From laura.buhl at state.or.us Fri Jan 16 16:02:08 2015 From: laura.buhl at state.or.us (Buhl, Laura) Date: Sat, 17 Jan 2015 00:02:08 +0000 Subject: [LandUse-News] Land Use News for January 16, 2015 Message-ID: Welcome to this week's roundup of the Land Use News The Land Use News is an electronic news clipping service provided by the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD). Land Use News emphasizes local reporting and commentary on land use in Oregon and other states. The links to copyrighted news stories in Land Use News are not archived by DLCD, and the archiving policies of these sources vary. The stories, if available, reside on the site of the original news source. Please direct requests for archived stories, or permission to reprint them, to the original news source. Past Land Use News weekly e-mails may be found here: http://listsmart.osl.state.or.us/pipermail/landuse-news Anyone may subscribe, unsubscribe, or change their subscription to the free service by visiting this site: http://listsmart.osl.state.or.us/mailman/listinfo/landuse-news. ________________________________ Oregon Transportation Commission chairwoman says Gov. John Kitzhaber fired her for rejecting coal subsidy Portland Oregonian Gov. John Kitzhaber has fired the chairwoman of the powerful Oregon Transportation Commission over her refusal to approve state money for a controversial coal export project. Top transportation leader fired by Gov. Kitzhaber over coal subsidy opposition had become liability Portland Oregonian Catherine Mater, the leader of the Oregon Transportation Commission fired this week, acted independently enough that she became a political liability for Gov. John Kitzhaber. Kitzhaber replaces fired chair of Transportation Commission Oregon Public Broadcasting Gov. John Kitzhaber on Thursday named a new chair of the Oregon Transportation Commission, moving swiftly to replace the leader he fired earlier this week. Tammy Baney has served on the transportation commission since 2011 and takes over immediately as the chair. Foe restates opposition to state money for dock project Portland Tribune The former chairwoman of the Oregon Transportation Commission says she has no apologies for her opposition to $2 million in state money for a coal-loading dock project a vote that prompted Gov. John Kitzhaber to remove her last week. State commission sets hearing on funding for dock, other projects. Portland Tribune The Oregon Transportation Commission is prepared for a big turnout when members hear public testimony about which projects should share in $4 ... Catherine Mater, transportation commissioner fired for coal opposition, fires back at coal supporters Portland Oregonian Catherine Mater, the former chairwoman of the Oregon Transportation Commission ousted this week, urged the commission to reject a $2 million ... Bike path foes ask state to deny funding Corvallis Gazette-Times A group of Corvallis-area farmers fighting a public path across their land took their case to Salem on Thursday, asking the Oregon Transportation Commission to cancel a $2 million grant award and deny any future funding for the project. Salem couple remains in critical condition after crash Salem Statesman Journal A Salem couple remained in critical condition at Salem Hospital on Friday, three days after they were a hit by a pick-up truck while they walked on a sidewalk along Market Street NE. Update: Salem couple dies following Market Street crash Pedestrian killed in Center Street NE crash Salem Statesman Journal A fatal pedestrian crash that took place early Thursday morning prompted Salem Police to close Center Street NE between 17th and Statesman streets for several hours. Is "Safe" Road Design Killing Bicyclists and Pedestrians? Next City In 2012, 4,743 pedestrians and 726 bicyclists were killed in the United States, up 6 percent from the previous year. Rep. Rick Larsen, of Washington, has a sneaking suspicion that road design - specifically designs that make things safer for cars - are a big part of the problem. To find out for sure, Larsen along with Reps. Eleanor Holmes Norton (of D.C.) and Peter DeFazio (of Oregon) sent a letter to the Government Accountability Office in late December asking for an investigation into trends and causes of crashes involving bicyclists and pedestrians and recommendations for improving safety. Varied Routes to Safer Streets New York Times Are the streets in your neighborhood safe for walking? Not just for able-bodied, cognitively sound, safety-conscious adults, but also for those with physical or cognitive impairments, pedestrians in a hurry, and especially children and teens who are often distracted? Vision Zero Makes New York Streets Safer, Pedestrian Fatalities Drop to Lowest Level Since 1910 Jewish Political News and Updates "These streets are now safer by design. We are putting every tool