Letters

Valley Vista Farm owner cites threats to County ag service industry

To: Washington County Reserves Coordinating Committee

From: Catherine Keith
Owner, Valley Vista Farm
Resident, CPO8

Date: April 6, 2009

Re: Critical Mass of rural area for farming, comments made at April 6 WCRCC meeting

I would like to remind the WCRCC members about the conclusions presented in the Katy Coba report from the Oregon Department of Agriculture regarding the viability of agriculture in the Dairy/McKay Creek subregion¹:

“This subregion has all the elements, including excellent soils, available water for irrigation, parcel size, local market and overall ability to conduct farming practices. The excellent integrity of area agricultural lands is due in no small part to the existence of good edges, compatible land uses within the UGB (Buffers) and the opportunities that exist to better develop good edges. With the exception of the David Hill area, the department considers agricultural lands located within this subregion to be significant and recommends strong consideration for designation as an agricultural preserve”.

“It is the department’s opinion that the critical mass needed to support the agricultural service industry in Washington County is currently present but under threat”.

The report mentions that traffic is already starting to be a problem for farmers in the area and is “an issue to watch and give serious consideration in future planning decisions. The department is concerned about the impacts of urban commuter traffic on roads cutting through metro core agricultural areas”.

It is clear that any urban growth in the Dairy/McKay Creek area will jeopordize the viability of the agricultural economy of the entire sub-region. Please do not establish any Urban Reserves in this area. Ideally, preserve the area by designating it as a Rural Reserve.

¹This region includes the farmland “bound on the south by the metro area UGB, including the cities of Beaverton, Hillsboro, Cornelius and Forest Grove, and Highway 8. It is bordered on the east by 185th Street and Cornelius Pass Road. The subregion extends west and north into private and state timberlands in the Coast Range and Columbia County”.

Help us save this unique and priceless area by submitting your own testimony!