Monday Mailing
Year 19 • Issue 21 18 February 2013
Why
1. New Canola Rule under Fire in Legislature 2. Dimming Future for Large Solar Projects in Oregon as Incentives Dry Up 3. Wild Seafood Exchange 4. Hood River’s Craft Beer Boom 5. Oregon Rural Action-Save the Date: Family Ag Rally Day! Ag Policy Teach-in! 6. Corvallis Farm to School Webinar 7. Both Sides Testify at the Oregon Legislature as Columbia River Crossing gets First Hearing 8. The Birth and Growth of City Planning 9. Why Smarter Land Use can Help Cities Attract and Retain Young Adults 10. Funding Opportunities Galore 1. New Canola Rule under Fire in Legislature SALEM -- If a bill banning canola production in the Willamette Valley isn't enough to set the stage, comments in a Senate committee hearing left no doubt that the state's new rule allowing limited canola production in the valley will be under fire this legislative session. Addressing Oregon Department of Agriculture Director Katy Coba, Sen. Floyd Prozanski, D-Eugene, said he believes allowing canola in the valley threatens a lucrative specialty seed industry.
Quote of the Week: “Make no little plans. They have no magic.” ~ Willian H. Whyte
"I think we have a real risk here," Prozanski said, "because we are trying to co-exist, instead of making certain before we re-introduce something in here and potentially ruin an industry that has demonstrated to be a very lucrative field for the state of Oregon." House Bill 2427 would ban canola production in the valley.
Oregon Fast Fact #47: Haystack Rock off Cannon Beach is 235 feet high and is the third largest coastal monolith in the world.
The ODA earlier this month eased restrictions on canola production in the valley that had been in place since 2005. The department adopted a rule allowing up to 2,500 acres of canola in portions of the valley. To access the full story, click here. 2. Dimming Future for Large Solar Projects in Oregon as Incentives Dry Up The lights aren't out for solar in Oregon, but the relatively puny grant money offered last month by Energy Trust of Oregon hammered home that solar's future has dimmed. The nonprofit opened bids for $1 million in grants for large solar projects, plunging from $7.3 million the year before. Furthermore, the bigger pot of cash for these ambitious -- and lucrative -- solar projects has dried up since the Legislature scrapped the controversial business energy tax credit in 2011 as the projected cost ballooned to hundreds of millions. Page 1 of 6
The fallout, according to Oregon solar industry insiders: Huge installations like the almost 7,000panel, $10 million system near Wilsonville -- which opened last summer and received almost $5 million in state tax credits and $1.75 million from the Energy Trust – are vanishing. They were also the most profitable ventures for developers. Now the businesses are shedding workers and looking for opportunities in more solar-friendly states. To access the full story, click here. 3. Wild Seafood Exchange March 20, 2013-Agate Beach Inn-Newport, Oregon. Now in its 11th year of promoting the West Coast Wild Seafood industry, Wild Seafood Exchange is taking to the road. Wild Seafood Exchange has evolved from a focus on direct marketing exclusively to include branding and distribution of wild seafood as well as legislative and regulatory issues. We invite you to join your colleagues from the Columbia River and coastal fishing communities as we discuss issues that affect the independent commercial fishermen along the coast. Produced in collaboration with Sea Grant, Wild Seafood Exchange is the only commercial fishing conference specifically aimed at the independent commercial fishing fleet. For more information, click here. 4. Hood River’s Craft Beer Boom In the 25 years since Full Sail Brewing Company crafted its first beers, the quaint mountain town of Hood River has amassed an impressive array of high-quality breweries and brewpubs. Hood River is home to fewer than 8,000 residents, but within the city, five breweries thrive, and just outside the city ,the towns of White Salmon, Wash., and Parkdale each have a sought-after brewery born from Hood River’s brewing tradition. Full Sail’s success laid the groundwork for a large piece of Hood River’s future as a craft-beer-producing mecca. Last winter, when Darrek Smith became the brewer at Big Horse Brew Pub in downtown Hood River, he also became the first and only of the area’s seven head brewers to come from outside the Full Sail system. Full Sail and Big Horse opened in the same year with far different intentions. Brewing was not in the original plans for Big Horse, which was set up as a restaurant. The Full Sail founders were focused on becoming a major player in the beer world, and that meant converting consumers of fizzy, yellow American beers like Budweiser to craft beers with more robust tastes and a higher price. Today the vast majority of beer drinkers are still not craft-beer drinkers, even in Oregon, but Full Sail has largely succeeded in its task, even if the battle is ongoing. In its first year of production, Full Sail brewed 287 barrels of beer. “I remember each one,” jokes Irene Firmat, the company’s CEO and founder. Last year, Full Sail brewed 150,000 barrels as it watched former employees prepare to open three new breweries in the area. To access the full story, click here. 5. Oregon Rural Action-Save the Date: Family Ag Rally Day! Ag Policy Teach-in! So, um, where the heck is the Farm Bill? And state support for Farm to School? And wouldn't it be nice if there were more options for small and beginning producers to access financing? And sell delicious chicken? And do you want to know which country your food comes from?
