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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Police: Man beat neighbor with cane in lawn dispute ... Ariella St. Clair retiring from producing live music shows ... Pipeline project annoys east Medford residents ... Police: Man beat neighbor with cane in lawn dispute ... Ariella St. Clair retiring from producing live music shows ... Pipeline project annoys east Medford residents ... OUR VIEW Our View: Institute proponents may have picked wrong place Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Apr. 20, 2016 at 12:01 AM Posted Apr. 20, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News A residential college on scenic rural acreage where students would study organic agriculture, forest management and wildlife habitat restoration in a hands-on setting. It's an enticing vision, but there's just one problem: It's likely in the wrong place. Rod and Brooks Newton, who operate Hidden Springs Wellness Center in Ashland, want to establish the private, nonprofit Novalis Institute on a 2,000-acre property off Buckhorn Springs Road south of Emigrant Lake. The institute would work in partnership with Southern Oregon University and other colleges, which have expressed support for the concept. The proposed institute would have 500 students and staff, with students living in 78 residences. Along with the residences, the 21-acre campus would include classrooms, laboratories, an amphitheater and lecture halls, along with a restaurant, a deli and a campus store. That's where the project runs up against Oregon's land-use laws that limit the kind of development the Newtons envision to protect farm and resource land from urbanization. The project would require upgrading the road to accommodate more than 700 vehicle trips per day, an on-site septic system to handle 50,000 gallons of waste a day, and new wells to provide the estimated 68,000 gallons of water the campus would use per day. Most concerning, however, is that the 2,000-acre property contains one of the best winter ranges for blacktail deer in the entire Rogue Valley. The concept of a rural college teaching forest management, organic farming and wildlife habitat restoration is a good one. It would complement fields of study already offered at SOU and other universities by offering a living laboratory. But it needs to do that while respecting the laws that exist to protect Oregon's rural places from urban encroachment. There is a certain irony in the notion that the Novalis Institute would encroach on prime wildlife habitat while teaching students about restoring wildlife habitat. We hope the Newtons can find a place in this area to build their institute, but we suspect that Buckhorn Springs isn't it. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Apr. 20, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501