Livability Forum presents land-use conference
■The future of the
Willamette Valley depends
upon proper control of urban
growth in the next 50 years
Diane Huber
for the Emerald
Imagine the stretch of land be
tween Portland and Eugene with an
additional 1.7 million people. Picture
wider roads, thicker congestion, a sea
of houses and a lot of cement. Picture
fewer wetlands, forests and farms.
This doesn’t have to be the future
of the Willamette Valley, according
to participants in the day-long land
use conference held Friday in Cor
vallis. If the 1-5 corridor prepares for
the influx of people in the next 50
years, overcrowding and the less
than-livable conditions that accom
pany it can be avoided.
The conference was sponsored by
the Willamette Valley Livability Fo
rum, which Gov. John Kitzhaber or
ganized in 1996 to coordinate local,
state, and federal governments in
Oregon in order to plan for growth
expected for the Willamette Valley.
The audience will influence Gov.
Kitzhaber's next move in planning
for Oregon’s future.
Throughout the day, presenta
tions, displays and workshops pro
vided participants an opportunity
to discuss them priorities and con
cerns for the Willamette Valley. The
day began with a presentation of
two sketches of the valley's future
50 years from now.
In the future, Oregon will likely
continue with current planning
trends, public policy and market
forces. More than 105,000 acres will
be added to Oregon's urban growth
boundaries, which restrict population
densities to protect and preserve farm
and forest land outside cities. Urban
and rural development will swallow
50.000 acres of forest land and
300.000 acres of farmland. If Oregon
continues conserving land, it is pre
dicted that only 63,000 acres will be
added to urban growth boundaries.
While the land conservation al
ternative seems ideal, Gov.
Kitzhaber said in his presentation
that such a goal will be a challenge.
“All of us are far too complacent,”
he said. “We think we can ignore
those nagging signs that things are
changing, while our riparian envi
ronment is sacrificed to industrial
and urban development.”
Planning can’t rely on state and
local governments alone, he said;
instead, the state needs to encour
age community-based problem
solving and locally driven projects
that involve many perspectives in
the planning process.
“We need to integrate our eco
nomic, social and environmental
needs in every decision we make so
that we can make the smallest foot
print possible,” he said.
Several new incentives could be in
place to encourage individuals and
businesses to reduce their impact on
natural systems, said Peter Watt, exec
utive director of the Livability Forum.
Smoking ban’s fate
rests with Legislature
■ House Bill 3953 would
prohibit local bans if they are
more stringent than state laws
Bv Sue Ryan
Oregon Daily Emerald
Whether a planned smoking ban
for Eugene becomes a reality or not
is in the hands of the Oregon State
Legislature.
The contentious issue of smok
ing bans, which faced the city of
Eugene last year, is back on the
table at the state level. Representa
tives passed House Bill 3953
Thursday with a vote of 35-24. The
bill, sponsored by Rep. Alan
Turn to Smoking, page 6
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For example, farmers could re
ceive a tax rebate for cutting back on
pesticide use.
“The government can be creative,”
he said. “It's a matter of them putting
their money where their mouth is.”
Marilyn Slizeski, representative
of the city of Philomath, doesn't
think financial incentives are
enough to change current land-use
practices. Individuals need to
change their core values and the
way they live their lives, she said.
“People should be embarrassed to
drive a Suburban and have five kids,”
she said. “It's not practical anymore.”
Landowners should practice
more responsible stewardship of
their land, she added. For example,
Oregon law requires landowners to
replant trees if they've been logged.
“Sure, the money comes out of
landowners’ pockets, but it’s the
right thing to do,” she said.
Bill Fuji, a natural resources spe
cialist, compared the attitudes of
Americans with those of people in
Japan and Europe.
“It can cost people S40 to go 30
miles in Europe. It should be a privi
lege to drive on the roads,” he said.
Changing something as fundamen
tal as peoples’ values and attitudes re
garding the environment requires
schools to adapt an entire curriculum
devoted to teaching kids about the
importance of planning, said Milt
Markewitz of The Learning Center.
Watt said he agrees that there
needs to be an increase of awareness
at all ages.
“The people involved in plan
ning aren’t going to be alive in 50
years, but younger generations will
be. It's really their future,” he said.
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