Sisters to host meeting on farm lands

The Deschutes County Community Development Department is conducting community outreach to gather the public's opinion on agricultural lands (Exclusive Farm Use, EFU). The meeting is set in Sisters on Thursday, May 15, 6 to 8 p.m. at Sisters High School.

Deschutes County is interested in understanding public, stakeholder, and landowner opinions about the opportunities and challenges with EFU zoning, and in determining if changes are needed.

Differences of opinion exist today over which lands should be designated farm lands and what uses should be allowed. The comprehensive plan captures these issues by recognizing:

• Agriculture is part of the local economy;

• Secondary benefits of agricultural lands contribute to scenic open spaces, rural character, and tourism economy;

• The difficulty of predicting future agricultural opportunities;

• Preserving farm land benefits the wider public at expense of landowners;

• Farm land is marginal without irrigation;

• Agricultural zoning was applied to land with no history of farming;

• Potential adverse impacts to the farming community from agricultural land conversion.

By participating in the public meeting, residents and community members can review existing conditions, understand emerging issues, and provide feedback that will help determine if changes are needed.