EXISTING LAND USE
One of the most important considerations in land use planning is the manner in which the land is currently being used. Most existing development will remain in the future and will have a strong influence on the future pattern of development and land use in the County. The existing land use pattern has been created by settlement and the process of economic development. From the beginning of settlement in the County, economic activities have centered on natural resource utilization (farming and forestry). Trading centers were established to provide goods and services to those engaged in these basic economic activities. Transportation routes and facilities were developed to move goods and people, and to facilitate economic development. Eventually, manufacturing activities began in the trading centers to expand the range of economic activities. But even today, the economy of the County is strongly oriented to, and dependent upon, natural resource utilization. This fact is clearly reflected in the manner in which the land resources of the County are used and as described in the Economy section of the plan. The following table indicates by acreages and general use categories how the land resources of the County were being utilized in 1964.
|
LAND USE |
ACRES |
PERCENT |
|
Urban |
30,819 |
4.13 |
|
Agriculture |
354,165 |
47.46 |
|
Forests |
318,719 |
42.71 |
|
Parks |
9,328 |
1.25 |
|
Conservation |
9,850 |
1.32 |
|
Grazing |
16,790 |
2.25 |
|
Nonproductive Land |
6,569 |
0.88 |
|
|
|
|
|
Total Land in County |
746,240 |
100.00% |
|
Source: “Resources for Development,” March 1964, Oregon Department of Planning and Development |
||
The categories of land use for natural resource utilization (agriculture, forestry and grazing) occupied approximately 92 percent of the land area of the County. Urban (developed) land uses occupied only four percent of the land area. However, the percentage of urban land use is probably not as significant as the pattern of use. An extremely dispersed pattern of urban or non-resource related uses may make large scale agricultural or forestry operations impossible. Since 1964, some changes in the amount of land area in each category have probably taken place, but the foregoing figures are sufficiently accurate to indicate the general pattern of land utilization. Land use changes are brought about by shifts in the population and economy. With the land area of the County remaining constant, increases in the land area of some uses will obviously bring about decreases in the land area of other uses.
Throughout the history of Marion County, population and economic growth have required the development of previously “undeveloped” resource lands or the conversion of open land uses. Future growth necessarily will require continued urban land area expansion as well as small amounts of rural area development. Much of this expansion will, as it has in the past, require the conversion of lands categorized as agricultural or forestry.
The Marion County Planning Department has continued to develop existing land use information. Land use not within urban growth areas was mapped in a 1978 aerial photo survey and is available on maps at a scale of one inch to 800 feet. From these detailed maps, the land uses have been generalized as shown on the existing land use map. Land use data for urban areas may be found in each community’s comprehensive plan. These plans cover the land within each identified urban growth boundary.
|
CITY |
DEVELOPED AREA 1975 |
TOTAL ACRES IN UGB – 1978 |
|
Aumsville |
257 |
631 |
|
Aurora |
203 |
392 |
|
Detroit |
98 |
314 |
|
Gates |
118 |
407 |
|
Gervais |
179 |
270 |
|
Hubbard |
360 |
500 |
|
Idanha |
189 |
739 |
|
Jefferson |
298 |
627 |
|
Scotts Mills |
103 |
238 |
|
Silverton |
581 |
2,686 |
|
Stayton |
794 |
2,935 |
|
St. Paul |
129 |
285 |
|
Sublimity |
184 |
477 |
|
Turner |
464 |
1,150 |
|
Woodburn |
1,509 |
3,658 |
|
Mill City |
146 |
146 |
|
Mt. Angel |
523 |
817 |
|
Donald |
180 |
180 |
|
Salem |
24,186 |
45,500 |
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
30,501 |
61,714 |
As can be seen from the existing land use map, the urbanization pattern of the County is dominated by the City of Salem and surrounding peripheral development. The amount of urban land in the Salem area is far greater than the sum of urban land in the remainder of the County. Table 9 lists the acreage of land included within the urban growth boundary for each city with a comparison of existing land use as of 1975. These are areas within which each city has developed comprehensive land use plans that the County is also incorporating into this rural County plan.
Salem and most of the other smaller communities are located in the western half of the County. The major extent of urban development of the 19 cities in Marion County has taken place on the level alluvial lands. Notable exceptions to this generalization are the expansion of both Salem and Silverton into the hill lands south of these urban areas.
