 Ordinary people are hitting the streets across our country to express outrage at the damage being caused by the new administration’s bullies and billionaires. Right now is the time for us to join together across all affiliations and identities to take back our government from these thieving oligarchs. It’s show time! Turn out like never before for local events & support social and climate justice organizers with your time and resources. New groups are forming and old groups are rebooting (e.g., Find the local chapter for National Indivisible.) All politics are local, so we’re focusing on policies that we can control and influence at the state and local levels. Let’s exercise our PEOPLE POWER! Read on to see how. Take ActionWHO WILL SPEAK FOR THE FOREST?  It’s a good thing federal agencies are required to have public comment periods prior to finalizing their plans. (It’s still a democracy, right? Right.) The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) has an open comment period through March 17th on their proposed changes to the 30-year-old Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP). But the proposed changes are very problematic. The good: expands Tribal inclusion and beneficial fire use. The bad: redefines mature and old-growth, which will drastically increase logging. In short, the proposed alternatives, A - no change (wasn’t good enough then, still isn’t), and the other three, B, C & D, have tribal inclusion but drastically increase logging. What to do? TELL THE THEM EXACTLY WHAT YOU THINK - MAKE A COMMENT TO THE US FOREST SERVICE! Come to our Comment-writing Workshop, co-sponsored with Oregon Wild! We’ll walk you through the process and help you submit high-impact comments. When: Tuesday, March 4th from 5:30 to 7:30 pm Where: Drop Bear Brewery at 2690 Willamette St., Eugene What: Short presentation by experts then hands-on comment-submissions! (Bring your mobile device.) This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to save some of the last mature and old-growth trees in our region. Together with our forest-climate allies across the region, we are pulling out the stops to submit MASSIVE numbers of comments so that the new plan will:
Come hang out with your climate-forest protector friends, learn about the landmark NWFP, enjoy delicious no-host food & beverages and get those comments in! We will help you do this! Come to the workshop! Stay for all or part. See ya there! If you prefer to do the research and write your comments privately, the Pacific Northwest Forest Climate Alliance has prepared this kickass guide with this direct portal to the USFS comment page. Get your comments in by March 17th. And in case you missed it, here’s the link to the incisive (1 hour) PNW Forest Climate Alliance webinar on the NWFP Draft Environmental Impact Statement, with presenters, Ryan Reed, Grace Brahler, and Tim Ingalsbee. Great overview and insight into Tribal Sovereignty and more. Sending Our Message by Showing Up The rally and USFS public meeting held this month at their office was inspiring and informative on many levels. It was a packed house, so we got their attention. Thanks to everyone who made signs, rallied in the cold and sat still for their “Open House.” Here are more superb photos taken by Robert Scherle. Spring is Great for Forest-themed Street Messaging! When: Thur., Feb. 27th, 2:00-3:30 pm Where: Along West 18th Ave, east of the Bi-Mart parking lot next to Westmoreland Park We’ll animate the beautiful tree signs and other banners & props we painted with forest climate messages and engage passersby. Meet up on the south side of 18th at the corner of the Bi-Mart parking lot just before 2 pm. Bring a lawn chair if you like to sit down. Everything is provided. Fresh air & friendly conversation. We hope you can join us! Pizza with your Forest-loving comrades at Hey Neighbor! following. STATE POLICY - Oregon Legislature is in Full Swing There are many climate-related bills this session. Democrats have super majorities in both chambers, so we need to really push our representatives to pass what we need now… because THEY CAN DO IT. 350 Eugene supports and is monitoring these particular bills: OCERA - SJR28 - with Oregon Coalition for an Environmental Rights Amendment, The Pause Act - SB681 - with Divest Oregon (a five-year moratorium on private (aka risky) investments), and Stand Up to Factory Farms - SB80. We also work with allied orgs to support their legislative priorities, linked here: 350PDX, Sustainable Northwest, Oregon Just Transition Alliance, and the Oregon League of Conservation Voters and Oregon Conservation Network. Most climate bills receive hearings in one of the following