[Solar_rulemaking] comments

[Genny Bond]

Washington County has reviewed and approved 4 solar farms to date, from 3 different solar companies.

Each has been proposed and approved as a fully fenced facility, due to applicant concerns about theft of metals and other materials, and potential for homeless encampments.

Each applicant has stipulated that farming within the facility is not possible, because of the need for security fencing. Grazing of livestock/sheep is not possible because these will be fenced and unstaffed-attendant visits every 6 months.

Impacts to wildlife/birds has been a topic of discussion. We've consulted with Audobon Society and ODFW regarding their experience with fenced solar farms-there isn't much documentation as yet. The last one we approved, we included a condition requiring the perimeter fence include one or two openings, to allow ingress/egress by wildlife yet prevent human access-we'll see how this pans out. The decision included a provision "encouraging" the solar company to report any bird/wildlife entrapment or fatalities to ODFW and/or Audobon, just for research purposes.

Solar companies typically propose rodent management inside the fenced area via traps-live traps and otherwise-but these facilities will be visited by an attendant once every 6 months. Trapping would likely be ineffective/inhumane. Predator access into and out of the facility might prevent rodent problems.

Any allowance for solar farms on high-value farmland on the basis of "dual use" for farming within the solar farm: not sure this would be enforceable.

Genny Bond | Senior Planner

Washington County Department of Land Use & Transportation

Current Planning Division | Rural Section

Office Location (Temporary): Adams Crossing Building, 161 NW Adams Ave, Hillsboro OR, 97124
Mailing Address: 155 N. First Avenue, Suite 350, MS16 | Hillsboro, OR  97124

503-846-3846  direct | 503-846-2908  fax

Genny_bond at co.washington.or.us<mailto:Genny_bond at co.washington.or.us> | www.co.washington.or.us/lut<http://www.co.washington.or.us/lut>



-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://omls.oregon.gov/pipermail/solar_rulemaking/attachments/20190207/7478007a/attachment.html>