Probably the most significant factor concerning the urbanization pattern is the manner in which expansion has taken place. Peripheral expansion of many of the urban areas is characterized by “strip” development along the roadways extending outward from the city center, and residential subdivisions occurring in a very scattered pattern leaving much vacant land in the process. This factor may not be readily apparent from the existing land use map because of the small scale of the map and the generalization of the land use pattern. Examination of existing land use data from the 19 urban area plans and surveys will illustrate the point concerning scattered development and vacant land. These plans indicate that there is a significant amount of land area within the incorporated limits of the city that is vacant or unused and is potentially developable. And yet, the development pattern and pressures of many of the cities extends beyond the incorporated limits of those cities.
This scattered, unplanned pattern of urban development has resulted in problems with the lack of compact, efficient urban design and resultant increased need to convert rural resource land to urban use. The balancing of the urban and rural resource goals is a primary issue in the land use planning process and is affected greatly by the existing land use pattern.
Agricultural Land
Agricultural lands are the dominant land use in Marion County. Approximately 40 percent of the entire land area of the County is presently devoted to crop production. As shown on the existing land use map, agriculture is located in the western half of the County which is comprised of the valley floor and rolling foothills.
Not only is agriculture the dominant land use from a physical perspective, it is also a very important element of the Marion County and Mid-Willamette Valley economies.
Food processing and related products dominate the manufacturing economy of Marion County, as shown in the industrial payroll and employment data contained in the economy study of Marion County. There are also additional impacts on other areas of the economy such as retail and wholesale trade and transportation services.
Not only are agricultural lands a valuable economic industry to Marion County, they also provide important social and environmental benefits to both the general public and to those individuals engaged in farming. Agricultural lands, as a secondary role, provide open space that is a visual relief to the more intense urban setting. The large expanses of open land and rural atmosphere are a positive result of the preservation of farmland.
Those involved in farm activities also derive a considerable positive benefit from an alternative lifestyle. Most farmers and their families find the rural vocational activities to be cherished ways of life with important social benefits that they wish to be able to pass on to future generations.
A comparison of the land use map and the general soils map shows that the agricultural lands are located primarily on the alluvial valley floor soils and the low foothill soils. A further analysis using the Soil Capability for Agriculture Map indicates that these soils are also the most productive with the fewest limitations to agricultural production.
By far the greatest majority of the western portion of Marion County contains Class I through IV agricultural soils with small areas of Class VI through VIII (there are no Class V soils in Marion County). The soil classification system for agriculture is explained in the soils section of this report.
The State LCDC Agricultural Lands Goal requires that all Class I through IV and those other lands which are suitable for farming be preserved for agriculture by zoning them for farm use. This puts a great deal of emphasis on soil productivity, as it is determined in the Soil Conservation Service soil classification system. The Soil Suitability Map is only a general inventory of Class I through IV soils that shows their relative location in Marion County. The more specific agricultural soil classifications are contained in the Marion County Soil Report, which are listed in the appendix of that report.
In addition to productive soils, there are other factors that result in good agricultural characteristics for these lands in Marion County. Mild climate, abundant rainfall and groundwater sources, proximity to markets, transportation systems and processing centers are all positive factors that result in high productivity of the agricultural lands in Marion County. These factors have resulted in Marion County leading the State in crop revenue as well as having the greatest crop variety. The following table lists the general types of crops and their estimated cash receipts for 1979.
|
Small Fruits, Tree Fruits, Nuts |
$13,990,000 |
|
Specialty Horticultural Crops (Nursery, Bulb, Greenhouse, Turf Sod, Mushrooms, etc.) |
$25,085,000 |
|
Vegetables |
$32,609,000 |
|
Grass and Legume Seeds |
$18,306,000 |
|
Grain and Forage Crops |
$18,328,000 |
|
Specialty Field and Forestry Crops (Beet Seed, Potatoes, Hops, Mint, Dill, Forestry) |
$17,875,000 |
|
Livestock, Dairy, Poultry |
$36,152,000 |
|
|
$136,339,000 |
|
Source: Marion County Extension Office |
|
To give an understanding of the variety of crops and their relative value, the specific breakdown of the information on crop production is listed in Appendix A of this report.