committees: Senate Energy and Environment (e-Subscribe) House Climate, Energy, and Environment (e-Subscribe) Senate Natural Resources and Wildfire (e-Subscribe) House Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, and Water (e-Subscribe) You can subscribe to these committees to receive updates on a bill’s progress using the above links. To learn more about testifying during specific Senate and House hearings, go to the Oregon State Legislature webpage. Written testimony may be submitted up to 48 hours after the committee meeting is scheduled to begin. Public testimony registration closes 30 minutes before the meetin’s start time. LET’S LOBBY! The Oregon League of Conservation Voters and the Oregon Conservation Network are holding their “Lean, Green Lobby Machine” day in Salem on Thursday, March 20th. This is a great opportunity to learn about current bills and gain the skills of effective climate policy advocacy. To get more information and sign up to attend, click here. Perfect for folks new to lobbying. CITY POLICY - It’s time to get on with climate action! Now that the Eugene City Council has passed the Fire Services Fee, the organizations within Fossil Free Eugene are sending a joint letter to the council to urge them to hold a work session prior to April 30th to consider increasing the gas supplier tax that Northwest Natural pays the city to access its rights of way from 5% to 10%. These funds will be ear-marked to help low to moderate income households transition to clean electric appliances. We’ll keep you posted on when next we plan to strategically give public comment at City Council meetings. Thanks for standing for strong climate action! ALERT! Meanwhile, speaking of passage of the Fire Services Fee… We hear the Chamber of Commerce is heading up a plan to gather 5,000 signatures within 30 days to challenge the new, progressive fee with a referendum on June’s ballot. Wait. What?! Our library, Greenhill and other key community service budgets… cut because big industries don’t want to pay their fare share to support safety and health? Shame on them. Might be a great time to submit a letter to the editor of the Eugene Weekly. ( No more than 250 words. Send to [email protected].) THE PUBLIC INTEREST ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CONFERENCE  You’ve never seen anything like it! For 43 years, Eugene has hosted the oldest and largest public interest environmental law conference in the world, attracting activists, advocates, attorneys, scientists, government officials, and concerned citizens to share information and strategies that will more effectively advance the goals of environmental and social justice. We’ll be at the Fossil Free Eugene table and taking in many of the amazing panels and presentations. Come see us and peruse the offerings in the busy schedule here. SOLIDARITY WITH IMMIGRANT & LGBTQ+ COMMUNITIES  Tue., Feb. 25th at 9:00 am - Lane County Board of Commissioners Meeting - Harris Hall, 125 E 8th, Eugene Let’s show up in solidarity with our immigrant and LGBTQ+ communities during the Public Comment Session to ensure the Commissioners understand the importance of protecting the most vulnerable members of our community. Please wear a black or dark top and pin a paper heart to it to signify your support. See ya there! More Action SAVE THE DATE On March 25th in Roseburg, join community members and advocates across the region for a rally in protest of the Bureau of Land Management’s auction of the critically important old-growth forest threatened by the Blue and Gold project. A rally will take place around 9:00 am during the auction and will be followed by a short hike into some of the threatened old-growth forest. RSVP and/or volunteer by filling out Cascadia Wildlands’ FORM. It’s time to SAY NO TO BLUE AND GOLD! Email Deb at [email protected] if you’re planning to go. ACTION: Meanwhile, you can send an email to your federal elected officials urging them to stop logging in the Blue and Gold project today! Thank you!  We know in our bones that we must band together to face this moment and resist the forces that would negate over a century of struggle and social progress. We will not look away.It matters what actions each of us takes. Why? Because others will see us do them, and it will make it easier for them to take their own action by our sides.For some practical ideas and inspiration, check out this piece from The White Pages website, Feb. 12, 2025 (by Garrett Bucks): Thirty lonely but beautiful actions you can take right now which probably won't magically catalyze a mass movement against Trump but that are still wildly important.
Stronger together. Let’s be fierce.
