Rogue Advocates

Imagine economically vibrant urban areas where residents have a range of transportation options, safe, affordable housing choices and abundant green spaces, which are surrounded by robust rural communities where farmland is preserved and farmers make a viable living. . . Through a process called "Envision Oregon"* a few years ago, this is what Oregonians across the state agreed they wanted for Oregon's future. 

Thanks to a generous grant from Meyer Memorial Trust, Rogue Advocates has launched "Envision the Rogue Valley" to help make this vision a reality here in the Rogue Valley. Throughout 2011-2012, we are working with community members, city and county planners, transportation agencies and other local decisionmakers to create and then implement this vision in the Rogue Valley  using "Smart Growth" tools. (Read more about "Smart Growth" here). Our ultimate goal is to create a Smart Growth Strategy for the Rogue Valley.

As part of our Envision project, we held two community forums in early 2012, one focusing on urban issues; the other on rural issues. If you couldn't make it to the forums but would still like to participate in shaping our Smart Growth Strategy, you can take the online surveys here:

Smart Growth Survey (Questions from Envision the Urban Rogue Valley): Click here to take survey

Farmland Conservation Survey (Questions from Envision the Rural Rogue Valley):

Click here to take survey

*Envision Oregon was a process led by 1000 Friends of Oregon and other collaborating organizations. After two years of town-hall style meetings across Oregon, 1000 Friends published "A Blueprint for Oregon's Future," which outlines basic state-wide strategies for smarter land use planning in Oregon, including: 1) preserve farmland, 2) reducing our dependence on the car and 3) improving the livability of our communtiies.

For more information about Envision the Rogue Valley, contact Sarah Vaile at sarah@rogueadvocates.org.

Envision the Urban Rogue Valley participants discuss Smart Growth tools in small groups.

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NEWS UPDATE! Rogue Advocates is pleased to announce that we are joining forces with Friends of Jackson County, another organization that shares our mission of sustainable land use advocacy in southern Oregon. In May 2011, we officially consolidated with Friends of Jackson County to become one organization known as Rogue Advocates.

We are very excited about this move and believe that this new arrangement will allow us to more effectively advocate for the preservation of farmland, forestland, open space as well as the livability of our cities in the Rogue Valley!

Click here to read a 1000 Friends of Oregon profile piece about Rogue Advocates and the recent consolidation.

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Who we are: Rogue Advocates is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to creating more livable and sustainable communities in southern Oregon's Rogue Valley.

Vineyards meet houses at the urban-rural divide

The Valley is home to some of the world's most ecologically diverse forest habitats, a robust agricultural economy and vibrant rural communities. It is also one of the fastest growing regions in Oregon and even the country.

Rogue Advocates recognizes that endless growth threatens the preservation of farmland, forest land, open space, wildlife habitat and livability that we treasure in the Rogue Valley.

This means that it is absolutely vital that we grow "smart" - in a way that ensures the co-existence of livable communities and productive rural lands.