[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6224029,"mediaKeyId","3556392-d8eb15a06cdd95e34774256fd8526408","parentId",3556392,"title","Renewable‑energy siting emerged as flashpoint as counties and agencies debate limits on farmland","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",1462000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3556392-d8eb15a06cdd95e34774256fd8526408&start=1462&end=1462","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3556392-d8eb15a06cdd95e34774256fd8526408/thumbnail_1462000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6224029/Oregon/Renewableenergy-siting-emerged-as-flashpoint-as-counties-and-agencies-debate-limits-on-farmland","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6224029-629fe14b167cd61f7195681d1f7ac0c4/orig.mp4?Expires=1776070356&Signature=lPA3ju871fyc5sNAqFhzY6v~Idlz0-AOzUYSAGe7rhSzly9TmY9~u-RAByLkeg5PSUIbrub6ZFe~ULagbRECb6uqV6ASSiMFxc-X0EW1v597gbFsfIfzYT-GjmD4~8CXMmytu4vg~SVUTb94PsKf7fHanSpXEcexuHSHpbJ86grz2HvamT9VUm7A6VhC9xUx7KGz5h4S8nG2zIVDhSNLDHsrtM-Bdxu6dQ6djy4cXoRe24~Qxwkag1jllyESAWAusozaw9gvafCs8qp-I6B1gAKUTU7SNt~AnR82NrtyiGj3hO2ylgLZUfCrT4d74XbpOxT9Ar75OYg3tKW-fvUBLw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Oregon Legislature","date","2025-05-27T00:00:00Z","article","Renewable‑energy siting — particularly large solar projects — was a recurring concern at the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Wildfire’s May 27 informational meeting on farmland protection.

Kelly Housley Glover, Wasco County’s community development director, said Eastern Oregon is seeing an increased number of commercial renewable projects and rising citizen fatigue with projects on agricultural ground. \"We are definitely seeing a disparate more portioned amount of, commercial renewable energy popping up across Eastern Oregon,\" she said, and she urged stronger state‑agency coordination and alternatives such as prioritizing brownfield and urban sites.

Hillary Foote of DLCD explained the regulatory avenues: solar projects can be permitted under county processes or through a state exception route and the energy siting process. She told the committee that developers sometimes use exceptions and the energy facility siting process (state siting authority) to proceed even where local rules are more restrictive.

Several witnesses described the tension between statewide energy goals and farmland protections. Housley Glover told the committee that \"there are some existing contradictions between the Oregon Energy rule and the land use planning rule,\" and she cited a recent Umatilla County conflict where siting review prevailed over local standards.

By contrast, Dave Honeycutt of the Oregon Property Owners Association said he supports broader renewable development on rural land. He framed renewable energy as a national and technological imperative: \"Solar is absolutely essential,\" he said, adding that energy capacity is a national‑security concern and that Oregon is behind other states in production.

Speakers offered policy responses. County planners and conservation groups asked for a formal \"farm impacts test\" when new statewide measures affect EFU lands, improved interagency coordination, and stronger incentives to site projects on brownfields and inside urban areas. DLCD reiterated that its modernization program will examine such tradeoffs and that the agency can return to provide technical briefings to the committee.

