Southern Oregon Regional Pilot Program

Public Meeting

Details: On May 10, 2012, Governor Kitzhaber signed Executive Order 12-07, which establishes a "Pilot Program for Regional Farm and Forest Land Conservation." The pilot program involves three counties—Douglas, Jackson, and Josephine—and authorizes them to enter into a regional process to enable these counties to develop a plan to allow "...appropriate additional regional variation in what lands must be planned and managed as farm and forest lands." The Jackson County Board of Commissioners agreed to participate in the Southern Oregon Regional Pilot Program (SORPP) commemorated in a letter to the Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) on July 17, 2102. Under the Executive Order, DLCD is the lead agency for the State, providing financial, administrative, and technical assistance to support the collaborative, regional approach envisioned for the project.

Depending on the eventual petition developed by the three counties after an extensive technical and public process, DLCD will determine whether the counties' proposals are likely to require amendments to statewide land use planning goals 3 (Agriculture) and 4 (Forestry). The proposed amendments, and any implementing rules associated with those amendments, must be approved by the Land Conservation and Development Commission. The SORPP funding expires June 30, 2013. Should the petition for rulemaking to be submitted to DLCD by the counties not be ready by that date, the participating counties will be required to submit a project summary of activities to date instead.

One of the pilot program tasks is the formation of a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) made up of persons with expertise in the following fields, including but not limited to, farming ranching, forestry, special districts, mining/aggregate, economic development, land use and city government. Ex-officio members are to include representatives from the following State of Oregon Departments: Agriculture, and Forestry, Transportation, Water Resources, Fish and Wildlife and the Land Conservation and Development Commission. The purpose of the TAC is to review data and information and provide comments and recommendations to the County and Regional Partners regarding the completeness and accuracy of data and other tasks as the Regional Partner County assigns.