Measure 37 “fix” threatens Protections for Farmland and Neighborhoods

Contact: Kendra Kimbirauskas, 503-224-4011

Measure 37 “fix” threatens Protections for Farmland and Neighborhoods

Oregon has a 30-year legacy of using land use planning to protect farmland, neighborhoods, and natural resources from uncontrolled sprawl. It’s been good for Oregon’s economy, good for our neighborhoods, good for the environment, and has protected Oregon’s family farms.

Measure 37 was a call for fair compensation to landowners particularly harmed by land use planning. It was not a vote for unrestrained sprawl on farmland or abandoning environmental protections. And it should not be used as an excuse to eliminate the safeguards that have kept Oregon a great place to live.


Waivers aren’t fair. Measure 37 threatens to give a privileged class of property owners special rights, even if those rights harm neighbors. The Legislature should fix this problem by helping the neighbors of Measure 37 claimants, not by granting broad waivers that make the problem worse.

Create a fair compensation system. Rather than giving some people special rights, the Legislature should focus on paying the landowners who are owed under Measure 37. Development credits, which don’t raise taxes on ordinary Oregonians, should be the focus. Development credits are used in other states, and they work. By focusing on paying for actual losses and not windfall profits, we can keep Oregon a great place to live for our grandkids.

Don’t give away the farm. State Senator Charlie Ringo is talking about a “fix” that eliminates some Measure 37 claims, in exchange for a radical weakening of the land use system. Some compromise may be in order. But a radical weakening of the land use system is a bad deal for Oregon’s future.

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