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Commission reconsiders farmland protections, 5,000‑acre cap proposed for solar development
Summary
Commissioners discussed an acreage cap of 5,000 acres in the Agricultural District after staff said soil classes are intermixed; members suggested using land use records (FSA) or limiting development on actively farmed parcels as alternatives.
Commissioners raised concerns about protecting productive farmland as the county resumes drafting commercial solar regulations. Staff said earlier efforts to regulate by soil type were impractical because soil classifications are highly intermixed across Whitman County; as a policy tool the working draft suggested an acreage cap of 5,000 acres in the Agricultural District.
"The acreage limit actually came from a member of the BOCC, and we tossed that back and forth with them and here and eventually arrive at the 5,000‑acre limit," Commissioner Dave Gibney said, explaining the cap's origin as a compromise after soil mapping showed technical limits to a soil‑type approach. Several commissioners urged alternatives that focus on current land use, such as Federal‑State Agricultural (FSA) records, or preserving parcels that are actively cropped.
Members asked staff and the consultant to return with options that would better protect prime, actively farmed ground without unduly preventing future renewable development. Commissioners indicated they would consider acreage caps, overlay zoning, setbacks and other tools to balance agricultural preservation with renewable siting.
The commission did not take action on the cap at this meeting; the topic will be revisited in future sessions with peer comparisons and draft language.
