Commentary: Oregon Task Force takes big look

For years, Oregon's land use planning program has been internationally and nationally touted as the model for coordinated land use planning, preservation of natural resources, protection of the environment and the management of growth. The Oregon system was the vision of Gov. Tom McCall in the early 1970s and has operated for more than 35 years.

Nothing, however, is immune from change, including the planning program. Now, we have what is commonly referred to as the "Big Look" of the planning program.

In 2005, the Oregon Legislature adopted Senate Bill 82 and created the Oregon Task Force on Land Use Planning to comprehensively review the planning program and make recommendations for any needed changes to the assembly. Its directive to the task force was to focus specifically on:

* The effectiveness of the planning program in meeting the current and future needs of Oregonians in all parts of the State.

* The respective roles and responsibilities of state and local governments in land use planning.

* Planning issues specific to areas inside and outside urban growth boundaries and the interface between areas inside and outside urban growth boundaries.

Members of the Big Look Task Force were jointly appointed by Gov. Ted Kulongoski, Senate President Peter Courtney and Speaker of the House Karen Minnis. The task force is comprised of a diverse group of 10 distinguished members from all parts of Oregon who are familiar with the Oregon land use system and the state's economic and employment base.

The mission of the task force is to make recommendations to ensure that the state's land use system sustains the quality of our environment and the beauty of our landscape while building an economy that assures the prosperity of Oregon's citizens and communities. The task force has been hard at work over the past two years speaking with knowledgeable stakeholders and many members of the public from all sections of Oregon.

Based on this work, the Big Look Task Force issued a draft report on May 30, summarizing its preliminary thoughts for reforming the planning program. The complete report is available on the task force's website at www.oregonbiglook.org.

The task force recognizes the planning program needs to be changed to prepare Oregon for the future based on four overarching principles: providing a healthy environment, sustaining a prosperous economy, ensuring a desirable quality of life and maintaining a program that is fair and equitable.

The report comments that the planning program would be better "cast" in the context of principles defining outcomes that are readily understood by everyone rather than through the current statewide planning goals that have become so complex it is difficult for many observers and participants to understand what the planning program is intended to achieve.

The task force breaks down its preliminary recommendations into five major sections: resource lands and rural areas, growth management, governance, economic prosperity and climate change.

Under resource lands and rural areas, the report emphasizes the continuing need to protect important resource lands and natural areas, but also recognizes the need to provide regional and local governments more autonomy to plan what uses should be allowed on less important lands. The task force believes that the current planning program to classify and protect lands for farm and forest uses "has become complex and rigid over time" and that some currently protected lands have "little economic utility" for farming or forestry creating "significant frustration."

Under growth management, the task force believes that while the planning program has emphasized the preservation of high quality farm and forest land, the planning needs for cities has not received the same attention. The report recommends the use of urban and rural reserves to manage future growth and to steer away from a reliance on long-range forecasts to "shape" comprehensive plans by providing flexibility to accommodate unforeseen changes in population growth, housing and employment needs.

Under governance, the report recognizes the need to provide a land use structure that allows state, local and regional government to work collaboratively and effectively in addressing current and future land use issues. A key recommendation is to review state statutes and rules for performance to reduce complexity and restore flexibility.

Under economic prosperity, the task force recognizes that there is oftentimes a disconnection between planning for a community's future economic growth and compliance with the current economic land use policies under the planning program. One recommendation under this section is to develop the same range of strategic approaches used in protecting natural resources and the environment to ensure a thriving state and local economy.

Under climate change, the report acknowledges the importance of addressing climate change as a "core" issue in the planning program. A key recommendation under this section is for the state to set targets for how land use planning can reduce greenhouse gas emissions resulting from transportation.