HomeMy WebLinkAboutDeschutes County 2040 Comprehensive Plan Update Draft 2023-08-23Deschutes County
Comprehensive Plan
Draft - Revised August 25, 2023Draft - Revised August 25, 2023
i-2 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Acknowledgements
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Anthony DeBone, Chair
Patti Adair, Vice Chair
Phil Chang
DESCHUTES COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION
Jessica Kieras, Chair
Nathan Hovekamp, Vice Chair
Matt Cyrus
Susan Altman
Kelsey Kelley
Patrick Trowbridge
Toni Williams
Dale Crawford (through June, 2023)
Maggie Kirby (through June 2023)
STAFF
Peter Gutowsky, AICP, Community Development Director
William Groves, Planning Manager
Nicole Mardell, AICP, Senior Planner
CONSULTANT TEAM
MIG
Parametrix
Letz Consulting
Kittelson and Associates
Adopted ___________________
i-3 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .i-2
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .i-4
1 . Community Engagement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-1
Opportunities, Challenges, and Considerations ..................1-2
Context.................................................................................................1-2
Key Community Issues ...................................................................1-6
Goals and Policies ............................................................................1-6
2 . Land Use and Regional Coordination . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-1
Opportunities, Challenges, and Considerations ..................2-2
Context.................................................................................................2-4
Key Community Considerations .................................................2-9
Goals and Policies .........................................................................2-10
3 . Farm and Forest Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-1
Opportunities, Challenges, and Considerations ..................3-2
Context.................................................................................................3-5
Key Community Considerations ...............................................3-7
Goals and Policies ............................................................................3-7
4 . Mineral and Aggregate Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-1
Opportunities, Challenges, and Considerations ..................4-2
Context.................................................................................................4-2
Key Community Considerations ...............................................4-4
Goals and Policies ............................................................................4-4
5 . Natural Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-1
Opportunities, Challenges, and Considerations ..................5-2
Context.................................................................................................5-3
Key Community Considerations ...............................................5-9
Goals and Policies ............................................................................5-9
6 . Historic and Cultural Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-11
Opportunities, Challenges, and Considerations ...............6-12
Context..............................................................................................6-12
Key Community Considerations ............................................6-13
Goals and Policies .........................................................................6-13
7 . Natural Hazards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-1
Opportunities, Challenges, and Considerations ..................7-2
Context.................................................................................................7-3
Key Community Considerations .................................................7-6
Goals and Policies ............................................................................7-6
8 . Recreation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8-1
Opportunities, Challenges, and Considerations ..................8-2
Context.................................................................................................8-4
Key Community Considerations ...............................................8-5
Goals and Policies ............................................................................8-6
9 . Economic Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9-1
Opportunities, Challenges, and Considerations ..................9-2
Context.................................................................................................9-2
Key Community Considerations ...............................................9-5
Economic Development Goals and Policies .........................9-6
10 . Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10-1
Opportunities, Challenges, and Considerations ...............10-2
Context..............................................................................................10-2
Key Community Considerations ............................................10-5
Goals and Policies .........................................................................10-6
11 . Unincorporated Communities and Destination Resorts . .11-1
Opportunities, Challenges, and Considerations ...............11-2
Context..............................................................................................11-2
Key Community Considerations ............................................11-4
Goals and Policies .........................................................................11-4
12 . Public Facilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-1
Opportunities, Challenges, and Considerations ...............12-2
Context..............................................................................................12-3
Key Community Considerations ..............................................12-6
Goals and Policies .........................................................................12-6
13 . Transportation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13-1
14 . Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14-1
Opportunities, Challenges, and Considerations ...............14-2
Context..............................................................................................14-3
Key Community Considerations ..............................................14-5
Goals and Policies .........................................................................14-5
IntroductionIntroduction
i-5 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
The purpose of the Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan is to provide a blueprint
for land use conservation and development. This is accomplished through goals
and policies that tell a cohesive story of where and how development should occur
and what places should remain undeveloped. The Plan provides a legal framework
for establishing more specific land use actions and regulations such as zoning. The
goals and policies are based on existing conditions and trends, community values
and the statewide planning system. The Plan must provide clear policy direction yet
remain flexible.
The County’s most recent Comprehensive Plan was
adopted in 2011. Since then, the County has grown
substantially and experienced many demographic
and economic shifts. Between April 2010 and July
2020, the County’s population grew from 157,730
residents to 198,253 residents. This growth -
25.7% over ten years - is over twice the 10.6%
increase that the State of Oregon experienced as
a whole. The latest projections from Portland State
University’s Population Research Center suggest
strong continued growth throughout Deschutes
County.
An updated Comprehensive Plan is necessary
to address current needs of the communities in
the County, as well as to guide the anticipated
growth and development of Deschutes County
over the next twenty years. Although many of the
goals and policies of the 2011 Plan still hold value,
fundamental data, trends, and land use issues have
become outdated. The updated Comprehensive
Plan needs to incorporate community input to craft
new and updated goals and policies regarding
agriculture, forestry, housing, recreation, natural
resources, natural hazards, economic development,
and transportation.
i-6 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Oregon Statewide Land Use Planning Program
Establishes a consistent, statewide approach to planning and development. Development
encouraged to be concentrated into cities while farm, forest, and natural resource areas are
encouraged to be protected from development.
Implementing Oregon Revised Statute and Rule
Provides very specific criteria for development outside of city limits, including permitted uses
and development types on farm and forest lands. Counties are required to abide by these
regulations when reviewing development proposals.
County Plans and Development Codes
Integrates statewide planning program goals, statute, and rule at the county level. Where the
statewide planning program goals allow local discretion, implements locally developed plans
and regulations.
In Oregon, comprehensive plans must comply
with the statewide planning system, which was
adopted in 1973 to ensure consistent land use
policies across the State. While compliance with the
statewide system is required, it is also important
for a comprehensive plan to reflect local needs and
interests. This Plan balances statewide requirements
and local land use values.
The Comprehensive Plan is the County’s long-range
plan for how it will grow and serve its community
members in the future. Oregon state law requires
all counties and cities to adopt and regularly
update Comprehensive Plans that are consistent
with state and regional goals, laws, administrative
rules and other requirements and guidelines.
The Comprehensive Plan addresses topics such
as land use, housing, economic development,
transportation, parks and recreation, and natural
resources, with a strong emphasis on how land is
used, developed, and/or conserved. Other topics
in the plan include citizen involvement, natural
hazards, and public infrastructure and facilities,
and more. The Plan describes conditions related
to each element of the community and provides
overarching guidance for future County decisions in
the form of a set of goals, objectives, and policies.
These policies will drive future decisions and actions
undertaken by County staff, advisory groups, and
elected decision-makers.
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1979
“Deschutes County Year 2000” Comprehensive Plan
2023
“Deschutes 2040” Comprehensive Plan Update
1859
Oregon Statehood
1941
Roberts Airfield completed allowing flights to Central Oregon for the first time
1988 to 2003
Periodic Review and updates to Comprehensive Plan
1916
Deschutes County created from a portion of Crook County
1973
SB100 and Oregon Land Use Planning System Enacted
1937
County Courthouse and most early records destroyed by fire
1905
City of Bend incorporated
1970
“Deschutes County to 1990” Comprehensive Plan
2010
“Deschutes County 2030” Comprehensive Plan Update
Deschutes County Timeline
City of Bend photo courtesy of DowntownBend.org
11 Community Community
EngagementEngagement
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Community Engagement
Opportunities, Challenges, and Considerations
Public engagement is the touchstone of planning in Oregon. As Deschutes County
grows and its population changes over the course of the next 20 years, the County
must be prepared to find innovative ways to keep community members involved
in the planning process and provide ample and accessible ways to find and digest
information. Challenges including funding, resources, and ongoing state appeals
might pose barriers to this work. The County has an opportunity to plan for adequate
resources and staffing to support this work.
2023 Comprehensive
Plan Update
A far-reaching community conversation
was a vital part of updating the
Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan.
This effort included:
• Two phases of engagement – one focusing on long-range vision, opportunities, and challenges; and another phase focusing on important and controversial topics.
• Outreach events in all parts of the County.
• A deliberate audit of engagement activities to learn and build on successes.
Context
Involving the public in planning is a critical part of
Oregon’s land use system. Statewide Planning Goal
1 - Citizen Involvement, is intended to ensure that
the public has the opportunity to be meaningfully
involved in all phases of the land use planning
process. Creating these opportunities requires time
and energy on the part of County staff, as well as
systems to incorporate that input in a meaningful
way.
To participate in planning actions, the public
needs to be notified of the proposal or project,
understand the legal framework for the decision
and understand the implications of the decision.
Local governments need to be aware of changing
technologies and best practices to involve the
community and share project information.
Community engagement can take many forms,
such as focus groups for a larger planning project,
email notification lists for department activities, or
mailed notices of public hearings.
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Community Engagement
23
Months
1,500
Unique Website
Visitors
466
Email Contact List
29,000
Social Media
Impressions
296
In-Person Attendees
at Open Houses
13
News Stories
361
Online Open House
Survey Responses
8
Planning
Commission
Meetings
55
Small-Group Meetings
and Stakeholder
Discussions
254
Small Group
Attendees
2
Staff Community
Engagement Trainings
3
Board
Worksessions
Summary of Engagement for the 2023 Update
Statewide Planning Goal 1
To develop a citizen involvement program
that ensures the opportunity for citizens to
be involved in all phases of the planning
process.
1-4 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Community Engagement
Regulatory Framework
Statewide Planning Goal 1 – Citizen Involvement
lays the groundwork for the County’s public
involvement program. Jurisdictions are required
to establish a Citizen Involvement Program that
provides widespread community involvement,
two-way communication with appropriate feedback
mechanisms, opportunities for engagement in
all phases of the planning process, technical
information available in an intelligible form, and is
adequately funded.
Deschutes County’s Community
Involvement Program
Statewide Planning Goal 1 is implemented by
Deschutes County’s Community Involvement
Program, as described in the following section.
DESCHUTES COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION
The Deschutes County Planning Commission
serves as the County’s Committee for Community
Involvement (CCI). The Planning Commission is
composed of seven volunteer members appointed
to four-year terms by the Board of County
Commissioners (Board).
Membership of the commission is representative
of the various geographic areas of the County.
Members are selected through an open process
that aims to balance the diverse views of Deschutes
County residents.
The purpose of the CCI is to create a direct and
transparent connection between County decision-
making and the public by providing regular
updates, speakers, panel discussions, and handouts
on land use law and policy. The CCI aims to make
materials intelligible and convenient for the public
and to provide a venue for civil discourse on
important issues for the County.
HISTORIC LANDMARKS COMMISSION
The Historic Landmarks Commission serves as a
hearings body for matters concerning historical
districts, structures and sites within unincorporated
Deschutes County as well as the city of Sisters.
The Landmarks Commission is composed of nine
voting and several non-voting ex-officio members
who have demonstrated expertise in historic
preservation related disciplines. Commissioners
serve four-year terms.
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Community Engagement
OTHER LAND USE RELATED
ADVISORY GROUPS
Project Wildfire is a committee formed to
coordinate, develop and implement strategies
to mitigate the effects of losses due to natural
disasters that strike Deschutes County. Project
Wildfire is composed of 15 to 27 members who
reside or represent agencies within Deschutes
County. All members are appointed by the Board
and serve four years (see also Chapter X, Natural
Hazards).
The Deschutes River Mitigation and Enhancement
Program helps achieve Oregon Department of Fish
and Wildlife (ODFW) habitat and management
goals and objectives within the Upper Deschutes
River sub-basin, consistent with an agreement
between the Central Oregon Irrigation District
(COID) and ODFW. As part of that agreement
COID provides ODFW with funds to develop and
implement a fish and wildlife habitat mitigation and
enhancement program for the Upper Deschutes
River Basin. The Deschutes River Mitigation
and Enhancement Committee has seven voting
members appointed to three-year terms by the
Board (see also Section 2.5).
In addition to convening these groups, Deschutes
County engages with the public through numerous
methods, including:
• Conducting regular work sessions and
hearings
• Providing timely public notice of important
items
• Maintaining the County Website, including
the department’s “Community Engagement
Center” page.
• Advertising events and engaging with
constituents through social media channels
• Coordinating with media organizations, such
as local newspapers.
• Meeting with individuals and small groups to
get feedback on important issues.
These activities were part of the most recent update
of this Comprehensive Plan.
1-6 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Community Engagement
Key Community Issues
Deschutes County is changing and community
members are seeking new ways to share their ideas
on key issues. To provide ample opportunities to
engage, new tools and technologies will be needed
to involve new groups. Issues that the policies in
this section address include:
• Continuing to simplify materials to use plain
language and be accessible to a variety of
audiences
• Continuing to maintain a presence
throughout the County, including holding
meetings and events throughout the County
• Supporting engagement activities that allow
community members to participate virtually
and at the time of their choosing.
With these issues in mind, Deschutes County has
adopted the following goals and policies:
Goals and Policies
Goal 1.1: Provide for a robust community
involvement program that includes all members of
the community, including those who are commonly
under-represented, by ensuring access to
information, encouraging community collaboration,
identifying and addressing barriers to involvement,
and promoting efficient and transparent planning
processes.
Policy 1.1.1. Convene the Deschutes County
Planning Commission as the County’s
Committee for Community Involvement in order
to provide a direct and transparent connection
between County decision-making and the
public.
Policy 1.1.2.Write all County planning
documents to be understandable, intuitive,
and easily available to the general public,
using simplified language where possible, with
acronyms spelled out and technical language
explained.
1-7 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Community Engagement
Policy 1.1.3. Hold area-specific comprehensive
plan and zoning text amendment public
hearings in locations and at times convenient
and accessible to area residents, as appropriate.
Policy 1.1.4. Provide property information
to the public in an intuitive and easy-to-use
manner.
Policy 1.1.5. Consult and coordinate with
developers before submitting applications
as required or recommended by the County
Development Code to identify and discuss
project requirements and impacts.
Policy 1.1.6. Invest in and support land use
educational resources for community members
including information related to rural living,
agricultural practices, natural resources, and
natural hazards.
Policy 1.1.7. Promote opportunities for
community members to have civil dialogue
around key community issues.
Policy 1.1.8. Explore new and innovative ways
to reach community members and promote
participation in the planning process.
Goal 1.2: Support the activities of the Committee
for Community Involvement
Policy 1.2.1. Maintain adequate funding and
staffing support for the Committee.
Policy 1.2.2. Provide regular updates, speakers,
panel discussions, and handouts on land use
law and policy.
Policy 1.2.3. Appoint members through an
open and public process to reflect the diverse
geographic regions, demographics, and values
of Deschutes County residents.
Policy 1.2.4. Meet with the Board of County
Commissioners at least once a year to
coordinate planning policies and activities.
Policy 1.2.5. Complete periodic reports on
community involvement implementation for the
State Citizen Involvement Advisory Committee,
the Board of County Commissioners, and the
public.
Policy 1.2.6. Maintain open and civil discourse
among Committee members and with the
public.
2 Land Use and Land Use and
Regional CoordinationRegional Coordination
2-2 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Land Use and Regional Coordination
Opportunities, Challenges, and Considerations
Deschutes County has been one of the most rapidly growing parts of Oregon
for many years. This growth can cause tension and highlight trade-offs between
community priorities, such as the need for housing, preservation of natural
resources, adequate infrastructure, and intergovernmental collaboration. To manage
this growth, the County partners with its cities, special districts, and state and federal
agencies to ensure a collaborative approach to development activities. As the
County continues to navigate emerging issues, intergovernmental agreements and
new partnerships will be key.
