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About Capital press. (Salem, OR) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (April 7, 2017)
April 7, 2017 CapitalPress.com 3 Assessment increase helps fund repairs to Owyhee Project By SEAN ELLIS Capital Press New hurdle proposed for solar projects on high-value farmland By MATEUSZ PERKOWSKI Capital Press SALEM — Solar power fa- cilities on high-value farmland in Oregon would have to clear a new hurdle under a bill being considered by state lawmakers. Commercial developers would first have to demon- strate that alternative sites ar- en’t available under House Bill 3050, a requirement that cur- rently applies to solar facilities larger than 12 acres. Proponents of the bill, in- cluding the Oregon Farm Bu- reau and the 1,000 Friends of Oregon conservation group, say the new test would dis- courage conversion of the state’s most productive land. An uptick in commercial solar power proposals in Or- egon’s Willamette Valley has raised concerns that clusters of developments will change the agricultural character of affected areas, supporters say. Such close groupings of solar facilities effectively un- dermine the current 12-acre exemption to the alternative analysis, according to propo- nents. The growing popularity of long-term leases of farmland for commercial solar proj- ects has prompted the Oregon Board of Agriculture to ask for a review of land use regula- tions for such sites. Supporters of HB 3050 say that solar developments drive up rent prices for farmland even while long-term leases for solar panels may perma- nently take land out of agri- culture. The Oregon Farm Bureau was alerted to the problem by “mass mailings” from solar companies to farmers, said Mary Anne Nash, public pol- icy counsel for the group. Developers should first look for other options before seeking to lease high-value farmland, she said. Wind turbine projects are already subject to the alter- natives analysis requirement, so it should also apply to commercial solar facilities, said Meriel Darzen of 1,000 Friends of Oregon. Critics of the bill countered that the new requirement is overly broad and ignores exist- ing rules that protect farmland. Marty Dozler, a farmer near Aumsville, Ore., said some of his property is consid- ered high-value farmland even though the soils aren’t of the highest quality. It’s tough to break even fi- nancially on this land, so solar development provides a new revenue source that makes the farm viable for the next gener- ation, he said. “We believe every farm- er should be allowed to place solar facilities if they choose, regardless of where they live in the state,” Dozler said. Dozler said he’s installed solar panels in the corners of fields and other areas that don’t interfere with farming practices. “It’s a steady income with very little impact to our land,” he said. Large power utilities are required by Oregon law to buy 8 percent of their electricity from small-scale, renewable producers within 10 years, which HB 3050 will impede, said Damien Hall, attorney for Cypress Creek Renewables, a solar firm. Clusters of solar projects greater than 48 acres in a one mile radius must already prove they don’t disrupt land use patterns, and current propos- als would only build facilities on a tiny fraction of Oregon’s high-value farmland, he said. “The impacts identified by supporters of this bill are hypo- thetical at this point,” Hall said. 15-5/16 x 10 x 2 18-3/4 x 14-3/8 x 3 CALL FOR PRICING AND AVAILABILITY. Delivery Available 503-588-8313 2561 Pringle Rd. SE Salem, OR Grass Expertise. Over 40 Years Experience LET’S TALK! PLANTING COATED GRASS SEED UNDER PIVOT WILL GIVE YOU A MUCH BETTER STAND. ASK ME WHY. GREENWAY SEEDS Caldwell, Idaho • Alan Greenway, Seedsman Cell: 298-259-9159 • MSG: 298-454-8342 Alan Greenway, Seedsman 14-4/#17 Bill would require alternatives analysis for solar projects 14-1/#7 Mateusz Perkowski/Capital Press Sam Sweeney has solar panels on his farm near Dayton, Ore., but is concerned about larger commercial solar projects being developed on high-value farmland. Oregon lawmakers are considering a bill to require an alternatives analysis for commercial solar projects. ONTARIO, Ore. — Owyhee Project patrons will pay $4 an acre more this year for their irrigation water, with the