The Horizon
All the latest updates on our work defending rural lands, creating livable cities and towns and preserving wild lands and water throughout Central Oregon
Are we due for a larger Deschutes County Commission?
Central Oregon LandWatch recently added our name to the long and growing list of supporters of Ballot Measure 9-173. The measure will appear on the November ballot for consideration by all Deschutes County voters, and asks whether the size of the Deschutes County Board of County Commissioners should be expanded from three to five commissioners.
LandWatch feels strongly that the answer is “yes,” and here is why.
A 710-acre rezone? We’re standing with the ranchers
An application to rezone 710-acres from farmland to rural residential is scheduled for a hearing next Tuesday.
Press release: A win to protect farmland from sprawl!
LUBA decides in favor of LandWatch’s challenge to an urban growth boundary expansion. As Jefferson County is home to the most productive agricultural land in Central Oregon, LandWatch was concerned that the UGB expansion would permanently convert prime farmland away from agricultural use without any need to expand the UGB.
Deschutes County keeps growing. What does that mean for the region?
Growth in Deschutes County continues to outpace the rest of the state. But as places like Bend continue to boom, how can the county grow responsibly? We hear details from Ben Gordon, the executive director of Central Oregon LandWatch, and Deschutes County Commissioner Phil Chang.