The time has come to put real collaborative and effective water conservation approaches to work. Otherwise, threatened fish and wildlife in the Deschutes basin will be blamed for our water woes when the solution to the problem has been in the hands of the irrigators all along.

Through an innocent-sounding “update” to County-wide codes in both Crook County and Jefferson County, longstanding protections for farm and forest lands could be weakened.  Both counties are considering the adoption of new “model codes” that would significantly replace the counties’ existing EFU and Forest zoning codes.

From the iconic landscape to delicious local food, from our thriving rural communities to important wildlife habitat--agricultural land, also called "resource land", is part of our way of life. 

LandWatch has fought for the preservation of agricultural land in Central Oregon for years, and this month we are happy to be able to tell you that we succeeded in a recent case to maintain protections for farm and ranch land in Jefferson County!

Preserving land that could be used for agriculture is at the heart of Oregon’s visionary land use laws. By containing most residential development inside cities and preserving agricultural land in the rural county, we can ensure that our urban areas are vibrant and equitable while our rural areas are preserved in trust for future generations.

Agriculture is an important part of Central Oregon’s cultural heritage and supports a resilient local food system. Farm and ranch land has remained available for family farmers in Central Oregon because of protections put in place by our statewide land use planning system.  

The process to reevaluate agricultural lands threatens to classify them as “non-resource”, and prioritize them for development.

A new study, released May 10, 2017, finds that when it comes to allocating water from the Upper Deschutes River for irrigation purposes, less is more.  

Ever wonder why it's so easy to get out of the hustle and bustle of the city to explore the peaceful mountains, high desert, and farm and range land around Central Oregon?
 

 Perhaps one reason people continue to move to Oregon is because our state is still beautiful, with dedicated farmland and many public recreation areas.

Currently, a bill is moving quickly through the Oregon State Legislature that threatens our quality of life under the guise of providing affordable housing. 

Wednesday, Central Oregon LandWatch persevered against an attempt to erode protections for farmland with a favorable decision from the Oregon Court of Appeals. 

Last week, Deschutes County hearings officers ruled in favor of Central Oregon LandWatch and neighbors on two similar cases in which waterski lakes were created without the requisite land use permits.