In addition to the fertility and management capabilities of farmland, the availability of the land base is the other most significant factor in long-term agricultural production. The amount of farmland and the limiting factors such as parcel sizes, incompatible surrounding land uses and other influences that limit the ability to farm these lands has a great deal of effect on the productive capabilities of these farm lands. Historical data indicates a continual decline in the amount of land in farms in Marion County. Table 11 gives an historical perspective of the amount of farmland in production. The total acreage in farms has continued to decrease with some of this land being converted to urban expansion. However, the decrease in farmland from 1964 to 1974 is 38,349 acres, whereas the total urbanized area in the County in 1975 accounts for only approximately 30,500 acres. Expansion of other uses such as rural homesite development may account for some of the loss. Another explanation of the status of some of this lost farmland is that it is an unused or conservation status or has been converted to other resource use such as forestry. It can be assumed that at least some of this land is being held in speculation for future development.
Even though the data indicates that the total farm acreage is declining, the cropland harvested is substantially increasing; however, this fluctuation is in response to yearly agricultural market conditions.
|
|
1959 |
1964 |
1969 |
1974 |
|
Cropland Harvested |
158,881 |
144,719 |
159,575 |
184,436 |
|
Hay, Silage and Grazed Cropland |
56,648 |
57,164 |
n/a |
n/a |
|
Cropland Not Harvested or Pastured |
30,304 |
31,585 |
n/a |
n/a |
|
Noncultivated Pasture |
17,685 |
26,874 |
n/a |
n/a |
|
Farm Woodlots, Wasteland, Roads, Buildings, etc. |
87,884 |
73,282 |
n/a |
n/a |
|
Total Acres in Farms |
351,402 |
333,624 |
302,065 |
295,285 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Source: U.S. Census of Agriculture |
||||
While the total farm acreage is declining, Table 12 shows that the number of farms is also declining while the average size of farms is increasing. This indicates a trend to a consolidation of farmland into larger, more competitive farm units with an increase in corporate ownership.
Agriculture in Marion County is highly diversified. Uses range from intensively cultivated ornamental crops to vegetables to livestock grazing. Mapping the specific agricultural use pattern would be difficult because of the large number of use categories, and not too meaningful for general planning purpose because of the relatively high yearly rate of change. However, a general description of the major agricultural uses and the crops grown by geographic areas of the County should be useful in understanding the general pattern of agriculture in relation to the previously described soil resources. The following statements provide a general description of major uses and crop groups within seven geographic areas of the County. Not all uses or crops are listed for any area. The geographic areas correspond roughly to previously described landform areas.
|
Size in Acres |
1959 |
1964 |
1969 |
1974 |
|
Less than 10 |
552 |
436 |
370 |
328 |
|
10 to 49 |
1,511 |
1,419 |
1,118 |
1,037 |
|
50 to 99 |
691 |
596 |
464 |
403 |
|
100 to 219 |
633 |
526 |
461 |
367 |
|
220 to 499 |
316 |
329 |
291 |
237 |
|
500 to 999 |
72 |
63 |
79 |
94 |
|
1,000 or more |
13 |
19 |
17 |
30 |
|
Number of Farms |
3,788 |
3,388 |
2,800 |
2,496 |
|
Average Size in Acres |
92.8 |
98.5 |
107.9 |
118 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Source: U.S. Census of Agriculture |
||||
|
Area |
Agricultural Uses and Crops |
|
1) Mission Bottom (Willamette River floodplain north of Salem) |
Hops, vegetables, tree fruits and nuts, berries |
|
2) Lake Labish (along the Labish Ditch northeastward from Salem) |
Onions |
|
3) North and Central Marion (generally the alluvial plain of the northern and central part of the County) |
Hops, vegetables, tree fruits and nuts, berries, grass and legume seed, hay, grain, nursery stock, sugar beet seed, livestock and dairying |
|
4) South Salem Hills |
Grass seed, grain, livestock, tree fruits, nuts and grapes |
|
5) Waldo Hills-Silverton Hills (low foothills east of Salem) |
Grass seed, grain, farm forestry, livestock, tree fruits |
|
6) Turner-Stayton Flats (level alluvial areas) |
Vegetables, berries |
|
7) Ankeny-Jefferson (alluvial areas generally from Jefferson to the west along the Santiam River) |
Peppermint, grass seed, vegetables, dairying, nursery stock |
|
|
|
|
Source: Marion County Extension Service |
|
Agricultural Survey
