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Harney Basin farmers, county officials and conservation groups outline competing views at House Bill 3800 hearing
Summary
A lengthy public hearing on House Bill 3800 focused on groundwater over‑allocation in Harney Basin: local farmers and county officials urged statutory tools, voluntary agreements and mitigation programs to stabilize water use while conservation groups warned the draft amendments could undermine science-based rulemaking and sustainability goals.
A public hearing on House Bill 3800 on March 26 drew extensive testimony from Harney Basin farmers, county commissioners, irrigation customers and conservation groups about how to respond to groundwater over‑allocation in the basin.
Proponents — including Harney County Commissioner Rob Frank and local ranchers — said the bill would provide statutory clarity and tools for the Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) and the local community to pursue voluntary agreements, mitigation programs and measured reductions while protecting local economies. "We developed a groundwater use plan and an integrated water use plan," Harney County Commissioner Rob Frank told the committee, saying the bill would allow the community to use those tools and ‘‘maintain the cultural fabric of our county.’’
Speakers representing farms and businesses described long local investment in irrigation infrastructure and said abrupt agency enforcement or large immediate cuts would harm family farms and the county economy. Farmer Tom Dolman and rancher Andy Root urged…
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