This essay presents a case study of the Regional Gravel Initiative (RGI) workshop, one instance of policy makers using science to inform decision making for sustainable and streamlined processes. The RGI consists of eight agencies, both federal and state, with responsibilities for informing and issuing permits for mining aggregate on...
Coastal communities in Oregon have experienced dramatic economic and demographic change during the 1980s. Although the timber and fishing sectors are still important, the economies of coastal communities now rely more on non-earned income and tourism. Non-earned income sources, such as transfer payments and investment earnings, account for over forty...
Oregon is one of several states to implement a new and innovative minimum wage policy. The Oregon policy defines three regions with each having a separate initial minimum wage and a different set of incremental increases over the next seven years. This paper explores how this policy change may impact...
Most studies suggest that LGBTQ+ young adults make up between 20 and 40 percent of the houseless young adult population (Edidin, Ganim, Hunter, and Karnik 2011; Nolan 2006). However, LGBTQ+ young adults compose only 1.3–3.8% of the general young adult population (Rosario, Schrimshaw, and Hunter 2012). Thus LGBTQ+ young adults...
The product of my internship was a working draft of a land use and master plan
for the SPC to review. The draft is to be used for creating a more comprehensive land use
and zoning master plan. Attempts were made to incorporate input from federal, state,
and local governments,...
Coastal communities in the Pacific Northwest are looking for ways to increase the diversity of their economies in order to reduce the negative impacts of cyclic economic swings. The economic base of many coastal communities is directly tied to healthy, dynamic working waterfronts through fishing, recreation, tourism, ports, and allied...
Since 2006 Oregon has promoted the development of wave energy off its coast. While the state may be well suited for the technology because of an abundant wave resource and supporting coastal infrastructure there remain potential barriers to implementing this policy, including uncertainties about the technology and concerns for impacts...
Many skilled immigrants suffer from the nonrecognition of their foreign professional credentials within the US labor market. As such, they are often forced to accept employment in fields that do not make full use of their skills. Consequently, foreign trained professionals are underrepresented in the upper segments of the American...
Cascade Locks, Oregon, has chosen tourism as a means of
revitalizing its economy with its 1) accessibility to Interstate
80N, 2) attractive location in the Columbia River Gorge, and 3) availability
as a source of needed services (food and fuel). The Port
of Cascade Locks has financed the Marine Park,...
The 14-km long Netarts Littoral Cell, located on the northern Oregon coast, experienced episodic erosion as a result of the severe 1997-98 El Nino and 1998-99 La Nina. The erosion events led to the development of a unique partnership bridging scientists, stakeholders, and various planning agencies. To address these erosion...