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Oregon Voters Restore a Balance to Land Use System

Measure 49 Passes 62 percent to 38 percent

Portland, Oregon — November 7, 2007 — Oregon voters said loud and clear that they want to protect our water, natural areas and habitats for fish and wildlife from too much development in the wrong places. Measure 49 is a responsible solution that's fair to property owners and their neighbors. Now it's time to give Measure 49 a chance to work, and to continue protecting what makes Oregon such a special place.

Oregonians care deeply about protecting our coasts, rivers, natural areas and special places from destructive and poorly planned development. In voting for Measure 49, Oregonians restored a balance to our land use system that depends on responsible planning for development and requires landowners to play by the same rules as everyone else. The vote reaffirms that all property owners have neighbors, and neighbors have rights, too.

Measure 49 deserves a chance to work before we bring land use issues back to the voters again. We don't need another extreme measure getting put on the ballot by special interests who conceal their real motives. The rejection of so-called "property rights" measures in Washington, Idaho and California last year, and in Alaska and Oregon this year, signal that voters are fed up with radical ballot measures that don't deliver what they promised.  

At watershed moments, Oregonians have voted to protect our coasts, rivers, forests farmlands and special places for future generations. This is one of those times, and we should all feel proud of this vote. We are grateful to all the people who came together to pass this measure -- our governor, business leaders, farmers, conservation groups, and members of The Nature Conservancy -- who all joined hands to pass this measure because we love Oregon as a special place to live, work, enjoy nature and raise our families.

Looking to the future, Oregonians working together from all walks of life will need to be collaborative, innovative and resourceful as we continue to address Oregon's land use and conservation challenges -- and as we work to protect the best of what we love about Oregon for our children and grandchildren.