One purpose of the Deschutes County
Comprehensive Plan is to provide a blueprint
for land use throughout the County. This is
accomplished through goals and policies that tell
a cohesive story of where and how development
should occur and what places are expected to
remain undeveloped. The Plan provides a legal
framework for establishing more specific land use
actions and regulations.
Deschutes County regulates and manages the use
of land in the unincorporated parts of the County.
This is accomplished by:
• Implementing state policy and laws
and furthering local planning goals by
maintaining, updating and applying County
land use policies, standards and regulations in
its zoning codes and this Comprehensive Plan.
• Reviewing development and land use
proposals and help applicants to navigate the
application process.
2-3 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Land Use and Regional Coordination
• Coordinating with other local jurisdictions
on issues of regional growth management,
infrastructure, and public services.
• Coordinating land use and transportation
planning efforts in rural areas including
planning for farm and forest lands and natural
resource management and protection.
• Administering land use regulations for
unincorporated communities in the County.
The policies contained in this chapter, as well as all
chapters in this Plan, establish the legislative policy
basis for the County’s land use planning program.
The program is implemented primarily through
application of the County’s Zoning Code, regulatory
maps, and development permitting application and
approval procedures. In addition, these policies
establish important criteria to be used when
initiating regulatory changes or reviewing and
developing code, map, and policy amendments.
Comprehensive Plan
Designation Purpose Statement
County-wide Designations
Agriculture To preserve and maintain agricultural lands for farm use.
Airport Development To allow development compatible with airport use while mitigating impacts on sur-
rounding lands.
Forest To conserve forest lands for multiple forest uses.
Open Space &
Conservation
To protect natural and scenic open spaces, including areas with fragile, unusual or
unique qualities.
Rural Residential
Exception Area
To provide opportunities for rural residential living outside urban growth bound-
aries and unincorporated communities, consistent with efficient planning of public
services.
Surface Mining To protect surface mining resources from development impacts while protecting
development from mining impacts.
Resort Community To define rural areas with existing resort development that are not classified as a
destination resort.
Rural Community To define rural areas with limited existing urban-style development.
Rural Service Center To define rural areas with minimal commercial development as well as some resi-
dential uses, based on Oregon Administrative Rule 660-22 or its successor.
Urban Unincorporated
Community
To define rural areas with existing urban development, based on Oregon Adminis-
trative Rule 660-22 or its successor.
Urban Designations
Deschutes County coordinates with cities to adopt comprehensive plan designations for areas within Urban
Growth Boundaries or as part of Urban Reserves Areas in the City of Redmond area. These designations are
reflected in the Deschutes County GIS database.
Area Specific Designations
Parts of Deschutes County (Sunriver for example) have area-specific Comprehensive Plan designations. These
are detailed in Chapter 11, Unincorporated Communities.
2-4 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Land Use and Regional Coordination
Context
Comprehensive Plan Designations
Comprehensive Plan designations provide a
high-level policy basis for more detailed zoning
regulations – each Comprehensive Plan designation
may be implemented by one or more specific
zones.
Comprehensive plan designations in Deschutes
County are shown in Map 2-1 and described in the
preceding table. Comprehensive Plan designations
within the Bend, Redmond, Sisters, and La Pine
Urban Growth Boundaries are excluded – local
jurisdictions have responsibility for comprehensive
planning within their Urban Growth Boundaries.
Land Use Planning in Oregon
The foundation of statewide program for land use
planning in Oregon is a set of 19 Statewide Land
Use Planning Goals. The goals express the state’s
policies on land use and related topics, like citizen
involvement, housing, and natural resources.
Oregon’s statewide goals are achieved through
local comprehensive planning. State law requires
each city and county to adopt a comprehensive
plan and the zoning and land-division ordinances
needed to put the plan into effect.
Local comprehensive plans must be consistent
with the Statewide Planning Goals. Plans are
reviewed for such consistency by the state’s Land
Conservation and Development Commission
(LCDC). When LCDC officially approves a local
government’s plan, the plan is said to be
acknowledged. It then becomes the controlling
document for land use in the area covered by that
plan.
The goals relevant to Deschutes County are:
• Goal 1 Citizen Involvement
• Goal 2 Land Use Planning
• Goal 3 Agricultural Lands
• Goal 4 Forest Lands
• Goal 5 Natural Resources, Scenic and Historic Areas, and Open Spaces
• Goal 6 Air, Water and Land Resources Quality
• Goal 7 Areas Subject to Natural Hazards
• Goal 8 Recreational Needs
• Goal 9 Economic Development
• Goal 10 Housing
• Goal 11 Public Facilities and Services
• Goal 12 Transportation
• Goal 13 Energy Conservation
• Goal 14 Urbanization
Map Title
KLAMATH
COUNTY LAKE COUNTY
LANE COUNTY
CROOK COUNTY
LINN COUNTY JEFFERSON
COUNTY
WHEELER
COUNTY
97
20
242
126
31
370
27
372
97
20
Prepared by0510
Miles
Water Bodies
County Boundary
Transportation
State Routes
Railroad
County Lines
Arterial
Collector
Forest Highway
Comprehensive Plan
Designation
Airport
Agriculture
Forest
Flood Plain
Open Space &
Conservation
Rural Commercial
Resort
Rural Industrial
Rural Residential
Exception Area
Surface Mining
Terrabone Districts
Tumalo Districts
Unincorporated
Community
Mixed Use / Commercial
Mixed Use / Commercial
Future Expansion Area
Other
Urban Growth Boundary
Urban Reserve
Urban Unincorporated
Community
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DESIGNATION
Revised 7/31/20232-5 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
This map is for information purposes only. The County’s official zoning and comprehensive plan maps can be accessed through the Deschutes County Dial Property Information System. Please note that these maps do not represent all of the County’s combining and overlay zones.
Map 2-1
2-6 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Land Use and Regional Coordination
Public Land Ownership in Deschutes County
Approximately 79% of Deschutes
County is public land.
US Forest Service 991,367 Acres
Bureau of Land Management991,367 Acres
Other Federal339 Acres
Park Districts219 Acres
State of Oregon49,849
Deschutes County
10,204
Cities8,650 Acres
1,954,879Total Acres
Zoning Designations
Zoning designations in Deschutes County are
shown in Map 2-2. Zones within the Bend,
Redmond, Sisters, and La Pine Urban Growth
Boundaries are excluded - local jurisdictions have
responsibility for zoning within Urban Growth
Boundaries.
OVERLAY ZONES
Deschutes County has the following overlay zones,
which apply in addition to the base zone of a given
property.
• Airport Safety: The purpose of the AS Zone
is to restrict incompatible land uses and
airspace obstructions around airports in an
effort to maintain an airport’s maximum
benefit.
• Destination Resort: The purpose of the
Destination Resort Combining Zone is to
identify lands eligible for siting a Destination
Resort and establish procedures and
standards for establishing this type of
development.
• Landscape Management: The purposes of
the Landscape Management Combining Zone
are to maintain scenic and natural resources
of the designated areas and to maintain and
enhance scenic vistas and natural landscapes
as seen from designated roads, rivers, or
streams.
• Greater Sage-Grouse Combining Zone.
The purpose of the Greater Sage-Grouse
Combining Zone is to fulfill obligations of
OAR 660-23-0115. This state rule requires
seven Oregon counties to mitigate impacts
of large-scale development on sage-grouse
habitat.
• Sensitive Bird and Mammal Habitat: The
purpose of the Sensitive Bird and Mammal
Combining Zone is to insure that sensitive
habitat areas identified in the County’s Goal
5 sensitive bird and mammal inventory
as critical for the survival of the northern
bald eagle, great blue heron, golden eagle,
prairie falcon, osprey, great grey owl, and the
Townsend’s big-eared bat are protected from
the effects of conflicting uses or activities
which are not subject to the Forest Practices
Act.
2-7 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Land Use and Regional Coordination
• Surface Mining Impact Area: The purpose
of the SMIA zone is to protect the surface
mining resources of Deschutes County from
new development which conflicts with the
removal and processing of a mineral and
aggregate resource while allowing owners of
property near a surface mining site reasonable
use of their property.
• Wildlife Area: The purpose of the Wildlife
Area Combining Zone is to conserve
important wildlife areas in Deschutes County;
to protect an important environmental, social
and economic element of the area; and to
permit development compatible with the
protection of the wildlife resource.
CITY COORDINATION
Deschutes County includes the following
jurisdictions, each with their own authority and
needs. The role of the County is largely one of
coordination across these multiple communities.
Deschutes County contains four incorporated
cities. The County, per statute, is responsible
for coordinating with cities on growth related
issues including urban growth boundary and
urban reserve planning. The County maintains
intergovernmental agreements with each city to
define land use authority for lands outside of city
limits and within urban growth boundaries.
City of Bend
Bend is the largest incorporated area in Deschutes
County. It is centrally located in the county, with
Highways 20 and 97 crossing paths through the
center of the city. Bend has experienced rapid
growth in the last few years, accelerated by the
COVID-19 pandemic and “Zoom Town” remote
working trends. The 2022 estimated population of
the Bend UGB is 103,976. The Bend UGB accounts
for most of the population share among all UGBs
in Deschutes County with a population of 225,619
(57.4% of the population) by 2072.
City of La Pine
The City of La Pine is located close to the southern
edge of the county along Hwy. 97. The current
(2022) estimated population of the La Pine UGB
is 2,736. The population of the La Pine UGB is
projected to increase by 87% to 5,129 in 2047. By
2072, the population is projected to be 8,336.
City of Redmond
Redmond is located northeast of Bend with Hwy.
97 running through the center of town. The current
(2022) estimated population of the Redmond UGB
is 37,342. The population of the Redmond UGB is
projected to increase by 121% to 82,601 in the next
50 years. By 2047 it is estimated that the population
of the Redmond UGB will increase to 60,060.
Map Title
KLAMATH
COUNTY LAKE COUNTY
LANE COUNTY
CROOK COUNTY
LINN
COUNTY
JEFFERSON
COUNTY
WHEELER
COUNTY
97
20
242
126
31
370
27
372
97
20
Prepared by0510
Miles
Water Bodies
County Boundary
Transportation
State Routes
Railroad
County Lines
ZONING DESIGNATIONS
Revised 7/31/2023
AIRFIELD OPERATIONS
DISTRICT
AVIATION RELATED
INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT
AVIATION SUPPORT
DISTRICT
EFU - ALFALFA
SUBZONE
EFU - HORSE RIDGE
SUBZONE
EFU - LA PINE
SUBZONE
EFU - LOWER BRIDGE
SUBZONE
EFU - SISTERS /
CLOVERDALE SUBZONE
EFU - TERREBONNE
SUBZONE
EFU - TUMALO /
REDMOND / BEND
SUBZONE
FOREST USE 1
FOREST USE 2
FLOOD PLAIN
MULTIPLE USE
AGRICULTURAL
OPEN SPACE AND
CONSERVATION,OPEN
SPACE &
CONSERVATION
PUBLIC
FACILITY,PUBLIC
FACILITIES
RURAL COMMERCIAL
RURAL INDUSTRIAL
RURAL RESIDENTIAL
SURFACE MINING
RESIDENTIAL
SUBURBAN LOW
DENSITY
URBANIZABLE AREA
URBAN AREA RESERVE
10 ACRE MIN,URBAN
AREA RESERVE 10
ACRE MINIMUM
WESTSIDE TRANSECT
ZONE
URBAN RESERVE AREA
URBAN GROWTH
BOUNDARY
URBAN
UNINCORPORATED
COMMUNITY
RURAL SERVICE
CENTER
RURAL COMMUNITY
RESORT COMMUNITY
RURAL COMMERCIAL
Map 2-2
2-8 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
This map is for information purposes only. The County’s official zoning and comprehensive plan maps can be accessed through the Deschutes County Dial Property Information System. Please note that these maps do not represent all of the County’s combining and overlay zones.
2-9 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Land Use and Regional Coordination
City of Sisters
Sisters is located on the eastern edge of the
Willamette National Forest and Cascade Mountains.
The current (2022) estimated population of the
Sisters UGB is 3,437. The Sisters UGB is projected to
increase by 130%, to 7,911 in 2047, and to 14,881
by 2072.
TRIBAL COORDINATION
In the Treaty of 1855, the Confederated Tribes of
Warm Springs ceded approximately 10.2 million
acres to the United States Government in exchange
for creation of the Warm Springs Reservation.
As part of this agreement, the Tribes maintained
rights to hunt, fish, gather, and graze on these
ceded lands. The map below identifies the location
of these ceded areas in Deschutes County, which
primarily intersect with publicly owned lands.
Coordination with the Confederated Tribes of Warm
Springs on growth and development related issues
is important to ensure consistency with these treaty
rights.
Key Community
Considerations
The rapid pace of growth in Deschutes County and
its impacts on urban, rural, natural, and recreational
areas has been one of the most significant – and at
times the most controversial – topics of discussion
among the community. Some topics and comments
include:
• Strong desire by some for greater densities in
urban areas, in order to accommodate growth
while preserving open space and resource
land in rural areas.
• A similarly strong feeling by some that the
cities in Deschutes County are becoming too
urban already.
• Concern about the amount and distribution of
benefits and burdens created by destination
resorts and tourism-related activities in rural
areas.
2-10 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Land Use and Regional Coordination
• Strong desire for interagency collaboration to
manage growth in a coordinated manner.
With these ongoing conversations in mind,
Deschutes County drafted and refined the following
goals and policies to guide the growth of our
community for the next 20 years.
Goals and Policies
Goal 2.1: Maintain an open and public land use
process in which decisions are based on substantial
evidence and a balancing of community needs.
Policy 2.1.1.Balance the consideration of
private property rights and the economic
impacts of land use decisions on property
owners with other community goals identified
in the Comprehensive Plan.
Policy 2.1.2. Review the Comprehensive
Plan periodically in order to address current
conditions, issues, and opportunities.
Policy 2.1.3. The Deschutes County
Comprehensive Plan Map will be retained in
official replica form as an electronic map layer
within the County Geographic Information
System and is adopted as part of this Plan.
Policy 2.1.4. Implement Comprehensive Plan
policies through the Community Development
Department’s annual work plan and other
actions by the Department and the Board of
County Commissioners.
Policy 2.1.5. Explore methods to integrate
carrying capacity into County land use decision
making.
Goal 2.2: Coordinate and support regional planning
efforts relating to growth, natural resources,
recreation, and major infrastructure investments.
Policy 2.2.1. Periodically review and update
intergovernmental and urban management
agreements to coordinate land use review
on land inside urban growth boundaries and
outside city limits.
Policy 2.2.2. Help coordinate regional planning
efforts with other agencies on land use policies
and actions that impact their jurisdictions.
Policy 2.2.3. Support the use of high value
natural resource and recreational lands for
public purposes, whether through acquisition,
easements, or other means.
Policy 2.2.4. Support the implementation
of long-range plans of Deschutes County
jurisdictions, incorporating elements of those
plans into the County’s Comprehensive Plan as
appropriate.
Policy 2.2.5. Encourage cities to conduct,
in collaboration with Deschutes County,
urban reserve planning to facilitate orderly
and thoughtful management of growth and
infrastructure needs.
Policy 2.2.6. Collaborate with federal agencies
on land management issues including
homelessness, sustainable recreation expansion,
and energy projects.
