On Nov. 30 around 25 people gathered in front of King Estate Winery to protest the construction of a gravel quarry on their beloved TV Butte in Oakridge. Community members stood out in the cold for about five hours, holding signs and chanting, “wines not mines” at the passing cars. 

“We are not going to stop fighting as long as we’re able to fight,” says Oakridge resident Sabrina Ratkowski. Protesters say they will continue to oppose the quarry, even if it is approved by Lane County commissioners in January. “We’re expecting them to vote for it. However, at that point, we’re going to work on appeals,” Ratkowski says. 

If approved, the application will rezone two tax lots on TV Butte from Goal 5 protected forest to an aggregate resource site. Oregon’s Goal 5 provides protection for important natural resources, designating areas like TV Butte as significant for their ecological and environmental value.

Oakridge residents have been fighting this project since 2015 when Old Hazeldell Quarry submitted its first application to rezone the protected land for aggregate mining purposes. Crown Properties, associated with King Estate Winery’s Ed King, has owned this land since 2006 — purchasing it from the Murphy Company, a local plywood supplier. 

Since the initial application, the project has seen numerous appeals, protests and even lawsuits. The quarry submitted another application in July 2023, and deliberations have been taking place since then. 

On Oct. 15, county commissioners voted 3-2 to extend the public record, allowing Old Hazeldell Quarry to submit additional data supporting the efficacy of rezoning TV Butte. This extension also allowed opponents to submit documents that show why a quarry might be detrimental to wildlife and environmental quality.

Ratkowski says the quarry won’t just hurt wildlife, but the quality of life in Oakridge. “It would disrupt our serenity, the serenity that people come to visit us for,” she says. TV Butte is clearly visible on the Oakridge skyline. Residents worry a mine will negatively impact the peaceful, wild environment they’ve come to know and love.  

With the public record now closed, it’s up to the county commissioners to decide whether or not to move forward with King’s application to rezone TV Butte. But Oakridge residents remain hopeful that they will be able to save TV Butte.

“We are going to keep opposing, we’re going to keep appealing,” Ratkowski says, “we won’t stop, we will not stop.”