** CFF Activities
-- CFF "Vision For Florence" at Florence City Club
-- Friends of Linn County Win Again
-- Friends of Yamhill County Lose One
** Other Info
-- Florence Chamber Fights Snowy Plover Habitat
-- Study Finds Forest Lands Pay Their Fair Share
** Upcoming Events

 - - - - -

** CFF ACTIVITIES **

-- CFF TO PRESENT "VISION FOR FLORENCE" TO FLORENCE CITY CLUB.  May 3, Noon, Ocean Dunes Golf Clubhouse, Florence. See CFF's Vision For Florence.

** OTHER INFO **

-- FLORENCE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE FIGHTS SNOWY PLOVER HABITAT.  According to a Notice of Intent to File a Lawsuit dated January 17, 2002, the Florence Chamber of Commerce joined Coos County in a lawsuit that would abolish existing Critical Habitat designation for the Western Snowy Plover (WSP) in Washington, Oregon and California. The Chamber represents approximately 300 of the over 800 businesses in the Florence area.   http://www.onrc.org/snowyplover/

-- STUDY FINDS FARM AND FOREST LAND PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE - A University of Georgia Cost of Community Services (COCS) study released in January found that  farm and forestland pay more than their share of taxes while revenues from residential properties don't cover the services they require. These results parallel the findings of more than 70 COCS studies conducted nationwide. The study analyzed revenues and expenditures for four Georgia counties-Appling, Cherokee, Dooly and Jones-selected to reflect a variety of growth conditions found throughout the state. Contact: Jeffrey Dorfman, Dept. of Agricultural and Applied Economics, University of Georgia, (706) 542-0754.

 -- FRIENDS OF LINN COUNTY WIN AGAIN - Friends of Linn County wins #11.  The latest in a long string of FoLC  vs. Linn County makes 11 straight victories at the Land Use Board of Appeals without a loss last week when LUBA remanded a decision to redesignate a 15 acre parcel from Exclusive Farm Use and rezone it for 5 acre residential lots.  It is the second time that the County approved the zone change, the second time FoLC has appealed to LUBA and the second time LUBA has found that the county's decision and findings failed to meet the relevant standards for an exception to Goal 3.  The complete opinion (LUBA No. 2001-186) can be read at   http://luba.state.or.us/pdf/2002/feb02/feb02.htm

-- FRIENDS OF YAMHILL COUNTY LOSE ONE - Friends of Yamhill County lost before LUBA March 7 in their long-running battle to prevent a new public road across a large tract zoned for Exclusive Farm Use to serve 9 lot of record dwellings on the ridge above the  farm fields.  Like the Linn County case, FYC had appealed a previous county approval of the road and LUBA remanded.  On remand, Yamhill County reapproved the road and LUBA sustained the decision.

** UPCOMING EVENTS **

-- CFF's UPDATE Calendar

** CFF Activities
-- CFF Obtains More Changes in Florence Comp Plan
** Links
-- Earth Day April 22 - Links
** Other Info
-- How Big Is Your Foot?
-- Snowy Plover Dust-up in Florence
** Upcoming Events

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** CFF ACTIVITIES **

 -- CFF OBTAINS MORE CHANGES IN FLORENCE COMP PLAN - After the last round of testimony from CFF, the Florence City Council made more significant changes in the final plan, which had been requested by CFF.  The final plan was  sent to LCDC for review.  Among those additional changes:

Wellhead Protection - CFF pointed out the need for a wellhead protection plan - sooner rather than later. The draft called for a plan by 2005.  The final version says “shall initiate development” of a wellhead plan by 2002.  Monday (3/18/02) the Florence City Council will vote on acceptance of a $25,000 grant from DLCD for preparation of a watershed protection plan - to be completed by December 2002!!  CFF will  still need to push for adoption of the plan and implementing ordinances, but the City's actions definitely acknowledge the seriousness of the issue of water supply in the area - as CFF has been saying for some time.

Riparian Area Setbacks - The City removed the provisions which would have allowed destruction of  significant wetlands on any lot in a special overlay zone which might at any time in the future become “ unbuildable” due to the overlay.

Artificial Reef - The City removed statements about supporting and including as a priority an artificial reef project which was  not described or detailed.

 Since the City submitted the Comp Plan to DLCD in January, the Director of DLCD rejected the Urban Growth Boundary expansion section until the City coordinated their plans with Lane County.  Other portions of the Plan are currently under review by the Director.  See 24 Feb 2002 letters from DLCD to City.

