NEWS
Expanding the progressive movement in Eastern Oregon, Oregon Rural Action is creating a new Chapter in Umatilla County!
Oregon Rural Action…Working on Issues Important to Rural Oregonians
Sustainable Agriculture & Healthy Local Food
Oregon Rural Action is leading the way in enhancing and developing local Farmers’ markets throughout northeastern Oregon.
Oregon Rural Action members recently completed a Food Literacy educational curriculum to be taught to La Grande 1st graders. Once a month, members of Oregon Rural Action volunteer to teach classes about where our food comes from and the various ways in which it is grown and produced.
As part of a coalition of family farm and environmental groups, Oregon Rural Action is working to make Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) comply to the Federal Clean Air Act.
Social Justice
Working with the Heinz Corporation, members of the Snake River Chapter of Oregon Rural Action have significantly increased the availability of food at all the Malheur County area food pantries.
Snake River Chapter members uncovered significant racial and personal bias within their local Malheur County Food Stamp Program and successfully implemented policy and procedure changes to insure fair and equitable treatment of all.
Oregon Rural Action is part of a state-wide coalition advocating for fundamental health care reform and lobbying our local state representatives to support measures to increase access to health care for our rural Eastern Oregon residents.
Locally Generated Renewable Energy
Oregon Rural Action sponsored two community forums on residential solar hot water heating systems resulting in fourteen homes in Baker and Union counties converting their homes existing electric or gas hot water heaters to a solar.
Oregon Rural Action members are addressing Climate Change! Due in part to the testimonies and letters of our members Oregon now has in place the most comprehensive Renewable Energy Standard in the nation. Many Eastern Oregon counties are already reaping the economic benefits of renewable energy development such as wind energy, biomass and biofuels production.
Land Conservation and the Preservation of Open spaces
Members of Oregon Rural Action incorporated the Blue Mountains Conservancy, Oregon’s newest Land Trust organization.
A private landowner in Union County donated 568 acres of some of the last remaining wetlands in the Grande Ronde River Valley to the Blue Mountains Conservancy.
Oregon Rural Action members have actively been working on a conservation solution for the 3,600-acre Mt. Emily parcel located two miles to the north of the City of La Grande.
On November 6, 2007, Oregon voters passed Ballot Measure 49, which will negate the numerous negative development and land-use provisions that were set forth in Measure 37. Oregon Rural Action became the Eastern Oregon field office and headquarters for the Yes on 49 Ballot Measure Campaign. Our membership and local chapters were very active in fundraising and holding public educational forums about the ramifications of Measure 37 and the benefits of passing Measure 49.
Our Mission
Oregon Rural Action is a community-based organization. Our mission is to bring people together to build strong communities. We do this by providing information and tools for local people to use in addressing the issues affecting our communities and by helping community members develop and implement solutions that work.
