Farm and Ranch Protection Plan 2022 - 2026
OAT is committed to protecting Oregon’s agricultural land in an impactful and enduring manner, guided by our Farm and Ranch Protection Plan.
We are Oregon Agricultural Trust, you can call us OAT.
OAT is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and an agricutural land trust
Mission
We partner with farmers and ranchers to protect agricultural lands for the benefit of Oregon’s economy, communities and landscapes.
Nellie McAdams, Executive Director
Nellie McAdams, OAT’s founding Executive Director, is a 3rd generation hazelnut farmer as well as an attorney and long-time advocate for farm succession planning and farmland preservation.
OAT's Board of Directors represents a diversity of geographical and agricultural interests. OAT is based in Salem and has a 6-person staff.
We Care About Farms and Ranches
We are
Farmer focused: Our programs, policies, and ideas are driven by those who work the land.
Inclusive and Equitable: We honor Oregon’s past, present and future agricultural leaders as we create opportunities for new generations and communities to steward the land.
Ethical and Accountable: We are committed to wise stewardship of Oregon’s agricultural resources, and OAT’s human and financial resources.
Connected to Community: We celebrate the critical benefits that agriculture provides to every Oregonian, not just to those who make a living as producers.
Collaborative: Because agriculture and conservation depend on relationships, we bring people together to work towards our shared goals.
Open Minded and Thoughtful: We listen closely, make careful decisions, and learn from our experiences and partners.
Conserving agricultural lands - why now?
Agriculture plays an important role in Oregon’s culture and economy. From the fertile Willamette Valley to Southeastern Oregon’s vast grazing lands, Oregon produces over 220 different agricultural commodities. Currently more than 37,200 farms and ranches exist in Oregon, spread across 16 million acres. However, the future of agriculture is uncertain. The current generation of producers is aging, which means that almost two-thirds (10.5 million acres) of agricultural land is changing hands in 20 years. Meanwhile, rising land costs and other barriers are making it difficult for beginning farmers and ranchers to access agricultural land. Additionally, growing development pressures impact the economic viability of continued agricultural production, with about 7,000 acres converted from agricultural use annually due to urban expansion, rezoning, or non-farm uses on agricultural lands. Currently about 60 non-farm uses are allowed on Exclusive Farm Use (EFU) land. Finally, climate change threatens the agricultural landscape of Oregon with long-term impacts to rural communities, the economy, and the natural environment.
Protecting Agricultural Land for Heritage, Community and Food!
OAT is working with farmers and ranchers to protect Oregon’s farms because:
- Protected agricultural land can stabilize and anchor the local agricultural network.
- Agriculture is a major economic driver.
- Agriculture promotes local economies and food systems.
- Agriculture can preserve community character and culture.
- Agriculture can positively impact the environment.
- Agriculture can increase social equity.
Our tools include conservation easements, technical assistance and partnership building.
How Can We Be Most Effective?
Determining Investment Zones
According to the US National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), as of 2020 there are 15.8 million acres of farmland in Oregon. That's a lot! We need to be targeted to be most effective!
The Farm and Ranch Protection Plan helps us align resources and capacity in support of a shared vision to have the greatest impact. It estabishes our
- Focus Regions where OAT will build landower relationships and community partnerships, and
- Investment Zones where OAT will develop farm and ranch protection projects.
While projects outside of these Investment Zones may be assessed on a case-by-case basis, we are careful when working outside of our Focus Regions. This Farm and Ranch Protection Plan will guide us until 2026, when we reassess and refine based on what we’ve learned and accomplished.
The GIS Process
We used a variety of data to map the Investment Zones, including:
- Oregon High Value Farmland
- Maps of productive, resilient and versatile soils
- Developable land claims
- Senior water rights
- Pressure from surrounding development
- Farmable valley bottomlands
- Rangeland productivity
- Ground and surface source water protection areas
- Threat from solar development anadromous fish habitat
- Sage grouse conservation areas
- Oak savanna habitat areas
- Future precipitation analysis
- Groundwater recharge areas
- Forecasted sea level rise threatening farmland
OAT Staff then ranked each of these values according to their significance to agriculture in each region, developing a map of the most important agricultural resources in Oregon.
OAT Focus Regions
The map on the left shows OAT's four focus regions: North Coast, Mid/South Willamette Valley, Mid-Columbia, and Southeast Oregon.
We mapped all land in agricultural land use within each of the Focus Regions. The map on the right shows the heat map of conservation opportunities, where the darkest blues and greens indicate areas of highest opportunity, and reds and oranges indicate areas of lower opportunity.