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Well, Congress may be dysfunctional, but the grassroots are not! It is time for some ACTION on food & agriculture policy. Save the Date to learn about current food & ag policy and then take action. Feb 26: AG POLICY TEACH-IN Purpose: Learn about and discuss current state & federal food & ag policy, learn about citizen lobbying and prepare for the March 18 Rally Day! When: February 26th, 5:30-7pm Where: Upstairs, Mt Emily Ale House, La Grande Topics: State policy to watch, Aggie Bonds, Poultry Processing rules, Food Safety Modernization Act, Country of Origin Labeling and more... March 18: FAMILY FARM & RANCH RALLY DAY Purpose: Stand up for family ag, for local food for a just and sustainable food and ag system! Learn to be a citizen lobbyist. When: March 18th, 9:30am-4:00pm Where: State Capitol, Salem Family Farm & Ranch Rally day is a brings producers and eaters from across the state to Salem for a full day of citizen lobbying training, meetings with legislators and a rally on the capitol steps. We even set up a Farmers Market in the capitol galleria! All of this is to build support for sustainable, family agriculture for current and future generations. Citizens lobby legislators on specific legislation and talk to them about barriers and opportunities for agriculture and food production. Here's what two 2011 rally day participants had to say about the experience. "....As the daughter of a third generation Oregon farmer, I have always tried to help out where I could; Rally day gave me the chance to put a voting face that is the product of a Oregon family farms in front of lawmakers..." -ORA Member, Katie Allen "...We were given background information about the four key campaigns, as well as talking points, and time to practice our “pitch” during the citizen lobby training at rally day...Participating in rally day made me feel powerful, like these people are listening to us, as a group we can make a difference..." -ORA Member, Teresa Roark For more information, click here. 6. Corvallis Farm to School Webinar February 26, 2013 from 11:30am-12:30pm Learn how one community in Oregon is implementing a Farm to School program focused on procurement of local foods, student engagement, and the use of Oregon Harvest for Schools materials to reach out to farmers, students, teachers and families. The Corvallis Farm to School program is a partnership between the Corvallis School District and the Corvallis Environmental Center?s Edible Corvallis Initiative. Corvallis Farm to School Coordinator, Sara McCune, and the director of the Edible Corvallis Initiative, Jen Brown, will host this webinar. To pre-register for this free webinar, contact: sara@corvallisenvironmentalcenter.org 7. Both Sides Testify at the Oregon Legislature as Columbia River Crossing gets First Hearing SALEM – The proposed Columbia River Crossing is either a colossal boondoggle or a once-in-ageneration chance to cut congestion and boost the economy, according to opposing witnesses who addressed a marathon legislative committee hearing Monday.
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Gov. John Kitzhaber and other proponents of the Columbia River Crossing told legislators that Oregon must seize a unique opportunity to secure the $3.4 billion project to replace the seismically unstable, congested Interstate 5 Bridge. "If we fail to act in 2013, it's very likely that other national projects will move up in the queue and come in ahead of us," Kitzhaber said. But opponents described the span, which would include light rail and elaborate freeway interchanges, as a badly designed project that would worsen congestion. "The CRC project has gone disastrously astray," said Portland resident Gerald Fox, a retired transportation engineer. "Tens of millions of dollars have been wasted designing the wrong type bridge, ignoring the Coast Guard's requirements, and on massive engineering cost overruns." To access the full story, click here. 8. The Birth and Growth of City Planning I recently had the pleasure of speaking by phone a couple of times with Mitchell J. Silver, AICP. Silver is the Chief Planning and Economic Development Officer in the City of Raleigh, North Carolina. More importantly for the purpose of the "Laws That Shaped L.A." column, Silver is also the current President of the American Planning Association (APA). Given Silver's national portfolio, it is no great surprise that when I asked him to nominate a law or two that played a key role in shaping contemporary Los Angeles**, Silver offered up a pair of federal Reform-era laws that have been extraordinarily consequential not just in Los Angeles, but throughout the United Sates. These two laws, which Silver calls "somewhat interchangeable" are: the Standard State Zoning Enabling Act (SZEA) of 1926 and the Standard City Planning Enabling Act (SCPEA) of 1928. "In terms of the American experience, and even the international experience, these two Acts have been responsible for shaping our cities -- and for that matter, planning in our counties -- for close to a century," Silver says. To access the full story, click here. 9.