In order to establish a basis for parcel size guidelines in farm zones, a sample survey was performed which considered the relationship between soil quality as expressed by Soil Conservation Service classifications and commercial farm unit size. Two samples were taken in each of the seven agricultural areas identified in Table 13 above. Except for the South Salem Hills, which is zoned SA (Special Agriculture), the samples consisted of land zoned EFU and nonfarm related uses such as rural residences were not considered. The sections selected for each agricultural area are listed below:
|
|
Section |
Township |
Range |
|
1. Mission Bottom |
36 |
5 |
3W |
|
|
12 |
6 |
3W |
|
2. Lake Labish |
29 |
6 |
2W |
|
|
22 |
6 |
2W |
|
3. North and Central Marion |
26 |
4 |
2W |
|
|
18 |
6 |
1W |
|
4. South Salem Hills |
30 |
8 |
3W |
|
|
35 |
8 |
3W |
|
5. Waldo Hill Silverton Hills |
21 |
6 |
1E |
|
|
28 |
7 |
1W |
|
6. Turner Stayton Flats |
9 |
9 |
2W |
|
|
7 |
9 |
1W |
|
7. Ankeny Jefferson |
25 |
9 |
3W |
|
|
18 |
9 |
3W |
Along with the parcels located completely within a section, parcels that were contained in the sample section and an adjacent section were also included. As a result, sample areas varied between one and two square miles in size.
To determine the size of farm units in sample areas, adjacent parcels were combined when they were under the same ownership or when it was apparent that they were managed as one unit. The acreage of the individual and the combined parcels was calculated and compared with the predominant soil classification for each farm unit.
Experience has shown that parcels of less than 10 acres typically do not represent commercial agricultural units; therefore, they were deleted. Also, after reviewing the farm unit size and soil information, it was apparent that the Lake Labish and South Salem Hills areas constitute a small percentage of the County’s agricultural land and because of unique circumstances are characterized by exceptionally small farms. Therefore, for the purpose of determining a minimum farm parcel size guideline, these two areas were analyzed separately.
For the remaining sample areas, a pattern emerged indicating that farm unit size increases as soil quality diminishes. The acreage figures below indicate the approximate farm unit size that was met or exceeded by 75 percent of the parcels surveyed.
|
Predominant Soil Classification |
Acreage |
|
I |
40 |
|
II |
60 |
|
III |
30 |
|
IV |
80 |
|
VI |
100 |
Except for the parcels that consisted of Class III soils, the average farm unit size increased approximately 20 acres for each incremental decline in soil quality. The reason for the departure from this trend for Class III soil was not apparent and additional study would be necessary to determine whether this is reflecting a unique situation in the areas sampled or a Countywide trend.
The same analysis of the South Salem Hills and the Lake Labish areas yielded significantly different results. In the South Salem Hills most of the farms consisted of predominantly Class III soils. The number of farms with predominantly Class II or IV soils was so small that separate evaluation would not have been meaningful. The average size of all farms is about 30 acres. The median farm size is about 20 acres. Seventy-five percent of the farms are 15 acres or more in size.
The determination of a parcel size guideline is complicated by the extreme range of parcel sizes. The samples showed that one-third of the parcels are more than 40 acres but represent 60 percent of the land area. The smallest third of the farms were 10 to 12 acres in size and involve 10 percent of the area surveyed. Because there are several types of commercial agriculture in the South Salem Hills that succeed on 20-acre parcels and 20 acres is the median farm size, the guideline in Special Agriculture zones is 20 acres.
The Lake Labish area is almost entirely made up of Class I and III soils. The total area is capable of intensive agricultural use on relatively small parcels. The survey showed that 75 percent of the farm parcels were 15 acres or larger for both soil classifications.
The survey confirmed that whether analyzed on an area basis, by farm type or soil type, commercial farms in Marion County are highly variable in size. This underscores the need to evaluate a proposed land division in relationship to the commercial farms in the immediate vicinity. A minimum parcel size approach for determining farm parcel size requirements would not adequately deal with the wide range of agricultural operations in the County. However, use of the established guideline establishes a valuable reference point when evaluating the justification for a primary dwelling and increases the burden of proof on the applicant when a parcel smaller than the guideline is requested. The survey alone showed that expanding the evaluation area from one-half to one mile for a proposal does not significantly alter the determination of area farm sizes as long as all land managed as part of a farm is considered.