Use the swiper tool in the middle of the map to compare the Focus Regions and heat maps.
OAT Investment Zones
The map on the left shows the opportunity heat maps within each of the Focus Regions, and the map on the right shows the Investment Zones derived from the GIS analysis.
Use the swiper tool in the middle of the map to compare the two.
Explore Focus Regions and Investment Zones
North Coast Investment Zones
OAT’s North Coast Focus Region stretches from Sauvie Island and Scappoose lowland areas in the tidal reach of the Columbia River downstream to the mouth of the Columbia and south to Lincoln County. It includes the agricultural lands of Columbia, Clatsop, Tillamook, and Lincoln Counties, as well as the portion of Sauvie Island that lies in Multnomah County. To the west, it includes the foothills, stream valleys, estuaries, and marine terraces that drain to the Pacific Ocean. To the north, the North Coast Focus Region includes tidally influenced land and protected and unprotected areas of the lower Columbia River estuary. Agriculture and timber production are cornerstones of the local economy. Predominant agricultural uses are dairy, livestock (cattle and sheep), hay production and small scale produce.
Issue Alert
Oregon’s North Coast farms occupy the fertile river valleys and foothills at the base of the Coast Range mountains. Relative to the forested mountains and hillsides, farms and ranches account for only a small percentage of the region’s land base. The cumulative impact from threats such as sea level rise, failing flood and drainage infrastructure and conversion to residential and industrial uses has a significant impact on the already sparse farmlands. Preserving existing farms and working with farmers to improve water control infrastructure and resiliency to climate change is essential to ensuring that farms remain active and productive on the North Coast.
1. Tillamook
The Tillamook Investment Zone is the smallest in the North Coast Focus Region at 8,000 acres. Of this, 64% or 5,150 acres is high value farmland. The Tillamook Investment Zone is located on the eastern side of the town of Tillamook. It includes portions of the floodplains of the Wilson, Trask, Tillamook, and Kilchis Rivers. These are fertile areas that are above the predicted impacts of sea level rise and outside of the Tillamook estuary.
2. Clatskanie
At 8,500 acres, the Clatskanie Investment Zone sits within a protected floodplain of the Columbia River in Columbia County, just north of the town of Clatskanie. Approximately 6,550 acres of this area is considered high value farmland, most of which is classified as farmland of statewide importance. This investment zone contains the Beaver and Larson Sloughs and is directly adjacent to the deepwater Port Westward. Predominant crops are mint and blueberries.
3. Sauvie Island - Scappoose
The Sauvie Island - Scappoose Investment Zone is approximately 24,800 acres of farmland on the Columbia River, just north of Portland. Sauvie Island is the largest island in the Columbia River and is home to numerous farms and agritourism operations. U-Pick farms are particularly popular. This investment zone excludes the northern 12,000 acres of Sauvie Island, which are owned by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and managed as the Sauvie Island Wildlife Area. Sauvie Island and the town of Scappoose are separated by the Multnomah Channel.
Did you know?
Oregon is famous for its North Coast dairies, particularly those located in pastoral Tillamook County. The Tillamook Creamery is the largest employer in the County and its visitors’ center attracts more that 1 million visitors each year to learn about cheese making and watch employees work in real time. OAT can work with Tillamook farmers to keep their land in production and earn cash and/or tax benefits through the donation of conservation easements.
Photo credit: Carly Diaz
Mid/South Willamette Valley Investment Zones
The Mid/South Willamette Valley is one of the most diverse agricultural regions in the world. Its farmers produce more than 170 different crops including grain, hay, grass seed, and specialty seeds. Other crops include fresh and processed vegetables, tree fruits, berries, hazelnuts, wine grapes, hops, nursery products, Christmas tree, dairy and beef cattle, and poultry. The Mid/South Willamette Valley is the heart of Oregon’s agricultural economy and the most populous area of the state, creating competing demands on a valuable landscape.
Issue Alert
The fertile Willamette Valley is truly at the nexus of many competing land uses. Farmland conversion and urbanization is a significant challenge for farmers in this Focus Region. One challenge is competition between farmers and developers and speculators to purchase high value agricultural lands. The trajectory of rising land prices and consolidation of farms under investment purchase are on full display in the Willamette Valley wine grape growing regions. Conservation easements can be a tool for family farms, including vineyards, to realize equity while keeping land in production and making it affordable to the next generation.
