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Friends and Neighbors,
Virtual Community Conversation
Following the November Legislative Days (15th-17th), join me for a virtual Community Conversation on Saturday, November 20th from 10:00-11:00am. This is a great opportunity to ask your questions, share your concerns and listen to the conversation. Register to attend here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Federal Updates
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal
From WhiteHouse.gov
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal is a once-in-a-generation investment that will, create millions of jobs modernizing our infrastructure, turn the climate crisis into an opportunity, and put us on a path to win the economic competition for the 21st century. At the same time, the House advanced the President’s Build Back Better Framework to pass after Veteran’s Day weekend, which lower costs, create jobs, and cut taxes, while tackling the climate crisis and growing the economy from the middle out.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal will create good-paying, union jobs that can’t be outsourced – and make a real impact in communities across the country. These jobs will:
- Put pipefitters and plumbers to work replacing lead water pipes so every child and American can drink clean water.
- Transform rail, roads, bridges, public transit and modernize our ports and airports and freight rail.
- Manufacture solar panels, wind farms, batteries, and electric vehicles to grow clean energy supply chains we can export to the world.
- Build out the first-ever national network of charging stations so families can travel coast-to-coast in electric vehicles.
- Make high-speed internet affordable and available for every household in America.
- Clean up brownfields and superfund sites, as well as plug abandoned mine lands and orphaned wells, to stop pollution and protect public health.
- Build up our resilience to superstorms, droughts, wildfires, and hurricanes that cost us billions of dollars in damage.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal is a blue-collar blue print to rebuild America -- a majority of these jobs don’t require a college degree.
President Biden’s agenda is fiscally responsible:
- Independent analysis from Moody’s have shown it’s fully paid for and will reduce the deficit over the long term.
- 17 Nobel Prize-winning economists determined it will ease inflationary pressures and lower costs for working families.
- The wealthiest Americans and biggest corporations will pay their fair share.
- No one making less than $400,000 per year will see their taxes go up a single cent.
The White House prepared a helpful summary of how much infrastructure funding is expected for Oregon. Some highlights:
- $3.4 billion for federal-aid highway apportioned programs
- $747 million for public transit
- $529 million for clean drinking water
- $268 million for bridge replacement and repairs
- $100 million for broadband
- $52 million for Electric Vehicle charging
- $39 million to protect against wildfires
To learn more about the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal:
Environmental Updates
Governor Kate Brown Announces Historic Timber Agreement
Proposed changes to Forest Practices Act to be brought before Legislature
October 30th-Governor Kate Brown today announced that nearly ten months of negotiations between private forestry representatives, small forestland owners, conservation leaders, and fishing organizations has resulted in a historic proposal for new protections for sensitive species on over 10 million acres of forestland in Oregon. The proposal seeks to meet the federal standards for a statewide Habitat Conservation Plan. The changes to the Forest Practices Act agreed to by the parties will be brought before the Legislature.
“Today’s historic agreement is a perfect example of the Oregon Way––coming together at the table to find common ground, to the mutual benefit of us all,” said Governor Brown. “Together, this agreement will help to ensure that Oregon continues to have healthy forests, fish, and wildlife, as well as economic growth for our forest industry and rural communities, for generations to come. I would like to thank everyone involved for their role in making this agreement a reality today.”
The parties agreed on a framework for:
- Riparian buffers for streams, rivers, and bodies of water;
- Steep slopes protection to minimize erosion and protect habitat;
- An approach moving forward to improve forest roads; and
- A path forward to make adjustments and adaptation to forest practices in the future.
In February of 2020, Governor Brown brokered an agreement between numerous conservation and fishing groups and timber and forest products entities to abandon a costly and divisive ballot initiative fight in exchange for proactive legislation supporting collaboratively developed changes to forest practices. This agreement, called the Private Forest Accord, led to bipartisan legislation that passed with overwhelming majorities in June 2020. The legislation codified the historic agreement, funded the negotiating process now underway, and enacted a set of significant reforms to the Forest Practices Act, some of which went into effect January 1. These new laws addressed aerial applications of pesticides on forestland within 300 feet of homes, schools and drinking water, and created a new, first-in-the-nation real-time neighbor notification and reporting requirement.
“This is truly an exciting time to be a part of the Oregon forest sector,” said David Bechtold, representative of the coalition of forest companies. “We’re extremely proud to have started a process for more constructive engagement on forest policy issues. This is a new era that will produce the best outcomes for Oregon’s private forests and the communities that depend on them to provide clean water, recreation, renewable wood products and year-round, family-wage jobs.”
