega-volunteer Chuck Gehling and our director Heather Staten. Sign up for events on the TKO website http://www.trailkeepersoforegon.org/events/ so that we can ensure plenty of tools are available. Next Trail Building Work Party Saturday June 24 9…

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Westside Plan Public Forum July 26

FORUM ON HOOD RIVER'S FUTURE Wednesday, July 26th, doors 6 pm, program 6:30 pm Columbia Center for the Arts - 215 Cascade Avenue, Hood River Want to know more about the City of Hood River's Westside Area Concept Plan? Get your questions answered at an informational forum this Wednesday July 26th hosted by Hood River Valley Residents Committee and Livable Hood River.  Our goal is to help you better understand how the City is planning for future growth—particularly a 450-acre developing area on the city’s west side—and how to get involved in the planning process.   Get Informed: Hear a short presentation from our panel on how things like parks, housing, zoning, pedestrian/bike paths happen. Project and Process: An Overview of the Westside Area Concept Plan Heather Staten, Executive Director, Hood River Valley Residents Committee Hood River Valley Residents Committee is one of Oregon’s oldest local land use advocacy groups. Since 1977 the Residents Committee has…

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LUBA Rules in our Favor on Deetour Hotel

On June 29th, the state’s top planning board soundly rejected Hood River County’s approval of a 50-room hotel at the site of the old Dee Mill – the latest attempt by the developers of DeeTour to install a destination hotel-resort and concert attraction out in the countryside. Oregon’s Land Use Board of Appeals agreed with the Hood River Valley Residents Committee that the Board of Commissioners’ decision to allow this project was a far stretch from what Hood River County’s land-use plan actually allows for rural acreage on a country road. Here is the LUBA Decision Deetour Hotel 6.29.17 From the beginning, members of the public saw that the regional draw of a concert scene and hotel complex would be overwhelming out in quiet, rural Dee. How could this grand scheme mesh with Oregon’s land-use laws designed to put urban uses in urban areas and to protect working farms and forestlands from…

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No to SB 432 and SB 644

Help save Oregon's land use planning. Say 'NO' to SB 432 and SB 644 We need your help today to stop a bill that threatens the core of Oregon’s land use program.  SB 432 would remove Oregon’s land use planning protections from eastern Oregon. The bill is extremely destructive and will imperil the future of the land use system statewide SB 644 would allow strip-mining on farmland in the same region without any land use review.  Please contact  Senate President Peter Courtney and Sen. Majority Leader Sen. Ginny Burdick today. Ask them to say “no” to SB 432. and SB 644 Bills are moving fast – so please act today! We are grateful that our own Sen. Chuck Thomsen opposes the bill--thank you! Here is our letter in opposition to the two bills.  We strongly oppose SB 432 and so do League of Women Voters, Oregon League of Conservation Voters, Oregon Chapter of the American Planning…

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