350PDX Key Accomplishments
350PDX, a Portland chapter of the national 350.org, coalesced in the spring of 2013. Since then our organization has grown to a core group of hundreds of active volunteers, thousands of action-takers and supporters, a team of 8 staff members in a Staff Collective model, and a Board of Directors.
We’ve listed here some of our major accomplishments as an organization, although want to name that none of these accomplishments would be possible without the whole 350PDX community, without our partners or the coalitions we are a part of, or without the leadership of frontline communities in the climate and social justice movements locally, nationally, and worldwide, past and present.
Click the image below to see a zoomable version of our 10 year timeline that was made for our Nov 2023 10 Year Anniversary Party.
March 2024: During the 2024 Oregon Legislative Session, we achieved some major wins for climate justice! The COAL Act (HB 4083) passed, the Healthy Homes Fully Funded in Housing Package passed, Marine Reserves (HB 4132) passed, and The Wildlife Package (HB 4148) did not pass, but some aspects were still funded.
March 2024: The Oregon Board of Forestry adopted the Habitat Conservation Plan for Western Oregon State Forests! We need healthy forests now more than ever — to provide clean water for local communities, habitat for threatened species, and a line of defense against the climate crisis — and passing the Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) was a critical step in this direction. Once implemented, the HCP will protect essential habitat for 17 imperiled species of salmon and wildlife on 640,000 acres of Oregon state forests by establishing buffers protecting forests from clearcutting, and creating Habitat Conservation Areas for species dependent on mature forests, like the marbled murrelet, coastal marten, and spotted owl.
March 2024: The Oregon Board of Forestry adopted the Habitat Conservation Plan for Western Oregon State Forests! We need healthy forests now more than ever — to provide clean water for local communities, habitat for threatened species, and a line of defense against the climate crisis — and passing the Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) was a critical step in this direction. Once implemented, the HCP will protect essential habitat for 17 imperiled species of salmon and wildlife on 640,000 acres of Oregon state forests by establishing buffers protecting forests from clearcutting, and creating Habitat Conservation Areas for species dependent on mature forests, like the marbled murrelet, coastal marten, and spotted owl.
Oct/Nov 2023: We kept up the fight to Stop Zenith Energy’s dangerous oil-by-rail! We rallied & testified at the Environmental Quality Commission calling on them to deny Zenith an air quality permit, organized communities in the oil train Blast Zone, continued our Rumble on the River community forum series on the dangers of Zenith Energy and the Critical Energy Infrastructure Hub, and kept us the pressure on City Council members to be accountable to us, after they went behind our backs in making a deal with Zenith Energy to grant them a critical permit in 2022.
Sept 2023: Wall Street investors, huge timber corporations, biomass & carbon offset companies, and other big polluters gathered for the annual “Who Will Own the Forest?” conference at the World Forestry Center. While communities around the world suffer record-breaking impacts of the climate crisis, these rich elites convened to schmooze over cocktails and discuss their plans to maximize profits through corporate land-grabbing and clear-cutting.
So we showed up to protest the conference, and hold our own event — Forests Over Profits. Action hosts included the Coast Range Association, the Indigenous Environmental Network, Rainforest Action Network, the Pacific Northwest Forest Climate Alliance, 350PDX, and many more. Read the full recap here.
July 2023: In coalition, we successfully defended City Charter reform Measure 26-228! Commissioners Dan Ryan and Rene Gonzalez had proposed sweeping changes to the measure’s implementation, such as shrinking the future City Council from 12 to eight members, adopting a watered down version of ranked-choice voting, and giving the mayor veto powers. These changes would have undermined Portlanders’ dream for a more efficient, equitable, representative form of City government, and gone against what nearly 60% of us voted for last fall. Portlanders showed up en masse at City Hall — calling on our commissioners to uphold the will of voters and implement the measure as it was written on the ballot. And after receiving little support for their proposals and a lot of public push-back, Ryan and Gonzalez were no longer moving forward with their proposals to reduce the number of City Council seats or change ranked choice voting.