we have-engineering, enforcement and education-to use in reaching Vision Zero," said Mayor Bill de Blasio. "This is about more than numbers. Vision Zero means parents can more safely cross the streets with their children, and seniors can walk their neighborhoods more easily. We're approaching this second year of work with proof these methods work and expanding them to even more neighborhoods." City Report Finds That More Maneuverable Fire Trucks Will Improve Street Safety The San Francisco Appeal For pedestrians and bicyclists in San Francisco smaller roads mean increased safety, but for fire trucks, narrow roads pose a challenge. San Francisco Supervisor Scott Wiener expressed his support today to see San Francisco fire trucks be designed to bolster, not impede, pedestrian safety . . . [The report] recommends that the San Francisco Fire Department consider configuring its trucks to be better able to navigate the famously narrow, winding streets of the city without undermining efforts by pedestrian and bicycle advocates to improve street safety and end pedestrian fatalities. Protected bike lanes also help protect pedestrians... in so many ways Treehugger In just about every way you can measure the topic, protected bike lanes have been linked to more and safer bicycling. There's a logical reason for that: they're protected from cars. However, protected bike lanes aren't only protected from automobile traffic; they're also separated from sidewalks (at least via paint, if not curbs, bushes, trees, distance, or barriers). Naturally, this protects pedestrians from bicyclists, but in a number of obvious and subtle ways, this also protects pedestrians from cars. In some areas, the improvement is dramatic. Federal Highway Administration Quietly Acknowledges the Driving Boom is Over U.S. PIRG The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has very quietly acknowledged that the Driving Boom is over, cutting its forecasted driving estimates by between 24 percent and 44 percent. Would you pay $37,000 for third Salem bridge? Salem Statesman Journal A big question was how much of the estimated $430 million project we can expect to be funded with state and federal dollars. Sonny Chickering, who represents the Oregon Department of Transportation on the oversight team, said to expect $40 million to $45 million in federal pass-through dollars and $4 million to $5 million in state dollars. That would still leave at least $380 million to be funded locally. Greenbelts make cities more livable, affordable and transit-friendly The Globe and Mail Large Canadian city regions agree on the need to transition from spending on road infrastructure to investing in public transit as a means to creating ... Calgary's soaring transit use suggests high ridership is possible even in sprawling cities The Transport Politic Calgary is a boomtown . . . It's the sort of place that might seem completely hostile to public transit; 87 percent of locals live in suburban environments where single-family homes and strip malls predominate . . . And yet Calgary is attracting big crowds to its transit system, and those crowds continue to increase in size. Like several of its Canadian counterparts, Calgary is demonstrating that even when residential land use is oriented strongly towards auto dependency, it is possible to encourage massive use of the transit system. 2014: Hottest Year in Recorded Human History Weather Underground Earth had its warmest year on record in 2014, said NOAA and NASA at a joint press conference today. According to NOAA's National Climatic Data Center, global surface temperatures in 2014 were 1.24?F (0.69?C) above the 20th century average, highest among all years in the 1880-2014 record, easily breaking the previous records of 2005 and 2010 by 0.07?F (0.04?C). Low snowfall this year offers a preview of warmer climate to come Oregon Public Broadcasting With snow levels way below normal, some Northwest ski teams have been scrambling to find slopes with enough snow to hold their scheduled races. Competitions scheduled for courses at lower elevations on Mount Hood this weekend were either canceled or moved uphill to ski resorts with higher slopes. Low W. Oregon snowpack may impact summer irrigation Capital Press -Oregon has received lots of rain this winter but some of its mountain snowpack lags behind normal.