Watershed

On May 19, Lane County voters will have an opportunity to consider Measure 20-373, commonly referred to as a “Watershed Bill of Rights.” This initiative would, among other things, grant individuals the right to initiate litigation to protect county waters from damage caused by a variety of sources, such as pollution or degradation of the quantity or quality of water available in the ecosystem.

Springfield City Club, in collaboration with the League of Women Voters of Lane County, has invited proponents and opponents of the measure to a forum to discuss the measure and their reasons for supporting or opposing it. The program will be held at noon on March 19 at Roaring Rapids Pizza, 4006 Franklin Boulevard in Glenwood.

Rob Dickinson, a member of the Protect Lane County Watersheds Steering Committee and Campaign, will present in support of Measure 20-373, and Tiffany Edwards, Vice President of Policy & Community Development of the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce, will present in opposition.

After a career in software development, Rob Dickinson has dedicated his time and energy to community volunteering and civic work focused on protecting the environment, building strong and healthy communities, and supporting vulnerable populations. He has served nonprofit organizations in a variety of volunteer and leadership roles, including efforts to improve electoral models and voting systems, and has helped lead legislative work to advance ranked-choice voting in California. He has also served on the board of a community mental health organization and as a local leader in a sustainability education organization in his rural hometown. During the pandemic, he organized a mutual aid project that continued for several years and primarily served homeless individuals. For the past 12 years, a central focus of his volunteer work has been advancing policy changes to protect communities from hazardous industrial activities, including as part of the team that brought forward the Lane County Watersheds Bill of Rights.

Tiffany Edwards is the Vice President of Policy & Community Development for the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce, with a background in advertising, public policy and communications. She chairs the Eugene Planning Commission and the Envision Eugene Technical Advisory Committee, and currently serves on several boards, including the State Chamber’s PAC, Cascadia Mobility, Better Eugene-Springfield Transportation, Eugene’s Historic Review Board, Arts and Business Alliance of Eugene and Better Housing Together.  Tiffany is also Vice-Chair of Lane Transit District’s Strategic Planning Committee and a member of the Lane Area Committee on Transportation (ACT). A Washington State University graduate (Go Cougs) and Bend-native, she moved to Eugene in 2012 and is a former small business owner. Passionate about community service, Tiffany enjoys travel, yoga, wine, and outdoor activities with family and friends.