July 2023: Key wins in the Oregon Legislative Session, including the passage of the Climate Resilience Package dedicating $90 million to climate action. The package compiled many of the bills the climate justice movement rallied behind over the last few months, including the REBuilding Bills (for more resilient, efficient buildings), the Community Green Infrastructure Act (aka the TREES Act), the Community Resilience Hubs, and Natural Climate Solutions.
We helped organized hundreds of Oregonians to take action this session – making calls, sending comments, and showing up to meetings. It’s because of huge numbers of people leveraging their power that we were able to win climate action at the state level this year.
June 2023: To mark the second anniversary of the deadly 2021 Heat Dome, communities across the Pacific Northwest hosted a Forest Week of Action. Folks kicked off the Week of Action for Forests & Climate by hanging banners up and down the I-5 corridor, reaching thousands of drivers on their morning commute with the message that forest defense is climate defense. At the same time, members of the PNW Forest Climate Alliance delivered a letter to the Biden Administration. In the letter, 65 organizations and individuals demanded greater protections for forests on federal land, which are a critical part of climate change mitigation.
June 2023: Over 100 climate activists are gathered on the Willamette to Paddle Zenith Out of Portland! We called for the City Commissioners to stop zenith from running dangerous oil by rail through our communities, and for President Biden to listen to frontline communities and #EndtheEra of fossil fuels.
Feb 2023: The Forest Defense Team hosted a Shade Equity Social to bring together tree, ecology and climate people from across our city, and it was a great success! More than 70 folks mixed and mingled, shared and strategized. Folks from Urban Forestry, the Bureau of Environmental Services, and the Portland Clean Energy Fund (PCEF) were in attendance. All three city agencies have a role in supporting Portland’s urban forest, and it was great to have them in the same room, alongside advocates from across the city.
November 2022: Worked with the Portland United for Change coalition to help pass the first round of City Charter reforms — Measure 21-228. This measure will establish ranked choice voting in elections for mayor, auditor and city council, create four City Council districts with three representatives each, and appoint of a professional city administrator to manage all city services.
October 2022: With the Pacific NW Forest Climate Alliance, we helped organize the Deep Roots Forest Action camp. Over 100 activists from the region gathered for a weekend to share skills and grow community.
October 2022: We helped organize simultaneous rallies in Portland and Seaside to draw attention to the role of Wall Street investors in clearcutting Oregon’s forests and calling for divestment from asset managers like TIAA.
September 2022: Delivered over 1,000 signatures calling for Multnomah county to protect public health and safety from the impacts of burning fossil fuels in buildings
September 2022: Hired new national Fossil fuels organizer position to ramp up our national-level climate justice organizing
Fall 2022: We lobbied Commissioner Rubio for a city commitment to fund planting and maintenance of street trees, which became a key component of the successful PCEF charter reform.
Summer 2022: 350PDX Summer School – Our first online training had over 160 participants. It was a series of 28 short videos that covered the basics of people power, climate justice, and tools to help people find their place in the movement.
July 2022: Successfully advocated for the City’s Charter Commission to create a subcommittee dedicated to reforms for climate and environmental justice
July 2022: Successfully defended the Portland Clean Energy Fund from corporate attacks. PCEF approved $111 million in funding for 65 projects that will help communities hit hardest by climate change generate their own solar power, build better food systems, and enter careers in the new green workforce, all with the goal of repairing racial wealth disparities and making our city more resilient to the climate crisis.
June 2022: Helped Organize Portland’s first Heat Week, with partners from the city, county, research community and advocacy organizations. Heat week was a series of events that commemorated the lives lost to the 2021 heat wave, strategizing about strengthening our emergency preparedness systems, and advocating for policy changes to better mitigate and prepare for extreme weather events.
May 2022: Climate Strike & Festival collaborated with high school organizers on a climate strike and festival that engaged 3,000 people
May 2022: We authored two sign-on letters to the Oregon Board of Forestry, as well as sent postcards and emails advocating for a robust Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) for western Oregon State Forests.
April 2022: Divest Oregon releases Risky Business report exposing the Oregon State Treasury’s billions of dollars invested in fossil fuel companies. Hired two new development positions!
March 2022: Helped launch the Shade Equity Coalition, bringing 17 organizations together to advocate for equitable tree canopy in Portland
March 2022: Fuel Storage Seismic Vulnerability (SB 1567) passes into law!