Policy 2.2.7. Collaborate with tribal
governments on regional issues, particularly
those that impact ceded lands or shared natural
resources.
Policy 2.2.8. Support efforts to reduce
barriers to regional infrastructure projects with
community benefit while mitigating negative
impacts.
Policy 2.2.9. Support updates to
unincorporated community area plans.
Policy 2.2.10. In accordance with OAR 660-
024-004 and 0045, Deschutes County, fulfilling
coordination duties specified in ORS 195.025,
shall approve and update its comprehensive
plan when participating cities within their
jurisdiction legislatively or through a quasi-
judicial process designate regionally significant
sites.
2-11 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Land Use and Regional Coordination
Policy 2.2.11. The County and City shall
periodically review the agreement associated
with the Redmond Urban Reserve Area (RURA).
The following land use policies guide zoning in
the RURA.
a. Plan and zone RURA lands for rural uses, in
a manner that ensures the orderly, economic
and efficient provision of urban services
as these lands are brought into the urban
growth boundary.
b. Parcels shall be a minimum of ten acres.
c. Until lands in the RURA are brought into
the urban growth boundary, zone changes
or plan amendments shall not allow more
intensive uses or uses that generate more
traffic, than were allowed prior to the
establishment of the RURA.
d. For Exclusive Farm Use zones, partitions
shall be allowed based on state law and the
County Zoning Ordinance.
e. New arterial and collector rights-of-way
in the RURA shall meet the right-of-way
standards of Deschutes County or the City
of Redmond, whichever is greater, but be
physically constructed to Deschutes County
standards.
f. Existing and future arterial and collector
rights-of-way, as designated on the County’s
Transportation System Plan, shall be
protected from development.
g. A single-family dwelling on a legal parcel is
permitted if that use was permitted before
the RURA designation.
Additionally, the County will coordinate
planning efforts and development goals with
the City of Redmond prior to bringing Coun-
ty-owned property into Redmond’s urban
growth boundary.
Goal 2.3: Manage county-owned lands to balance
the needs of the community as articulated in the
goals and policies of this Plan and other supporting
planning documents.
Policy 2.3.1. Manage lands with a park
designation consistent with the goals and
policies in Chapter 5 Natural Resources.
Policy 2.3.2. Support the efforts of park
districts, state and/or federal agencies to
identify additional properties along rivers,
streams, or creeks, or containing significant
wildlife, scenic resources, or open space
resources to designate as park land.
Goal 2.4: Minimize onerous barriers to land use
application and development review processes.
Policy 2.4.1. Explore opportunities to build
or obtain specialty planning knowledge and
experience among staff within CDD in related
fields such as wildlife, natural resources, and/or
agricultural practices.
Policy 2.4.2. Explore measures to reduce
development costs for projects related to
agriculture and addressing houselessness,
including fee reductions and expedited land use
applications.
3 Farm and Forest Farm and Forest
ResourcesResources
PREVALENCE OF SMALL FARMING OPERATIONS
AND HOBBY FARMS
The 2017 Census of Agriculture profiles Deschutes
County as primarily consisting of small acreage,
hobby farms and other relatively small agricultural
operations. As of 2017, there were approximately
1,484 farms, an increase of 16% from 2012.
Although the average size of a farm in Deschutes
County is 91 acres, the majority of acreage (about
85%) is in farms of 10 acres or less in size.
MARGINAL OR LOW PRODUCTIVITY SOILS
While a large proportion of the County is zoned
for exclusive farm use, much of the land in these
areas has marginal soils which provide limited
productivity, particularly for higher value crops.
Limited access to water rights and irrigation
can further hamper productivity in some areas.
Deschutes County attempted to reclassify certain
agricultural lands through a nonresource lands
program. This approach was rejected at the state
level. Since that time, some landowners have
successfully redesignated property, primarily to
residential zones, through an applicant-initiated
process.
FINANCIAL CHALLENGES
According to the 2017 Agricultural Census,
agricultural producers in Deschutes County are
often operating in the red. The per-farm average
of market value of products sold was $19,386, a
21% increase from 2012, and average production
expenses of $34,748. This results in a deficit
of approximately $12,866 per farm per year.
Government payments help cover a portion of this
deficit, with the average farm receiving $7,477 in
assistance. The costs of operating continue to be
a major challenge from small family operations,
resulting in approximately 46% of farms in
Deschutes County reporting under $2,500 in sales.
DECLINING FOREST PRODUCTS INDUSTRY
Approximately 1,032,436 acres of Deschutes
County area are zoned for Forest Use. Historically,
forestry on public and private land was a primary
industry in Central Oregon with key mill sites along
the Deschutes River in Bend. Over time, species
protections, international competition, and new
technologies have reduced the overall footprint of
the timber industry in Central Oregon. Recently,
land uses are shifting toward recreation and
residential development in these natural resource
areas.
3-2 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Farm and Forest Resources
Opportunities, Challenges, and Considerations
Farm and forestry resources and operations continue to play an important role in
the character and economy of Deschutes County. However, a variety of ongoing
and forecasted trends will impact the viability and vitality of these industries and
the people who contribute to them. A number of these trends and challenges are
described below and more information about some issues is found in the Water
Resources section of this Plan (see Chapter 5: Natural Resources).
WATER SUPPLY AND IRRIGATION
Much of Deschutes County is served by six
irrigation districts (Map 3-1) – these are special
entities created for the purpose of delivering water
to their patrons. These districts are effectively
non-profit water user associations. In addition
to irrigation, these districts also supply other
services including municipal, industrial, and
pond maintenance. The total water available for
irrigation and other human uses in Deschutes
County is fixed under the current water regime.
No additional water rights can be issued without
the decommissioning of a previous claim.
Therefore, there is little opportunity to expand
irrigated farming in the County. Existing farms
with senior water rights in general have relatively
generous irrigation rights, which have rarely been
fully utilized, and are expected to have sufficient
water to cope with increasing temperatures and
drought conditions in the future. Junior water right
holders, associated with Arnold Irrigation District
and North Unit Irrigation District, have recently
seen challenges with water delivery due to limited
availability and drought.
CHANGES IN CLIMATE CONDITIONS
A number of forecasted trends may impact
agriculture and forestry resources and production
either positively or negatively by the middle of this
century, including the following:
• Drought conditions. Increasing temperatures
will lead to an increase in the length of the
growing season and a slight change in the
cold hardiness zones throughout the County.
The ongoing patterns of drought and lack of
sufficient water for irrigation in some districts
is likely to be exacerbated by increasing
temperatures.
• Growing season. Projected increases in
average temperature will have the effect
of drastically increasing the length of the
growing season. For example, currently the
region around Bend has a growing season
of just under 100 days a year, but that will
increase by more than a month to between
133 to 143 days a year. The eastern part of the
county will likely see an even more marked
increase from a brief 35 days to between 85
and 100 days. This may increase potential
agricultural productivity in parts of the
County.
• Water demand and availability. Water
demand is likely to increase due to
increased temperatures. Warmer days and
warmer nights will increase evaporation
and transpiration, requiring an increase in
irrigation. Because the total volume of water
available for agricultural and human use is
fixed, strategies to decrease water usage
(capping irrigation channels, irrigation timing
strategies, water conservation) will become
more crucial.
CONFLICTS WITH OTHER USES
Agricultural uses continue to be affected by
conflicts with adjacent or surrounding non-farm
uses (primarily new rural homes). In some cases,
new residents object to impacts of common
farming practices, such as noise, dust, and odors
related to farm activity.
3-3 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Farm and Forest Resources
Days Above 90 Degrees in Brothers
2023 2070
2 24
Map Title
SISTERS
BEND
REDMOND
CROOK COUNTY
JEFFERSON
COUNTY
97
20
242
20
126
97
126
97
370
20
20
372
Prepared by02.5 5 7.5 10
Miles
Irrigation Districts
Arnold Irrigation District
Central Oregon
Irrigation District
Rimrock Water
Improvement District
Swalley Irrigation Dist
(DRIC)
Three Sisters Irrigation
District
Tumalo Irrigation
District
State Routes
Transportation
Arterial
Collector
Forest Highway
Railroad
Urban Growth
Boundaries
County Boundary
IRRIGATION DISTRICTS
Revised 8/1/20233-4 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
This map is for information purposes only. The County’s official zoning and comprehensive plan maps can be accessed through the Deschutes County Dial Property Information System. Please note that these maps do not represent all of the County’s combining and overlay zones.
Map 3-1
3-5 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Farm and Forest Resources
Context
Agriculture
Agriculture and ranching operations in Deschutes
County vary widely based on water availability,
soil, and microclimate. The following subzones
were created through a commercial farm study
conducted in 1992. This study concluded that
irrigation is a key factor to viability of operations,
which enabled the County to establish smaller
acreages than allowed by state law to provide
additional flexibility.
Additional information about farm and forest
resources is provided in the tables and charts
below.
57%
10%23%
10%
Cropland
Pastureland
Woodland
Other
Land in Farms by Use
Farms By Size (acres)
Farms By Value of Sales
Less than $2,500
$2,500 to $4,999
$5,000 to $9,999
$10,000 to $24,999
$25,000 to $49,999
$50,000 to $99,999
$100,000 or more
46%
16%
15%
5%
12%
3%3%
1,000+12 farms
13 farms
40 farms
151 farms
671 farms
597 farms
500 to 999
180 to 499
50 to 179
10 to 49
1 to 9
Subzone Name
Minimum Parcel Size
(for farm divisions and
farm-related dwellings)
Profile
Lower Bridge 130 Irrigated field crops, hay pastures
Sisters/Cloverdale 63 Irrigated alfalfa, hay and pastures, wooded grazing and
some field crops
Terrebonne 35 Irrigated hay and pasture
Tumalo/Redmond/Bend 23 Irrigated pasture and some hay
Alfalfa 36 Irrigated hay and pasture
La Pine 37 Riparian meadows, grazing and
meadow hay
Horse Ridge East 320 Rangeland grazing
3-6 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Farm and Forest Resources
Forest Lands
Deschutes County classifies Forest land in one of
two zones. Forest 1 zoning is intended for land
that is primarily used for forest management or
commercial forestry, with a lot size over 160 acres,
and not developed with residential or non-forest
uses. Forest 2 zoning is intended for land that does
have residential or non-forest uses, is less than
160 acres, and may contain roads or other public
facilities that serve the property.
State regulations limit residential and non-
forestry related development on forest lands
and the County sees only a few applications for
development in these areas each year. Even with
this limitation on development, forest managers
and service providers continue to express concern
with wildfire risk associated with residential
development in heavily wooded areas.
Most lands in either of these classifications within
Deschutes County are federally owned and
managed by the US Forest Service. Historically,
forest lands were used for timber production. As
timber harvesting decreases, other uses for forest
lands are emerging. State regulations permit five
general types of uses, including forest operations;
environmental, agricultural or recreational uses;
two types of dwellings and locally dependent uses.
Permitted uses are defined and clarified in OAR
660-006. The following uses are major forest uses in
Deschutes County:
• Secondary forest products (forest
operations): There is an increasing use of
secondary forest products, such as hog fuel
(chipped wood) or wood slash. This type of
product is generally seen as providing dual
benefit, by providing economic opportunity
while also reducing wildfire risk through
thinning projects.
• Alternative Energy: Biomass is an emerging
technology for renewable energy and can
also be integrated with these products. The
first biomass facility in the County is currently
under development through a partnership
with Mt. Bachelor Ski Resort and the US Forest
Service.
• Recreation (environmental, agricultural
and recreation uses): The proximity of
federal forests for hiking, mountain biking,
skiing, hunting, fishing, wildlife viewing and
other outdoor recreation draws tourists and
residents alike. Skyline Forest, a 33,000-acre
privately owned property in the Forest 1 zone
has been identified as a potential community
asset, with several groups and nonprofits
seeking to acquire and utilize the property
as a community forest. In 2022, Deschutes
Land Trust facilitated a community visioning
process to identify preferred community uses
if land were to be purchased as a privately
held recreational asset.
3-7 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Farm and Forest Resources
Key Community
Considerations
Given the range of issues and conditions discussed
above and, this plan includes a variety of policies
to support farm and forest operations in Deschutes
County. Additional related policies also are found
in Chapter 2: Land Use and Regional Coordination,
Chapter 5: Natural Resources, and Chapter
9: Economic Development. These strategies
are underpinned by the following results of
Comprehensive Plan outreach efforts.
• Community members opposed rezoning
low productivity farmland with poor soil to
allow greater opportunities for housing, while
supporting rezoning of this land to preserve
open space.
• There is strong support for conduct
educational outreach to encourage water
conservation and on-farm efficiency measures.
• Community members also strongly support
allowing greater flexibility for income-
producing supplemental activities on farms
such as farm-to-table dinner, farm stands,
weddings, or similar events.
• Outreach participants expressed support
for investment in the agricultural economy
through grants or exploring a farmland
conservation program.
Goals and Policies
Goal 3.1: Preserve and maintain agricultural lands,
operations, and uses to support Deschutes County’s
agricultural economy
Policy 3.1.1. Retain agricultural lands through
Exclusive Farm Use zoning.
Policy 3.1.2. Continue to apply Exclusive Farm
Use sub- consistent with the County’s most
up-to-date adopted studies of agricultural
land and as implemented through the County
Development Code.
Policy 3.1.3. Develop comprehensive plan
policy criteria and code to provide clarity on
when and how EFU parcels can be converted to
other designations.
Policy 3.1.4. Regularly review farm regulations
to ensure compliance with changes to State
Statute, Oregon Administrative Rules and case
law.
Goal 3.2: Promote a diverse, sustainable, and
thriving agricultural sector.
Policy 3.2.1. Encourage farming by promoting
the raising and selling of crops, livestock and/or
poultry.
Policy 3.2.2. Support agriculture through
the use of grant funds, research, and other
resources dedicated to agricultural community
members and stakeholders, including but not
limited to farmers, agricultural researchers, farm
bureaus, and other organizations in studying
and promoting economically viable agricultural
opportunities and practices.
Policy 3.2.3. Support and encourage small
farming enterprises through a variety of related
strategies and programs, including, but not
limited to, niche markets, organic farming,
food council, buy local, farmers markets, farm-
to-table activities, farm stands or value-added
products, or other programs or strategies.
3-8 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Farm and Forest Resources
Policy 3.2.4. Work cooperatively with irrigation
districts, public agencies and representatives,
and landowners to promote and support
agricultural uses and operations, including
through use of rural reserves, conservation
easements, transfer of development rights
programs, land acquisition, and other
preservation strategies.
Policy 3.2.5. Support efforts to control noxious
weeds and invasive species.
Policy 3.2.6. Continue to review and revise
County Code as needed and consistent with
state rules and regulations to permit alternative
and supplemental farm activities that are
compatible with farming, such as agri- tourism
or commercial renewable energy projects.
Policy 3.2.7. Work with the State to review
and revise their regulations when a desired
alternative or supplemental use identified
by the County is not permitted by State
regulations.
Policy 3.2.8. Use land use policy and
development code requirements, including
right-to-farm provisions, as well as coordination
with other jurisdictions to minimize conflicts
between residential uses and agricultural uses
and continue to promote the viable operation
of agricultural uses.
Policy 3.2.9. Provide resources such as
technical assistance and access to grants to
support on-site efficiency upgrades relating to
agriculture.
Goal 3.3: Ensure Exclusive Farm Use policies,
classifications, and codes are consistent with local
and emerging agricultural conditions and markets.
