Document text
SUNNY Temp: 88 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Saturday, September 27, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine Joy Magazine Tempo A & E RogueValleyAutoFinder RogueValleyHomeFinder Real Estate Showcase Wellness Connection Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Employment Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend April 27, 2003 1000 Friends strives to save Oregon farmland By DON JEPSEN for the Mail Tribune SALEM — A bill that would do away with the farm income test in determining whether homes can be built on lands zoned for agriculture was before the House on Thursday. Lobbying outside the chamber, Randy Tucker of 1000 Friends of Oregon was fighting an uphill battle to kill the measure. After a short debate, the Republican-controlled House passed it with votes to spare. Tucker knew it would. But he insisted his effort against House Bill 2359, sponsored by Rep. Tootie Smith, R-Mollala, was not a waste of time. "As a lobbyist, you can’t ignore half the Legislature. My goal was to get as many no-votes as possible and build a record," Tucker said, hoping for a better reception in the Senate, which is split 15-15. Advertisement Smith’s bill is one of five "top priority bad bills" for 1000 Friends. Another is House Bill 3315, sponsored by Rep. Dennis Richardson, R-Central Point. It would allow single-family dwellings on lands zoned for agriculture if the property had been acquired before Nov. 4, 1993. That was the date zoning restrictions were put in place to preserve farmlands. "This bill is very restrictive in scope," said Richardson. "It restores the rights property owners had when they bought the land." It would apply only to those who were not notified officially of the zoning change and failed to qualify their property as a lot of record for building purposes. "My impression is it will affect a very large number of people," said Tucker, who added that siting homes next to farms inevitably leads to conflicts. "The best way to resolve clashes between farmers and homeowners objecting to activities associated with agriculture is to separate them," he said. "That’s why we have land-use planning in this state." Tucker joined 1000 Friends in 1998 as the volunteer organization’s chief lobbyist. He said this Legislature has generated "a lot of real awful bills" affecting farm- and forestlands. Four or five have passed, "and there’s another dozen or so in the pipeline," he said. Ground zero for 1000 Friends has been the House Environment and Land Use Committee. "The bills they have passed out could wreck our land-use system," Tucker said, although he adds the chairman, Rep. Bill Garrard, R-Klamath Falls, is always ready to listen to his concerns. Not everything is bleak in 1000 Friends’ view, Tucker said. A carefully negotiated agreement has been reached on a bill that would allow city services to be extended to abandoned mill sites outside the urban growth boundary in hopes of attracting industry to the shovel-ready sites. 1000 Friends was actively involved in coming up with an acceptable bill. The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Patti Smith, R-Corbett, and Sen. Rick Metsger, D-Welches, has passed the House and will probably clear the Senate this week. Then it’s on to Gov. Ted Kulongoski, who has said he will sign the bill. Don Jepsen is a longtime journalist and free-lance writer living in Salem. Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Rogue Valley Auto Finder Rogue Valley Job Finder --> Rogue Valley Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times