Oregon Senate OKs bill to help E. Oregon counties use land

The Oregon Senate on Thursday overwhelmingly approved giving 10 Eastern Oregon counties more local control over industrial and commercial land development.

Since the 1973 passage of Senate Bill 100, Oregon’s signature land use law, many Eastern Oregon counties have felt that the statewide law doesn’t work for them. Past proposals have thrown out land use laws and urban growth boundaries all together.

Senate Bill 2, which won Senate approval 26-2, is a different kind of solution, the office of the Senate president said in a news release.

It gives small, rural communities some flexibility to grow rural business and industry while maintaining the state’s land-use laws.

Senate Bill 2 quite literally brought 1,000 Friends of Oregon and the Oregon Property Owners Association (formerly Oregonians in Action) to the same table to craft a solution that works for everyone.

The legislation authorizes 10 low-growth counties in Eastern Oregon the chance to develop up to 50 acres outside of their UGB. The 10 counties are Baker, Gilliam, Grant, Harney, Lake, Malheur, Sherman, Union, Wallowa and Wheeler.

There are some restrictions. The development could not take place on high-value farmland. It could not occur in protected sage-grouse habitat, and the 50 acres are limited to 10 parcels of land.

It also prohibits residential development. It is limited to commercial or industrial use only.

“The residents of Eastern Oregon asked for help growing their communities; we listened, and this is one solution,” said Senate President Peter Courtney.

The Senate bill now goes to the House for consideration.