Good Stuff NW - Legislative Report: Your Voice is Needed as Session Heads into Final Stretch

With the short session of the Oregon State Legislature heading into the home stretch—it's scheduled to conclude on Monday, March 9—legislation is being pushed through committees and lobbied with abandon, but there's still time use your voice to speak up for Oregon's agricultural lands.

Hillsboro Supersiting of Industrial Land (SB 1586): This bill is a bald-faced land grab of nearly 1,800 acres of prime agricultural land being pushed by developers intent on cashing in on an expansion of the Urban Growth Boundary (UGB). This is the sixth attempt by developers to expand the boundary and is being done outside the established expansion process, and has moved forward without any of the required public involvement. For perspectife, in 2014 Hillsboro received over 1,000 acres of industrial land, which was supposed to be an ample 50-year supply, but the city burned through it in less than a decade with data center development and other commercial, recreation, and retail land uses. Additionally, the bill extends tax breaks for these same corporate interests—companies that can easily afford to pay their fair share.

Thus far almost 800 individuals and organizations have submitted testimony, with nearly 90 percent in opposition to the bill; there have been so many people signed up to speak at the hearings that they have had to extend the number of sessions. But more is needed.

TAKE ACTION:

Submit written testimony by Wednesday (2/25) at 8 am. You can copy and paste the text above into the form or edit it, or compose a letter and attach it as a PDF.
Attend the Washington County Commission meeting on Tuesday (2/24) at 6:30 pm at 155 N. First Ave., Suite 300, Hillsboro, OR, or sign up to testify via Zoom Link. by 4:30 pm on Tuesday, 2/24.

Read Part One of farmer Aaron Nichols of Stoneboat Farm's essay on the pressure developers are putting on Oregon's diminishing agricultural lands.

Is this the future we want for Oregon farms?

Allowing "farm stores" as a nonfarm use on EFU land (HB 4153): This bill requires counties to allow 5,000 to 10,000-square-foot “farm stores,” offering shopping, dining, alcoholic beverage service and sales, and ongoing big events such as concerts and weddings in exclusive farm use (EFU) zones.

Opposed by small farm advocates like Friend of Family Farmers and 1,000 Friends of Oregon, among others, it would allow nonfarm retail sales, food and beverage service and unlimited events on agricultural land without safeguards to ensure that agriculture remains the primary use of the property. Without these safeguards, commercial entities could easily take advantage of lower tax assessments and buy up cheap farm land to develop into event venues and retail outlets, without ever intending to meaningfully farm the land in the first place.

Although nearly 1,600 pieces of testimony were submitted with more than 70 percent opposing the bill, it has still gone forward. Your voice is critical to defeating this anti-small farm bill.

TAKE ACTION: Sign this letter telling your legislator why you oppose this measure.

Hunger impacts 1 in 6 children in Oregon.

Expanding school meals for all (SB 1581). This bill requires Oregon school districts to offer lunch and breakfast to all students at no charge, regardless of income. So far this bill has moved forward in the Joint Ways and Means Committee with a "do pass with amendments" recommendation, which is encouraging.

TAKE ACTION: Sign this letter and help this bill make it over the finish line!