Policy 3.3.1. Identify and retain accurately
designated agricultural lands.
Policy 3.3.2. Continue to explore new methods
of identifying and classifying agricultural lands.
a. Apply for grants to review and, if needed,
update farmland designations.
b. Study County agricultural designations
considering elements such as water
availability, farm viability and economics,
climatic conditions, land use patterns,
accepted farm practices, and impacts on
public services.
c. Lobby for changes to State Statute
regarding agricultural definitions specific to
Deschutes County that would allow some
reclassification of agricultural lands.
Policy 3.3.3. Address land use challenges in the
Horse Ridge subzone, specifically:
a. The large number of platted lots not meeting
the minimum acreage;
b. The need for non-farm dwellings and
location requirements for farm dwellings;
c. Concerns over the impact on private
property from off-road vehicles, facilities, and
trails located on adjacent public lands.
Policy 3.3.4. Continue to work with the State
to review and revise accessory farm dwelling
requirements to address the needs of local
farmers.
Policy 3.3.5. Encourage coordination between
agricultural interests and fish and wildlife
management organizations, including public
agencies, non-governmental organizations and
others.
Policy 3.3.6. Explore the evaluation and
potential redesignation of lands with a farm
designation and poor soils and low productivity
for protected open space, development of
needed housing, or other uses that support
community goals as follows.
a. Allow comprehensive plan and zoning map
amendments, including for those that qualify
as non-resource land, for individual EFU
parcels as allowed by State Statute, Oregon
Administrative Rules and this Comprehensive
Plan.
3-9 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Farm and Forest Resources
b. Explore creation of a new zoning
classification intended to balance value of
high desert environment while allowing for
limited housing opportunities and applying
this designation through coordination with
interested and willing property owners.
Goal 3.4: Protect and maintain forest lands for
multiple uses and objectives, including forest
products, watershed protection, conservation,
recreation, wildlife habitat protection, carbon
sequestration, forest health, and wildfire resilience.
Policy 3.4.1.Retain forest lands through Forest
1 and Forest 2 zoning.
Policy 3.4.2. To conserve and maintain
unimpacted forest lands, retain Forest 1
zoning for those lands with the following
characteristics:
a. Consist predominantly of ownerships not
developed by residences or non- forest uses;
b. Consist predominantly of contiguous
ownerships of 160 acres or larger;
c. Consist predominantly of ownerships
contiguous to other lands utilized for
commercial forest or commercial farm uses;
d. Are accessed by roads intended primarily for
forest management; and
e. Are primarily under forest management.
Policy 3.4.3. To conserve and maintain
impacted forest lands, retain Forest 2 zoning for
those lands with the following characteristics:
a. Consist predominantly of ownerships
developed for residential or non-forest uses;
b. Consist predominantly of ownerships less
than 160 acres;
c. Consist of ownerships generally contiguous
to tracts containing less than 160 acres and
residences, or adjacent to acknowledged
exception areas; and
d. Provide a level of public facilities and
services, including roads, intended primarily
for direct services to rural residences.”
Policy 3.4.4. Notwithstanding any other quasi-
judicial plan or zone change criteria, lands
designated as Forest under this Plan and zoned
Forest 2 may upon application be redesignated
and rezoned from Forest 2 to Exclusive Farm
Use if such lands:
a. Do not qualify under State Statute for
forestland tax deferral,
b. Are not necessary to permit forest operations
or practices on adjoining lands and do not
constitute forested lands that maintain soil,
air, water and fish and wildlife resources,
c. Have soils on the property that fall within the
definition of agricultural lands as set forth in
Goal 3,
d. Are a tract of land 40 acres or less in size,
e. Do not qualify under State Statute and the
terms of the Forest 2 zone for a dwelling,
and;
f. Were purchased by the property owner after
January 1, 1985 but before November 4,
1993.
Such changes may be made regardless of the
size of the resulting EFU zoning district. Such
changes shall be processed in the same manner
as other quasi- judicial plan or zoning map
changes.
Policy 3.4.5. Ensure that criteria for and
designation of Forest Lands are consistent with
state administrative rules and statutes.
Policy 3.4.6. Coordinate and cooperate with
the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land
Management and other public agencies to
promote sustainable forest uses, including
recreation and biomass facilities, on public
3-10 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Farm and Forest Resources
forest land, including currently adopted Forest
and Land Management Plans prepared by the
US Forest Service (USFS) and US Bureau of Land
Management (BLM).
a. Using the Deschutes National Forest
Land and Resource Management Plan,
or its successor, as the basis for mutual
coordination and cooperation with the U.S.
Forest Service;
b. Using the Prineville Bureau of Land
Management Upper Deschutes Resource
Management Plan, or its successor, as
the basis for mutual coordination and
cooperation with the Bureau of Land
Management.
Policy 3.4.7. Notify affected agencies and
tribal governments when reviewing land use
applications and proposals for development
that could impact Federal or State forest lands.
Policy 3.4.8. Support economic development
opportunities that promote forest health, create
opportunities for local production of related
forest products, and reduce the prevalence
of invasive plant species that adversely affect
forest health and soil quality.
Policy 3.4.9. Provide input on public forest
plans that impact Deschutes County.
Policy 3.4.10. Coordinate with community
stakeholders to support forest management
plans and projects that are consistent with
the policies of this chapter and with local
community forest management and wildfire
protection plans.
a. Promote forest health and resilience to
wildfire.
b. Contribute to public safety by treating
wildland hazardous fuels particularly in
the designated Wildland Urban Interface
as identified in the Community Wildfire
Protection Plans described in Chapter 13,
Natural Hazards, of this Plan.
c. Retain fish and wildlife habitat.
Policy 3.4.11. Continue to review and revise the
County Code as needed to ensure development
in forest zones minimizes and/or mitigates
impacts on fish and wildlife habitat, forest
health, and wildfire resiliency.
4 Mineral and Aggregate Mineral and Aggregate
ResourcesResources
Context
Surface mining is protected through Statewide
Planning Goal 5, Natural Resources, Scenic and
Historic Areas and Open Spaces and the associated
Oregon Administrative Rule (OAR) 660-023 (this
rule replaced 660-016 in 1996). Mineral and
aggregate resources are included on the list of
Statewide Goal 5 resources that the County must
inventory and protect.
The County maintains an inventory of surface
mining sites as part of its Goal 5 program, shown
in Map 4-1. There are currently 59 mining sites
identified in the Deschutes County GIS data, and 8
sites that have been reclaimed.
Mining sites are subject to a Surface Mining Impact
Area Combining Zone that applies within ½ mile
of the mining site boundary. This combining zone
limits new uses and expansion of existing uses
that may be impacted by mining activities and are
not in compliance with the site-specific Economic,
Social, Environmental, and Energy (ESEE) analysis
for nearby mining sites. In certain cases, a waiver of
nonremonstrance may also be required in this zone.
4-2 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Opportunities, Challenges, and Considerations
Surface mining provides non-renewable resources, such as pumice, cinders, building
stone, sand, gravel and crushed rock. The extraction of these materials provides
employment as well as products important to local economic development.
However, mining of mineral and aggregate resources creates noise, dust and traffic
and potential pollution that can conflict with neighboring land uses, particularly
residential uses.
The Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral
Industries (DOGAMI) regulates surface mining sites
in Deschutes County. The last available published
analysis of mineral resources in Deschutes County
was completed by DOGAMI in 1976. No updates
have been completed during that time due to
limited staff. A continued challenge is monitoring
the availability of these resources. However, it is
likely that Deschutes County has enough mineral
resources to meet demand for the next 20 years.
When a mineral resource is exhausted, the site is
required to submit a reclamation plan to Deschutes
County and DOGAMI. This plan identifies how
the site will be closed for mineral operations,
environmental impacts will be mitigated, and steps
to be taking to return the site to a new use. As
mineral and aggregate resources are exhausted,
property owners often rezone the site from the
“Surface Mine” designation to a new zone (often
a residential zone), to allow for new development
to occur. Coordination with DOGAMI and property
owners is imperative to ensure this reclamation
process occurs in an efficient and environmentally
focused manner.
Map Title
LA PINE
SISTERS
BEND
REDMOND
KLAMATH
COUNTY LAKE COUNTY
LANE COUNTY
CROOK COUNTY
LINN COUNTY JEFFERSON
COUNTY
WHEELER
COUNTY
97
20
242
126
31
370
27
372
97
20
Prepared by0510
Miles
County Boundary
Urban Growth
Boundaries
Zoning Surface Mining
Impact Area
Surface Mining Impact
Area
Reclaimed - Surface
Mining Impact Area
Transportation
State Routes
Railroad
County Lines
SURFACE MINING
Revised 8/1/20234-3 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
This map is for information purposes only. The County’s official zoning and comprehensive plan maps can be accessed through the Deschutes County Dial Property Information System. Please note that these maps do not represent all of the County’s combining and overlay zones.
Map 4-1
Key Community
Considerations
Transportation agencies expressed concern
regarding the impact of depleting mineral
resources on road operations, including the
use of cinder for winter maintenance and other
resources for use in new road projects. The topic
of mineral and aggregate resources was not a
focus of community discussion as part of this
Comprehensive Plan update, though the priorities
of a diverse economy and protected natural areas
for habitat and open space are interrelated with this
subject. The following goals and policies represent
a balance of these community interests.
Goals and Policies
Goal 4.1: Protect and utilize mineral and aggregate
resources while minimizing adverse impacts
of extraction, processing and transporting the
resource.
Policy 4.1.1. Implement adopted Goal 5 Surface
Mining inventories.
Policy 4.1.2. Coordinate with the Oregon
Department of Geology and Mineral Industries
(DOGAMI) on mining regulations and studies.
Policy 4.1.3. Balance protection of mineral and
aggregate resources with conflicting resources
and uses.
Policy 4.1.4. Support the required reclamation
of mining sites following mineral extraction.
Surface Mining in 2023
59 8
Active Mining Sites Reclaimed Sites
9,235
including Black Butte Ranch
Surface Mine/Limited Use Zone
Acres in Surface
Mining Zone
58,881
Acres in the Surface Mining
Impact Area Combining
Zone (SMIA)
Source: Deschutes County GIS information
4-4 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
5 Natural ResourcesNatural Resources
PROTECTED WILDLIFE RESOURCES
Deschutes County has some of the broadest
and most robust wildlife protections in the state,
covering a variety of species. The County has
development protections within and surrounding
numerous wildlife habitats. Some of these habitats
have mapped geographic boundaries such as Deer
Winter Range, Deer Migration Range, Antelope
Habitat, Golden Eagle – Sensitive Bird Habitat, and
Elk Habitat.
Other species are commonly found in protected
riparian areas, such as wetlands and floodplains.
Deschutes County contains general habitats for fish,
fur-bearing animals, waterfowl, and upland game
birds.
A continued challenge to wildlife resources is rural
development and impacts on habitat. Mule deer
are seeing steady declines, approximately 10% each
year per Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
biologists. These declines in population are due to
a variety of factors, including but not limited to loss
of habitat, predation, and disease.
SCENIC VIEWS AND OPEN SPACE
The 2010 Greenprint for Deschutes County listed
protection of scenic viewsheds as one of the top
five community priorities for conservation in the
rural County, and the protection of open space has
been one of the key topics of discussion during the
most recent update of this Comprehensive Plan.
The County has several designated scenic corridors,
5-2 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Natural Resources
Opportunities, Challenges, and Considerations
Natural resources in Deschutes County are abundant. Wildlife, scenic views of forests
and peaks, and open spaces to preserve habitat and native vegetation are among
the County’s top assets.
Oregon Statewide Planning Goal 5 governs Natural Resources, Scenic and Historic
Areas, and Open Spaces. Through this goal, the County maintains inventories
and regulatory protections to preserve these many resources. These regulations
are created by weighing Economic, Social, Environmental, and Energy (ESEE)
consequences associated with protection of a resources.
Topics covered in this chapter include:
• Protected Wildlife Resources
• Open Space and Scenic Views
• Water Resources
including several scenic bikeways, highways, and
wild and scenic river sections.
With close to 80% of the County under public
ownership, many community members enjoy access
to natural resources on public lands. A perennial
issue among community members is preserving
scenic views and open spaces closer to home on
undeveloped private properties.
WATER RESOURCES
The high desert climate of Central Oregon poses
many challenges with water supply and allocation.
Water laws are seen as antiquated by many and
issues related water levels in private residential
wells, irrigation allocation to farmers, and
protection of habitat areas for dependent species
arise frequently.
A 2021 report by the Oregon Department of Water
Resources found that groundwater levels through
Deschutes County are declining, by as much as 50
feet of total decline in the central part of the basin.
This decline is considered “excessively declined”
per state statute and is attributed toward a shift
in overall drier conditions since the late 1990s,
a warming trend in the basin, and decreased
snowpack. Ongoing development and piping of
canals (which limits artificial groundwater recharge
while conserving canal water) also exacerbate the
issue.
Deschutes County has limited jurisdiction of water
use, instead playing a coordination role with
irrigation districts, water users, and owners of
private wells.
Context
Protected Wildlife Resources
Wildlife diversity is a major attraction of Deschutes
County. The key to protecting wildlife is protecting
the habitats each species needs for food, water,
shelter, and reproduction. Also important is
retaining or enhancing connectivity between
habitats to protect migration routes and avoid
isolated populations.
In considering wildlife habitat, counties rely
on the expertise of the Oregon Department
of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) and U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (USFWS). Those agencies provide
Statewide Planning Goal 5
Oregon land use planning protects
wildlife with Statewide Planning Goal 5
and the associated Oregon Administrative
Rule (OAR) 660-023. Goal 5 includes a list
of resources which each local government
must inventory, including wildlife habitat.
The Goal 5 process requires local
governments to inventory wildlife
habitat and determine which items on
the inventory are significant. For sites
identified as significant, an Economic,
Social, Environmental and Energy (ESEE)
analysis is required. The analysis leads
to one of three choices: preserve the
resource, allow proposed uses that
conflict with the resource or strike a
balance between the resource and the
conflicting uses. A program must be
provided to protect the resources as
determined by the ESEE analysis.
Appendix A of the Comprehensive Plan
contains the full ESEE ordinances for the
County’s protected Goal 5 resources.
5-3 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Natural Resources
information for the required wildlife inventory
and recommendations on how to protect wildlife
habitat on private lands.
A summary of Deschutes County’s wildlife
protection programs follows:
MULE DEER
Migration corridors and winter range are essential
habitats needed to support mule deer in Deschutes
County. The Bend/La Pine migration corridor is
approximately 56 miles long and 3 to 4 miles wide
and parallels the Deschutes and Little Deschutes
Rivers. The corridor is used by deer migrating
from summer range in the forest along the east
slope of the Cascades to the North Paulina deer
winter range. Deschutes County adopted a “Deer
Migration Priority Area” based on a 1999 ODFW
map submitted to the South County Regional
Problem Solving Group. This specific sub-area is
precluded from destination resorts.
The ODFW identified the Metolius, Tumalo and
North Paulina deer winter ranges during Deschutes
County’s initial comprehensive plan creation. The
boundaries of these winter ranges are shown on
the Big Game Sensitive Area map in the 1978
Comprehensive Plan and have been zoned with the
Wildlife Combining Zone since 1979. The winter
ranges support a population of approximately
15,000 deer. In 1992, ODFW recommended deer
winter range in the northeast corner of the county,
in the Smith Rock State Park area, be included in
the Deschutes County inventory and protected with
the same measures applied to other deer winter
range. This area was officially included and mapped
on the Wildlife Combining Map when Ordinance
92-040 was adopted by the Board of County
Commissioners.
