Our Mission
Our mission is to work to preserve the right of citizens as stewards of the commons to live in safe and healthy communities and to ensure a sustainable environment and economy.
Guiding Principles
- Stewards of the Commons.
The commons are the glue that holds communities together.
- Basic Citizen Rights.
The right of citizens to create a vision for their communities.
- Government Accountability.
Hold elected officials accountable to make sure they treat people and the county’s valued attributes as primary.
- Wise Stewardship. Aspire to evaluate and make good decisions for the long-term, rather than rush decision making, resulting in unanticipated damage and then undertaking restoration after the damage is done.
- Sustainable Communities and Economy. Creating good paying jobs is a laudable goal, but not at the expense of the things we value. The promise of jobs must always be accompanied by a complete analysis of the ecological and economic costs.
Things We Value and Will
Work to Protect
- Forest, farm and riverfront lands are finite. Economic health is necessary to retain jobs. Environmental health is essential for our quality of life and for the survival of birds, mammals, fishes, reptiles and amphibians that rely on riparian habitats. We can and must be responsible for the health of all flora and fauna in order to maintain a sustainable quality of life in Columbia County.
- We will only accept what corporations and the global economy have to offer if it doesn’t put us at risk what we value.
- We believe when we accept the gifts of our ecosystem such as rich farmlands, forests, fish, clean air and water, we also accept the obligation to manage those gifts for the benefit of present and future generations. These are components of our commons, regardless of public or private ownership. They are beneficial to everyone and everything.
