TEAM UPDATES

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Our team is busy with fighting Zenith Energy, GTN XPress, advocating for a Fossil Free Multnomah County and educating on the dangers of methane gas, fighting for clean and healthy buildings across Oregon, supporting frontline-led fossil fuel fights nationwide, and preparing for an exciting summer of action on the Willamette River. Now is a great time to join us! Contact Eloise and Dineen to learn more about the team and to plug in. Eloise@350pdx.org and Dineen@350pdx.org.

We need your support in the fight against the GTN Xpress, a proposal by TC Energy to expand a gas pipeline through Idaho, Washington, and Oregon by adding an additional 150 million cubic feet of gas per day and a new compressor station in Eastern Oregon. This expansion project is the opposite of what our region needs, and is very dangerous for those living near the pipeline. With groups across the Northwest, we’ve been collectively fighting to stop GTN XPress, and now federal regulators may be making a decision as soon as this month. Washington Governor Inslee, and Oregon Senators’ Wyden and Merkley have joined the growing list of public opposition to GTN XPress. But where’s Oregon Governor Kotek? On the campaign trail, she promised to stop this project. It’s time for Governor Kotek to stand up against GTN XPress before a possible key federal decision this month. Join us in writing to the governor about this important issue, then send the action page to 5 of your friends to increase your impact.

Also, do you live in the blast zone of Zenith’s oil trains? Use this map to find out. If you do, call and write to the City of Portland and share that you live in the blast zone and are concerned for your safety. If you’re interested in getting more involved and becoming a local leader in your neighborhood (we’ll support you through this!) reach out to dineen@350pdx.org to learn more. We’ll be working with folks to host house parties and information sessions in impacted neighborhoods in the blast zone so we can all together learn more about this issue and how to get involved.

The Forest Defense Team continues work on our two main campaigns: improving shade equity in Portland and shifting the management forests throughout the state towards long-term carbon sequestration and storage. We are continuing to advocate for three bills, currently in the Ways and Means Committee, that will advance those goals:

• HB 3016, a bill that supports green infrastructure
• SB 522, which would modernize and strengthen the Oregon Global Warming commission
• SB 530, which would encourage land owners to invest in natural climate solutions, like longer logging rotations.

Our big upcoming event is a Shade Equity Strategy Session coming up on May 22nd where folks working on many different aspects of Portland’s urban forest will come together and talk about challenges to growing and sustainaing our urban forest, and promising approaches that support the urban canopy. Register here!

This month, the City/County Watchdog team is continuing to track the Spring Oregon Legislative Session and support the passing of key climate justice bills, including:

• SB 1518 – Resilient Efficient Buildings
• SB 868 – Healthy Heating and Cooling for All
• SB 869 – Build Smart from the Start
• SB 870 – Building Performance Standard bills
• A significantly watered down version of a factory farms moratorium bill SB 85-4 that is now sadly unrecognizable from its original form to hold factory farms accountable for water and air pollution and limiting future expansion is unlikely to pass.

We are also supporting the Portland Clean Energy Fund’s (PCEF) current community input process, in which the City is calling on members of the community to support drafting a Climate Investment Plan (CIP). The CIP will help shape its investments around climate justice goals related to PCEF.

You can read the draft of the Climate Investment Plan here.  A PCEF meeting took place on April 20th which discussed a synthesis of the community input to the CIP.  (331) PCEF Grant Committee Meeting 04-20-23 – YouTube.  and includes a great presentation from PBOT regarding the plan to expand the urban tree canopy on 82nd Avenue and public input on regenerative agriculture.

Finally, we are continuing to support the City Charter reform process, in which the city is operationalizing the Measure 26-228 reforms voters passed last fall to transition us to a more equitable, representative form of city government. Last month, the City released its first quarterly progress report about the transition, which you can read here on the 3-year transition process to transform Portland’s government structure. You can keep abreast of the work of the Independent District Commission (Independent District Commission Meeting #6 (Public Comment) | Portland.gov) that will meet May 3rd froom 6-9 pm, the Salary Commission (Salary Commission Overview | Portland.gov) of 5 HR professionals that will will evaluate and set salaries for the new elected representatives including the mayor, auditor, and 12 districted city councilors and keep up-to-date on the Government Transition Advisory Committee (Government Transition Advisory Committee Overview | Portland.gov) charged to help advise on implementing 26-228 in the City of Portland to deliver a transformed governance structure for a more equitable Portland.

The Arts Team worked hard throughout April! In addition to having lots of artbuilds, we put up posters, made new ones, and almost completed our Mother Earth giant puppet. Plus we drummed at rallies downtown and near Zenith train tracks.

May’s actions are coming into focus but not quite yet! The month might include a field trip, more puppets coming along, and definitely more drumming to liven up more rallies!

The Creative Team uses storytelling to make the climate justice movement irresistible. This month, we’ve continued working on a messaging workbook to help guide 350PDX’s campaign teams as they design their communications strategies. We’re also continuing to support the Forest Defense Team, Divest Oregon, and the Gas-busters campaign in creating messaging strategies.

We also finished our new Intro to 350PDX zine, which you can check out here! We’ll soon be launching a new climate fiction zine project, so stay tuned for more info.

Welcome to our southwest neighborhood team, which includes neighborhoods on the south and west sides of Portland, from PSU to Hillsdale, Multnomah Village, Beaverton and Lake Oswego.

Our outreach program moved to the Beaverton Library this month. Saving our Planet was presented on Sunday, April 23rd. Attendees viewed a sequence of video segments and participated in lively discussions.

Our team was active in several Earth Day events, providing information and outreach materials at an Earth Day Fair and the Beaverton Farmers Market on Saturday, April 22nd. We were also a part of the Earth Day outreach event at St. Luke’s Church on Sunday April 23rd.

The Washington County Team had a very busy Earth Month. We hosted a very successful premiere showing of ELEMENTAL: REIMAGINE WILDFIRE, followed by a Q&A with fire experts and policymakers on April 13th. In addition, we tabled at both the PlanetCon education and recycling event on April 8th, and had a local sign wave session and tabled at Reconnecting with Roots: A Youth Environmental Conservation Summit on Saturday, April 15. 

Our general activities include:

• Continuing our local campaign to encourage the Washington County Board of Commissioners to complete drafting and take action on an overdue County Climate Resolution. We will continue to do all possible grassroots work to encourage the Commissioners to take their best bold action asap. We are working in coalition with several community partners now as we hope to see success in the next few months.
• Supporting good bills in the Oregon Legislature
• 350 WashCo presented at the Washington County’s Office of Sustainability’s annual celebration of United Nations World Day of Social Justice on February 22
• Stewarding our Pollinator Garden at Bagley Park in Hillsboro