Protecting Gorge Farmland

In 2022 and 2023, Friends had multiple legal victories that are already directly protecting farmland in eastern Clark County. But more importantly, these victories also establish important precedents to protect farmland throughout the entire Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.

In 2020, portions of a longstanding family farm (pictured here) were purchased by real estate development companies whose owners quickly announced they wished to carve up the farm and convert it to residential use by building three massive “non-farm dwellings.” Yet under the law, the new owners were entitled to only one non-farm dwelling (to replace an existing mobile home).

After extensive litigation, Friends succeeded in convincing Clark County to deny a proposed non-farm dwelling on the farm, and also convinced the new landowners to substantially reduce the size of the proposed replacement dwelling.

We then successfully defended our legal victory at Clark County on appeal before the Columbia River Gorge Commission, whose appellate decision now provides important guidance for protecting farmland in all six National Scenic Area counties. The Gorge Commission’s decision has now been appealed to the Clark County Superior Court, where the litigation continues.

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Additional Reading:

Protecting Agricultural Land for Agricultural Uses