New Report: Rural sprawl threatens Oregon ranches and wildlife habitat

It's so much more than empty sagebrush. Oregon rangelands provide important wildlife habitat and the land for family ranches, but rural sprawl threatens both. Too Many Homes on the Range: The Impact of Rural Sprawl on Ranching and Habitat is the first study in Oregon to assess the vulnerability of family ranches and wildlife habitat to new rural housing development.

Central and Eastern Oregon ranches are at greatest risk from rural sprawl. Rural sprawl – not urban expansion—accounts for over 90% of the development impact on Oregon’s farm and ranch lands, according to this latest 1000 Friends of Oregon study.

“This report demonstrates the essential role of Oregon’s ranch lands for people and wildlife,” said Bob Stacey, Executive Director of 1000 Friends of Oregon. “Oregon’s hard-working family ranches are key to the economic and ecological success of our rangelands. We need to keep these Oregon businesses safe from second homes and ranchettes.”

Land fragmentation is a particular concern to both ranchers and biologists studying plants and wildlife. Privately owned large land parcels have valuable habitat, often near river bottoms, but easily fall prey to development pressures. Oregon family ranches typically need tens of thousands of acres to survive, far more than farms in western Oregon or wetter climates.

Wildlife also need large landscapes in which to move freely about. Big game migration corridors provide areas where pronghorn, elk and mule deer can move seasonally for forage and safe breeding areas. Seasonal use makes these lands more vulnerable to development because they appear unused by game herds much of the year

“This report recognizes that as ranchers, we control some of the most richly diverse plant and wildlife habitat in Oregon, and also that in order for ranchers to stay on the land, ranching must be economically viable,” said Bev Sparrowk of Drew’s Valley ranch in Lake County. “I believe ranchers and environmental organizations can find common ground in Oregon. This is a strong step in that direction.”

Development near ranches also increases the spread of noxious weeds, higher land prices due to speculation, and conflicts with new neighbors. Residents new to ranching country do not always recognize that gates left open by accident, dogs harassing livestock, and complaints about routine ranching practices all take an economic toll on ranchers.

Only 13% of Oregonians live east of the Cascades, yet 75% of the new nonfarm house approvals in 2002 were here. This development pattern is not just near urban centers, such as Bend, but is scattered throughout rural Oregon: 1.3 million acres of private farm and forest land in Eastern Oregon are within one mile of low-density residential or urban areas, where they are far more likely to be developed. (See Maps 1 and 2 in report.) Development also threatens endangered species and degrades habitat, a primary cause of species’ decline.

The report includes recommendations to conserve Oregon’s ranchlands and plant and wildlife habitat:

• Support Oregon family ranchers at the grocery store. Purchase Oregon-grown beef, lamb and other agricultural products.

• Promote efforts to reduce loss of ranchlands in Central and Eastern Oregon. Tools to do this include agricultural conservation easements such as ones being used by the Oregon Rangeland Trust, transferable development credits already in use in Deschutes County to protect water quality in LaPine, and exclusive farm use zoning which is designed to protect commercial farm and ranch operations.

• Increase dialogue among ranchers, environmental organizations and policy makers. Collaborative discussions can yield stronger protections for Oregon family ranches and habitat and promote greater appreciation of the need to use available tools to maintain the ranchland base, wildlife habitat and biodiversity.

• Increase understanding of the public costs of rural sprawl. Studies are needed for Central and Eastern Oregon to assess the cost of community services so the cost of rural residential development to taxpayers is clearer.

• Invest in programs that add value to ranch products. Support and expand programs like the Food Innovation Center and Oregon State University’s Extension Service that add value to ranch products and help ranchers who wish to transition beyond the commodity market.

Too Many Homes on the Range is the culmination of a collaborative effort that began in 2003 among ranchers, policy makers and environmentalists. A roundtable meeting among ranchers, environmentalists and state agency representatives was held in Prineville, followed in May 2004 by a public forum in Portland.

The following individuals are available to provide more in-depth information about issues raised in the report:

• Bev Sparrowk, Drew’s Valley Ranch (Lake County) (541) 947-4750
• Jim Wood, Aspen Valley Ranch (Crook County) (541) 410-3605
• Bruce Taylor, Defenders of Wildlife (503) 697-3222
• Don Stuart, American Farmland Trust (253) 446-9384
• Jon Jinings, Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development, Central and Eastern Oregon Regional Representative (541) 388-6424
• Jim Johnson, Oregon Department of Agriculture (503) 986-7406

The following photograph is available for download and use in news reports: http://www.friends.org/rangeland/images/land-for-sale.jpg

Download Too Many Homes on the Range: The Impacts of Rural Sprawl on Ranching and Habitat (3,881 K PDF)

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"Across the West, estimates are that, over the next generation, between 50 percent and 75 percent of all ranches will change ownership, many to nontraditional ranch uses." —Charles Wilkinson, Christian Science Monitor, July 29, 2002