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 In spite of the chaos the dismantlers of democracy and human rights are wreaking on our country, we’re off to a strong start in February with state legislative visits and forest campaigning! We need YOU to keep up the momentum! STATE CLIMATE BILLS & LOBBY DAYS IN SALEM350 Eugene is continuing to advocate for strong climate policy. Here’s some of what’s happening and where we need your support: SB681 - The Pause Act - Moratorium on Private Equity Investments in PERS (Public Employees Retirement System) - We’re making progress! Last Tuesday around 100 constituents spoke with 42 Senators and Representatives along with their aides and made a compelling case for the Pause Act! After last year’s success with the COAL Act, our Divest Oregon Coalition worked with chief sponsor Senator Golden and others to support the 2025 Pause Act. This act codifies a portion of the Treasurer’s Net Zero Plan by pausing for five years the state’s PERS private equity investments primarily in fossil fuels, which are not transparent, illiquid & risky.  Divest Oregon Coalition group photo with Sen. Golden  Visit with District 8 Representative Lisa Fragala  Visit with District 7 Representative John Lively SJR28 - Oregon Coalition for an Environmental Rights Amendment (OCERA) This comprehensive environmental bill will put the right to a Healthy Environment into our state constitution and will help protect other programs like our Climate Protection Plan. There was an inspiring Lobby Day on December 11th. More to come. Stay tuned. OCERA’s Legal team will be hosting a panel discussion at the 2025 Public Interest Environmental Law Conference being held at the University of Oregon February 28th through March 2nd. Plan to attend and get involved. You can hear an in depth conversation with OCERA organizer, Linda Perrine, on Michael Gaskill’s Coast Range Radio podcast. SB80 - Stand Up to Factory Farms SB 80 would prohibit new and expanding large confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) in existing Groundwater Management Areas, due to the ongoing public health crises over dangerous levels of nitrates in drinking water. For more climate and environmental bills moving through the state legislature, check out 350 Eugene’s Campaign page. WHAT CAN YOU DO NOW?
HOW CAN I STAY ON TOP OF ALL THIS? A great place to receive regular updates on state legislation is from our friends at Mobilizing for Climate Action Together, MCAT (sponsored by Oregon League of Conservation Voters). They have teams on every bill and keep track during the leg session. Wonderful! You can sign up here.  OUR TREES ARE ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK! More logging doesn’t fix the forests Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP) SHOW UP & SPEAK UP As climate activists, we know that protecting our mature and old growth forests is our best chance of sequestering massive amounts of atmospheric carbon. Not to mention preserving vital habitat for wildlife and purifying our water and air. So we are throwing down with our forest conservation allies to protect what’s left. The NWFP is one among dozens of US national forest plans currently under review. It’s not looking good. This informative one-pager on the NWFP provides an excellent overview for Cascadia’s forests (including a map). IT’S TIME TO GET EDUCATED & PUSH BACK Wed., Feb. 12th - Rally and public meeting about the NWFP, featuring our neighboring Willamette National Forest. When: Rally outside at 4:30 pm (rain or shine) in support of ecologically sane forest practices. Stay for the presentation at 5:30 pm, followed by Q&A. (We will bring great sample questions like these.) Where: US Forest Service office in Springfield (3106 Pierce Parkway). Hang with your forest-climate buddies, learn more about the Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP) and ask hard questions. We have signs, banners, chants and more. See you there! Thur., Feb. 13th - 6:00 pm - Webinar - The Pacific Northwest Forest Climate Alliance is hosting a call to unpack the NWFP and potential threats and opportunities affecting the future of PNW forests. Topics include: Tribal sovereignty, forest conservation and fire inclusion; panelists are Grace Brahler (Wildlands Director at Cascadia Wildlands), Ryan Reed (Fire Gen and NWFP Federal Advisory Committee member), and Tim Ingalsbee (Executive Director of FUSEE). Register here! Note: The Alliance is short $3,000 of its fundraising goal. If you are able, please consider a donation to the Pacific Northwest Forest Climate Alliance to ensure that the Alliance's one-of-a-kind critical work continues.  