Braden Ravenscraft

RARE Member Braden Ravenscraft

Email: braden.ravenscraft@mckenzieclt.org
Title: Community Land Trust Program Associate
Organization: McKenzie Valley Long Term Recovery Group / McKenzie Community Land Trust
Community:
McKenzie Valley
Population: ~4000
County Served: Lane

Meet Braden Ravenscraft:

Braden grew up in rural Arizona and moved to Oregon to attend the University of Oregon, where he recently graduated with his degree in Planning, Public Policy, and Management. A lifelong love for the environment has led him to launch a career exploring how humans can adapt to a changing climate and world. His placement aligns with career interests in climate adaptation, affordable housing, and nonprofits, specifically land trusts. In his free time Braden likes to spend time outside running, hiking, and camping, as well as playing sports and cheering for the Ducks.

Community and Organization:

The McKenzie Valley consists of unincorporated communities all along the McKenzie River, with McKenzie Bridge near the headwaters all the way downriver to Cedar Flat near Springfield. The region was devastated by the Holiday Farm Fire in September of 2020 and is still struggling to rebuild. MVLTRG was formed in the aftermath of the fire to help residents recover and rebuild and is still providing a variety of services today, from unmet needs to permitting and land surveying. MCLT has recently formed with the goal of leveraging the land trust model to create affordable housing in the area and spur economic development.

Projects:

Braden will be serving both organizations, but spending more time with MCLT as they grow and establish as an organization, beginning to acquire and develop new properties. He will be building out their internal and external resources as they grow, forging connections along the way with other land trusts that work on economic development. He will conduct a feasibility study of a pocket park in downtown Blue River, accompanied by EV chargers aimed at drawing traffic away from Highway 126 into the community. He will assist with community outreach and visioning for Three Sisters Meadow, a 16-acre parcel of land adjacent to Blue River that was donated to the community. In addiction, he will research firewise strategies to incorporate into all MCLT-led developments while collaborating with developers to help MCLT become a leader in wildfire resiliency.