The Critical Energy Infrastructure (CEI) Hub on the Willamette River is an industrial site home to 630 storage tanks holding gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and oil. 90% of all of Oregon’s liquid fuels are stored on a former wetland. If there is a major earthquake, 200 million gallons of these polluting fuels would spill into the river, causing over $2 billion in damages to the local communities and ecosystems.
Now that SB 1567 has passed, storage tanks owners in the area must assess how vulnerable the tanks would be to a major earthquake and what can be done to reduce the risks, then report that assessment to the Oregon Dept. of Environmental Quality. The bill will also require the Dept. of Energy to create a security earthquake preparation plan that protects communities and aligns with Oregon’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gases 90% by 2050.
March 2022: Private Forest Accord passes into law!
Oregon’s laws for private forest logging have finally caught up with our state’s changing conditions and values. Oregonians have fought for years for better forest management, knowing healthy forests are critical for the health of our communities and ecosystems in a changing climate. “We didn’t get everything we wanted at the negotiating table,” says Wild Salmon Center Oregon Policy Director Bob Van Dyk, “but this agreement is without a doubt an enormous and positive step for Oregon conservation.” Read the full update from Wild Salmon Center.
March 2022: Emergency Heat Relief for Oregonians (SB 1536) passes into law!
Passed with bipartisan support, this legislation is a crucial step towards ensuring that impacted communities have access to emergency cooling this summer and beyond. Oregon will now invest millions of dollars to provide air conditioning, air filters, and cooling centers for low-income Oregonians and renters. As the climate crisis fuels more extreme weather, it is essential that Oregonians are protected from the deadly impacts of heat waves and storms. This victory shows that climate resilience and adaptation is a bipartisan issue, and it’s a great first step in addressing climate adaptation and resilience across the state. Here is the press release on this victory to learn more.
March 2022: Farmworker Overtime (HB 4002) passes into law!
For over 80 years, farmworkers have been excluded from receiving overtime pay and other benefits and workplace protections. In 2020, while working through wildfires and ice storms, Oregon farmworkers made less than $20,000 a year, on average. With the passage of this bill, Oregon will now join Washington and California in providing equal overtime protections to agricultural workers. Farmworkers ensure our families are healthy and well-fed in every corner of the state. Their hard work supports our entire economy. They deserve to be paid for every hour of their essential, difficult, and often dangerous work. You can read the full press release on this victory here. Thank you to PCUN for leading this legislation and making this historic win possible!
December 2021: The Pembina Pipeline Co. dropped the Jordan Cove LNG project! The project would have included a fracked gas export facility and a 230-mile pipeline crossing tribal lands and threatening the drinking water of over one hundred thousand people. The entire project would have produced the equivalent of 15 new coal-fired power plants’ emissions. 350PDX worked in coalition for years to stop this project, turning out over 50,000 Oregonians to file comments with state agencies. We attended public hearings, marched along the pipeline route and rallied in Salem, wrote letters and op-eds, called the Governor, and pressured the banks that gave loans and financially supported the project. Because of our collective work, state agencies delivered strong permit denials that Pembina couldn’t recover from. Read more about this win from Dineen, our Campaign Manager.
September/October 2021: A year after suing the Department of Homeland Security for violating NEPA with their use of tear gas on Portland protests, we appealed the case to the Ninth Circuit Court.
August 2021: The 350PDX Defund/Divest team built and launched the Divest Oregon coalition to pressure the Oregon Treasury to divest billions $ from the fossil fuel industry, and now over 50 organizations (and counting) are involved!
August 2021: After over 3 years of organizing, the City of Portland denies a critical permit for Zenith Energy’s dangerous crude oil facility in NW Portland! A huge victory in one of our biggest campaigns! Read more here
June 2021: After 7 years of grassroots pressure, Northwest Innovation Works abandons their plan to build the Kalama Methanol Refinery, what would have been the largest fracked-gas-to-methanol refinery in the world, right on the Columbia River.
