Sarah Allaben

Email: sarah.allaben@gmail.com
Title: Wildfire Recovery Coordinator
Organization: Mid-Willamette Valley Council of Governments
Community: Santiam Canyon
Population: 2,730
County Served: Marion County

Meet Sarah Allaben (she/her/hers):

Originally from northeast Ohio, Sarah recently graduated from Carleton College (Northfield, Minnesota) with a degree in Biology and minor in Art History. Though her background is mainly in ecological research, she decided to pursue the RARE program to explore more applied, community-oriented work in the field of planning. She is excited to work alongside land use planners and Santiam Canyon residents alike in their efforts to build community resiliency following the 2020 fires. Outside of work, you can find Sarah running, climbing, or hiking around Oregon.

Community and Organization:

The Mid-Willamette Valley Council of Governments (MWVCOG), based in Salem, is a coalition of over 40 local and tribal governments within Marion, Polk, and Yamhill counties. The MWVCOG promotes dialogue and collaboration across the region, in addition to providing technical assistance and land use planning services to its members. Gates and Detroit, two MWVCOG member cities located in the Santiam Canyon (about 45 miles east of Salem), were severely impacted by the catastrophic wildfires of September 2020, with hundreds of residents dislocated and structures destroyed. Detroit (pop. 205 pre-fire, plus many more seasonal residents) is known as a popular fishing and boating destination next to the Detroit Reservoir. Gates (pop. 543 pre-fire) is a quieter community of mostly permanent residents, located about 17 miles west of Detroit. Alongside area partners, the MWVCOG has driven ongoing fire recovery efforts in these cities, including short- and long-term land use planning and city visioning.

Project:

Serving as a Wildfire Recovery Coordinator, Sarah will be working closely with MWVCOG planners and Santiam Canyon residents to help rebuild healthy, economically sound, and resilient communities. Her work will involve gathering input from Gates and Detroit residents to inform the MWVCOG’s land use planning priorities, as well as supporting the cities in downtown/economic development. Other projects include creating informational materials about renewable energy and hazard mitigation options available to Canyon residents, and providing staffing support to the North Santiam Sewer Authority as they work to install public sewer systems in the region.