COLT Pushes for Oregon Agricultural Heritage Program

Founded in 2012, Coalition of Oregon Land Trust or COLT is a nonprofit in Oregon that serves and supports the land trust community of Oregon. There are about 24 land trusts that operate in Oregon, 19 of which are members of COLT. COLT was formed by Oregon land trusts to provide a unifying voice, both at the state and federal level, to represent land trusts interests and the policies and programs that support land conservation. Land trusts work with willing landowners to protect water quality and wildlife habitat, conserve open lands, and maintain working farms, forests and ranches in Oregon.

Mike Running, communications and outreach manager for COLT, explains that there is "something very unique about how land trusts operate."

Land trusts, for example, are one of the few organizations that focus on being around forever. "These nonprofits take on the responsibility of being around in perpetuity to steward the land they protect. This alone makes them very unique," said Running.

There are two main tools that land trusts utilize to conserve open space, farms, forests, habitats and parks. They can purchase land outright, and manage the land over time as owners; or work with landowners who wish to put a conservation easement on their property.

Conservation easements restrict future development to protect conservation values. These restrictions apply to private lands that generate public benefits like the preservation of land for outdoor recreation, education and the protection of farms, forests, and habitat for fish and wildlife.

"COLT's purpose is to serve and strengthen this community of land trusts that range from all-volunteer organizations to international groups," said Running.

"Because our comprehensive land use laws in Oregon largely protect farms and forests from development, there has been more of a focus on habitat protection by land trusts," said Running.

Oregon has a source of funding for this purpose from a state agency called the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, (OWEB), which issues grants to help protect and restore healthy watersheds and natural habitats.

However, in the face of a diversity of threats, including fragmentation, population growth, succession challenges and other factors, there is gaining interest around the state on how conservation easements can help conserve working lands such as farms and forests.

A priority of COLT, therefore, has been to develop a program that's focused on protecting such lands that also provide habitat for fish and wildlife. Along with interests from agriculture, ranching, natural resource agencies, and conservation districts, COLT is part of a Governor’s work group which is developing the Oregon Agricultural Heritage Program.

This program will provide statewide funding for voluntary incentives to help landowners conserve farms and ranches, including some funding for conservation easements designed to match federal farmland protection programs.

"This program would fulfill a much-needed funding niche by providing grants to land trusts and other eligible entities to protect agricultural land,” said Running. “COLT believes this work is critical because the more tools we have in Oregon to support landowners, land trusts, and conservation partners in their ability to work across large landscapes, the better poised Oregon is to respond to emerging issues like climate change, inter generational land transfers, and changing demographics.”

The Governor’s work group has worked over the last six months to develop a program that directly addresses some of the needs of farmers and ranchers to help them keep their land in production while also protecting conservation values. COLT and the other work group members will be co-hosting seven listening sessions across Oregon in October and November. To find a listening session close by, view the list here.

Image via Leon Werdnger, Coalition of Oregon Land Trusts