Holding up the mirror to OEC

We may have passed the 40-year mark, but this is no mid-life crisis!

OEC has been taking a long look in the mirror of late as we craft a new strategic plan. And as part of the process, we asked our supporters—including members, volunteers and others—to fill out a survey and give us feedback on our programs and priorities moving forward.

The response to the survey was tremendous and included 14% of our membership. Respondents provided very thoughtful and detailed open-ended responses, reminding us how lucky Oregon is to have so many smart, dedicated people committed to protecting this place we call home.

The vast majority of those who took the survey believe OEC is working on the right issues: reducing toxic pollution, protecting Oregon’s rivers, and combating climate change through such strategies as promoting sustainable agriculture and sustainable economic development.

See the pie charts below for a detailed breakdown. We also appreciated the suggestions for other things we should be working on and only wish that we had enough capacity to do it all!

The qualitative feedback was just as valuable. Promoting green jobs and sustainable economic development were recurring suggestions for how to achieve lasting environmental progress throughout the state. Multiple responses also called for better coordination among environmental groups, and a broader sense of equity when selecting and tackling environmental issues. Scroll down for a sampling of these suggestions.

When asked how well Oregon is responding to environmental challenges, 62% of respondents think the state is holding steady, 25% think it’s losing ground, and 13% feel things are improving. Several of those who feel the state is holding steady or improving noted how much progress has been made since the days before an ethic of environmental stewardship took hold and regulations were put in place to protect the environment, confirming that OEC must work to preserve that progress in the face of the current unprecedented attack on environmental agencies and regulations.

OEC’s Board of Directors is examining this feedback and using it to help shape our strategic direction for the coming decade. We look forward to sharing this plan with you this winter. In the meantime, thank you for your commitment to Oregon’s environment and support of Oregon Environmental Council, and congratulations to Teresa and Barry Egener, the winners in our drawing for a magnum of Sokol Blosser Pinot Noir!

Finally, we’d also like to share our latest Overview Report , a biennial report that details OEC’s recent achievements and financial wellbeing.

As always, please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section at the bottom of our blog. Thanks! 

2011 OEC Survey Result Highlights

OEC’s current strategic plan focuses us on four major environmental priorities. In advancing these priorities, we also work to build a sustainable economy. On a scale from 1-5, how important are these priorities to you?

Protecting kids’ health from toxic pollution	Improving stewardship of Oregon’s rivers
Slowing global warming	Creating a sustainable food and farm system

Open-ended responses sample

The following is a sample of open-ended responses to questions about how Oregon might achieve transformative change on our most pressing environmental issues:

• “I think OEC is uniquely qualified and positioned to accelerate sustainable economic development, building businesses and industries that will help solve these other problems.”
• “I don’t think we have time to wait for people to decide to ‘play nice.’ We need the strongest possible regulations, especially for corporations who are only beholden to shareholders.”
• “Over the long haul, carrots work better than sticks. Alas, the promise of a better future—any future at all, really—has not proved a sufficient carrot, but sustainable profits seem to do so. Business leaders need to see that sustainable business models cannot be built on resource depletion and pollution. They also need technical assistance in how to change their models and keep making a profit.”
• “Environmental equity is a pressing issue, particularly as it applies to the availability of and access to sustainable resources/programs/products for low income and minority residents. Much of the narrative in Oregon is focused on a selected segment of the population.”
• “Recommend practical solutions to help businesses become more sustainable. Advocacy and big picture ideas have their place, but so many businesses already exist that want to do the right thing, but just don't know how.”
• “Help people understand their part in the natural cycle and that good earth stewardship is an investment in the quality of their lives. There seems to be a disconnect about how environmental degradation affects every one of us.”

In responding to environmental challenges, Oregon is…