Why Smarter Land Use can Help Cities Attract and Retain Young Adults Here’s the nutshell: 20th-century land use won’t help your city attract and retain 21st-century people. It just won’t. This is because the lifestyle values of the Millennial generation, sometimes called GenY, are markedly different from those of previous generations when they were the same age as the Millennials are now (roughly 18 to 34). The prolific urban observer Richard Florida has been telling us this in various ways for years, as he researches and charts the shifting economic geography of the US. (I’ve gotten to know Rich over the last year and consider him a kindred spirit on these issues.) Rich believes that the housing and finance industry collapse of the last few years signals the end of one economic era and the beginning of another, though I’m sure he would be the first to tell us that we’re in a messy and hard-to-pindown transition. But he is clear that the new economy – based less on manufacturing and established institutions, more on creativity, entrepreneurship, connectedness and interaction – will prosper best in places suited to a new kind of lifestyle, one that has already emerged in leading cities. To access the full story, click here. Page 4 of 6
10. Funding Opportunities Galore American Humane Association Offers Care Grants for Abused and Neglected Animals<http://e.foundationcenter.org/a/hBRFVETB8ixfdB8wxByAACSSkqc/rfpb39> - Second Chance grants provide up to $2,000 to animal welfare organizations and rescue groups working to provide medical treatment for animals that have been victims of abuse or neglect before they are put up for adoption.... Deadline: Open Maddie's Fund Invites Proposals for Medical Equipment Grants for Adoption-Guarantee Shelters<http://e.foundationcenter.org/a/hBRFVETB8ixfdB8wxByAACSSkqc/rfpb40> - Grants will be awarded to adoption-guarantee shelters in the United States that employ at least one full-time veterinarian.... Deadline: Open Fender Music Foundation Announces Guitar Donations to Nonprofit Music Instruction Programs<http://e.foundationcenter.org/a/hBRFVETB8ixfdB8wxByAACSSkqc/rfpb41> - The foundation is currently awarding lightly used electric guitars, acoustic-electric guitars, bass guitars, and the equipment necessary to play them to eligible music instruction and therapy programs.... Deadline: Open Toshiba America Foundation Invites Applications for K-5 Science and Math Projects<http://e.foundationcenter.org/a/hBRFVETB8ixfdB8wxByAACSSkqc/rfpb45> - The foundation annually awards grants of up to $1,000 to K-5 teachers in public or private nonprofit schools in support of innovative, hands-on science or math education projects....Deadline: October 1, 2013 Toyota U.S.A. Foundation Accepting Proposals for K-12 Math, Science, Environmental Science Initiatives<http://e.foundationcenter.org/a/hBRFVETB8ixfdB8wxByAACSSkqc/rfpb46> - The foundation supports K-12 education through partnerships with organizations and institutes serving diverse populations across all fifty states.... Deadline: Open Royal Caribbean Cruises Ocean Fund Offers Support for Marine Conservation Work<http://e.foundationcenter.org/a/hBRFVETB8ixfdB8wxByAACSSkqc/rfpb37> - Grants of up to $40,000 will be awarded to nonprofit organizations conducting marine conservation work that involves research, education, and.or innovative technologies.... Deadline: Rolling (Queries) AMA Foundation Announces 2013-14 Healthy Communities/Healthy America Grant Guidelines<http://e.foundationcenter.org/a/hBRFVETB8ixfdB8wxByAACSSkqc/rfpb47> - This year, the program will support diabetes management and education projects at free clinics in communities where there is little government funding or support.... Deadline: March 15, 2013 (Letters of Interest) Christopher Reeve Foundation Announces 2013 Quality of Life Grants<http://e.foundationcenter.org/a/hBRFVETB8ixfdB8wxByAACSSkqc/rfpb48> - Grants will recognize and support organizations that help disabled individuals, their families, and caregivers in ways that improve independence, day-to-day happiness, and access.... Deadline: March 1, 2013 USDA Announces Final Rule on Broadband Loan Program On February 6, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development announced a final rule for the Rural Broadband Access Loans and Loan Guarantees Program. The agency awarded $3.4 billion through the Broadband Initiatives Program (CIP) through the Recovery Act, which included the availability of grant funding. The final rule updates the agencyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s longstanding broadband program which is authorized by the 2008 Farm Bill. The program will revert back to a loan only program as authorized in the Farm Bill. The Page 5 of 6
only major new requirement in the final rule is that applicants must draw a service area map. Applications for the loan program will be accepted throughout the year on a rolling basis. Applicants can discuss project feasibility directly with the field service representatives that work in each state USDA Rural Development office. Click here <http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/StateOfficeAddresses.html> to find your stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office contact information. Click here<http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/utp_farmbill.html> to view the original article. Click here<http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2013-02-06/pdf/2013-02390.pdf> to view the final rule. Building Healthy Communities - The Center for American Indian Community Health (CAICH) at the University of Kansas Medical Center and the American Indian Health Research & Education Alliance are pleased to announce funding opportunities for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) groups and organizations interested in building healthy communities. This funding is supported by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities at the National Institutes of Health. Funds can be used for any activity that can help improve health in Native communities. We plan to fund projects in each of the following areas: physical health, mental or emotional health, spiritual health, and cultural health, all of which are needed for a healthy community! Requests must be submitted no later than April 1, 2013. Download the application online at http://www.aihrea.org/resources/funding-opportunities/building-healthy-communities.
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