No siting decisions were made at this informational session. Witnesses emphasized the need for clearer statutory direction to reconcile renewable‑energy buildout goals with Goal 3 agricultural protections and county land‑use authority.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Committee On Natural Resources and Wildfire 05/27/2025 1:00 PM","oneSentenceSummary","County planners and conservation groups described growing conflict over large renewable projects on farmland, while property‑owner and industry‑concerned witnesses urged expedited siting. Witnesses asked the legislature to reconcile energy goals with farmland protections and to use impact tests and coordination to reduce conflict.","taxTitle","Natural Resources, Senate, Committees, Legislative, Oregon","taxId",17993,"location","Oregon","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_46":81,"_48":82,"_50":83,"_52":84,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":85,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":86,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6224034,"Witnesses disagree on scale and causes of farmland loss; economic viability emerges as central theme",3104,1618000,4722000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3556392-d8eb15a06cdd95e34774256fd8526408&start=1618&end=4722","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3556392-d8eb15a06cdd95e34774256fd8526408/thumbnail_1618000.jpg","/articles/6224034/Oregon/Witnesses-disagree-on-scale-and-causes-of-farmland-loss-economic-viability-emerges-as-central-theme","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6224034-746d98425b0b86d5c0cbe08445db8abc/orig.mp4?Expires=1776070356&Signature=bpakPoxu~32VJpopd-eX-mzGVuEyXJr7Nkc7cQp9XNoZX8TO~xcVtL18BFhndq8oHEUvc7hAz6Oyswa2KbCPmc0ap5e7gEW0-9xj2PrasgEodag1fFUNuVx7cC4Fwb9~aFboVtAS5-RVdWWKoW4mHcljKsY1SDutufUt6CoQppc78Vkesu3c4~KYTwBNducHuZrkfvJl~9d91xy1ZMH10NNuUpYGQaqnIsQ~l9B0j45kbDeU6mccLN5hT5pmVC8S5r53h2FNqKA5-q6l2lSyzqTcAp6VaSWV4-xMWj8Okss5J~xVIRnmwTyAs5M8RYEaiSRrVgqH~A~YgTTg9NrHfQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Stakeholders at an informational meeting of the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Wildfire on May 27 presented differing accounts of farmland loss in Oregon and what is driving it.

Kelly Housley Glover, Wasco County community development director and president of the Association of Oregon County Planning Directors, told the committee that DLCD’s farm and forest report shows about 2,700 acres were converted via exception or rezone in 2022–23, while approvals for nonfarm dwellings converted roughly 3,400 acres in the same period. \"You can see why that nuance is really important when you're thinking about farm loss and farm, farm, loss and protection,\" she said.

Housley Glover also cautioned against using the U.S. Census of Agriculture without local verification. She said the 2022 census suggested a roughly 4% statewide loss and showed a 667,000‑acre decline that included a county entry showing 410,000 acres lost in Wasco County — a figure she described as inconsistent with local permitting and land‑use records.

Representing growers, Ryan Kraybill of the Oregon Farm Bureau said economic viability is the primary driver: \"When farms can no longer support the families who operate them, that land becomes vulnerable,\" he said. Kraybill urged the legislature to reduce regulatory costs and craft policies that help farming remain economically viable so diversification into events, tourism or energy becomes less necessary.

Nellie McAdams, executive director of Oregon Agricultural Trust, listed three drivers she sees in her easement work: conversion to non‑ag uses, rising unaffordability, and the erosion of local agricultural infrastructure as farms fragment and services leave. She emphasized generational turnover—\"about two‑thirds of Oregon's ag land is expected to change hands in 20 years,\" she said—and recommended funding the Oregon Agricultural Heritage Program to buy development rights and keep land in production.

By contrast, Dave Honeycutt of the Oregon Property Owners Association challenged the premise that Oregon is losing farmland. He cited state acreage figures and argued that most privately owned land remains in farm or forest zones. Honeycutt said the USDA census definition can count land that has temporarily ceased production as \"converted,\" and he urged policymakers to focus on losing farmers — not land — and on measures that improve farm profitability.

Jim Johnson of 1000 Friends of Oregon and others presented data showing measurable loss of farm and range land over multi‑decade aerial and land‑cover studies and highlighted the \"shadow\" effect of nonfarm development on surrounding farms.

