Wine Industry Leaders Urge Support for Measure 49
Newberg, OR—Vineyard and winery representatives met in the heart of Willamette Valley wine country today to voice their concerns about Measure 37 threats to protected agricultural lands, including high-value farmland and hillsides where wine grapes are grown. They have endorsed Measure 49, scheduled for a special election vote on November 6. The measure would limit large developments in order to protect forest and farm lands, including prime vineyard lands, but also provide fairness for land-owners by allowing developments of just a few homes to go forward.
“Subdivisions,
strip malls, gravel pits, and large housing developments make horrible
neighbors for growers and wineries, and destroy the beauty that draws
international travelers to Oregon,” said Ted Farthing,
executive director of the Oregon Winegrowers Association. “But Measure 49
will protect what makes Oregon
special—our forest lands, farmlands, and open space.”
Harry
Pederson-Nedry of Chehalem Wines hosted the event at his Corral Creek Vineyard outside Newberg. “Vineyards
and the wine industry are good for Oregon, as well as agriculture as a whole,” said
Pedrson-Nedry. “The thought of housing in the middle of vineyards should make
us all pause, as almost non-existent groundwater supply is taxed, neighbors are
pitted against each other anytime organic sprays are administered, and tractors
start cultivation at 7 in the morning.”
Ralph
Stinton of Grape Escape Wine Tours talked about the value of the wine industry to the tourism industry in Oregon. “Our customers are locals, businesses and
a growing number of tourists. They benefit from a leisurely day out in our
nearby, unspoiled wine country. With Measure 37 and the current land rush going
on by developers, we may well ruin it.”
The wine industry in Oregon provides more than $1.4 billion in economic
activity for the state. Also in attendance at the press conference were Russell
Gladhart, owner of Winter’s Hill Vineyard in Dundee; and Nancy Ponzi, an industry pioneer and
owner of Ponzi Vineyards in Beaverton.
At the press conference, Environment Oregon,
a statewide nonprofit organization, released a report analyzing proposed
Measure 37 developments. The report found that more than 1,200 developments
have been proposed, affecting more than 100,000 acres of prime potential
vineyard land. Developments proposed include subdivisions, commercial retail
development, and gravel mining operations.
Measure
37, passed by voters in 2004, allows land-owners to propose developments that
would not be allowed under Oregon’s land use planning program, designed to plan
for residential, commercial, and industrial development in areas near cities
and towns, and protected valuable agricultural and forest lands for farming.
Measure 37 says that if governments cannot pay land-owners not to develop their
property, they must waive planning rules.
Approximately
7,500 claims for development have been filed under Measure 37, affecting
750,000 acres of otherwise protected farm and forest lands. According to
Environment Oregon, more than 100,000 of these acres are lands that meet the
definition of prime grape-growing lands. Total planted acreage for the state is
now 15,600 acres, an increase of 2,200 acres since 2003. Current planted
acreages is just 15 percent of the potential grape-growing land that could be
lost to development under Measure 37.
According
to the report, claims on potential grape-growing lands include:
• Weatherford LLC has proposed an
1,102-home subdivision on potential grape-growing land in Linn
County
• A total of 7 claims for
subdivisions larger than 200 homes are proposed on potential grape-growing
lands in Benton, Clackamas, Hood River
and Yamhill counties.
• Weber, Ken, and Renaye have
proposed to waive aggregate extraction regulations on an 85-acre parcel of
potentially prime grape-growing land in Linn
County, presumably for a gravel pit
mining operation.
• There are 2 claims for mobile
home or RV parks on potentially prime grape-growing land in Jackson and Linn
counties.
• CEC Services has proposed a
private hunting reserve on 303 acres of potentially prime grape-growing land in
Polk County.
• Eileen M. Martinson has proposed a 462-acre parcel of
potentially prime grape-growing land be converted to commercial retail use in Polk
County.
Measure
49 would limit the largest developments but allow landowners seeking up to 3
homes to go forward with their claims. Claimants could seek up to 10 homes by
documenting that land use planning rules have resulted in lost property value.
On high-value farm and forest lands, including the best land for growing wine
grapes, as well as in areas with restricted water supplies, no more than 3
homes would be allowed per parcel of land.
