Dear members of the Farmer Advisory Committee, I hope you all managed to stay cool in the recent heat wave! Here at the nursery, we were very busy making sure our plants had enough water. It was a relief to feel the coastal breeze on Friday. I want to share with you the following:
- Op-ed on solar siting, published in the Statesman Journal
- Legislative action needed! Support HB 2001 A: Allows more housing choices in cities and towns reducing development pressure on ag land.
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Op-ed by Sam Sweeney and I in the Statesman Journal With the help of Jasmine Zimmer-Stucky, our new Working Lands Engagement Coordinator, Sam Sweeney and I submitted an opinion piece to the Statesman Journal regarding the recent solar rulemaking by the Land Conservation and Development Commission. The editorial is attached below or you can read it on the Statesman Journal website here. You can help this editorial spread far and wide by forwarding it to your friends and colleagues and “liking” and “sharing” it on Facebook. The FAC position is that solar installations on high-value farmland should be no larger than necessary to power the farm operations. LCDC’s ruling was a good start—but it still allows large solar projects on many productive sites. The ruling forbids large projects on class I & II soils but omits protections for other valuable soils, especially those of our state’s wine industry. We will continue to work with 1000 Friends and LCDC to strengthen the solar-siting rules. |
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Legislative action needed! Support HB 2001 A: Allowing more housing choices in cities and towns is good for Oregon agriculture Agriculture is huge part of Oregon’s economy and cultural heritage of our State. As a member of the Farmer Advisory Committee, you know this better than most. But as Oregon’s population grows, we all must help create solutions to protect our irreplaceable agricultural lands while also providing housing solutions for our cities and towns. The solution isn't to pave over farm, ranch, and forest land, rather it having housing options for all inside our cities and towns. Please let your state Senator know you support HB 2001A. Below is a Sample message:
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HB 2001A allows Oregon’s cities and towns to use existing urban lands more efficiently and protects resource land for farming, forestry, and ranching.
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HB 2001A provides more opportunities for housing in cities and towns, which allows residents to downsize, but stay in their own neighborhoods as they age. It also allows younger families to find more affordable housing close to schools and jobs.
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HB 2001A provides that cities with a population over 10,000 allow (not require) duplexes to be built on urban lots where single-family homes are also allowed. It requires that cities larger than 25,000 must allow 3- and 4-plexes and cottages in at least some locations in areas where single-family homes are allowed.
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My sincere thanks to Jasmine and the 1000 Friends staff for helping us create our emails and stay in touch. My best wishes to you all for a pleasant and productive growing season. Jim Gilbert, Chair, 1000 Friends Farmer Advisory Committee E: Jgilbert@oregonsbest.com P: 503-502-6925 PS: If you would like to hear about growing fruits and vegetables in the Northwest, tune in or stream KBOO radio (FM90.7 in Portland) on the second Wednesday of the month from 11 to noon. Glen Andresen and I share stories and tips and love to take your calls. |
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