Governor Kotek Directs State to Accelerate Climate Protections for Lands and Waters

Today, Governor Tina Kotek signed Executive Order 25-26 to prioritize and increase the pace and scale of adoption of climate resilient strategies into existing state programs to deliver benefits for communities and ecosystems.

"Oregon's forests, grasslands, farms, and wetlands deliver critical benefits statewide and can sequester more carbon," Governor Kotek said. "We will unlock the incredible promise and power of our natural and working lands by implementing proactive policies that protect priority lands and waters and help landowners manage their landscapes to withstand and recover from the impacts of climate change."

"Governor Kotek's order is a critical step forward. Its implementation will help safeguard Oregon's natural resources, ensuring that the state's landscapes remain resilient and adaptable to environmental changes," Andrew Maggi, a member of The Pew Charitable Trusts' U.S. conservation team, said. "The order will also support the economic well-being of local communities for future generations of Oregonians."

"Governor Kotek's Executive Order recognizes that building climate resilience and healthy communities begins with the lands and waters that sustain us all," Derek Johnson, Oregon State Director of The Nature Conservancy, said. "By investing in the health of Oregon's forests, rangelands, farmlands, and estuaries - and by fostering stronger collaboration among agencies, Tribes, and local communities, Oregon can advance practical solutions that safeguard livelihoods, help us adapt to our changing climate, and ensure a resilient future for everyone."

"The Governor's Executive Order is the direction we need; there is great potential for state agencies to help Oregon be more climate resilient," Jane Bacchieri, Executive Director of the Elakha Alliance, said. "The Elakha Alliance is eager to work with the agencies to take action, including returning sea otters to Oregon's coastal waters, to reduce the impacts of climate change in our nearshore environments and restore resilience and biological productivity of these ecosystems."

Overall, Executive Order 25-26 will:

Conserve Natural Lands and Waters as Resilience Anchors:
Oregon will protect 10% more of its most climate-resilient lands and waters over the next decade. Relevant state agencies shall identify areas that can withstand climate change or be restored to high resilience, then prioritize them for conservation or restoration while maximizing benefits like clean water, wildlife habitat, and community health.

Keep Oregon's Working Lands and Waters Working:
Agencies shall streamline programs and processes to help farmers, foresters, fishers, businesses, and other landowners adopt climate-friendly practices. This includes improving grant applications, accelerating permits for restoration projects, and expanding access to funding and technical support for sustainable land stewardship.

Have Oregon Lead by Example with State-Owned and Managed Lands and Waters:
State agencies must make Oregon's publicly owned lands, including parks, forests, wildlife areas, and coastal waters climate-resilient. They will develop strategies to help these lands and waters better withstand climate impacts while continuing to serve their current purposes like recreation, conservation, and resource management.

Foster Community Resilience:
The State of Oregon, led by the State Resilience Officer, will work with communities and partners throughout the state to develop the Plan for a Resilient Oregon (PRO) to protect communities from climate threats, including catastrophic wildfires and flooding. Natural resource state agencies shall support efforts to build fire-adapted communities by using tools and strategies to expand forest treatments and prescribed burns, improve air quality alerts during fire season, and coordinate efforts to reduce wildfire risk while minimizing health impacts from smoke.

Ensure Transparency and Accountability in Implementation:
The order will streamline existing programs and focus resources to create a coordinated approach for tracking climate action and resilience through mandatory biennial plans, board teams, and an inter-agency team led by the Director of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) and the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB). Relevant state agencies must consolidate redundant reporting requirements, present unified plans at public meetings, and improve relationships with sovereign tribal nations and stakeholders while reporting progress to the Legislature.

See the full text of the order here.

See an accompanying Frequently Asked Questions document here.

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