With two key positions on the Yamhill County Commission open and land use a perennially important topic locally, Friends of Yamhill County, an independent affiliate of 1000 Friends of Oregon, plans to host a candidate forum on April 30 in McMinnville.

From FYC's blog:

The Yamhill County Commissioners have a HUGE on-the-ground impact on land use in our county.  Whether its gravel mining on Grand Island, expansion of the regional garbage dump on our riverbank, or carving up prime farmland for suburban ranchettes, these 3 elected officials wield tremendous power....

"Farmers can farm, and builders can build," writes 1000 Friends Executive Director Jason Miner. "Each plays a vital role in Oregon's future." Read his op-ed published recently by the Portland Tribune, Hillsboro Tribune, and Newberg Graphic.

Go to the intersection of Helvetia Road and West Union Road, north of U.S. Highway 26 in Washington County. Look around you.

Everything you see, and thousands of acres more all around our region, is now protected for a lifetime. Those fields and farms will stay...

The recent landslide tragedy on Washington's Stillaguamish River, in which several dozen people perished, has many people concerned about landslide risks here in Oregon. Fortunately, land use planning can help avoid putting more homes in harm's way.

OPB's Think Out Loud program discussed the landslide tragedy on its April 1 program. One of the guests on the program was Clackamas County's Jay Wilson, who discussed efforts in that county...