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52 °F Forecast | Road Cams Tuesday, April 12, 2005 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA Ashland News NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend March 24, 2005 Robert and Donna Dunn farm about 80 acres of alfalfa and grass seed in the Seven Oaks area north of Central Point. The longtime Rogue Valley farmers say a bit of help warding off development pressures would be welcome. Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell RURAL RENEWAL Jackson County’s Dave Gilmour comes up with a way to preserve open space and help farmers By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune Farmers Bob and Donna Dunn watch with alarm the advancing subdivisions of Central Point. "Houses are the quickest growing crop we’ve ever seen on the planet," remarked Donna, concerned about the future of agriculture in the valley. As farms gets gobbled up one after another, Jackson County Commissioner Dave Gilmour has come up with an idea that could help farmers like the Dunns and could preserve open space for the future. Dunn and his wife, both 73, have farmed all their lives in the county. They welcome any effort by county commissioners to keep agriculture viable under the pressures of urbanization. "Sometimes you need a little help just to stay afloat," he said. Advertisement Gilmour proposed Wednesday that additional property taxes generated by future subdivisions around cities be plowed back into a program to help preserve agriculture. Increased assessments from properties developed because of Measure 37 could also be directed to this fund. The program, dubbed Rural Renewal, would operate something like the Medford Urban Renewal Agency or the county’s White City urban renewal. A rural renewal board would be created to oversee loans to farmers, who would file requests to help pay for operating and capital expenses as needed. "If we succeed, we will have farmland for generations to come," said Gilmour, who said he believes this would be the first area in the nation to try this approach. "If we fail, our valley will be paved hillside to hillside." Commissioner C.W. Smith said, "I think it‘s a great concept because it is revolutionary for the state of Oregon." He said farmers will not be forced to participate in the program, which might begin over the next year. Once a farmer himself, Smith said many want to stay in business, but just don’t have the money to cover all their expenses. Gilmour said the proposal wouldn’t generate a lot of money initially until cities start growing outside their urban growth boundaries. However, facing rapid growth and a need for housing, many communities like Medford, Central Point and Eagle Point are looking to expand. Under the proposal, the county would agree to let the cities develop future growth areas outside their urban growth boundaries in exchange for giving up any increases in property taxes on those lands for 15 years. Levies collected for special taxing districts like fire districts or schools would be exempt, and system development charges would still go to the appropriate municipality. Just like urban renewal agencies, after the renewal district’s 15-year authority expires, the entire property tax would revert to the cities. In exchange for accepting assistance, farmers would have to continue farming for 15 years. The loans would be forgiven over the 15-year period, and could pay for everything from electricity to fertilizer. After the 15-year term, the property owners would be free to continue their operations or develop the properties as they see fit and zoning allows. Gilmour said city officials he’s contacted have shown interest in the idea because farms and open spaces around towns would get the highest priority for funding. Some of the pitfalls of the proposal, he said, include more demand for loans than money available. Cities could balk at the proposal, and it might be difficult to convince a city like Ashland, which doesn’t want to grow outside its boundaries, to participate. While commissioners hash out the details, farmers like the Dunns want to continue doing what they have always done. "Farming is our way of life," said Bob Dunn. "We want to give it back to our kids." Dunn, who farms about 80 acres in Central Point and another 120 acres near the Table Rocks, said the pressure on farmers locally to abandon agriculture is great, particularly because of high utility bills, tougher market conditions and more expensive fertilizers. But, he said what farmers sometimes need the most is as much buffer as possible around urban developments. As subdivisions advance, it becomes almost impossible to continue farming as new neighbors lodge complaints about dust, noise and pesticides, he said. "We’re the minority," said Dunn. "When you’re building that close to agricultural land it puts the farmers out of business." Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback Student Loan Consolidation Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers home equity loans helzberg Distance Education Diamonds Slippers Student Loans afsa teleconferencing Memory Foam Mattress w2 forms Tatoo Fasa Advertisement s