additional money being used to make repairs on the aging system that provides water to 1,800 farms. The project, which is managed by the Owyhee Ir- rigation District, provides water from the Owyhee Res- ervoir to 118,000 irrigated acres in Eastern Oregon and southwestern Idaho. The annual assessment that irrigators pay to receive that water was raised from $58 to $62 an acre this year, a 6.9 percent increase. In the past 30 years, the assessment has risen by an average of 4 percent a year. The OID’s total budget is $4 million and the addi- tional $268,000 in funding from this year’s assessment increase will be used to con- tinue to repair the Owyhee Project’s aging infrastruc- ture, said OID Manager Jay Chamberlin. The project, completed in 1932, includes hundreds of miles of canals and drains. The 71-mile-long system has six pumping stations that pump supplemental water from the Snake River. When the project was built, it had a 100-year life expectancy; it is now 85 years old. That doesn’t mean the system has 15 years left — “It certainly is going to last a lot longer than that,” Cham- berlin said — but it is in need of some major repairs. “The system is getting older faster than we can keep up with the repairs on it, honestly,” he said. “There is much more that needs to be done.” This year’s assessment includes a $2.50 an acre in- crease in the regular opera- tions and maintenance fee Courtesy Owyhee Irrigation District Workers repair a section of the Owyhee Project known as the Snively Siphon, which was in danger of sliding down a hill side. The need for major repair work on the 71-mile long project is the reason Owyhee Irrigation District patrons will pay $4 an acre more for their irrigation water this year. and a special $1.50 fee to help pay engineering costs for a project designed to fix the failing Malheur Siphon, work that will cost upward of $2 million. Major repair work re- cently completed on the system includes a $450,000 project to repair the Ring Gate, an 80,000-pound spillway, and a $250,000 project to stabilize part of the Snively Siphon that was in danger of sliding down a mountain. Close to eight miles of new pipeline was installed in the system this past year. A ditch break costs about $30,000 to fix on average and the system has those ev- ery year, Chamberlin said. The OID received some phone calls about the in- crease and OID board mem- bers regularly answer ques- tions about the assessment, said Bruce Corn, a member of the board and a local farmer. “If you don’t actually go out and see it and under- stand what’s going on, it’s hard to comprehend,” he said. “It’s an engineering marvel but it requires main- tenance to keep it going and it’s very, very expensive.” Corn said it is going to require a lot more work to keep the system in a reliable condition and that’s going to cost money. “You have siphons, tun- nels and all kinds of struc- tures and they are aging,” he said. “In the foreseeable future, there is going to be one project after another and they are going to be fairly major.” 12 month waiver 3 years at 1.9% Courtesy Owyhee Irrigation District Workers perform a structural analysis of the Malheur Siphon, a key part of the Owyhee Project, which delivers irrigation water to 118,000 irrigated acres in Oregon and Idaho. The need for major repairs to the siphon and other parts of the 85-year- old project is the key reason irri- gators who get their water from the system will pay $4 an acre more for that water this year. 5 years at 2.9% All financing on approved credit. See dealer for list of qualifying units for financing specials. TRACTORS TRACTORS MF 8660, 3311 hours, susp cab, susp frt axle, CVT, 4 remotes, 480-50 rear duals, weight package........................................ ....................$123,000 Madras V193047 JD 9510R, 212 hours, premium cab, PS trans., A/T complete, Hi-Flow hyd., 5 SCV’s, 900/50R-46 duals........................ ..........................$300,250 Tekoa 12464 JD 8520, 6806 hours, standard cab, PS trans., ILS, 4 SCV’s, 710-42 rear duals, new 16.9-34 front duals.......................... .........$122,000 McMinnville 0P002681 JD 8295R, 1032 hours, premium cab, IVT, ILS, 5 SCV’s, 60 gpm hyd., 620-46 duals, leather trim................................... 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