** LINKS **

--     EARTH DAY APRIL 22 - LINKS
- NRDC Guide to Greener Living - http://www.nrdc.org/cities/living/gover.asp
- Earth Day Events -  http://www.epa.gov/earthday/events.htm
- Earth Day Canada - click on "Solutions Express Earth Day Ideas" - http://www.earthday.ca
- Alliance to Save Energy - http://www.ase.org
- US Department of Energy - http://www.energy.gov or http://www.HomeEnergySaver.lbl.gov
- Center for New American Dream - http://www.newdream.org
- Simple Living Network - http://www.simpleliving.net/default.asp
- Put sustainability into practice - http://www.naturalstep.org or http://www.natural-step.ca

** OTHER INFO **

--  HOW BIG IS YOUR FOOT? -- Earth Day is coming up - April 22.  All of our actions leave a footprint of some kind on the earth.  We should all try to leave the smallest footprint possible. To measure the size of YOUR foot, check out  http://www.earthday.net/goals/footprint.stm   All footprint results from this site will be gathered from around the world and presented at the World Summit on Sustainable Development, to be held in Johannesburg, South Africa.  For results, go to:  http://www.Johannesburgsummit.org

-- SNOWY PLOVER DUST-UP IN FLORENCE, OREGON -- Recently, Florence Chamber of Commerce and a nearby coastal county commission (Coos County) signed on with the Pacific Legal Foundation to spend taxpayer money to sue the US Fish and Wildlife Service.  According to  the Audubon Society, if successful the lawsuit would nullify the careful public processes that have resulted in an active recovery program for this  fragile and  legally threatened bird along the entire West Coast. The Florence Chamber of Commerce was listed as a "party" on the Pacific Legal Foundation Notice of Intent to sue.  After numerous calls from the public and, we assume, more careful consideration, the Florence Chamber has verbally informed Audubon members that the Chamber are no longer on the lawsuit  with Coos County.  No written confirmation of this  withdrawal has been provided to date.  The Florence Chamber has approximately 300 members, and receives funding from the City of Florence.  There are over 800 businesses in the Florence area.  For more info: http://www.onrc.org/snowyplover

** UPCOMING EVENTS **

-- CFF's UPDATE Calendar

** CFF Activities
-- CFF Responds to 32-Acre Florence Development
** Other Info
-- Oregon Enforcement of Pollution Laws is Inadequate
-- EPA Book on Environmental Planning Using GIS
-- Study Finds Living Wage Eases Poverty
** Links
 -- FightingFrankenfoods
-- The Last Straw
-- Consumers Union Guide to Environmental Labels
-- Population Growth -Water Crises, Wildlife Losses
** Upcoming Events

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** CFF ACTIVITIES **

-- CFF RESPONDS TO PROPOSED 32-ACRE FLORENCE DEVELOPMENT - A local developer has asked CFF to review his preliminary plans.  Here's what CFF thinks about it. http://www.citizensforflorence.com/News/n-cff02-32acre.html

** OTHER INFO **

-- OREGON ENFORCEMENT OF POLLUTION LAWS IS INADEQUATE - A report released earlier this month by the Oregon Environmental Council found that Oregon's most basic laws to protect our clean air and water are not being adequately enforced. The report, "Holding Polluters Accountable: Strategies for Strengthening Enforcement of Environmental Laws in Oregon", found gaps in the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality's (DEQ) enforcement and compliance programs.  http://www.orcouncil.org/

--  EPA BOOK ON ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING USING GIS -- EPA Environmental Planning for Communities:  A Guide to the Environmental Visioning Process Utilizing a Geographic Information System (GIS).   As an essential step in community-based environmental protection, community leaders, citizens, and planners develop an environmental vision of their preferred "green" community.  One important tool to help develop such a vision is the geographic information system (GIS) technology - computer software that can be used to produce maps, support scientific analysis, and depict environmental data in relation to the geography  and the capacity to model the landscape as it may evolve over time. This guide explains how communities can use a GIS.  It provides introductory material for newcomers to the GIS technology and advanced material for the more technically oriented GIS users. Developed by the EPA Office of Research and Development, this 55-page book may be useful to engineers, researchers, state regulatory agencies, local and public health officials, planners, managers, contractors/developers, and the general public. Although the book is free, shipping charges still apply.  Request Item #GNBKMG13. e-mail: nsfc_orders@mail.nesc.wvu.edu http://www.nsfc.wvu.edu
 

-- STUDY FINDS LIVING WAGE EASES POVERTY -- The  "living wage" laws passed by many cities increase unemployment but ultimately benefit the working poor by reducing poverty, according to a national study by Pacific  Policy Institute of California, a private, nonprofit research group.

** LINKS **

-- Northwest Resistance Against Genetic Engineering (NW RAGE) - "resisting the instrusion of genetic engineering into our lives, our food supply, our environment and our privacy."   http://www.nwrage.org/nwrage.html

 -- The Last Straw - The Grassroots Journal of  Straw-Bale and Natural Building     http://www.strawhomes.com/
-- Consumers Union Guide to Environmental Labels - just what does that organic really mean? http://www.eco-labels.org/home.cfm

-- Population Growth Means Water Crises, Wildlife Losses - National Wildlife Foundation:  http://www.nwf.org/population/

** UPCOMING EVENTS **

-- CFF's UPDATE Calendar