Posted on Jul 20, 2022
Oregonians once feared their state would be wrecked by out-of-control sprawling development
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"I’m standing on what feels like a sea of dirt in Oregon’s Willamette Valley.
A half-century ago, this newly plowed field was pretty much the epicenter of the battle over the future of Oregon’s vast landscapes.
Oregon’s population was booming and developers had their eyes on this verdant valley — which also happened to be the home of two-thirds of the state’s population.
I’m here to talk to Mike Bondi. He ran Oregon State University’s 160-acre North Willamette Research and Extension Center, although he retired just before publication of this story. I want to understand what makes the valley so special — and why so many Oregonians fought to save it.
“I always say we can grow everything in the Willamette Valley,” says Bondi, “from asparagus to zucchini.”
Commercial farmers grow more than 200 different crops in the valley. That’s a wider variety than in any state except for California, he adds".
A half-century ago, this newly plowed field was pretty much the epicenter of the battle over the future of Oregon’s vast landscapes.
Oregon’s population was booming and developers had their eyes on this verdant valley — which also happened to be the home of two-thirds of the state’s population.
I’m here to talk to Mike Bondi. He ran Oregon State University’s 160-acre North Willamette Research and Extension Center, although he retired just before publication of this story. I want to understand what makes the valley so special — and why so many Oregonians fought to save it.
“I always say we can grow everything in the Willamette Valley,” says Bondi, “from asparagus to zucchini.”
Commercial farmers grow more than 200 different crops in the valley. That’s a wider variety than in any state except for California, he adds".
Oregonians once feared their state would be wrecked by out-of-control sprawling development
Posted from opb.org
Farming
Agriculture
Posted 2 y ago
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."“Clearly, if Charbonneau is a success,” the report said, “adjacent farmlands will be sold to other developers hoping to capitalize on the high-quality image this development projects.”
The report also noted that plenty of other smaller developments were also in the works — and that more than a quarter of the valley’s agricultural land had already been paved over.
On top of that, the report said there was nothing the state could do to stop Charbonneau or other similar developments.
The builders weren’t breaking any rules meant to stop unchecked sprawl. There simply were no rules.
“The system hasn’t failed,” the report concluded. “There is no system.”...
..."“Clearly, if Charbonneau is a success,” the report said, “adjacent farmlands will be sold to other developers hoping to capitalize on the high-quality image this development projects.”
The report also noted that plenty of other smaller developments were also in the works — and that more than a quarter of the valley’s agricultural land had already been paved over.
On top of that, the report said there was nothing the state could do to stop Charbonneau or other similar developments.
The builders weren’t breaking any rules meant to stop unchecked sprawl. There simply were no rules.
“The system hasn’t failed,” the report concluded. “There is no system.”...
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Very interesting article. One can make a case that these land control methods were one of the first successful Marxist movements in the US. I am all for good zoning laws. It appears to me they used a lot of fear tactics to get the control they wanted. There wasn’t a good healthy discussion of policy at the time,
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