SENSITIVE BIRDS
Nest sites for the northern bald eagle, osprey,
golden eagle, prairie falcon, great grey owl, greater
sage-grouse, and great blue heron rookeries are
inventoried by the County. The area required for
each nest site varies between species. The minimum
area required for protection of nest sites has been
identified by the ODFW in their management
guidelines for protecting colony nesting birds,
osprey, eagles, and raptor nests.
ELK
The Land and Resource Management Plan for
the Deschutes National Forest identifies 6 key elk
habitat areas in Deschutes County. The ODFW also
recognizes these areas as critical elk habitat for
calving, winter or summer range. The following
areas are mapped on the Big Game Habitat Area
map and in the Deschutes National Forest Land and
Resource Management Plan:
• Tumalo Mountain
• Kiwa
• Ryan
• Crane Prairie
• Fall River
• Clover Meadow
ANTELOPE
The Bend and Ochoco District offices of the ODFW
provided maps of the antelope range and winter
range. The available information is adequate
to indicate that the resource is significant. The
antelope habitat is mapped on Deschutes County’s
Big Game Habitat-Wildlife Area Combining Zone
Map.
5-4 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Natural Resources
Scenic Views and Open Space
Deschutes County has a rich abundance of open
space. Open spaces are generally undeveloped
areas that are being maintained for some other
purpose, such as farms, parks, forests, or wildlife
habitat. Besides the value that stems from the
primary use of the land, open spaces provide
aesthetically pleasing undeveloped landscapes.
Because these areas are undeveloped, they also
provide additional benefits such as water recharge,
buffers from habitat, and safety zones from natural
hazards such as flooding.
Open spaces and scenic views are an important
draw for visitors and are often mentioned as
important to the area’s quality of life. The backdrop
of the Cascade Mountains, with its vast forest and
sagebrush landscapes and riparian and wetland
habitats, all provide an inspirational setting for
visitors and residents alike. Statewide Planning Goal
5 recommends, but does not require, creating an
inventory and protections for open spaces, scenic
views and sites. Oregon Administrative Rule (OAR)
660-023 defines open space designations as parks,
forests, wildlife preserves, nature sanctuaries, and
golf courses.
Open spaces are protected through an Open Space
and Conservation map designation and zoning
district. Scenic view protection is implemented
through the Landscape Management Combining
Zone regulations.
Water Resources
Deschutes County’s Role in Water Management is
described below.
REGULATORY AGENCIES
The primary state regulator of water availability is
the Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD).
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
(DEQ) leads the monitoring and enforcement
of water quality standards. The Oregon DEQ is
required to comply with the Federal Environmental
Protection Agency.
STATEWIDE PLANNING GOALS
There are two Statewide Planning Goals relating to
the protection of water resources. Goal 5 (Natural
Resources, Scenic and Historic Areas, and Open
Spaces) requires an inventory and protection
of the following water resources. In Deschutes
County, these inventories have been completed
and acknowledged by the Land Conservation and
Development Commission (See Appendix A for
Goal 5 Inventories). Goal 6 (Air, Land, and Water
Resources Quality) requires comprehensive plans
to be consistent with state and federal pollution
regulations.
The policies in this section relating to water provide
the framework for evaluating land use actions and
define the responsibility of the County to work in
partnership with cities, agencies, non-profits and
others to achieve efficient use of water resources
and effective management of water quality in the
Upper Deschutes Basin.
It is important to underscore that the primary water
resource management process occurs outside of
the state land use planning system. Oregon land
use and water management are not integrated;
there are no overarching administrative rules
that consider statewide water management in
conjunction with land use planning.
5-5 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Natural Resources
WATER USE
The Deschutes aquifer has a recharge rate of
roughly 3 million acre feet per year. The current
water usage comes to roughly 720 thousand acre
feet per year. Roughly 40 to 50 thousand acre feet
of that water goes toward municipal and non-
agricultural use, while the remaining goes toward
crop and pasture irrigation. The majority of that
municipal water use goes towards outdoor watering
(gardens, sports fields, etc.). As an example: the City
of Bend uses 5 times as much water in the summer
as in the winter.
SNOWPACK
Although there is expected to be a slight increase
in winter precipitation by the middle of the century,
snowpack is expected to decline throughout the
Cascades. The decline in snowpack (which has
already been observed, see figure below)1 is due
largely to increasing temperatures causing some
precipitation to fall as rain rather than snow. This
has the double effect of decreasing snowfall and
melting the previously fallen snow. At the Mt
Bachelor Ski Resort, April snowpack is expected to
decline between 11% and 18% by the middle of the
century and between 18% and 43% by the end of
the century.
1 Adapted from Mote, P.W., Li, S., Lettenmaier, D.P. et al.
Dramatic declines in snowpack in the western US. npj Clim Atmos
Sci 1, 2 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41612-018-0012-1
LAVA SPONGE
Deschutes county is fortunate to be underlain
on the Western side by relatively young volcanic
lava sponge. This sponge is highly porous and is
able to absorb large quantities of water during
the wet season and gradually release it via
abundant springs along the eastern slope. The
great advantage this provides is that the resulting
summer flows into the Deschutes basin are not
as dependent on overground flow of snowmelt,
and therefore are expected to maintain a relatively
stable water supply even as snowpack decreases
into the next century.
GROUNDWATER
The groundwater aquifer is roughly 1000 feet
thick and is replenished yearly by the Cascades’
precipitation. Recent years of “exceptional drought”
have lowered the aquifer level by roughly 30 feet,
resulting in a small percentage of wells running dry,
and raising concerns about available groundwater
for new developments. Although it is likely that
some wells will need to be deepened to cope with
increasing temperatures and drought frequency,
there is likely to remain ample sustainable
groundwater supply.
Because the groundwater in the Deschutes Basin
is directly connected to the flow of the Deschutes
River, all additional groundwater use must be
mitigated by decreased use of groundwater
elsewhere through the Oregon Water Resources
Department’s Deschutes Groundwater Mitigation
program. This can include retiring of other water
rights, or the release of water into the waterway. A
mitigation permit must be obtained before a new
groundwater right can be accessed. 2
Generally, groundwater quality in Deschutes
County is generally classified as being ‘good,’
providing high quality drinking water to most of
its residents. However, several productive aquifers
lie in shallow alluvial sediments that are vulnerable
to contamination from human activities and
development.
2 Information from the Oregon Water Resources Board
Mitigation Program.
Average Snowpack near Mt. Bachelor Base Village on April 1
38.7in
31.8in
2023 2070
5-6 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Natural Resources
The Department of Environmental Quality
(DEQ) Laboratory and Water Quality Divisions’
Groundwater Quality Report for the Deschutes
Basin (March 2006) identifies areas of concern
for groundwater contamination based on various
sources of data and groundwater quality studies.
Based on collected data, development patterns
and the geology of the underlying aquifer, the
report makes recommendations for a couple
of areas in the County. The report notes the
groundwater aquifer in the Redmond area is
vulnerable to contamination from human activities
and recommends further study by the DEQ. The
La Pine aquifer in the southern portion of the
county from the Sunriver area to the Klamath
County line between Newberry Caldera and the
Cascades is an area of particular concern because
of data collected through several studies and the
high level of development in the area. The report
also identifies underground injection systems that
could contaminate the aquifer with pollutants from
stormwater drywells or sewage drillholes.
In South Deschutes County, the concern
for groundwater quality arises from nitrate
contamination associated with on-site wastewater
treatment (septic) systems discharging to the
shallow unconfined aquifer. The issue is small lots
with highly permeable rapidly draining soils and a
high groundwater table with relatively cold water
temperatures. Combined with the fact that the
majority of lots are served by on-site wastewater
treatment systems and individual wells, concern
arose that nitrates from the septic systems could
contaminate local wells and the river system.
Considerable work has gone into studying the
groundwater in South County. In 1999 Deschutes
County and the Department of Environmental
Quality (DEQ) identified the need for a better
understanding of the processes that affect
the movement and chemistry of nitrogen in
the aquifer underlying the La Pine area. In
response, the U.S. Geological Service (USGS), in
cooperation with Deschutes County and DEQ,
began a study to examine the hydrologic and
Deschutes Basin Hydrogeology
The Deschutes River Basin, from its headwaters to the
Columbia River, encompasses 10,400 square miles
of the north central part of the State. Nearly 91% of
Deschutes County lies within the Deschutes Basin. The
upper Deschutes River Basin is characterized by recent
volcanic activity and strong and rapid groundwater
flows. The geologic conditions lead to a strong
connection between surface and ground water (see
also Section 3.10).
Groundwater flows eastward from the Cascade Range
through permeable volcanic rocks out into the basin
and then generally northward. Groundwater recharge
comes from precipitation in the Cascade Range, inter-
basin flow and leaking irrigation canals. No long-term
water-level declines attributable to groundwater
pumping were found in the upper Deschutes Basin.
Approximately one-half of the ground water flowing
from the Cascade Range discharges to spring-fed
streams along the margins of the range. The remaining
groundwater flows through the subsurface, and
eventually discharges to streams near the confluence
of the Deschutes, Crooked, and Metolius Rivers.
The large amount of groundwater discharge in the
confluence area is primarily caused by geologic factors.
The Deschutes River flows north through permeable
rock until it hits a region of low-permeable rock near
the confluence area. There the permeable rock strata
terminates, forcing water to the surface. Virtually all
of the regional groundwater in the upper Deschutes
Basin discharges to streams south of the area where
the Deschutes River enters this low- permeability
terrain, at roughly the location of Pelton Dam.
5-7 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Natural Resources
chemical processes that affect the movement and
chemical transformation of nitrogen within the
aquifer. A primary objective was to provide tools
for evaluating the effects of existing and future
residential development on water quality and to
develop strategies for managing groundwater
quality.
Field research from the USGS study shows that
in a 250-square-mile study area near La Pine
the groundwater underlying the La Pine sub-
basin is highly vulnerable and being polluted
by continued reliance on traditional onsite
systems. Environmental impacts from residential
development include higher nitrate concentrations
in groundwater that is tapped for domestic
water supply and discharges to rivers. Nitrates
are regulated by the federal Environmental
Protection Agency and DEQ as a human health
concern. Vulnerability of the shallow aquifer to
contamination led to concern that wastewater
from septic systems poses a threat to the primary
drinking water supply and local river systems. The
Upper Deschutes and Little Deschutes Sub-basins
have abundant, natural sources of phosphorus from
volcanic soils and rocks so the rivers are naturally
nitrogen limited. Nitrogen-limited rivers are
sensitive to low concentrations of available nitrogen
until some other component becomes limiting, and
that may lead to ecological impacts.
In 2008 the County used the research on nitrates
to adopt a ‘local rule’ that required South County
residents to convert their septic systems over a
period of 14 years to alternative sewage system
technology designed to reduce nitrates. New
septic systems were also required to use alternative
technologies. The County created a process to
assist residents in funding the conversions.
Many South County residents expressed concern
over the costs involved with converting their septic
systems and disputed the science behind the rule.
Placed on the ballet by petition, the local rule was
rescinded by voters in March 2009.
As of 2010 the DEQ is leading the effort to
address nitrates in South County, with the full
cooperation of the County. One solution being
considered is creating a sewer system or extending
Sunriver’s to serve some of the nearby areas.
Sewer systems are tightly restricted on rural lands
by Statewide Planning Goal 11 and OAR 660-11,
so the Department of Land Conservation and
Development is also involved in these efforts.
RESERVOIRS
The majority of the irrigation in Deschutes County
comes from reservoirs which are mostly spring
fed from the Cascades. Reservoirs serve the
dual purpose of supplying water for irrigation
and ensuring sufficient streamflow in the lower
Deschutes River. The water levels in these lakes
have been low in recent years due to drought in
the region. When water is limited, the supply rate
is determined by the age of water rights, with the
more senior water permits having priority over
the youngest. The Swalley and Central Irrigations
are the most senior in the county, while the North
Union Irrigation District is the most junior.
ALGAL BLOOMS
Algal blooms have been a problem for recreational
lakes in the cascade mountains in recent years.
Since 2007, the Wickiup Reservoir, Crane Prairie
Reservoir, and Paulina Lake have experienced algal
or bacteria blooms that required a health advisory.3
Although not all algal blooms are toxic, they
interfere with recreation and aesthetic enjoyment.
In general, algal blooms are caused by elevated
nutrients, elevated temperature, and still water.
Algal blooms in other parts of the state have led
to drinking water concerns, but Deschutes County
cities are supplied by groundwater and so the risk
in algal blooms is mainly to recreation.
3 https://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/
HEALTHYENVIRONMENTS/RECREATION/HARMFULALGAEBLOOMS/
Pages/archive.aspx
5-8 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Natural Resources
Key Community
Considerations
Natural resources for recreation, passive enjoyment,
habitat protection, and economic production are
a fundamental part of life in Deschutes County,
and as such were a key part of the community
conversation in this Comprehensive Plan update.
Highlights of this conversation include:
• Concern about the ability of the County’s
water supply to accommodate more residents,
visitors, and water-intensive jobs in the future
• Interest in a re-evaluation of water rights for
urban, agricultural, and “hobby farm” uses.
• A robust discussion around wildlife
inventories, habitat conservation, open space
regulations, and impacts on private property
owners.
The topic of habitat conservation came up
frequently, with most respondents saying that
further protections are needed. However, there
was some push back related to the burden these
protections may put on property owners.
Goals and Policies
Water Goals and Policies
Goal 5.1: Develop regional, comprehensive water
management policies that balance the diverse
needs of water users and recognize Oregon water
law.
Policy 5.1.1. Participate in Statewide and
regional water planning including, but not
limited to:
a. Work cooperatively with appropriate federal,
state, tribal and local agency resource
managers, such as The Confederated Tribes
of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon,
the Oregon Water Resources Department
(OWRD), and other stakeholders and non-
profit water organizations, such as the
Deschutes Basin Water Collaborative, the
County Soil and Water Conservation District;
b. Support the development and
implementation of Upper Deschutes Basin
Study, Habitat Conservation Plan, and
Biological Opinion from National Marine
Fisheries Service for the middle and lower
Deschutes Rivers.
Policy 5.1.2. Support grants for water system
infrastructure improvements, upgrades, or
expansions.
Policy 5.1.3. Consider potential impacts on
water quality and availability in surrounding
areas as part of the siting, planning, and
approval processes for Destination Resorts and
other large-scale developments.
Policy 5.1.4.Develop better understanding of
The Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs
Reservation of Oregon’s treaty-protected
rights to co-manage the water resources of the
Deschutes Basin.
5-9 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Natural Resources
Goal 5.2: Increase water conservation efforts.
Policy 5.2.1. Support efficient water use
through targeted conservation, educational and,
as needed, regulatory or incentive programs.
a. Encourage new development incorporates
efficient water use practices for all water
uses.
b. Encourage the reuse of grey water for
landscaping.
c. Encourage and educate the community
about the relative impacts of thinning or
reduction of plant species that adversely
impact forest health, water availability, and
soil quality.
d. Encourage and educate the community
about on-farm efficiency measures, including
upgrades to equipment.
e. Encourage and educate the community
about use of voluntary metering of water use
to monitor seasonal impacts on water use.
f. Provide access to educational materials
and tools related to water conservation
including publications, information about
grant opportunities, and/or partner with
organizations on educational events.
g. Encourage and educate community members
on stewardship of wetlands and waterways.
h. Provide access to educational materials
about water-wise gardening and xeriscaping.
