Report says Oregon land-use plan is working

October 3, 2008
Daily Journal of Commerce

A new report by the Institute of Natural Resources at Oregon State University says Oregon is on track in regard to effectively protecting farm and forest lands and controlling urban sprawl.

Prepared at the request of the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development, the report combined findings from 50 to 100 studies performed at academic institutions since 1973, when Oregon's land-use plan was first instituted. Researchers from OSU, Portland State University, the University of Oregon and the U.S. Forest Center partnered on the analysis, which will be submitted this month to the Big Look Task Force; it will then report on the analysis to the 2009 Oregon legislature.

Among the findings, the report found that Oregon's land-use system has been effective in preserving its agricultural land base, revitalizing downtown areas and decreasing racial segregation, and increasing the use of non-motorized transportation, as well as personal income and retail activities in urban growth boundaries. Problem areas include concerns about local government compliance and the permitting of farm and non-farm dwellings on resource lands, increased vulnerability to natural disasters within UGBs and a lack of real citizen involvement.