Forest Land
As previously reported, forested land area in 1964 amounted to 318,719 acres or approximately 43 percent of the County total area. The U.S. Forest Service in 1973, reported 397,00 acres of forest land in Marion County. The differences between these figures are probably due to different measurement techniques and definitions. The Existing Land Use Map shows the general pattern of forest cover. The forest land of Marion County, covering the eastern half of the County, may be divided into four distinct zones on the basis of ecology, climate, and pattern of land ownership: the Willamette Valley zone, the principal forest zone, the upper slope forest zone, and the subalpine forest zone.
The Willamette Valley zone generally lies below 1,000 feet elevation and has the driest and warmest climate of any part of the County. This zone was only partially forested at the time of settlement, and much of it has since been cleared for agricultural, urban and other uses. Most of the remaining forest land is generally owned by farmers and ranchers in blocks of less than 500 acres and is intermingled with agricultural land. There are both deciduous and coniferous stands. The deciduous stands – cottonwoods, Oregon ash, big leaf maple, and willows – occur on bottomlands subject to flooding, and on dry sites. Douglas fir is the most common coniferous species, and it occurs on a variety of sites.
The principal forest zone begins at about 500 to 1,000 feet elevation in the Cascades and extends up to 3,000 to 4,000 feet. It contains the major share of the timber-producing land of the County. More than 90 percent of this land is forested and most is public ownership. Most of the remaining land is owned by timber companies. Coniferous species such as Douglas fir, western hemlock, western red cedar, and true firs are predominant.
The upper slope forest zone begins at about 3,000 to 4,000 feet elevation and extends upward to 5,000 to 6,000 feet. About 80 percent of the land is forested; 20 percent consists mainly of nonforested areas of volcanic origin, meadows, and lakes. True fir and mountain hemlock stands are predominant. Most of the land is in national forests.
The subalpine forest zone begins at 5,500 to 6,000 feet elevation in the Cascades and extends to the upper limit of tree growth. The principal species, subalpine fir, mountain hemlock and whitebark pine, occur in scattered stands intermingled with meadows and barren areas.
Forest lands are defined by the United States Forest Service as those lands which are at least 10 percent stocked by trees of any size, or lands from which trees have been removed to less than 10 percent stocking and available for restocking.
Forest lands are also defined by LCDC as (1) lands composed of existing and potential forest lands which are suitable for commercial forest uses; (2) other forested lands needed for watershed protection, wildlife and fisheries habitat and recreations; (3) lands where extreme conditions of climate, soil and topography require the maintenance of vegetative cover irrespective of use; (4) other forested lands in urban and agricultural area which provide urban buffers, wind breaks, wildlife and fisheries habitat, livestock habitat, scenic corridors, and recreational use.
Forest lands are either classified as commercial or noncommercial timberland. Commercial timberland is capable of producing harvestable timber or other wood crops. The Oregon Department of Forestry defines commercial forest lands as lands capable of producing 20 cubic feet of timber per acre per year.
Noncommercial lands are incapable of producing industrial wood crops because of adverse site conditions or they are formerly forested lands that have been converted to another use. Many of these sites may have timber growing on them, however, they are stabilizing the slope from serious erosion. If the vegetative cover is removed, the existing site conditions and downstream environment may be adversely affected.
The implication of the State Forest Lands Goal is that even though a particular land area is incapable of producing commercially harvestable timber, it may be important to protect other values such as land and water quality for wildlife habitat, watershed, recreation or other forest-related issues. Therefore, the Goal does not directly relate to identifying and protecting only commercial forest land. It is, however, important to be able to determine by classification system, what the timber values are when determining appropriate land use plans and actions.