Policy 5.2.2. Promote coordinated regional
water conservation efforts and implementation
by regional, tribal, and local organizations and
agencies, including increasing public awareness
of and implementing water conservation tools,
incentives, and best practices.
Policy 5.2.3. Support conservation efforts by
irrigation districts, property owners and other
water users, including programs to provide
incentives for water conservation, such as
piping of canals and laterals, water banking,
exchanges of water rights, voluntary transfers of
in-stream flows, onsite efficiency measures, and
other means.
Goal 5.3: Maintain and enhance a healthy
ecosystem in the Deschutes River Basin.
Policy 5.3.1. Notify the Oregon Department
of State Lands, The Confederated Tribes of the
Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon, and other
state and federal agencies as appropriate of
any development applications for land within
a wetland identified on the statewide wetland
inventory maps.
Policy 5.3.2. Work with The Confederated
Tribes of Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon
and other federal, state, and local agency
resource managers to restore, maintain and/or
enhance healthy river and riparian ecosystems
and wetlands, including the following:
a. Cooperate to improve surface waters,
especially those designated water quality
impaired under the federal Clean Water Act;
b. Support research on methods to restore,
maintain and enhance river and riparian
ecosystems and wetlands;
c. Support restoration efforts for river and
riparian ecosystems and wetlands;
d. Inventory and consider protections for cold
water springs;
e. Evaluate waterways in coordination with
OPRD for possible designation under the
Scenic Waterways program;
f. In collaboration with appropriate federal,
state, tribal and local agency resource
managers stakeholders, map channel
migration zones and identify effective
protections;
5-10 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Natural Resources
g. Develop comprehensive riparian
management or mitigation practices that
enhance ecosystems, such as criteria for
removal of vegetation that adversely impacts
water availability and soil health.
Policy 5.3.3. Support studies of the Deschutes
River ecosystem and incorporate strategies
from current watershed studies that provide
new scientific information and indigenous
knowledge about the Deschutes River
ecosystem.
Policy 5.3.4. Support educational efforts and
identify areas where the County could provide
information on the Deschutes River ecosystem,
including rivers, riparian areas, floodplains and
wetlands.
a. Support efforts to educate property owners
to understand regulations pertaining
to rivers, riparian areas, floodplains and
wetlands.
Goal 5.4: Maintain and enhance fish and riparian-
dependent wildlife habitat.
Policy 5.4.1. Coordinate with The Confederated
Tribes of Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon
and other federal, state, and local agency
resource managers and stakeholders to protect
and enhance fish and wildlife habitat in river
and riparian habitats and wetlands.
Policy 5.4.2. Promote healthy fish populations
through incentives and education.
Policy 5.4.3. Support healthy native salmonid
fish populations through coordination with
stakeholders, including, but not limited to,
The Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs
Reservation of Oregon and other federal,
state, and local agency resource managers
who provide fish habitat management and
restoration.
a. Review, and apply where appropriate,
strategies for protecting fish and fish habitat
for native salmonid species.
b. Promote native salmonid species
recovery through voluntary incentives
and encouraging appropriate species
management and associated habitat
conservation and restoration.
Policy 5.4.4. Update and implement policies
to support federally approved Habitat
Conservation Plans for species listed under the
Endangered Species Act
a. Spawning and rearing areas for salmonid
species should be considered significant
habitat and should be protected in rivers and
streams.
b. Cooperate with covered parties in restoring
or enhancing spawning and rearing areas for
salmonid species, where feasible.
c. Support efforts to address riparian
restoration associated with streamflow
management under approved plans.
Policy 5.4.5. Use a combination of incentives
and/or regulations to avoid, minimize, and
mitigate development impacts on river and
riparian ecosystems and wetlands.
Policy 5.4.6. Support plans, cooperative
agreements, education, water quality
monitoring and other tools that protect
watersheds, reduce erosion and runoff, enhance
riparian vegetation, and protect other natural or
engineered water systems/processes that filter
and/or clean water and improve and/or and
preserve water quality.
Policy 5.4.7. Coordinate with the Oregon
Department of Environmental Quality and
other stakeholders on regional water quality
maintenance and improvement efforts such as
identifying and abating point (single-source)
and non-point (unidentified or multiple-source)
pollution or developing and implementing
Total Maximum Daily Load and Water Quality
Management Plans.
5-11 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Natural Resources
Policy 5.4.8. Coordinate with The Confederated
Tribes of Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon
and other federal, state, and local agency
resource managers to address water-related
public health issues.
a. Support amendments to State regulations
to permit centralized sewer systems in areas
with high levels of existing or potential
development or identified water quality
concerns.
b. If a public health hazard is declared in rural
Deschutes County, expedite actions such as
legislative amendments allowing sewers or
similar infrastructure.
Policy 5.4.9. Continue to evaluate and/or
implement regulations, such as a wellhead
protection ordinance for public water systems,
in accordance with applicable Federal and/or
State requirements.
Policy 5.4.10. Coordinate and work with the
Oregon Department of Agriculture, agricultural
uses, and available voluntary programs
to support and implement proven new
technologies and best practices to maintain
and enhance water quality, such as minimizing
nitrate contamination, maintaining streamside
vegetation, reducing streambank soil erosion
and runoff, reducing fish passage barriers,
managing return flows, limiting livestock access
to riparian areas, and minimizing weeds and
bare patches in grazing areas.
Policy 5.4.11. Support regulations, education
programs, and cleaning procedures at public
and private boat landings.
Goal 5.5: Coordinate land use and water policies
to address management and allocation of water in
Deschutes County.
Policy 5.5.1. Coordinate with other affected
agencies when a land use or development
application may impact rivers or riparian
ecosystems or wetlands.
Policy 5.5.2. Regulate land use patterns and
promote best practices to preserve the integrity
of the natural hydrologic system, recognize the
relationship between ground and surface water,
recognize basin-wid impacts, and address water
impacts of new land uses and developments,
including water-intensive uses.
Policy 5.5.3. Support OWRD’s efforts to
update and modernize Oregon’s groundwater
allocation rules and policies to protect existing
surface water and groundwater users and to
maintain sustainable groundwater resources.
Policy 5.5.4. Support efforts by the OWRD
in collaboration with Central Oregon Cities
Organization, The Confederated Tribes of the
Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon, and
non-governmental organizations to revisit
the Deschutes Basin Groundwater Mitigation
Program.
Policy 5.5.5. Coordinate with the irrigation
districts to ensure irrigated land partitions and
lot line adjustments are not approved without
notice to the affected district.
Policy 5.5.6. Utilize Central Oregon Stormwater
Manual to apply appropriate stormwater
management practices land use. decisions.
Policy 5.5.7. Allow for development of
wastewater facilities and improvements where
needed or required to address water quality
issues and maintain water quality, consistent
with state and local wastewater system
requirements.
5-12 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Natural Resources
Open Space and Scenic Views Goals &
Policies
Goal 5.6: Coordinate with property owners to
protect open spaces, scenic views, and scenic areas
and corridors through a combination of incentives
and/or educational programs.
Policy 5.6.1. Work with stakeholders to create
and maintain a system of connected open
spaces while balancing private property rights
with community benefits.
Policy 5.6.2. Work to maintain the visual
character and rural appearance of open
spaces such as the area along Highway 97
that separates the communities of Bend and
Redmond or lands that are visually prominent.
Policy 5.6.3. Work to maintain and protect the
visual character and rural appearance of visually
prominent open spaces within the County,
particularly those that are identified in the Goal
5 inventory.
Policy 5.6.4. Seek to protect the cultural
identity of rural communities, such as the
Highway 97 area/corridor between Bend and
Redmond, and others.
Policy 5.6.5. Protect significant open spaces,
scenic views, and scenic sites by encouraging
new development to be sensitive to these
resources.
Policy 5.6.6. Incentivize the placement of
structures in a way that is sensitive of view
corridors to maintain the visual character of the
area.
Wildlife Goals and Policies
Goal 5.7:Maintain and enhance a diversity of
wildlife and habitats.
Policy 5.7.1. Promote stewardship of wildlife
habitats through incentives, public education,
and development regulations.
Policy 5.7.2. Ensure Goal 5 wildlife inventories
and habitat protection programs are up-to-date
through public processes, expert sources, and
current or recently adopted plans and studies.
Policy 5.7.3. Provide incentives for new
development to be compatible with and to
enhance wildlife habitat.
Policy 5.7.4. Require, incentivize, or encourage
clustering of development in inventoried wildlife
areas to reduce impacts to wildlife populations.
Policy 5.7.5.Develop better understanding of
The Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs
Reservation of Oregon’s treaty-protected rights
to co-manage the wildlife resources of the
Deschutes Basin.
Goal 5.8: Balance protection of wildlife and habitat
with the economic and recreational benefits of
wildlife and habitat.
Policy 5.8.1. Encourage responsible and
sustainable wildlife related tourism and
recreation.
Policy 5.8.2. Coordinate with stakeholders
to ensure access to appropriate recreational
opportunities within significant wildlife and
riparian habitat through public or non-profit
ownership.
Policy 5.8.3.Coordinate with Confederated
Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation
of Oregon and State agencies to develop
strategies to support sound wildlife
management science and principals for the
benefit of the wildlife resource.
Goal 5.9: Comply with federal and state regulations
related to sensitive, threatened, and endangered
species, including the Endangered Species Act,
the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, the
Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and others as applicable.
Policy 5.9.1. Coordinate with Federal and
State agencies to develop strategies to protect
Federal or State Threatened or Endangered
Species, or Species of Concern.
5-13 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Natural Resources
Policy 5.9.2. Mitigate conflicts between large-
scale development and sage grouse habitat.
Policy 5.9.3. Consider adopting
recommendations from Oregon Department of
Fish and Wildlife, the Confederated Tribes of the
Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon, and the
Deschutes River Mitigation and Enhancement
Program in dock construction.
Environmental Quality Goals and
Policies
Goal 5.10: Maintain and improve upon the quality
of air and land in Deschutes County.
Policy 5.10.1. Use building techniques,
materials, and technologies in existing and
future County operations and capital facilities
that help maintain and improve environmental
quality.
Policy 5.10.2. Implement a dark skies
educational and or incentive program and
periodically update the Dark Skies ordinance to
reduce the impacts of light pollution and reduce
lighting impacts on adjacent properties.
Policy 5.10.3. Coordinate with agency partners
to educate residents about controlled burning
projects and air quality concerns.
Policy 5.10.4. Use public education, education
for County departments, and regulations to
control noxious weeds and invasive species.
Goal 5.11: Promote sustainable building practices
that minimize the impacts of development on the
natural environment.
Policy 5.11.1. Use the County Code and
educational materials to promote the use of
resource-efficient building and landscaping
techniques, materials, and technologies that
minimize impacts to environmental quality.
Policy 5.11.2. Encourage and support reuse
and recycling of consumer goods, green
waste, construction waste, hazardous waste,
and e-waste through education and enhanced
recycling opportunities through the Recycling
Program.
Policy 5.11.3. Support the process for siting
new County solid waste management facilities
in rural Deschutes County, consistent with
facility needs and County standards for the
location and approval of such facilities.
Policy 5.11.4. Implement best practices in solid
waste management throughout the County.
Policy 5.11.5. Develop and implement a
Climate Action Plan to address the potential
future impacts of climate change on Deschutes
County.
Policy 5.11.6. Promote and incentivize green
infrastructure in new development to improve
stormwater management.
5-14 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Natural Resources
6 Historic and Historic and
Cultural ResourcesCultural Resources
Historic resources are recognized by Statewide
Planning Goal 5, Natural Resources, Scenic Views
and Historic Areas and Open Spaces, and Oregon
Administrative Rule (OAR) 660-023. The Statewide
Goal and OAR recommend cities and counties
inventory and protect historic and cultural sites.
Recognizing the value and importance of having
a connection to our past, Deschutes County chose
to implement and maintain a historic preservation
program and Historic Preservation Strategic Plan
(Adopted 2022).
The 2022 Historic Preservation Strategic Plan
identified three overarching goals to guide historic
and cultural resource preservation in Deschutes
County: collaborate, coordinate, and educate.
The plan identifies opportunities to strengthen
relationships between historic preservation and
community partners, and to involve community
members in historical and cultural preservation
efforts. Improving access to historic resource
information and providing content in an easily
accessible format will be paramount to preservation
efforts and increase community appreciation
for resources. Along with improved educational
resources, more outreach and education
opportunities could be explored.
Context
Deschutes County has several notable historical and
cultural sites. These sites receive special protections
to avoid land use or development activity that
may disturb the historical or educational resources
existing on site.
LOCALLY SIGNIFICANT HISTORIC SITES
Deschutes County has 35 locally significant sites
including cemeteries, ranches, dams, bridges,
schools, and granges among numerous historic
homesteads and homesites.
6-12 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Historic and Cultural Resources
Opportunities, Challenges, and Considerations
Deschutes County is a certified local government (CLG), as designated by the State
of Oregon Historic Preservation Office. This certification recognizes the County’s
commitment to implementing and maintaining a formal historic resources program.
Deschutes County has 13 nationally registered historic and cultural sites and 35
locally significant historic sites. The County currently administers grant programs
and zoning requirements to preserve and restore these sites.
NATIONALLY REGISTERED SITES
Deschutes County has 13 sites that have completed
the national register process, including highways,
bridges, lodges, and rock gardens.
One of the primary sites of historic and cultural
learning in the county is the nationally acclaimed
High Desert Museum. The museum is dedicated to
broadening the understanding of the High Desert’s
wildlife, culture, art, and natural resources. In doing
so, it strives to promote thoughtful decision making
to sustain the region’s natural and cultural heritage.
Key Community
Considerations
As part of the 2023 Comprehensive Plan update,
community members shared their vision for the
protection of historic and cultural resources.
Comments included:
• The importance of county-wide coordination
on cultural and historic, as well as increased
representation of the indigenous history of
Central Oregon.
• Acknowledging previous landowners and
preserving the County’s historical and cultural
resources are both important.
• A county-wide historic and cultural resource
signage program was also suggested.
• The community shared an interest in
capitalizing on the High Desert Museum to
continue to support indigenous culture and
Central Oregon’s history.
Goals and Policies
Goal 6.1: Promote the preservation of designated
historic and cultural resources through education,
incentives, and voluntary programs.
Policy 6.1.1. The Historic Landmarks
Commission shall take the lead in promoting
historic and cultural resource preservation as
defined in DCC 2.28.
a. Support incentives from the State
Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), The
Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs
Reservation of Oregon Tribal Historic
Preservation Office (THPO), or other agencies
for private landowners to protect and restore
historic resources.
b. Support the Historic Landmarks Commission
to promote educational programs to
inform the public of the values of historic
preservation.
c. Support improved training for the Historic
Landmarks Commission.
d. Support the goals, objectives, and actions of
the Historic Preservation Strategic Plan.
Policy 6.1.2. Coordinate cultural and historic
preservation with the Oregon State Historic
Preservation Office Office and The Confederated
Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of
Oregon Tribal Historic Preservation Office.
a. Maintain Deschutes County as a Certified
Local Government, which includes the City of
Sisters.
b. Encourage private property owners
to coordinate with the State Historic
Preservation Office and The Confederated
Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of
Oregon Tribal Historic Preservation Office.
