Issues

Urban & Rural Reserves

On Thursday, February 25th, the Metro Council made a recommendation on rural and urban reserves for the greater Portland metropolitan area. The reserves decision will guide where the region will grow for the next 50 years.

Background on Urban and Rural Reserves: Saving Farmland & Building Livable Communities 

Oregon is blessed with some of the world's best farmland. Agriculture in Oregon provides tens of thousands of jobs and healthy, locally grown food for farmers markets, restaurants and grocery stores. Oregon agricultural products are also exported around the world, making agriculture a critical element of the state's economy.

Managing urban growth makes our cities and towns more livable, reduces air and water pollution, increases our transportation options and helps prevent sprawl from gobbling up valuable farms, forests and natural areas. It also reduces greenhouse gas emissions by keeping our "carbon footprint" smaller.

Rural & Urban Reserves: Better Planning for a Better Future

The population of the Portland metropolitan region is expected to grow by one million people by the year 2030. Our region faces a tremendous challenge - how to provide future housing, jobs, schools, parks and other amenities and still maintain our cherished quality of life.

The 2007 Legislature gave the Portland region a valuable new tool to shape our future: the ability to designate urban and rural reserves. Metro and the counties of Multnomah, Clackamas, and Washington will jointly designate which land will be protected and which land will be developed over the next 40-50 years.

Urban and rural reserves could improve the existing process of urban growth boundary expansion by providing greater predictability for farmers, landowners and communities as to where future growth will occur - but only if we all participate in the decision-making.

We have a unique and important opportunity to shape the future of our region for generations. If done correctly, the decisions on urban and rural reserves will:

• Protect our most valuable farm land from future development;
• Ensure that future growth will create vibrant communities and greater opportunities to walk, bike, and take transit for our transportation needs;
• Help the region reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming pollution.

Sign-up for our email updates by emailing reserves@friends.org. Click here to read our most recent Reserves Update.

January 11 Agriculture and Natural Resources Press Conference footage

Important Links:

Metro's Reserves web site

Clackamas County's reserves web site

Multnomah County's reserves web site

Washington County's reserves web site