Forest lands are classified according to their capability to grow timber or wood fiber. Forest site classes are based on potential yields in cubic feet per acre of mean annual growth of commercial desirable trees. Site classes range from 1 to 7 with the highest growth increment occurring on Class 1 land. Douglas fir is the most abundant of the harvested trees and is therefore used as the index species for the classification system. Lands with site Class 1 through 6 are considered commercial timberland while Class 7 lands are noncommercial. Table No. 14 shows the site classes as they relate to the growth potential. The site class designations in Marion County are shown on the Timber Productivity Map. This data was obtained from the U.S. Forest Service, State Forestry, State Revenue Department, Bureau of Land Management and soils data interpretation. This map graphically indicates the potential for timber growth on the forest lands in Marion County. It is evident from the map that the most productive forest land is located in the lower elevations outside of the National Forests. Most of this land is privately owned by timber companies interspersed with large block of public lands.
|
Potential Growth cubic feet per acre per year |
0 – 20 |
20 – 49 |
50 – 84 |
85 – 119 |
120 – 164 |
165 – 224 |
225 and higher |
|
Cubic foot site class |
7 |
6 |
5 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
Other important forest land factors influencing the identification of forest lands are the areas indicated for wildlife habitat and recreation activities. These areas are less specific in terms of classification but are important considerations in identifying lands appropriate for forest land designation.
The majority of the forest lands in Marion County are owned and managed by the U.S. Forest Service as part of the Mt. Hood and Willamette National Forests. The location of these two forest areas is also shown on the timber productivity map. Land use plans for these forests have been developed to support multiple uses with continued timber production. These plans also provide for the protection of several areas of scenic and recreational value. Since Federal lands are not subject to County land use controls, the National Forest plans will guide the Forest Service in managing these lands. The State Forestry Department and the Bureau of Land Management are the public agencies owning or managing the other public forest lands.
The second largest category of commercial forest land ownership is farmers and small woodlot owners. These are scattered throughout the foothills mostly at lower elevations. Many of these parcels are in Christmas tree production or farm woodlots.
The remaining commercial forest lands are owned by private companies comprising the forest industry and other public agencies.
Table No. 15 lists the ownership of commercial forest lands and their net volume of growing stock.
|
Ownership |
Acres |
Volume (Million Board Feet) |
|
National Forest |
140,000 |
6,612 |
|
Other Public |
50,000 |
1,224 |
|
Forest Industry |
38,000 |
– |
|
Farmers, Miscellaneous, Private |
113,000 |
1,121 |
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL |
341,000 |
8,957 |
|
|
|
|
|
Source: Timber Resources Statistics for Oregon, January 1, 1973, Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experiment Station |
||
Forestry and the County’s forest resources are a key element in the economy of Marion County. As shown in the economic section of this report, employment and payrolls associated with the forest industry are second only to agriculture in Marion County, as is the value of lumber and wood products manufactured.
The County also benefits from timber receipt reserves from State and Federal lands. The County receives several million dollars from timber revenue each year. This revenue is used for County road programs, and to support school districts and the County General Fund.
Forest lands serve a multitude of functions. The unique scenic and environmental qualities of forest lands make them attractive for recreational activities such as camping, hiking, fishing, hunting, water sports, etc. These activities, in addition to providing an important social benefit, also contribute significantly to the economy of Marion County.
Most of the water resources of the County originate in the many watershed areas high in the tree covered Cascade mountains. The trees and associated vegetation provide runoff control and therefore conserve the water and land resource. The conservation and protection of the watershed is a key to maintaining the high quality and quantity of water supply.
The public agencies have managed their large share of forest lands in Marion County based on their interest and knowledge in long term multiple use concepts.
Management of the public and private industry owned forest lands in Marion County is accomplished through their extensive knowledge and capabilities to deal with long-term forest management issues. Public agencies, as well as private timber companies, have the capabilities to manage their areas of responsibility and interest and therefore attempt to maximize forest land values.
There are, however, difficulties in the management of private non-industrial forest lands. These lands are predominantly small timber tract owners or farm woodlot operators who have limited knowledge or capabilities for intensive management. This category, as shown on Table No. 15, comprises nearly one third of the commercial forest land acreage in Marion County. According to the State Forestry Department these management problems fall into three major categories, as follows:
1. Many private landowners are not aware of all the factors that can contribute to increasing the substantial economic benefits that forest management can yield.
2. Since forest management requires a long-term commitment, continuity and often a long term investment, individual landowners may be hampered by limited cash flow available to them.
3. Many of these landowners do not possess the technical forest management capabilities that will help them meet their particular needs and objectives.