We Need You to Comment! Tues., Mar. 4th - 5:30 to 7:30 pm - Attention Forest Lovers! Join us at Drop Bear Brewery at 2690 Willamette St., Eugene for a Mardi Gras celebration & comment-writing workshop. HUGE amounts of comments are needed NOW during the Northwest Forest Plan’s public review process ending March 17th. (Let’s break some records!) Join us in an informal, convivial setting to hear three forest experts explain the NWFP and what the US Forest Service is proposing. We’ll explain the commenting process and help you write YOUR comment. (You don’t have to be an expert.) Bring your mobile device and we’ll show you how to submit your comment on the spot, or you can take material home and comment from there. Do your part to protect our old growth forests while celebrating Mardi Gras! Delicious food & beverages will be available to purchase. Tell Our Senators to Oppose the “Fix Our Forests” Act! Send a quick email to or call your Senators today!  The Senate is poised to vote on the “Fix Our Forests” Act, which paves the way for unnecessary logging while undermining vital protections for endangered species. The “Fix Our Forests” Act would bypass essential environmental protections and accelerate logging under the guise of wildfire prevention and forest health. Not so fast! Please contact Senator Wyden and Senator Merkley and strongly urge them to oppose this destructive bill. It will take less than a minute, but your input could significantly impact the future of our forests. Thank you! GET OUT OF THE HOUSE - TAKE A BREAK FROM SCREENS Street Messaging Engage & Educate the Public: Save Our Old Growth Forests!  When: Thur., Feb. 13th and Thur., Feb. 27th, 2:00-3:30 pm Where: Along West 18th Ave, east of the Bi-Mart parking lot next to Westmoreland Park We’ll display the beautiful tree signs we painted and others with forest climate messages. Meet up on the south side of 18th at the corner of the Bi-Mart parking lot just before 2 pm. Bring a lawn chair if you like to sit down and dress for the February weather. We hope you can join us! Fresh air & friendly conversation. Save the DateOn March 25th in Roseburg, join community members and advocates across the region for a rally in protest of the Bureau of Land Management’s auction of the critically important old-growth forest threatened by the Blue and Gold project. Send an email to federal elected officials urging them to stop logging in the Blue and Gold project. The rally will take place around 9:00 am during the auction and will be followed by a short hike into some of the threatened old-growth forest. RSVP and/or volunteer by filling out Cascadia Wildlands ’FORM. It’s time to SAY NO TO BLUE AND GOLD! We’ll be organizing carpools. Stay tuned. Only SHOWING UP IN LARGE NUMBERS with very loud voices speaking truth to power EVERY DAY can turn the tide on extractive, exploitive industry practices.  GET OUT THE VOTE - there are a few races that need our support. If you want to write postcards, contact Deb at [email protected].  In Other News Lane County Today is a local show that features the activities of 350 Eugene and other environmental, peace and justice communities in the Eugene, Oregon area. Lane County Today is broadcast on Community Television of Lane County, Comcast channels 29 and 1088, Saturdays 4:30 pm & 5:00 pm, Tuesdays 7:00 pm & 7:30 pm and Wednesdays 7:00 am & 7:30 am. The Lane County Today playlist can also be viewed here on YouTube. Presently, 16 half-hour shows are broadcast and posted. (Credits to Peter Dragovich.) Need inspiration in these times? Who doesn’t? Encircle Film’s February 20th film is "Citizen George", presenting the life and work of Philadelphia-based Quaker activist George Lakey, a nonviolent revolutionary who has worked his entire life for justice and peace, guided by his ideal of societal transformation. Find more information, links to the trailer and ticket sales on the Art House website. We hope you’ll join us there. Bill McKibben (350.org & Third Act founder) always inspires and informs us! His latest, Pushing Back, Short-Term and Long - How to Make Progress Part II, is worth a read. Find it here.  350 Eugene’s Year-end Fundraising Was a Success!
Big thanks to so many of you who stepped up and made generous donations, alongside our amazing group of current & new “Sustaining Donors.” We reached our goal of $10K! With extra thanks to The Towhee Fund of Oregon Community Foundation and the Suwinski Foundation for their special grants. We’ll be putting it to good use! Let’s be fierce. |