Policy 6.1.3.Coordinate with The Confederated
Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of
Oregon and SHPO to adopt a program
to identify and protect archaeological and
cultural resources, as appropriate, and prevent
conflicting uses from disrupting the value of
known sites.
6-13 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Historic and Cultural Resources
7 Natural HazardsNatural Hazards
In order to plan for and address natural hazards,
Deschutes County has partnered with local
jurisdictions to create its Natural Hazards Mitigation
Plan (NHMP). Additional opportunities exist to
create greater defensible spaces, encourage fire
hardening, utilize grant programs, and pursue
education measures to reduce these impacts over
time.
According to the NHMP, the hazards with greatest
risk in Deschutes County are:
• Winter Storm. Destructive storms producing
heavy snow, ice and cold temperatures
occurred throughout the County’s history.
Increases in population and tourism make
potential impacts to shelter, access to medical
services, transportation, utilities, fuel sources,
and telecommunication systems more
acute. The relative frequency of these events
combined with their widespread impacts
make winter storms the highest-ranked
hazard in the NHMP.
7-2 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Natural Hazards
Opportunities, Challenges, and Considerations
Central Oregon is a dynamic region formed and shaped by the powerful forces of
nature. Deschutes County residents and visitors rely on the County and its partners
to plan for hazardous events and limit harm to people and property.
Continued rapid population growth, development in wildfire-prone areas, and an
increased frequency of natural hazard events make planning for and mitigating
risks ever more important. As temperatures rise globally, Central Oregon will face
challenges due to drought, wildfire, heat events, and storms. The impacts a major
Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake would have on Deschutes County would be
substantial as well.
• Wildfire. Historically, wildland fires have
shaped the forests and wildlands valued by
residents and visitors. These landscapes,
however, are now significantly altered due to
increased rural development and a general
lack of large-scale treatments, resulting in
overgrown forests with dense fuels that burn
more intensely than in the past.
• Windstorm. A windstorm is generally a
short duration event involving straight-line
winds and/or gusts in excess of 50 mph.
Although windstorms can affect the entirety
of Deschutes County, they are especially
dangerous in developed areas with significant
tree stands and major infrastructure,
especially above ground utility lines.
• Drought. Periods of drought can have
significant impacts on public health,
agriculture, and industry. Many counties
in eastern Oregon are experiencing more
frequent and severe droughts than is
historically the norm, and many climate
predictions see this trend continuing into the
future.
• Earthquake. The Pacific Northwest is located
at a convergent plate boundary, called the
Cascadia Subduction Zone, where the Juan
de Fuca and North American tectonic plates
meet. This fault line is subject to rare but
potentially very large earthquakes. Such
an event would impact Deschutes County
communities both directly through damage
to infrastructure and property, as well as
economically and socially as the broader
region recovers from the disaster.
Context
Informed by an understanding of natural
hazards, Deschutes County can reduce the risks
to property, environmental quality, and human
safety through land use planning and review of
specific development proposals. The County’s
policies provide the framework for the County’s
natural hazards review program. This includes:
identification of areas subject to natural hazards,
regulations for evaluating land use actions for
how they may result in exposure to potential harm
from natural hazards, and programmatic elements
including partnerships and funding opportunities to
support natural hazard risk reduction.
Deschutes County has taken on a number of
proactive projects, including:
• 2021 Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan (NHMP)
• 2019 Wildfire Mitigation Advisory Committee
• Project Wildfire, a County-led wildfire
education and mitigation program has been
in operation since 2012 and has been very
successful in changing attitudes towards
wildfire and prevention.
• Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPP)
for many communities, including:
»Greater Bend CWPP (2016, expected
revision 2021)
»Greater La Pine CWPP (2020, expected
revision 2025)
»Greater Redmond CWPP (2018, expected
revision 2023)
»Greater Sisters Country CWPP (2019,
expected revision 2024)
»Sunriver CWPP (2020, expected revision
2025)
Statewide Planning Goal 7 requires local
comprehensive plans to address Oregon’s
natural hazards. Protecting people and
property from natural hazards requires
knowledge, planning, coordination, and
education. Good planning does not put
buildings or people in harm’s way. Planning,
especially for the location of essential
services like schools, hospitals, fire and
police stations, is done with sensitivity to
the potential impact of nearby hazards.
7-3 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Natural Hazards
»East and West Deschutes County CWPP
(2018, expected revision 2023)
»Upper Deschutes River Coalition CWPP
(2018, expected revision 2023)
In addition, dozens of neighborhoods are pursuing
or have received FireWise certification through
the National Fire Protection Association. The
County also supports the Heart of Oregon and
Youth Conservation Corps crews in fuels reduction
work and other mitigation efforts, with financial
assistance from other entities.
Wildfire
According to the Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan,
wildfire is the second most significant hazard to
the county (after winter storms) and was the most
discussed natural hazard discussed during outreach
events. Throughout the 20th century, the years
with warm and dry conditions corresponded with
larger fires that have burned greater areas. Overall
increases in heat will also lengthen growing seasons
- building greater fuel loads and decreasing soil
and fuel moisture, thereby increasing the likelihood
of larger fires. By mid-century, the annual potential
for very large fires is projected to increase by at
least 350% over the 20th century average.1
1 Halofsky, J. Peterson, D, Harvey, B. “Changing Wildfire,
changing forests: the effects of climate change on fire regimes and
vegetation in the Pacific Northwest, USA. Fire Ecology. 2020.
The annual frequency of very high and extreme
fire danger days is expected to increase by 10-
15 additional days per year by mid-century4
(up from 36 currently). These trends are due to
exacerbated conditions with a combination of
high air temperatures and very low fuel moisture,
which increases the likelihood of fire starts that can
spread. As Deschutes County communities have
experienced, increased fire activity - even at quite a
distance - will impact air quality, increasing public
health risks and impacting aspects of everyday life.
Research indicates that in regions where fire has
moved through the landscape with increased
severity, regrowth is changing the species
composition of the forests, which are likely to be
more resilient to future fires. 2 Other compounding
factors, like drought and pest outbreaks, will
continue to build fuel loads in the forests and
change the forest’s composition. Post-fire
landscapes in Deschutes County will likely see
increases in the prevalence of invasive and pioneer
tree species, and a reduction in fire-susceptible
species such as western hemlock, subalpine fir,
and some spruce. Fire resistant species like mature
Douglas fir and western larch will have greater
survival capacity to fire,3 but perhaps not to other
stressors. Larger fires that occur over shorter
intervals will negatively impact seed dispersion
capacity, and reduced moisture available in
ponderosa forest regions will be vulnerable to
reforestation failures, leading to conversion to
other ecosystem types. In the mountain forests, the
average yearly area burned is expected to nearly
double by mid-century, while the area burned in
the grass/shrub plateau areas is likely to decrease
slightly by mid-century. This is partly due to
extended drought decreasing plant growth and
therefore available fuel. The risk of unusually severe
fires is expected to increase across large swaths of
Oregon, including Deschutes County.4
2 Sebastian U. Busby, Kevan B. Moffett, Andrés Holz.
High‐severity and short‐interval wildfires limit forest recovery in
the Central Cascade Range. Ecosphere, 2020; 11 (9) DOI: 10.1002/
ecs2.3247
3 6 Halofsky et al. 2020.
4 Oregon Forest Resources Institute Fact Sheet
7-4 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Natural Hazards
WILDFIRE AND HEAT
By the middle of this century, increasing
temperatures are expected to drive increasing
wildfire risk, especially in the Cascades. The yearly
percentage of area burned is likely to increase in
the mountains and the interval of return (years
between fires) is expected to decrease across
the county. Both the highest and lowest summer
temperatures will increase, leading to more extreme
heat days and reducing the historical nighttime
cooling effect of the high desert.
Under all change projections, there will be an
increase in the number of days with a heat index
above both 90° and 100°F by mid-century.8 By
2100, Deschutes County can expect summer
maximum temperatures to be 12°F hotter than
current highs. Overall, extreme heat is not
considered a human health risk in Deschutes
County because of low night temperatures and the
low humidity in the region. However, the Redmond
airport, which sees the hottest temperatures
in the county, will likely start to see occasional
temperatures above 105° every few years by
mid-century, and at least once a year by 2100. In
addition, summer night lows are likely to increase
by up to 5° degrees by mid-century, reducing the
cooling effect of the high desert climate.
Vulnerable Populations
The socio-demographic qualities of the
community population such as language,
race and ethnicity, age, income, and
educational attainment are significant
factors that can influence the community’s
ability to cope, adapt to and recover from
natural disasters. A disproportionate
burden is placed upon special needs
groups, particularly children, the elderly,
the disabled, minorities, and low-income
persons. Population vulnerabilities can be
reduced or eliminated with proper outreach
and community mitigation planning. For
planning purposes, it is essential that
Deschutes County and the cities of Bend,
La Pine, Redmond, and Sisters consider
both immediate and long-term socio-
demographic implications of hazard
resilience.
Fire Danger near Mt. Bachelor Village
2023 2070
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7-5 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Natural Hazards
Key Community
Considerations
Community conversations related to natural
hazards have centered around the following topics:
• Impacts of Climate Change. Throughout the
community engagement process, community
members spoke to the importance of
recognizing and addressing the impacts of
climate change in Deschutes County and its
relationship with natural hazard events.
• Education and Communication. Providing
information about potential risks to residents
and visitors can help the community as a
whole be more prepared for natural hazards.
• Development Code Regulations and
Incentives. Some community members
expressed a desire for stricter regulations
and additional incentives about “fire-wise”
construction and defensible space practices.
• Limiting Development in hazard-prone
areas. Increased development in remote areas
of the County, where life-saving services may
be scarce and human impacts may exacerbate
risks, was a concern for some.
Goals and Policies
Goal 7.1: Develop policies, partnerships, and
programs to increase resilience and response
capacity in order to protect people, property,
infrastructure, the economy, natural resources, and
the environment from natural hazards.
Policy 7.1.1. Partner with county, state, and
regional partners to regularly update and
implement the Deschutes County Natural
Hazards Mitigation Plan.
Policy 7.1.2. Collaborate with federal, state, and
local partners to maintain updated mapping of
high wildfire risk areas, floodplains, and other
natural hazard areas within the county.
Policy 7.1.3. Communicate and cooperate
with federal, state, and local entities to clarify
responsibilities regarding wildfire mitigation
and suppression to improve fire protection
services.
Policy 7.1.4. Use the development code to
provide incentives and regulations to manage
development in areas prone to natural hazards.
Policy 7.1.5. Work with agency partners to
address and respond to increased episodes of
poor air quality resulting from wildfires in the
region.
Policy 7.1.6. Protect wildlife with wildland fire
mitigation measures on private lands.
Policy 7.1.7. Address wildfire risk, particularly in
the wildland urban interface.
Policy 7.1.8. Identify all areas not protected
by structural fire protection agencies and
promote discussions to address fire protection
in unprotected lands in the County.
Policy 7.1.9. Support forest management
practices that reduce wildfire risk.
Policy 7.1.10. Support local fire protection
districts and departments in providing and
improving fire protection services.
7-6 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Natural Hazards
Policy 7.1.11. Continue to review and revise
County Code as needed to:
a. Ensure that land use activities do not
aggravate, accelerate or increase the level of
risk from natural hazards.
b. Require development proposals to
include an impact evaluation that reviews
the ability of the affected fire agency to
maintain an appropriate level of service to
existing development and the proposed
development.
c. Minimize erosion from development and
ensure disturbed or exposed areas are
promptly restored to a stable, natural and/or
vegetated condition using natural materials
or native plants.
d. Ensure drainage from development or
alterations to historic drainage patterns do
not increase erosion on-site or on adjacent
properties.
e. Reduce problems associated with
administration of the Floodplain Zone.
f. Require new subdivisions and destination
resorts to achieve FireWise Standards or
other currently accepted fire mitigation
standards from the beginning of the projects
and maintain those standards in perpetuity.
Goal 7.2: Ensure the County’s built environment
and infrastructure are adequately prepared for
natural disasters.
Policy 7.2.1. Increase the quality, resiliency,
diversity, and redundancy of utility and
transportation infrastructure to increase chances
of continued service following a natural disaster.
Policy 7.2.2. Prohibit the development of new
essential public facilities and uses that serve
vulnerable populations from being located
within areas at high risk of flooding and wildfire,
and aim to relocate existing uses in these areas.
Policy 7.2.3. Support siting of Central Oregon
Ready, Responsive, Resilient (CORE3) regional
coordinated emergency services training facility.
Policy 7.2.4. Coordinate with emergency
service providers when new development is
proposed to ensure that response capacity can
meet the needs of the new development.
Policy 7.2.5. Require new development to
follow home hardening, defensible space, and
other resilient design strategies in areas prone
to wildfires and other natural hazards.
Policy 7.2.6. Encourage and incentivize
development that exceeds minimum building
code standards and promote retrofitting of
existing development for better natural disaster
resiliency.
Policy 7.2.7. Require development to be
designed to minimize alteration of the natural
landform in areas subject to slope instability,
drainage issues or erosion.
Policy 7.2.8. Regulate development in
designated floodplains identified on the
Deschutes County Zoning Map based
on Federal Emergency Management Act
regulations.
a. Continue evaluation of participation in
and implementation of the Community
Rating System as part of the National Flood
Insurance Program.
b. Cooperate with other stakeholders to identify
alternatives for acquiring and/or relocating
existing structures prone to flooding.
c. Continue to coordinate with stakeholders
and agency staff to correct mapping errors.
Goal 7.3: Develop programs that inform the public
about the increased risks from natural hazards.
Policy 7.3.1. Identify high risk, high need
populations and ensure equitable access to
emergency preparedness and recovery services.
7-7 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Natural Hazards
Policy 7.3.2. Increase outreach and education
for hazard awareness and natural disaster
preparedness, especially for low-income,
elderly, non-English speaking, and other
vulnerable populations.
Policy 7.3.3. Expand partnerships with
government agencies, utilities, and other groups
that can help Deschutes County residents
prepare for natural disasters.
Policy 7.3.4. Work with regional partners to
establish and maintain adequate support for
a Deschutes County Community Emergency
Response Team (CERT) to aid in responding to
natural hazard events.
Policy 7.3.5. Promote and support business
resilience planning.
7-8 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Natural Hazards
8 RecreationRecreation
Deschutes County does not have a parks
department; instead, it coordinates with the
federal and state agencies, local park districts, and
private entities that provide park and recreational
opportunities. Coordination assures that resources
are used efficiently, and duplication is avoided. With
a holistic view of recreation in Deschutes County,
the County can also provide other agencies and
jurisdictions with guidance for service gaps to fill.
The health of the County’s recreational assets and
industry is inexorably tied to the health of the
land, forests, and waterways of Central Oregon.
The effects of human activity - from development
pressures and overuse of recreational facilities to
resource extraction and climate change – will have
a significant impact on recreation in Deschutes
County. Some of these impacts include:
• Changes in precipitation affecting the timing
and conditions for winter sports
• Loss of habitat
• Wildfire and risk of wildfire limiting
recreational access
• Increased number of dangerously warm days
Statewide Planning Goal 8, Recreation and
Oregon Administrative Rule (OAR) 660-
034 address recreation, but do not require
local governments to provide park and
recreation services. Several agencies and
special districts already provide recreation
services in Deschutes County. These include
Bend Parks and Recreation District, La Pine
Parks and Recreation District, Sunriver Parks
and Recreation District, and Oregon Parks
and Recreation Department.