No member of the committee took formal action. Witnesses uniformly urged more careful data review, better local‑state coordination, and policy tools to bolster the economic viability of family farms.","Stakeholders at the Senate informational hearing differed on how much farmland Oregon has lost and why. County planners and farmland advocates highlighted conversion and parcelization, while property‑owner representatives questioned national census estimates and emphasized farmer attrition and economics.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_46":93,"_48":94,"_50":95,"_52":96,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":97,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":98,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6224039,"Oregon land-use framework aims to preserve limited farmland, DLCD tells Senate committee",856,280000,1136000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3556392-d8eb15a06cdd95e34774256fd8526408&start=280&end=1136","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3556392-d8eb15a06cdd95e34774256fd8526408/thumbnail_280000.jpg","/articles/6224039/Oregon/Oregon-land-use-framework-aims-to-preserve-limited-farmland-DLCD-tells-Senate-committee","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6224039-43f9b62ef68b666a31962a550012c0fb/orig.mp4?Expires=1776070356&Signature=imILboZXVSDr66wjuc-UEdwDrghhKGMsEPC8fg09boqlN9038MephyUq3k~xHYZDQh6zRR0qwXnj64LaD48BFp3V5WAu5ac2rne-XsLMwKXfOS8TPuebJtmFKB2WR4Jow8yfl1rBsoul5xAWhq7ctgBkE1YlKh2BEw2WxwToSnDZxHcgQ3R47fppJsB7N6E7ohJyrEpFkuUV7JDbiIdvu-Qd4tbxxz9-lMCvhdp-QGwHC4OsLYnP9Xvx0yplc2U3ryEmNo3hXmsCRvz5phktFXN7CmTYmRvQZgrx3waTXsthxivcQB7UoeDOgLflxYD2uVRLIwQoVpDHMJT8FwclSA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Department of Land Conservation and Development told the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Wildfire on May 27 that Oregon’s statewide land‑use framework is designed to preserve limited farmland and to concentrate urban development inside urban growth boundaries.

Alyssa Benini, legislative and policy analyst with the Department of Land Conservation and Development, said the program’s foundation is the Oregon Land Use Act of 1973 and the related statutory protections added afterward. “The statewide land use planning program began with the Oregon land use act of 1973, which was made up of Senate Bill 100 and Senate Bill 101,” Benini said.

The agency emphasized three core ideas: protecting resource lands through farm and forest zoning, planning urban communities inside urban growth boundaries to concentrate services, and state oversight of locally adopted comprehensive plans. Hillary Foote, DLCD’s farm and forest land‑use specialist, told the committee the state defines agricultural land primarily by soils data produced by the Natural Resources Conservation Service and that those soils‑based definitions underpin Goal 3 of the statewide planning goals.

DLCD staff reviewed how the program allows a growing set of statutory nonfarm uses on exclusive farm use (EFU) land. Foote said the list of permitted nonfarm activities has expanded from a handful in the 1960s to more than 60 today, split into “sub 1” uses that counties must allow and “sub 2” uses that counties may choose to allow after a conditional‑use review. She also described the exceptions process under Goal 2, which permits waivers for sites with exceptional circumstances, and gave Crane Hot Springs in Harney County as an example of a recent goal‑3 exception.

Foote told the committee that counties are responsible for inventorying rural lands, adopting local comprehensive plans, permitting most nonfarm uses, and enforcing those decisions. DLCD’s role is to set statewide policy (through the Land Conservation and Development Commission) and to acknowledge local plans for consistency with state goals.

On energy siting and farm land, Foote said state rules allow some solar development on high‑value farmland but noted options such as county exceptions and the energy siting process. “Our rules do permit solar projects with a 12‑acre footprint on high value farmland,” she said.

DLCD closed by describing its multi‑year Farm and Forest Modernization Program, a stakeholder process intended to review how the program is working and to recommend changes. Foote said DLCD is continuing work on that multi‑year effort and offered to return to the committee to brief the group on details.

The session was informational; no committee action was taken. The presentation established the statutory and administrative framework that other witnesses referenced in subsequent testimony about farmland loss, nonfarm dwellings and conversions, and possible policy responses.","State land-use officials briefed the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Wildfire on Oregon's farmland-protection framework, the statutory limits on local and state roles, and the program's built-in flexibility including exceptions and allowable nonfarm uses.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Renewable‑energy siting emerged as flashpoint as counties and agencies debate limits on farmland

Witnesses disagree on scale and causes of farmland loss; economic viability emerges as central theme

Oregon land-use framework aims to preserve limited farmland, DLCD tells Senate committee