Bob Van Dyk, Oregon Policy Director at Wild Salmon Center said, “We are thrilled to join the Governor and timber industry counterparts on a new path for Oregon’s forests and for our organizations. The measures announced today provide significant new protections for our fisheries, for cold clean water, and for the people who rely on these resources.”
On January 12, 2021 the parties began a series of meetings in which they discussed proposed changes to forest practices, pursuing a statewide Habitat Conservation Plan from federal agencies for threatened and endangered species, which would provide more regulatory certainty for landowners and long-term conservation benefits to designated wildlife species. The parties worked intensively throughout the year towards formalizing an agreement to bring before the Legislature.
The Governor’s office worked with signatories to identify the negotiating teams and appointed experienced mediator Peter Koehler. With the assistance of Peter Harkema from Oregon Consensus and the Governor’s Office, the parties worked tirelessly toward a deal.
The conservation and fishing side representatives are Bob Van Dyk (Wild Salmon Center), Sean Stevens (Oregon Wild), Chrysten Lambert (Trout Unlimited), Bob Sallinger (Portland Audubon), Joseph Vaile (Klamath Siskiyou Wildlands Center), and Dr. Kelly Burnett (Aquatic Scientist). Also joining in the agreement are the Beyond Toxics, Cascadia Wildlands, Northwest GUides and Anglers, the Oregon League of Conservation Voters, the Oregon Stream Protection Coalition, The Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations, Rogue Riverkeeper, and Umpqua Watersheds.
For the timber sector the representatives are Adrian Miller (Rayonier), Diane Meyers (Weyerhaeuser), Cameron Krauss (Seneca Sawmill Company), Heath Curtiss (Hampton Lumber), Eric Geyer (Roseburg Forest Products), and Jim James (Oregon Small Woodlands Association). Also joining in the agreement are Hancock Natural Resource Group, Lone Rock Resources, Greenwood Resources, Campbell Global, Starker Forests, and Port Blakely.
Legislation will be brought forward to the Oregon Legislature to solidify the Private Forest Accords in statute. The State will bring forward the proposal for consideration by NOAA Fisheries and the US Fish and Wildlife Service as a Habitat Conservation Plan.
Out and About - Working for House District 30
I value being able to hear from community members and business owners, to see the work they do and learn of their successes and challenges with how legislation will impact them. If you have a business or community organization you would like me to come visit, reach out to my office at (503) 986-1430 or rep.janeensollman@oregonlegislature.gov.
Community Connections - Alert Systems to Locate Missing Loved Ones
Many of you may know the story of beloved community member Ralph Brown of Cornelius, that went missing in May after driving away from his home in his car. Ralph suffers from dementia. Tragically, he is still missing today and his family, the community and law enforcement continues to search for clues to locate him.
In a meeting with the Technology Association of Oregon, I shared how Mr. Brown’s case has prompted me to seek legislation that would create a uniform Silver Alert system here in Oregon. They told me about a local House District 30 business, Q5id, that is working on an app to alert community members when someone in your area goes missing. The Guardian App aims to help locate people that go missing, by immediately allowing you to alert others in your surrounding community to create a community response.
In other exciting developments, the Oregon Department of Transportation and the Oregon State Police are working together to create rules that will provide a stronger, swifter and far-reaching response to the current Silver Alert system. More to follow on this concept soon. It is truly amazing to be part of this work and find non-legislative solutions that can make a difference in locating a loved one. #ListenLearnAct
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Reduce, Reuse, then Recycle
Recently, I had the opportunity to tour Northwest Polymers in Molalla. They are a recycling center that process over 40 million pounds of plastic annually and then turns it into recycled resins that they engineer for companies in Oregon, and across the United States, to be repurposed toward a different application. I got to see the process in action, from large plastic waste to small recycled resin pellets. After the tour, I also got to visit Cascade Poly Pipe + Conduit in Woodburn. They take the recycled resin they receive from Northwest Polymers and turn it into conduit for use in a variety of applications including conduit used in broadband infrastructure development, including for the City of Hillsboro. This is a big deal because most conduit is shipped from outside of Oregon and with the federal investment in broadband that our state will see, the need is great and boosting an Oregon company is even better. I am always thrilled to see the the process in person and seeing product being reused for good purpose in our state and even in our very own Hillsboro for the HiLight project. #ProudToBeHD30
House District 30 City Updates
City of Hillsboro: HiLight Project
Last week, the Hillsboro City Council discussed the continued expansion of the HiLight high-speed broadband fiber internet network for residential and business customers – and options for reaching more customers, faster. HiLight is a priority for the City Council, with a focus on providing equitable internet access for all community members in Hillsboro. You can read more about HiLight on the City website’s HiLight page here.