Assistance in dealing with these education, financial and technical problems is available from many public and private sources. The State has published a catalog of programs that provide this assistance which is available at the State Forestry Department.2
Additional incentives for timber production include deferred property and timber taxes and tax credits for placing underutilized land into timber production. These program incentives plus the availability of a productive land base provide the structure for a significant contribution of forest products from the many small private forest land tracts in Marion County. These tracts occur primarily in the foothills of the Cascade mountains and generally in a strip between the predominantly agricultural lands to the west and the larger timber tracts to the east. This area is generally contained within Range 1 East of the Willamette Meridian.
Land use planning of forest lands is involved primarily with the consequences of forest land uses. The actual operations, such as timber harvest or management, are beyond the Plan’s scope and are dealt with directly by the State. In 1972, the State Legislature adopted the Oregon Forest Practices Act contained in ORS 527.610 to 527.730. By recognizing that the forest makes a vital contribution to Oregon by providing jobs, products, tax base and other social and economic benefits, the Act is intended as a means to assure continuous growth and harvest of timber and to protect Oregon’s forest soil, air and water resources.
The State Board of Forestry is responsible for implementing this law and has, therefore, adopted the Oregon Forest Practices Rules. These rules apply to all commercial forest operations providing guidelines for the application of chemicals, disposal of slash, reforestation, road construction and harvesting. All State and private forest lands in Marion County are subject to compliance with the adopted rules.
This background data is important by complying with LCDC Forest Lands Goal No. 4. It forms the basis for developing an overall forest land use management element of the Marion County Comprehensive Plan and implementing measures.
Land Ownership
The most basic categories of land ownership are (1) private and (2) governmental. In 1978, 62 percent of the land area of Marion County was in private ownership. The remaining 38 percent of the land area was divided among the Federal, State and local levels of government. As shown in Table No. 16, of the 289, 584 acres of land in government ownership, 82 percent was owned by the Federal government, 13 percent by the State and only five percent was owned by various local governments.
|
Government |
Acres |
Percent |
|
Federal |
237,394 |
81.9 |
|
State |
37,206 |
12.9 |
|
Local |
14,984 |
5.2 |
|
Total |
289,584 |
100.0% |
Of the 237,394 acres under Federal ownership, 87 percent was National Forest land administered by the U.S. Forest Service and located entirely in the eastern portion of the County. Bureau of Reclamation administered land accounted for nine percent of the Federal lands, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers land at Detroit Dam accounted for less than two percent. Federal land ownership by agency is shown by Table No. 17.
|
Agency |
Acres |
Percent |
|
|
|
|
|
Bureau of Land Management |
20,952 |
8.8 |
|
U.S. Forest Service |
206,014 |
86.8 |
|
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers |
3,367 |
1.5 |
|
Bonneville Power Administration |
82 |
– |
|
Bureau of Indian Affairs |
4,170 |
1.8 |
|
Post Office Department |
10.5 |
– |
|
Public Health Service |
2 |
– |
|
U.S. Fish and Wildlife |
2,796 |
1.2 |
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
237,393.5 |
100% |
State land ownership in 1964 was 37,206 acres, or five percent of the County’s total land area. Nearly 50 percent of the land was administered by the State Board of Forestry. The other two State agencies controlling sizeable amounts of land were the Highway Commission with 37 percent and the State Institutions with 12 percent. Actual land area controlled by various State agencies is shown in Table No. 18.
|
Agency |
Acres |
Percent |
|
Division of State Lands |
722 |
2.2 |
|
State Forestry Department |
18,345 |
56.1 |
|
Highway Department |
8,916 |
27.3 |
|
Fish and Wildlife |
316 |
1 |
|
Higher Education |
77 |
– |
|
State Institutions |
3,987 |
12.6 |
|
Military Departments |
3 |
– |
|
Board of Aeronautics |
143 |
0.4 |
|
Fair Commission |
182 |
0.5 |
|
State Fire Marshal |
10 |
– |
|
Public Employment Retirement System |
4 |
– |
|
Employment Division |
1 |
– |
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
37,206 |
99.9% |
|
|
|
|
|
Source: Oregon State Department of General Services |
||
2
Oregon State Department of Forestry, Woodlands Assistance in Oregon, July, 1977.