Working to Protect and Improve Oregon’s Environment

I settled on Oregon in the early '70s, after traveling the country searching for the best place to live. The state’s environmental activism was in full swing with passage of the Oregon Beach Bill, Bottle Bill, Scenic Waterways Act, Statewide Land Use Planning Goals, etc. I heard about OEC as a major player in these and other causes such as water and air quality, protection of Hells Canyon and stopping clearcutting of timber in state parks. Volunteering with OEC on land use and forestry issues led to a longtime and fulfilling relationship with one of the state’s most important advocacy organizations.

What is most special and admirable about OEC is its commitment to some of the more mundane and less visible environmental issues facing the state, e.g., transportation, water, air quality, toxic products affecting children, natural resource agency budgets. These are not the front page-grabbing, cloud sourcing, general public interest issues that are easy to build constituencies around and generate contributions for. They are the behind-the-scenes, long-term, consensus-building issues that make a difference in our children’s futures and in this special place we call home.

As a longtime board member and continuing supporter, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing OEC’s prowess, expertise and success as the state’s leading advocate on state-based environmental issues. I also watched OEC serve as a true environmental council when they were first founded, spinning off and assisting in the creation of other leading environmental groups such as Oregon League of Conservation Voters, Solar Oregon and Northwest Rivers Council.

It has been a true pleasure to work with so many incredible people at OEC—staff, board members and volunteers—working to protect and improve Oregon’s environment. I continue to contribute to OEC so that it can carry on its mission. I do so on behalf of my children and grandchildren in the belief that OEC is critical to their future.

—Jim Owens

OEC is deeply grateful to Jim for his many years of board leadership, his generous support, and his plan to leave a legacy gift to support ongoing environmental advocacy. If you would like to join Jim in leaving a planned gift to OEC, please contact Teke Dillender at 503-222-1963 x119 or teked@oeconline.org to learn more.