June 2021: Thanks to organizing led by rural, coastal, low-income and communities of color across the state, the Oregon State Legislature passed a groundbreaking bill to transition Oregon’s electricity to 100% clean energy by 2040. The 100% Clean Energy for All Bill (HB 2021) centers benefits for communities and workers most impacted by climate change and extractive industries. With this bill, Oregon will have the fastest timeline and best labor standards for emissions-free energy in the country and will be the first U.S. state to ban new development or expansions of fossil fuel power plants. With this victory, the Oregon Clean Energy Opportunity Campaign passed all three of the bills we supported in 2021! Learn more here.
June 2021: The Oregon State Legislature passed The Healthy Homes Act (HB 2841). This historic, bipartisan bill will invest $10 million in a new Healthy Homes Repair Fund at the Oregon Health Authority to support low-income Oregonians with energy efficiency retrofits. The Healthy Homes Act is a crucial step towards a just transition for Oregon. The bill is the second of three pieces of environmental justice legislation we supported as part of the Oregon Clean Energy Opportunity campaign. Read more here.
May 2021: With bipartisan support, the Oregon Senate passed the Energy Affordability Act (House Bill 2475), a historic bill for working families across the state! The act allow energy discounts for low-income Oregonians and greater participation in energy decision making for BIPOC, rural, and low-income communities. The bill is the first of three pieces of environmental justice legislation we are supporting as part of the Oregon Clean Energy Opportunity campaign. Read more here.
April 2021: After two years of implementation and hard work behind the scenes, Portland City Council unanimously approved the first round of 45 Portland Clean Energy Fund grants for a total of $8.6 million! 100% of these grants will go to organizations that serve Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and low-income communities, from job training in clean energy construction to culturally relevant community gardens. Read more here.
April 2021: Our campaign is successful as Multnomah County resolves to end the use of fossil fuels in new or renovated County-owned public buildings, like libraries and schools!
March 2021: Our Forest Defense team has its first victory with the successful nomination of 3 new appointees to the Board of Forestry, which means that this more balanced Board to fight for more climate-oriented forest practices! Read more here.
February 2021: Delivered hundreds of valentines to the City of Portland demanding they “Break Up with Zenith!”
January 19 2021: Jordan Cove LNG and the Kalama Methanol Refinery were both dealt major setbacks and permit denials on this same day. Early that morning, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) upheld the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality’s denial of the key Clean Water Act permit for the proposed Jordan Cove LNG export terminal and Pacific Connector fracked gas pipeline. An hour later, the Washington Department of Ecology issued a major decision to deny the key Shorelines permit for the proposed fracked-gas-to-methanol refinery along the Columbia River in Kalama, Washington. These victories are both major setbacks for Pembina and Northwest Innovation Works, putting these disastrous projects in an even more precarious place. Organizing works!!
Jan 12 2021: Launched the Oregon Clean Energy Opportunity campaign with a statewide coalition of frontline organizations in pursuit of energy affordability, healthy homes, and a swift and just transition to 100% clean energy for all Oregonians.
November 2020: Helped lead the Defend Democracy coalition in Portland to organize against a power grab in the Presidential election, holding a rally on Nov 5 and being ready to mobilize if a full-blown coup were to occur.
Nov 2020: Led an action in front of the Statehouse in Salem to raise awareness against the proposed Perennial Windchaser fracked gas power plant, and worked with a reporter with Inside Climate News to publish an article on the project for national audience.
October 2020: Helped to mobilize hundreds of people to testify at virtual hearings on the Kalama Methanol Refinery with the Washington Department of Ecology. 5 out of every 7 people who testified were against the refinery!
October 2020: Sued the Department of Homeland Security for their failure to assess and publicize the human and environmental health impacts of the chemical munitions their agents deployed against Black Lives Matter protesters in Portland, a violation of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). We joined Neighbors for Clean Air, Northwest Center for Alternatives to Pesticides, Cascadia Wildlands, Willamette Riverkeeper, and the ACLU of Oregon in seeking a court order forcing DHS to halt their use of chemical munitions, including tear gas, until they perform a thorough analysis of the health and environmental impacts of these chemicals and makes this information available to the public. Read more here.
