Oregon Leads
A Strategy for Oregon's Economic Prosperity
As Oregon pursues this strategy for economic development and diversification, it will be positioned to play a leadership role in addressing key global challenges and exporting its leadership in innovation, creativity and sustainability. The ecosystem services cluster provides a good showcase of these qualities:
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The Ecosystem Services Council, an alliance of business, environmental and government leaders in Oregon, have explored establishing “an ecosystem services marketplace, with the goal of promoting clean air, clean water, land protection and habitat restoration through the private sector.” Founders of the council included: Cascadia Region Green Building Council, the city of Portland, Clean Water Services, Defenders of Wildlife, Earth Advantage Inc., Ecotrust, Ecosystem Economics LLC, Institute for Natural Resources, Oregon Business Association, the Oregon Business Development Department , Parametrix, Portland State University, Sustainable Northwest, The Nature Conservancy and Willamette Partnership.
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Oregon SB 513 directs the Oregon Sustainability Board to convene a workgroup to prepare a report and policy recommendations for the 2011 legislature. Staff support is to be provided by the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board. The workgroup will be composed of diverse interests including local, state and federal agencies; Indian tribes; conservation organizations; developers and landowners from the private sector. This group will study and propose over-arching goals to guide the development of integrated ecosystem service markets in Oregon that are efficient, coordinated, and designed to produce positive ecological and economic outcomes with reasonable administrative costs to all participants.
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Traditional permitting and funding have become barriers to stream restoration, holding back efforts of watershed councils, districts and restoration professionals. StreamBank is an example of an innovative software system designed and built in Oregon and tested in an Oregon solutions effort. It allows users to focus on outcomes rather than process to achieve better, faster and lower cost stream restoration.
Become a part of transforming Oregon.
These position papers are “dynamic” and will develop and expand as the ideas and strategies of Oregonians to help achieve the vision are incorporated. Please submit any ideas or comments you have to JohnKitzhaber.com/jobs.