Watch this and more updates from the City of Hillsboro at the video below.
North Plains Veterans Memorial Park Awarded Public Works Project of Year
Our Veterans Memorial Park is now an award-winning park! We hope to see you at 11 am on November 11 for a special ceremony honoring all veterans.
Community Outreach
Native American Heritage Month
November is Native American Heritage Month. Let us celebrate and recognize the Native people on this land who created self-sufficient, thriving and successful communities for thousands of years before the arrival of European settlers. We honor the Nine Confederated Tribes and Indigenous peoples who have shaped Oregon’s past, present and future, while recognizing the true and painful history of hundreds of years of colonial violence that brought diseases, warfare, genocide, and forced assimilation. This is an opportunity to relearn history in order to better understand our present, as well as to commemorate the many histories, contributions, and cultures of Oregon’s Native and Indigenous communities.
We can raise awareness and education about Oregon's Indigenous Communities by acknowledging the land we live on. We acknowledge that Parts of House District 30 lie on Kalapuya (Atfalati) land.
- Read more about land acknowledgement and see a map of Oregon's Indigenous Communities, from Oregon State University, here, or click on the graphic below.
A history of the Tualatin Kalapuya's (Atfalati) can be found on Pacific University's "Indigenous History of Oregon." An excerpt from their page:
Pacific University's campuses at Forest Grove and Hillsboro are on the land of the Tualatin Kalapuyas.
The Tualatins, or Atfalati, once lived throughout the Tualatin River watershed to the west of Portland, Oregon. Their territory included the modern towns of Forest Grove, Gaston, Hillsboro, North Plains, Beaverton, Cedar Hills, Tigard, Tualatin and Sherwood, covering most of modern Washington County and some of northern Yamhill County.
The Tualatins spoke the northernmost dialect of the Kalapuyan languages. Other Kalapuyan-speakers lived throughout the Willamette Valley. This is why they are often called Tualatin Kalapuyas: because they were one branch of the Kalapuyan tribes. In their own language, they called themselves Atfalati.
- Read more about the Indigenous History of Oregon here.
The City of Hillsboro has great resources for ways you can celebrate Native American Heritage Month. Visit their site here for videos, books, and more.
Yesterday, I joined elected officials from across Oregon and signed on to a letter to support a land acknowledgment in the City of Gladstone. This was brought forward by Councilor Annessa Hartman last month to promote community healing. The letter was read last night by North Clackamas School Board Member Kathy Wai and Sonja McKenzie, a Parkrose School Board Member.
Family Justice Center of Washington County Removes Barriers for Survivors of Domestic Abuse
The Family Justice Center of Washington County is part of the Oregonian/OregonLive Season of Sharing 2021.
"The center, which opened in March 2018, aims to be a one-stop location for people trying to leave abusive situations. Survivors have access to around 22 organizations with offices at the center."
Read the full article here and visit the Family Justice Center of Washington County here, to find out how you can help those trying to escape domestic violence abuse. The full list of beneficiaries for the Oregonian/OregonLive Season of Sharing 2021 can be found on their GoFundMe page here.
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Oak/Baseline/10th Avenue Corridor Study
The City of Hillsboro is hosting an online open house from Oct. 26th through December 10th seeking community participation for the Oak/Baseline/10th Avenue Corridor Study. The study seeks to create a unified vision & strategy to guide improvements and redevelopment activity along Oregon Route 8 (OR HWY 8). The goal is to enhance the safety & experience of residents, workers, and visitors who are walking, driving, or riding in the project area, see attached image. Below are the links to the online open house:
English link https://openhouse.jla.us.com/Oak-Baseline-Study-1#
Spanish link https://openhouse.jla.us.com/Estudio-Oak-Baseline#
The City will be mailing an insert about the project in November utility bills as well as mailing postcards to residents and businesses within a half mile radius of the project area introducing the project and letting people know t they can go online, call, or complete a brief survey in person at four locations: Shute Park Library, SHARC, Senior Center or the Civic Center.
Additional Resources
House District 30 Links
Federal Delegation Links
Education Links
Food and Housing Assistance
This past year and moved so quickly. We just celebrated my grandson’s 1st birthday. He brings such joy and energy to our family.
 Be good to yourself and each other. ❤
Onward & Upward,
 Capitol Phone: 503-986-1430
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-487, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.JaneenSollman@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/sollman
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