September 2020: Co-led a successful donation effort made up of over 60 volunteers who helped solicit, organize, and deliver thousands of essential materials and food from the greater Portland area to rural communities in Oregon hit hard by wildfires. 28 vehicles left from Portland and delivered supplies to Woodburn, Cottage Grove, the Warm Springs Reservation, and the Rogue Valley.
July 2020: Launched our JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion) plan, which lays out three years of strategies and tactics to center our organization around actively dismantling personal, organizational, and systemic oppression.
Summer 2020: Mobilized 209 volunteers to take substantial action for the Black Lives Matter uprising through our dedicated volunteer form – including donating, delivering supplies, contacting politicians, organizing their workplaces, pressuring institutions – with many more folks attending BLM protests and events that we amplified on our email list.
April 2020: For the national day of action on April 23 our Defund/Divest team held a Digital Chase Takeover, where thousands of people across the country left scathing reviews of Chase Bank on Yelp, Google Maps, and more, to highlight Chase’s role as the world’s biggest funder of fossil fuels.
April 2020: For the 50th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22 we held our first mass digital rally (thanks to the pandemic) with thousands of people tuning in to hear youth speakers from frontline communities tell their stories, and lay down their demands to Mayor Ted Wheeler for a just, equitable, and livable city.
March 13 2020: Pivoted to working 100% remotely due to the coronavirus pandemic, and spent time focusing on mutual aid and supporting the 350PDX and broader community.
March 8 2020: In partnership with Sunrise PDX, we co-hosted a major Climate Debate for the 2020 Mayoral Election with 800 tickets sold!
December 2019: Our City/County Watchdog team testified in front of 100 people for a hearing on the 100% Clean Energy resolution for the City of Portland.
Nov 2019: 700 people rallied in Salem to ask Governor Kate Brown to stop the Jordan Cove fracked gas pipeline and export terminal. Over 80 people occupied the Governor’s office for the entire day, refusing to leave until the Governor came out against the project. She refused and 21 people were eventually arrested for occupying the office.
Oct 2019: After the huge pressure from the climate strike, along with continuing efforts of 350PDX volunteers and other organizations, the City of Portland denies a critical permit for the expansion of the NW Portland Zenith tar sands terminal!
Sept 2019: After the record breaking Sept 20 climate strike we facilitated a week of action, with 42 different actions, marches, rallies, trainings, educational events, and film screenings happening across Portland and Oregon.
Sept 2019: We put on the largest climate demonstration Portland has ever seen with almost 20,000 people hitting the streets, rallying outside City Hall to demand action from Mayor Wheeler, marching over the Hawthorne Bridge, and ending in a Climate Strike Festival of education, training, music, food, art, a kids area, and over 40 different organizations that people could get involved with. The youth of Portland led in developing the demands of the strike and in the idea generation and implementation of the amazing day.
May 2019: After months of pressure and 42,000 public comments from 350PDX volunteers and other organizations, DEQ denies a critical permit to Jordan Cove! The fight isn’t over as the company can appeal and continue work on other aspects of the project, but this is a significant blow to their project. Congratulations and thank you to everyone fighting against this monstrous fossil fuel project!
February 2019: 350PDX volunteers along with a coalition of other organizations collect over 42,000 comments to the Department of Environmental Quality to deny a crucial permit to Jordan Cove, the largest number of comments of this type in Oregon history!
November 2018: The Portland Clean Energy Fund passes at the ballot box, with over 65% support! 350PDX volunteers knocked on thousands of doors and made thousands of phonecalls to ensure this incredible victory.
Summer 2018: 350PDX volunteers collect over 8,000 signatures to get the Portland Clean Energy Fund on the ballot.
September 2017: 350PDX has over 350 regular volunteers and activists across our organization.
August 8th, 2017: Stopped two new fracked gas power plants from being built by Portland General Electric. Together, our coalition gathered 17,000 signatures opposing new fossil fuel power plants and is paving the way for a renewable energy future.
June 1st, 2017: Led the City of Portland and Multnomah County passing resolutions to transition to 100% renewable electricity by 2035 and 100% renewable energy in all sectors including transportation and industry by 2050. These joint policies are recognized as some of the strongest in the country and led to Portland General Electric, Portland’s largest utility, abandoning plans for two new fracked gas power plants and instead agreeing to partner with the City and County to transition to 100% renewable energy.