1. Yamhill-Carlton
The Yamhill-Carlton Investment Zone encompasses 32,800 acres in the foothills and rainshadow of the Oregon Coast Range. Located in Yamhill County, this investment zone is almost entirely within the Yamhill-Carlton American Viticultural Area (AVA). It surrounds the towns of Carlton and Yamhill in a horseshoe shape and is primarily planted in wine grapes. The soils here are some of the oldest in the Willamette Valley.
2. Grand Island - French Prairie
The Grand Island - French Prairie Investment Zone lies along the mainstem Willamette River from Grand Island downstream to Champoeg in the French Prairie area. At 56,500 acres, it is the largest investment zone in this Focus Region. Over 50,000 acres are considered high value farmland. The French Prairie area has long been an important settlement area for the Kalapuya tribes, French Canadians, and later immigrants. Highly productive soils, significant water resources, and remnant Oregon white oak habitat are found throughout the investment zone.
3. Amity-Sheridan
The 32,700-acre Amity-Sheridan Investment Zone contains 25,500 acres of high value farmland straddling the Yamhill and Polk County line. This area is highly productive, with large farmland ownerships with significant water resources. It lies in an open valley between the Amity Hills and the Coast Range foothills. Primary surface water sources are South Yamhill River, Salt Creek, and Deer Creek. Crops common to this area include grass seed, hazelnuts, wheat, and hay.
4. Mid-Willamette
The Mid-Willamette Investment Zone encompasses 35,000 acres along the mainstem Willamette River floodplain from Albany downstream to Salem. Over 29,000 acres of this investment zone are high value farmland. The investment zone includes portions of Marion, Polk, and Linn Counties. A wide variety of crops are grown here, including hazelnuts, flowers, grains, and hops.
5. Waldo Hills
The Waldo Hill Investment Zone is the smallest investment zone in the Mid/South Willamette Valley and the only one east of I-5. It is 23,700 acres total, with approximately 20,300 acres of high value farmland. It is located at the base of the Waldo Hills, just north of the city of Stayton in Marion County. Primary surface water sources are Beaver Creek, Mill Creek, and Valentine Creek. Farmers in this area grow a variety of crops including grass seed, wheat, oats, Christmas trees, wine grapes, and blueberries.
6. South Willamette
The South Willamette Valley Investment Zone reaches from Junction City in Lane County downstream to Oakville in Linn County. It encompasses 42,800 acres of fertile Willamette Valley floodplain. Nearly 37,000 acres here are high value farmland.
Did you know?
Three quarters of Oregon’s population lives in the Willamette Valley - that’s over 3 million people in this valley framed by the Cascade Range, Oregon Coast Range and Calapooya Mountains. The tension of housing needs and farmland protection can be carefully navigated with the thoughtful use of farmland easements to protect the most important soils and essential food security important to urban dwellers.
Mid-Columbia Investment Zones
The Mid-Columbia region is an area of dramatic transitional landscapes, from the glaciated peak of Mt Hood to the high, dry Columbia Plateau. Agricultural producers in this region undertake a variety of practices, with pear and apple orchards predominating the north flank of Mt Hood in the Parkdale area to vast hay, wheat and cattle grazing operations throughout Sherman County. This region is also home to a thriving recreational and agritourism industry bolstered by the dramatic views of the Columbia River Gorge and abundant wildlife resources. The past decade has seen rapid growth in renewable energy production, with development of both wind and solar power generation facilities.
Issue Alert
As housing prices and the cost of living increases in the Mid-Columbia region, there is pressure to expand Urban Growth Boundaries and convert farmland to commercial, industrial or residential development. Farms in Hood River County and farms in parts of Wasco County are facing the highest development pressure, making it difficult for farmers to buy or expand, especially if the price exceeds the land’s earning potential from agricultural uses. OAT can help farmers cash out some of their equity and keep the farm in production by acquiring conservation easements.
1. Parkdale
The Parkdale Investment Zone is approximately 12,000 acres of farmland located around the town of Parkdale in Hood River County. Located on the northern flank of Mt Hood, the Parkdale Investment Zone is approximately 64% High Value Farmland. The East Fork and Middle Fork of Hood River, as well as numerous glacier fed tributaries supply water to Parkdale. Pears are the primary crop in Parkdale. The Parkdale Investment Zone is adjacent to the Mt Hood National Forest and is popular for recreation and agritourism.
2. Juniper Flat
The 45,000-acre Juniper Flat Investment Zone is in the Tygh Valley area of Wasco County. Nearly 57% of this Investment Zone is high value farmland. Juniper Flat is a high plateau of approximately 1,780 feet lying between White River and Wapinitia Creek. Crops in this area are primarily wheat, hay, and pasture.
