Fighting for farmland in Deschutes County
An onion harvest at a farm in Deschutes County: from Our Last Crop
We’re going to the Land Use Board of Appeals
In December 2021, LandWatch filed a legal challenge to Deschutes County’s decision to approve development on a farm in one of the most productive agricultural areas of the county, an area of irrigated croplands near Lower Bridge.
On behalf of our supporters and our agricultural communities, our Rural Lands Program works to defend farmland and ranch land in Central Oregon and litigate when necessary.
The agricultural lands west of Terrebonne produce a wide array of agricultural products, from champion alpacas to award-winning wines. Neighboring farms produce many different vegetables, herbs, flowers, and grains, and provide our surrounding communities with fresh produce.
This still shot from our “Our Last Crop” shows how farmland can become fragmented over time, resulting in a fractured landscape that is no longer used for agriculture.
Click on image for larger view
This area is zoned for exclusive farm use. The exclusive farm use zone is designed to preserve a maximum amount of the limited supply of the state’s agricultural land. The lands are meant to be kept intact in large blocks with limited allowances for residential development that isn’t in line with farming needs. Oregon’s land use laws strictly protect farmland from rural sprawl to reduce conflicts between farm and urban activities, keep farmland priced for farming, and provide areas of open space and natural beauty around Oregon cities and towns.
To preserve agricultural lands, there are substantial legal restrictions on the construction of nonfarm dwellings in the exclusive farm use zone. LandWatch submitted detailed legal arguments describing how the proposal to add dwellings in this area failed to meet the minimum requirements of Oregon’s land use laws. Oregon law allows for appeals to the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals. A decision is expected in the next several months, and we will keep you updated.
Why Are we losing agricultural land?
From providing delicious local food to supporting rural communities, agricultural land is a part of Central Oregon’s identity. This 5-minute documentary short from LandWatch examines the mounting pressures on local farmers and the importance of land use policy in protecting the regions’ rural communities.
“What stands out in Deschutes County compared to the rest of the state would be the loss of farmland in terms of how fast it is happening...You wouldn’t think that agriculture would be under any threat out here, but it really is. There’s a lot of latent pressure to approve non-farm dwellings on existing parcels, or divide parcels off of larger farms or ranches.”
Support our Rural Lands Program
LandWatch works with our cities and counties across the region to both promote smart growth in our cities and protect rural land for farms, forests, and open space. Protecting Central Oregon’s farmland requires constant vigilance and oversight of development, and LandWatch will continue to be here to heed the call.