About the Oregon Conservation Network and Our Priorities for a Healthy Oregon

For more than twenty years, the Oregon Conservation Network (OCN) has brought together our state’s environmental organizations to protect Oregon’s natural legacy and ensure a better Oregon for our kids. Together, we determine and support shared Priorities for a Healthy Oregon. We also identify and fight Major Threats to a Healthy Oregon.

OCN is coordinated by the OLCV Education Fund and powered by the hundreds of thousands of Oregonians who belong to its member organizations. During the 2017 legislative session, OCN had six priorities:

Clean Energy Jobs.

We must cap and price pollution and invest in new clean energy jobs to combat climate change. Over one-third of the legislature signed on as sponsors to a bill introduced late in session. Our goal is to pass it in 2018 — and your help will be crucial.

Protecting Oregon’s Rivers.

After many years of hard work, we passed legislation protecting Oregon’s most special rivers and threatened fish from suction dredge mining!

Retiring Dirty Diesel.

While legislation upgrading school buses with cleaner engines passed, we still must fight industry and require polluters to phase out dirty diesel engines from their fleets.

Saving the Elliott.

Highlighted on page 4 of the PDF. Our biggest win!

Supporting Oregon’s Natural Resource Agencies.

We managed to prevent cuts to Oregon’s natural resource programs that would have gutted protections for waterways and forest lands. However, important air quality monitoring was not funded this year.

Transportation for Oregon’s Future.

The legislature passed a landmark transportation package that includes over $1 billion in transit, bicycle, and pedestrian investments over the next ten years; dedicates millions in annual funding for Safe Routes to School; and includes rebates for electric vehicles.