3. Sherman Plateau
The Sherman Plateau Investment Zone is the largest in the Mid-Columbia Focus Region at nearly 65,000 acres. It also has the highest percentage of high value farmland at 71%. This plateau lies between the John Day River on the east and the Deschutes River on the west. It is a wheat growing area with significant wind energy developments and potential for more.
Did you know?
Sherman County is a leader in renewable wind energy. The hot desert lands to the east and the moist intermountain valley and ocean to the west generate consistent wind to supply clean energy to meet the Northwest’s demand. It also bolsters the local economy and diversifies revenue streams for farmers who lease lands for wind turbines that are generally compatible with their agricultural operations.
Southeast Oregon Investment Zones
OAT staff considered a number of resource concerns to best highlight the highest value agricultural lands in Southeast Oregon. These included:
- Water availability such as senior water rights holders and secure surface and groundwater supplies,
- High productivity agricultural soils,
- Proven rangeland productivity and
- Threats from subdivision and development
Issue Alert
Wildfire doesn’t just threaten life, livestock and homes in Southeast Oregon, but that which is most fundamental to grazing - the grass. After a fire it may take years for the sensitive native grasses to recover to the point of being grazeable - years a rancher may not have. OAT is exploring ways with partners as to how we can help avoid wildfires and support ranchers which have been impacted by them.
1. Chewaucan River
The Chewaucan River Investment Zone covers the valley bottom from Paisley at the southern end of the Summer Lake Basin, to Valley Falls. The investment zone includes lower Crooked Creek and the hills around the Narrows, and is bounded by the Coglan Buttes to the East. This zone includes areas of highly productive flood-irrigated grazing, some sprinkler-irrigated hayfields, and rangeland. It comprises approximately 89,932 acres of privately held land.
2. Goose Lake Basin
The Goose Lake Basin Investment Zone covers all of the Oregon portion of the valley bottom around Goose Lake, flanked by the Warner Mountains to the east and the Willow Creek Hills to the west, and is bounded in the south by the California state line. The 122,883-acre investment zone is an area of significant hay and irrigated forage production, and due to the large amounts of potential forage production, is significant to maintaining the ranching economy within the county.
3. Forks of the Silvies
The Silvies River, contrary to most rivers, forks at its terminus, rather than its headwaters. On its way to Malheur Lake, it forks into the west and east fork of the Silvies River, in an area that was historically marshland. The zone is 48,155 acres in size, and includes the area immediately around and downstream of the forks to the south and east of the towns of Burns/Hines. This zone, which is part of the extremely flat Harney Valley, lends itself well to flood irrigation from the Silvies Rivers, surrounding creeks and manmade diversions such as the Hanley Canal.
4. Malheur River Headwaters
This Investment Zone of 98,525 acres covers the stream drainages in the Upper Malheur River basin, including the upper Malheur River, Otis Creek, Griffin Creek, and Wolf Creek. This region of hills, buttes, tablelands, upland flats, stream basins and valleys, and low mountains is distinct for its high quality rangeland, and native wet pasture.
5. Cow Valley
This investment zone of 174,841 acres in north Malheur County includes highly productive rangeland in Cow Valley, Lost Valley, and Willow Creek Valley, as well as surrounding hills, buttes, and stream gulches. These highland valleys are ringed by a series of high mountains supporting many streams allowing for a rich mixture of native flood irrigation and rangeland.
6. Treasure Valley/Old Owyhee Ditch
Treasure Valley boasts strong production of a number of field crops. Of all of the southeast Oregon investment zones, this 21,367-acre zone between the Owyhee Ditch and the Snake River, stretching from Ontario to a little south of Nyssa, includes the best and most diverse agricultural resources. The zone has rich soil because of its location in the Snake River floodplain. It also falls within the historic Old Owyhee Ditch Improvement District, which was constructed in the 1890s and grants senior water rights from the Owyhee River.
Did you know?
Animals like the declining Sage Grouse often share the same threats as ranchers - such as loss of habitat/forage to invasive annual grasses. Assisting ranchers with eliminating invasive grasses not only improves their forage, but helps native species stay on the landscape.
How YOU can take action!
If you’re a rancher or farmer and you’d like to work with OAT on preserving your operation, connect with our program staff here.
If you’re interested in preserving locally produced food, Oregon's farming communities, and our culture and heritage associated with agriculture, find out more here .