- With half the snowfall season in the books, snowpack levels in Western Oregon are dangerously low. Oregon Court of Appeals sides with Clatsop County in LNG fracas Daily Astorian Last year, Oregon LNG challenged the county's decision Oct. 18, 2013, to deny the permit on the grounds of bias. The Oregon Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday in favor of Clatsop County, upholding its decision to deny a key permit for the Oregon Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) pipeline. Western lawmakers push for approval of Oregon gas export terminal The Hill - Washington, D.C. Fourteen lawmakers from Western states wrote a letter Monday pushing federal regulators to approve a proposed liquefied natural gas LNG export terminal in Oregon. The lawmakers, led by Sen. John Barrasso R-Wyo., said the Jordan Cove Project in Coos Bay, Ore., is a key to realizing new economic benefits for the natural gas industry in their states. Scientists say public safety hazards at Jordan Cove LNG terminal in Coos Bay are underestimated Portland Oregonian A pair of scientists told federal regulators this week that safety measures incorporated in a proposed liquefied natural gas terminal in Coos Bay actually increase the chance of a catastrophic failure and present far more serious public safety hazards than those regulators have analyzed and deemed acceptable. Ocean Life Faces Mass Extinction, Broad Study Says New York Times A team of scientists, in a groundbreaking analysis of data from hundreds of sources, has concluded that humans are on the verge of causing unprecedented damage to the oceans and the animals living in them. Sage-grouse protection nets federal funding East Oregonian The Regional Conservation Partnership Program has awarded $22 million for Oregon conservation projects, including sage-grouse and habitat ... Proposed bill would boost Oregon juniper harvests Capital Press Removing western juniper improves rangeland conditions, including habitat for greater sage grouse. Oregon's work to improve rangeland habitat and jumpstart rural economies by removing western juniper could get a boost when the Legislature opens its 2015 session in February. Oregon lawmakers call on Pentagon to hand over depot land Walla Walla Union-Bulletin Oregon's Congressional delegation sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel Wednesday expressing "strong concerns" over reports that ... Timber county payments fall after expiration of subsidy Statesman Journal They include payments to counties in western Oregon with U.S. Bureau of Land Management timberlands, which are at a higher rate, and used largely ... Curry County approves golf course Coos Bay World ... Pacific Gales Golf Course again has gained approval in Curry County, setting up a likely legal battle before the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals Cow Creek Umpquas Prosper Despite Broken Treaties Jefferson Public Radio Land conservation and wetland restoration is also a priority of the Cow Creek Band, and the tribe hopes to protect land in Southern Oregon for ... OSU plans ambitious forestry complex Corvallis Gazette-Times The Oregon State University College of Forestry is moving ahead with plans for a new $60 million forest science complex to expand classroom, office and lab space and position the college as a leader in advanced wood products engineering. County committee helps guide land-use plan update Portland Tribune Multnomah County commissioners have named 16 people to a community advisory committee that will work on policy development for the county's ... Washington County seeks volunteers to 'think big' for long-term transportation options Portland Oregonian The county is using a grant from the 2013 Legislature to mull transportation ... Washington County, aided by a grant from the Oregon Legislature, ... Eight questions answered about Nike's World Headquarters expansion project Portland Oregonian ... committed to working together to make much-needed transportation improvements in the ... 8) What is Nike's full-time employment count in Oregon? Cornelius could see housing boom if surrounding land annexed into city: 5 things to know Portland Oregonian Cornelius City Manager Rob Drake points to areas recently added to the city's urban growth boundary in his office on Oct. 30, 2014. Eugene expansion to be scrutinized The Register-Guard The recommendation from the lengthy Envision Eugene growth study would bring a combined 1,250 acres into the city's urban growth boundary, the ... Fee fight further tangles land deal The Register-Guard In the lawsuit filed in Lane County Circuit Court, Eugene land use attorney Bill Kloos seeks $47,000 for his work representing the land's former owners, ... Increased sustainable forestry initiative standards ban chemicals, require native plant, wildlife protections Portland Oregonian A environmentally-minded timber certification body raised its standards Wednesday for what can be labeled "sustainable" lumber. Laura Buhl, AICP, CNU-A | Land Use & Transportation Planner Planning Services Division | Transportation & Growth Management Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development 635 Capitol Street NE, Suite 150 | Salem, OR 97301-2540 Direct: (503) 934-0073 | Main: (503) 373-0050 laura.buhl at state.or.us | www.oregon.gov/LCD/TGM -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: