10-24-07

Media Release

OSU Launches ‘Land Use Explorer’ Portal; Includes ‘Measure 37 Viewer’

CORVALLIS, Ore. – The Oregon Explorer web site (http://www.oregonexplorer.info), publicly launched to wide acclaim earlier this year by Oregon State University, has an expansive new topic portal that allows users to access a broad range of current and historic land-use information for areas around the state.

The “Land Use Explorer” (http://www.oregonexplorer.info/landuse) provides a single point of access for maps, charts, databases, reports and other information, both for Oregon as a state and for each of its counties. And like the rest of Oregon Explorer, it does so in a highly interactive and visual way that brings those elements to life, virtually.

“Oregonians are passionate and thoughtful about land use issues, and the Land Use Explorer provides data for them that will be useful for a wide variety of purposes,” said Janine Salwasser, co-manager of the Oregon Explorer project. “Anyone who cares about Oregon’s natural resources and the way that we manage them will find something important and useful on the Land Use Explorer.”

Of immediate interest to Oregonians: Land Use Explorer includes a “Measure 37 Viewer” that allows users to both view claims submitted under the state land-use law and to learn what claims would be acceptable under Measure 49, the proposed ballot initiative before voters now that would modify Measure 37. The claims data was developed by the Institute for Portland Metropolitan Studies at Portland State University and thus far includes 15 counties in Oregon.

“The Viewer doesn’t attempt to influence voters on Measure 49, but like the rest of the Land Use Explorer, puts information in their hands so that they can make informed decisions about Oregon’s future land use and landscape,” said Salwasser.

Toward that end, the Land Use Explorer also makes available multiple studies on Measure 37 released earlier this year by the OSU Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics. The studies were commissioned by the Oregon Community Foundation.

OSU Libraries and the Oregon University System Institute for Natural Resources worked in conjunction with the PSU Institute of Metro Studies to create the new portal. The Oregon Community Foundation and the Gray Family Fund Land Use Planning Project have both supported the project’s development.

Oregon Explorer is a natural resources digital library that enables users to quickly find, retrieve, integrate and synthesize geo-referenced information through a series of geographic and topic-based web portals. It has earned praise for the breadth and depth of information it makes available in ways that engage users ranging from school children to government and private industry professionals.