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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black">TO: Interested Persons<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black">FROM: The Department of Land Conservation and Development<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black">RE: Public Hearing and Possible Adoption of Proposed Permanent<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black">Amendments to Administrative Rules Regarding the Siting of Commercial<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black">Photovoltaic Solar Power Generation Facilities on Lands Planned and Zoned for<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black">Exclusive Farm Use, OAR chapter 660-033-0130<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black">The Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC) is considering amendments to<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black">administrative rules at OAR chapter 660-033-0130, regarding the siting of commercial photovoltaic<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black">solar power generation facilities on Oregon’s farm and ranch lands. In October 2011, the<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black">commission finalized rules in OAR 660 Division 33, related to siting of solar photovoltaic energy<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black">generation facilities on farmland. The adoption of the rules culminated over one year’s study of the<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black">issue, and included recommendations from a rules advisory committee. In the 2012 legislative<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black">session, the House Energy, Environment and Water committee held an informal briefing regarding<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black">siting of solar facilities and invited LCDC chair Worrix and Governor Kitzhaber’s Natural Resources<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black">Advisor Richard Whitman to testify. During the hearing, LCDC was requested to consider revising<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black">its recently adopted rule to raise the allowable acreage threshold for siting a solar photovoltaic<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black">from 100 acres to 250 acres on non-arable EFU zoned lands facility without taking an exception to<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black">Goal 3. Chair Worrix agreed to take that request to the commission.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black">The proposed rule amendment then, raises the threshold for a permit for development on nonarable<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black">farmland to 250 acres as a conditional use. Applications for a development size between 100<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black">and 250 acres would be processed by the Energy Facilities Siting Council (EFSC), using DLCD rules.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black">A public hearing regarding the proposed permanent rules will be held at the regularly scheduled<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black">LCDC meeting on Thursday May 10, 2012 at 635 Capitol St. (basement hearing room), Salem,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black">Oregon. The meeting will begin at 8:30 a.m. The commission will take public testimony and<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black">consider the staff recommendation on the proposed permanent rules. Written and oral comments<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black">will be accepted until the close of the hearing on May 10, 2011.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black">To obtain a copy of the draft proposed permanent rule amendments, statements of need and fiscal<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black">impact, or to be placed on a mailing list, contact Lisa Howard at (503) 373-0050 Ext. 271, or email<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:blue">cassaria.r.tuttle@state.or.us</span><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black">. Address written comments to the Chair of the Land Conservation
and<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black">Development Commission, care of Casaria Tuttle, 635 Capitol Street, Ste. 150, Salem, OR 97301.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black">For questions about this rulemaking, contact Jon Jinings at (541) 318-2890 or Michael Morrissey, at<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black">(503) 373-0050 Ext. 320. Jon may be reached by email at
</span><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:blue">jon.jinings@state.or.us</span><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black">. Michael may be<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black">reached at
</span><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:blue">michael.morrissey@state.or.us</span><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black">. Information may also be obtained from the DLCD<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black">website:
</span><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:blue">http://www.lcd.state.or.us/</span><span style="font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:black">.</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"">Casaria Taylor</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif""> | Rules, Records & Policy Coordinator/Asst to Deputy Director</span>
<br>
<span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"">Oregon Dept. of Land Conservation and Development</span>
<br>
<span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"">635 Capitol Street NE, Suite 150 | Salem, OR 97301-2540</span>
<br>
<span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"">Office: (503) 373-0050 ext. 322 | Cell: (503) 383-8911 | Fax: (503) 378-5518</span>
<br>
<a href="mailto:casaria.r.tuttle@state.or.us"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:blue">casaria.r.tuttle@state.or.us</span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif""> |
</span><a href="http://www.oregon.gov/LCD"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:blue">www.oregon.gov/LCD</span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"">
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