News

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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SB 432 to Sen. Courtney and Sen. Burdick

Sample email to cut and paste to Senate President Sen. Peter Courtney and Democratic Leader Sen. Ginny Burdick: sen.ginnyburdick@state.or.us and sen.petercourtney@state.or.us Dear Sen. Courtney and Sen. Burdick: I urge you to vote NO on Senate Bill 432 which removes Eastern Oregon counties from Oregon’s statewide land use system. While these counties have not enjoyed the same robust economic and population growth as we’ve had in Hood River, the statewide land use system isn’t to blame. Businesses and people are making the choice not to relocate to these counties for a host of reasons unrelated to our land use system. And in fact, Oregon’s land use system enhances these counties’ most important industry—agriculture. There are real things the legislature can do to improve the economy and vibrancy of Eastern Oregon counties. You should spend your time and our public money addressing real problems and providing real solutions like HB 2012. Since there…

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40 Years and Going Strong–My memories of the early days with HRVRC

By Board President Mike McCarthy In the Valley My mom, Kate McCarthy, told me the legend of the April 1977 advisory ballot many times – a countywide vote betweenOption 1 and Option 2 that occurred at a gloomy time. Hood River's economy looked like it could really use a boost, with a jobless rate well above Oregon's average. Windsurfing was at least five years in the future. The Gorge National Scenic Area was ten years away. Forty years ago, Hood River County wasn't thrilled about complying with Oregon’s newly passed Senate Bill 100 and Mt. Hood Meadows was already cooking up an Aspen-sized housing development to augment their newly created ski area on Mt. Hood's north side. Nothing stood in their way except a very green Hood River Valley Residents Committee (HRVRC). HRVRC was "Option 1" – the choice to actively preserve our resource-based community. At the beginning our group's…

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Dale Hill Joins HRVRC Board

We want to welcome Dale Hill to the HRVRC board. Dale is a retired educator who first moved to the Hood River Valley in 1978. While his career led him to work abroad for many years (Peru, Pakistan, The Philippines, Ecuador, and United Arab Emirates), he always maintained connections to Hood River. Upon retirement in 2011, Dale and his wife Lucy returned to the Upper Valley to build a home on land they’d purchased decades ago. With a degree in public administration combined with his exposure to various countries overseas, Dale has seen both the negative impacts of unfettered growth and the positive results of good public planning. He understands how the work of HRVRC has helped keep Hood River a vibrant and prosperous community that maintains a strong agricultural, commercial, and recreational base while preserving our unique and diverse natural environment. Dale serves as Chair of our Forestry Committee…

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40th Birthday Bash! May 21

  All new & old friends alike are invited to join us in celebrating 40 years of promoting livable communities and protecting the land we all love. Sunday May 21st from 3:30 - 7 pm at the Crag Rat Hut, 960 Crag Rat Hut Road, Hood River. 3:30 - 4:00 Informal Social 4:00 - 5:00 A Walk Down Memory Lane: Highlights of HRVRC history 5:00 - 6:00 Buffet Dinner by The Huck Truck accompanied by local libations--beer generously donated by Full Sail Brewing and delicous Hood River wine from Viento Wines and Phelps Creek Vineyards. 6:00 - 7:00 Candle-blowing, cake-cutting and more merry making! Parking is somewhat limited onsite. Carpooling is encouraged. Extra parking and a shuttle service will run between Pine Grove School parking lot and the Crag Rat Hut.  Questions? Contact Polly Wood pollywood47@gmail.com or (541) 490-5443.

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Morrison Park Rezone

Morrison Property Rezoned for Affordable Housing On May 22 Hood River City Council approved a rezone of the 5-acre property commonly known as Morrison Park from Open Space/Public Facility (OS/PF) to High Density Residential R-3 in order to work with Mid Columbia Housing Authority on an affordable housing project. The Councilors voted to condition the rezone to include "significant park area and a pedestrian and bike greenway with connectivity to trails." HRVRC and Livable Hood River had advocated that the City retain 50% of the parcel as parkland.  The councilors seemed supportive of preserving a meaningful park space but declined to set a fixed area or percentage of land until a survey is completed to see what portions of the property were easiest to build, what portions had the most important natural features to keep etc. Since the City is the property owner, the Councilors felt like they could achieve 50/50 or another suitable balance of housing and park as…

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Parks and Port Candidate Forum April 25

All Politics is Local: Candidate Forum for Parks and Port Districts April 25, 5:30-7:30 pm at Columbia Center for the Arts Parks and the waterfront have always stirred strong feelings in Hood Riverites but we often don’t know much about the views of the folks hoping to get elected to decision-making positions. Meet the candidates for the Hood River Valley Parks and Recreation District and the Port of Hood River at a candidate forum Tuesday, April 25.  It starts with a casual half hour of meet and greet — with a beverage or two — before the candidate forum starts in the Arts Center theater at 6 p.m. This year has particularly crowded races: Nine candidates have thrown their hat in the ring for two Hood River Valley Parks and Recreation District seats, and eleven candidates are vying for three spots at the Port of Hood River.  Tuesday, April 25th Columbia Center for…

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Maiden of the Mountain Screening April 15

Interesting Person Series to Show Kate McCarthy Film Mt. Hood Town Hall​, Saturday, April 15 Spring has sprung and HRVRC invites you to attend the film Maiden of the Mountain on Saturday, April 15 at the Mt. Hood Town Hall as part of the Town Hall’s Interesting Person Series. The 27 minute film tells the inspirational story of the life and work of local conservationist giant and HRVRC co-founder, Kate McCarthy. The film was co-produced and co-directed by CRAG Law's Ralph Bloemers and Balance Media's Trip Jennings and Sara Quinn.  There will be two evening show times on Saturday April 15th at 6:30 and 7:15 p.m. Tickets: $3.00 at the door which goes to Mt. Hood Town Hall to cover costs featuring such accessible community events

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Mt. Hood Land Trade Progress

LATEST NEWS: Big thanks to our Oregon congressional delegation for recent progress on the Mt. Hood Land Exchange Clarification Act. The "Fix It" bill has passed the House and its Senate committee and is now ready for a vote of the full Senate. The legislation streamlines the land trade. With all the rancor in Washington, its good to see a bi-partisan contingent of Oregon legislators working together for the good of Oregon. We extend our thanks to our representatives for sticking with this project which will provide lasting benefits to our community. We agree with Rep. Walden who said during a speech on the House floor "We are nearly eight years later and this is still languishing and unfortunately we’re back, trying again because we’re never going to quit until we’re done, and we’re getting much closer." BACKGROUND: The Mount Hood Land Trade (aka the Government Camp-Cooper Spur Land Exchange) is Hood River…

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