April 29, 2017: Organized using principles of solidarity to support OPAL Environmental Justice Oregon and The Oregon Just Transition Alliance in a frontline communities led Portland People’s Climate March, including lead up workshops for our base on Environmental Justice. Over 2,000 joined the march to connect the dots between climate justice, militarism, immigration, food, and police.
In 2016: 350PDX mobilized over 190 core volunteers and over 1,150 community activists to attend 150 team meetings and events.
December 14th, 2016: Worked with the Portland City Council to pass The Fossil Fuel Terminal Zoning Code ordinance. This ordinance is the nation’s strongest comprehensive ban on fossil fuel terminals ever passed by a city, and was done so by the help of over 600 comments sent in through 350PDX. After an appeal filed by the Portland Business Alliance, Western States Petroleum Association, and the Building Trades, the Land Use Board of Appeals overturned the Policy. On August 2nd, the Portland City Council voted unanimously to appeal the LUBA decision; the case will be heard fall 2017 by the Oregon Court of Appeals.
July 28th, 2016: Worked with Metro City Council to divest from all fossil fuels.
May 17th, 2016: The Portland Public School board passed a resolution proposed by 350PDX members that would mandate that any textbooks that don’t recognize the science behind climate change would add local grassroots created curriculum. This was passed unanimously by the board.
May 12th – 15th, 2016: Participated in Break Free (From Fossil Fuels) actions in Anacortes Washington as part of a coordinated global ‘week’ of 30 actions across a dozen countries. The Pacific Northwest Action spanned 4 days from and included trainings, workshops, events, beautiful art, 3 marches, kayaks on the water and a railroad track blockade that lasted 2 days. All together an estimated 2500 people participated.
November of 2015 :Worked with the City Council to pass The Fossil Fuel Policy resolution. This resolution is the nation’s most progressive and comprehensive ban on all new fossil fuel infrastructure ever passed by a city, and was done so by the help of over 1000 comments sent in through 350PDX.
September 24th, 2015: Worked with the City of Portland to pass a resolution to disinvest from fossil fuels.
September 24th, 2015: Worked with Multnomah County to pass a resolution to divest from fossil fuels.
September 2015: Worked with three faith-based organizations to divest from fossil fuel holdings.
July 2015: Thousands of participants joined the sHellNo actions to oppose and draw attention to Shell’s arctic drilling. The action delayed a Shell arctic icebreaker ship for 40 hours, garnered international media attention, and ultimately increased public understanding of and opposition to the impact of arctic drilling. Following the actions, Shell Oil pulled out of the Arctic and President Obama announced the end to leasing the Arctic for drilling for the next 2 years.
May 2015: Blocked a $500m fracked propane export terminal proposed by Pembina, a Canadian tar sands corporation. Together, the coalition won political support from Portland’s Mayor, Charlie Hales, an unprecedented reversal by an elected official on a project of this magnitude.
January to February 2015: Organized 10 trainings, including Climate Agent of Change, a 6-session leadership course. Altogether, our trainings and workshops have developed the leadership capacity of over 100 climate activists.
September 2014: Organized 15 major actions that increased our visibility. Led the organizing of the Portland People’s Climate March, Oregon’s largest climate action to date, with unprecedented collaboration: ~5000 people, endorsed by 130 diverse organizations.
2014: Co-organize a statewide coalition, 350 Oregon, with nine 350 locals and climate groups sharing a common mission.
April 2014: Launched the Oregon Climate Declaration campaign calling for Oregon to divest and put a price on carbon, garnering ~6000 signatures.
2014: Organized 22 events, totaling ~3,200 people, to increase public awareness and engagement, including: “Crude Awakenings Oil Train Music Tour”, raised funds for victims of typhoon Yolanda, youth-organized “Climb for the Climate”.
2014: Sponsored and/or promoted 26 events of groups with missions connected to our vision, including: Lummi Nation Totem Journey, Stop the TPP (opposition to global trade injustice), Don’t Shoot PDX (solidarity with Ferguson), 15 Now PDX (end poverty wages), Jobs with Justice.