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6 CapitalPress.com February 5, 2016 Oregon expands its water quality efforts By MITCH LIES For the Capital Press The Oregon Department of Agriculture has been busy the past few months working with landowners in seven areas it has designated strategic implemen- tation areas for water-quality projects. The department has ana- lyzed conditions in the seven areas — agricultural areas cho- sen because of their potential to affect water quality — contacted BUYING or SELLING an Irrigated Farm or Ranch? landowners and begun working with the landowners and the lo- cal soil and water conservation districts on issues of water-qual- ity concern, according to John Byers, a program manager for the department. To date, Byers said, landown- ers in the strategic implementa- tion areas have cooperated with the department, negating any need for enforcement action. “We have determined through these processes that the level of compliance was very high to begin with,” Byers said, “and for those who weren’t in compliance, we were able to work through that process with- out enforcement.” The hope, Byers said, is that over time, the department can document signiicant improve- ments in landscape conditions in regard to preserving water quality. Just within the last decade, the department began working on documenting agriculture’s commitment to water quality after facing criticism from envi- ronmental organizations, which accused the department of insuf- iciently protecting water quality from agricultural practices. Efforts to improve conditions and document the improvements were so successful in the depart- ment’s irst two strategic imple- mentation areas — in Wasco County and Clackamas County — the department decided to ex- pand the program, Byers said. The seven areas under the microscope this year include an extension of the irst two strate- gic implementation areas encom- passing projects in Wasco and Clackamas counties; an area that extends into portions of Yamhill and Polk counties; an area in Deschutes County; an area that includes portions of Columbia and Clatsop counties; an area in Jackson County; and an area in Yamhill County. Evaluations of the areas, which range from 10,000 to 40,000 acres, are document- ed through reviews of aerial photography and on-the- ground evaluation from pub- lic vantage points. It ’s A n Easy Find O n FarmSeller.com M ore than 1,050 rural property listings from over 70 rural property professionals. • A creage • A g Businesses • C rops • Berries • Dairies • Farm Properties • Hobby Farm s • Livestock • N ursery • O rchards & Vineyards • Ranch Properties • Recreational / Resort • Rural Residential • Tim ber Buyers can search by type, price, location, acreage, bedroom s, baths, crops, livestock, w ater, irrigation and m ore. Brokers: for m ore inform ation contact your C apital Press sales rep today or call 800-882-6789 farm seller@ capitalpress.com W16-4/#13 W16-4/#8