8-2 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Recreation
Opportunities, Challenges, and Considerations
Recreation is an important quality of life issue for Deschutes County and recreational
tourism is a key part of the local economy. Both residents and visitors are drawn by
the County’s extensive public lands, seasonal climate, and wide variety of activities
and settings. Recreational opportunities include places set aside for specific activities
such as campgrounds or sports fields as well as passive spaces such as natural areas.
The primary focus of recreation in rural Deschutes County is outdoor recreation.
Outdoor activities promote healthy communities by encouraging people to enjoy an
active lifestyle and by providing opportunities to reconnect with the natural world.
Future Challenges to Recreation
The health of the County’s recreational assets and
industry is inexorably tied to the health of the
land, forests, and waterways of Central Oregon.
The effects of human activity - from development
pressures and overuse of recreational facilities to
resource extraction and climate change – will have
a significant impact on recreation in Deschutes
County.
There are several environmental concerns that may
affect parks and recreation in Deschutes County in
the future. Activities such as hiking, hunting, fishing,
swimming, and foraging are an important part of
recreation in Deschutes County - these activities
are likely to be impacted by future changes to the
climate.
Fishing may be impacted by drought as water
bodies warm and seasonally drop. Foraging
animals, like deer and elk, may express changing
behavior like earlier-season high elevation foraging
and increased interactions with agricultural
communities due to drought. Drought also severely
reduces the prominence of fruiting fungi for annual
mushroom hunters, and may increase pressure on
the remaining harvest areas. Fungi are crucial to
the health of the forest ecosystem, adapting and
responding to changing conditions and disease.
These conditions may also lead to greater
frequency and severity of algal and bacterial
blooms in fresh water. Algal blooms in other parts
of the state have led to drinking water concerns,
but Deschutes County cities are supplied by
groundwater and so the risk in algal blooms is
mainly to recreation – boaters, swimmers, anglers,
and campers may be less motivated to visit.
Winter Sports
Snow sports are a significant component of
recreation in Deschutes County. Overall decline
in snow pack is expected in the coming decades,
which will heavily impact winter sports that rely
on snowpack in the Cascades. At the Mt. Bachelor
Ski Resort, April Snowpack is expected to decline
between 11% and 18% by the middle of the
century and between 18% and 43% by the end of
the century. Additionally, inconsistent snowpack
buildup will increase due to more precipitation
falling as rain instead of snow throughout the
season, making winter sports seasons less
predictable.
Summer Recreation
The summer outdoor season has additional risks
from degraded to severely degraded air quality
due to wildfire throughout the west coast. With
degraded air quality, outdoor recreators may
avoid the region, impacting regional income and
generally degrading the perception of the county
as a retreat to the natural world. Additionally, an
8-3 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Recreation
increase in the frequency of very high temperature
days may impact the safety and desirability of
outdoor recreation.
Context
Deschutes County does not directly provide
parks and recreation services. The only public
parks the County maintains are a section of the
County Fairgrounds and the Worrell Wayside in
downtown Bend. Although there is no County parks
department, there are County-owned properties
which are designated as park lands. Parks and
recreation services are provided by the following
entities.
OREGON PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT
OPRD owns and manages several key parks and
scenic areas in the County. These include state
parks such as line Falls State Scenic Viewpoint, La
Pine State Park, Pilot Butte State Scenic Viewpoint,
Smith Rock State Park, and Tumalo State Park. In
addition, they also manage the Upper and Middle
Deschutes River Scenic Waterway segments, and
Cascade Lakes and McKenzie Pass-Santiam Pass
Scenic Byways.
THE BEND PARKS AND RECREATION SPECIAL
DISTRICT (BPRD)
BPRD owns and maintains approximately 3,035
acres of parkland including 81 parks and 70 miles
of trails. The largest park district in the County,
the taxing district follows the City of Bend Urban
Growth Boundary closely, although extends past
the UGB to the west and east to include several
properties outside of city limits.
THE LA PINE PARKS AND RECREATION SPECIAL
DISTRICT
This district operates in 85 square miles and 11
parks and recreation facilities in southern Deschutes
County including the City of La Pine.
THE REDMOND AREA PARKS AND RECREATION
SPECIAL DISTRICT
The District operates five recreational facilities
including the Cascade Swim Center and extends
beyond city limits to Tetherow Crossing. In 2022,
the district received voter approval for a general
obligation bond to build a new community
center with a variety of recreational, fitness, and
therapeutic activates.
THE SISTERS PARK AND RECREATION SPECIAL
DISTRICT
Operates approximately 15 acres of land within
City of Sisters city limits, including Bike Park 242,
Hyzer Pines Disc Golf Course, a playground, a
skatepark, and Coffield Community Center. The
district boundary extends far past city limits,
serving approximately 14,000 residents through
programming and activities.
THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE, BUREAU OF LAND
MANAGEMENT
Approximately 76% of the County’s total land area
is owned by the federal government, primarily
these two agencies. Community members
seek out extensive recreation activities in these
areas, including skiing, mountain biking, hiking,
backpacking, fishing, hunting, kayaking, and off-
road vehicle riding.
8-4 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Recreation
Photo Credit: Visit Bend (www.visitbend.com)
COUNTY-OWNED OPEN SPACE
Starting in 1994 the County received donation of
several properties along rivers, creeks, or streams or
with wildlife, wetlands, or other value as park lands.
The intent of this donation was not to develop
these lands for park use but rather to preserve
lands with valuable resources, which were protected
through deed restrictions. The park designation
means that the lands would be retained in public
ownership unless there was a public hearing and
the Board of County Commissioners determined
that selling was in the best interest of the public.
ORS 275.330 governs the disposal of these lands,
stating that if they are sold the proceeds must
be dedicated to park or recreation purposes. As
of 2009, there were approximately 70 properties
designated as park lands.
COUNTY FAIRGROUND AND EXPO CENTER
The 132-acre County Fairground and Expo Center
site is located southwest of the Redmond airport,
and it is placed strategically at the hub of the tri-
county area (Deschutes, Jefferson, Crook Counties).
The facility is used for a variety of public and
private events. Each of its lawn areas can be rented
exclusively by groups for different events, which
range from weddings, picnics, reunions, car shows,
RV / motorcycle rallies, animal shows, and outdoor
trade shows, among others.
Key Community
Considerations
Recreation and access to nature is a key component
of life in Deschutes County and a primary attraction
for both residents and visitors. As part of this
Comprehensive Plan update, community members
noted concerns about increasing recreational use
or overuse, conflicts among different users, and the
need for permitting or other strategies to manage
use, particularly in popular locations.
Because the county does not have a parks and
recreation department, community members have
identified service gaps and lack of continuity of trail
networks, habitat and species preservation, and
land access policies. Residents are concerned with
private recreation development and use of natural
resources such as land and water.
The tension between resource use of forest land
and water, recreational use of these areas, and
natural resource protection is evident among
members of the community
Community members also noted that it is
imperative for all special districts and agencies
providing park services to coordinate on integrated
services. These partnerships will be key to ensure
sustainable recreation and land stewardship as the
County continues to grow.
8-5 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Recreation
Goals and Policies
Goal 8.1: Increase affordable, sustainable,
and diverse recreation opportunities through
partnerships with government and private entities.
Policy 8.1.1. Reduce barriers to regional parks
and recreation projects in Deschutes County,
including acknowledgement or adoption of
federal, state and local parks district trail and
facility plans.
Policy 8.1.2. Collaborate with partners to
develop a regional system of trails and open
spaces, prioritizing recommendations from
local parks districts, County, state, and federal
recreational plans and studies.
Policy 8.1.3. Encourage coordination between
the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land
Management and recreational use interest
groups to minimize environmental degradation,
agricultural fragmentation and user conflicts on
public and private land.
Policy 8.1.4. Support the creation and
improvement of accessible park and recreation
opportunities in compliance with the Americans
with Disabilities Act.
Policy 8.1.5. Support efforts to coordinate
recreation planning between the County,
park and recreation districts, school districts,
irrigation districts, unincorporated communities,
and cities.
Policy 8.1.6. Support the development of parks
and trails identified in locally-adopted plans.
Policy 8.1.7. Coordinate with unincorporated
communities to identify opportunities for parks,
trails, open spaces, and community centers.
Policy 8.1.8. Establish trail design standards
and identify specific funding sources for trails
as part of future transportation system planning
efforts to ensure development of identified
priority rural trail segments and bicycle routes.
Policy 8.1.9. Explore creation of a County Parks
and Recreation Department to increase the
County’s role in recreation and natural resource
management and implement if deemed
appropriate.
Policy 8.1.10. Support community efforts for
acquisition and management of Skyline Forest
as a community amenity.
Policy 8.1.11. Work with stakeholders to
promote new recreational and tourist initiatives
that maintain the integrity of the natural
environment.
8-6 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Recreation
9 Economic Economic
DevelopmentDevelopment
Economic development agencies in Central Oregon
cite the tremendous natural resource access and
amenities to be essential for drawing in new
businesses and workers. As the County grows,
childcare will continue to be challenge for rural
residents along with access to high speed and
reliable internet services.
A continued challenge for Deschutes County will
be to balance adequate economic opportunity for
rural residents, with protection of natural resource
lands. Community members have expressed
interest in providing for new and emerging
economic opportunities through renewable energy
development, including potential for biomass,
solar, geothermal, and wind projects that may be
compatible with rural uses.
Context
Deschutes County’s economy was initially built
around farming and logging. As those sectors
declined in the 20th century, recreation and tourism
increased as people were drawn to the beauty
and opportunities to recreate on public lands.
Deschutes County’s high quality of life became a
draw for employers and employees alike. In the
2000’s, the building sector boomed as new housing
was built to meet both increased housing demand
and the real estate speculation that followed.
Housing prices rose so high that workforce housing
became a limiting factor in economic growth. The
period of strong growth ended with the national
recession that began in late 2007, leading to falling
housing prices and rising unemployment. The
2010’s and early 2020’s have proven to be another
period of booming economic growth for Deschutes
County, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic
and the dramatic increase in remote work.
9-2 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Economic Development
Opportunities, Challenges, and Considerations
Statewide Planning Goal 9 provides guidance on economic development for
Oregon jurisdictions. This goal is intended to “provide adequate opportunities
throughout the state for a variety of economic activities vital to the health, welfare,
and prosperity of Oregon’s citizens.” For Deschutes County, implementing Goal 9 is
focused on ensuring opportunities for economic development, while protecting rural
land uses.
In Deschutes County, several areas are designated for rural industrial and rural
commercial activities to allow for activities such as manufacturing or resource
processing. Additionally, unincorporated communities and rural service centers
allow for limited commercial opportunities, including restaurants, services, and retail
stores.
Deschutes County’s economy remains strong
compared to Oregon as a whole, as
shown in the statictics below.
$74,082
Median Household
Income
($70,084 in Oregon)
9.4%
of county population
experiencing poverty
(12 .1% in Oregon)
63.3%
of population in
civilian workforce
(62 .6% in Oregon)
Primary Industries
Deschutes County is known for its abundant natural
resources, though the County continues to balance
its economy through a variety of industries. The top
10 industries overall in Deschutes County (including
those within urban areas) are:
1. Trade, transportation, utilities (15,742 jobs)
2. Education/Health Services (13,479 jobs)
3. Goods-producing (13,169 jobs)
4. Leisure and hospitality (12,990 jobs)
5. Health care and social assistance (12,541 jobs)
6. Retail trade (11,714 jobs)
7. Accommodation and food services (10,718 jobs)
8. Professional/business services (10,067 jobs)
9. Food services/drinking places (8,304 jobs)
10. Local government (7,396 jobs)
9-3 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Economic Development
2022 Central Oregon Largest Private Employers by Industry
Rank Employees Employer
1 4,509 St. Charles Health System regional
2 1,030 Bright Wood Corporation regional
3 1,000 Sunriver Resort 1,000 1,000 940
4 916 Les Schwab Headquarters & Tire Centers regional
5 894 Mt. Bachelor
6 714 Safeway regional
7 640 NC Fred Meyer regional
8 628 Summit Medical Group regional
9 605 McDonald's regional
10 440 Lonza, formerly Bend Research
11 415 Rosendin Electric
12 391 Mosaic Medical regional
13 375 Black Butte Ranch
14 365 ibex
15 350 Meta Platforms, Inc. - Facebook Data Center
16 340 BasX
17 336 PacificSource
18 296 High Lakes Health Care regional
19 280 Brasada Ranch
20 267 Medline ReNewal
Healthcare6,427
Scientific and manufacturing780Services1,696
Wood Products1,030
Food Service and Grocery1,959
IT350
Tourism2,549 employees
2022 Central Oregon Largest Private Employers
Tourism
Tourism continues to be a major facet of Central
Oregon’s economy, with approximately 4.5
million visitors entering Central Oregon each
year. The majority of those visitors travel to Bend
and Deschutes County in particular but other
communities in the County also are popular
destinations, including Sisters, Redmond and
Terrebonne, as well as destination resort such as
Sunriver, Eagle Crest, Pronghorn and others. In
addition, recreational opportunities throughout
the County also attract a multitude of visitors, from
skiing on Mt. Bachelor, hiking in the Three Sisters
Wilderness, and rafting the Deschutes River, to
fishing, hunting and camping at dispersed sites
on National Forest and BLM land throughout the
County.
9-4 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Economic Development
4.27
Annual overnight visitors in
Central Oregon (comprised of
Deschutes, Crook, Jefferson, and
south Wasco counties)
Million
Tourism Impacts
$28.5
$25.7
Transient Tax Revenues
in 2022
Central Oregon as a whole
Deschutes County alone
Million in Tax Revenues
Million
10,270
In 2022, employment directly
generated by travel spending
in Central Oregon was
Jobs (up 13 .1%)
$293
Average trip spend, per person,
from an overnight visitor
Source: Oregon Travel Impacts, 2022 by Dean Runyan Associates for the Oregon Tourism Commission
Resource Land
While much of the County’s economic activity
occurs in urban areas, County administration of
farmland, forest land, and natural resources plays a
vital role in protecting and enhancing the economic
development potential of the area.
Coordination
A key partner for the County in promoting a healthy
economy is Economic Development for Central
Oregon (EDCO). This private non-profit organization
is dedicated to diversifying the tri-county regional
economy by attracting new investment and jobs.
This organization also tracks the local economy.
Between 2010 and 2013, Deschutes, Crook, and
Jefferson counties, and their respective cities
established a regional large lot industrial land need
analysis, ultimately leading to changes to state
law, OAR 660-024-0040 and 45. This rule provides
that that the large lot industrial land need analysis
agreed upon by all of the parties, once adopted
by each of the participating governmental entities,
would be sufficient to demonstrate a need for up to
nine large industrial sites in Central Oregon. Six of
the sites will be made available initially. Three more
sites may be added under the rule as the original
sites are occupied. Intergovernmental agreements
were formed with the regions jurisdictions and
Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council in 2013
to provide oversight of this new regional large
lot industrial lands program. Participating local
governments will review the program after all
nine sites have been occupied, or after ten years,
whichever comes first.
Connections to Other Comprehensive
Plan Chapters
Much of the County’s economic development
activity is directly related to farmland (Chapter 3),
forest land (Chapter 3), mineral and aggregate
resources (Chapter 4), and natural resources
(Chapter 5). Additional information can be found in
these sections.
Key Community
Considerations
As part of this comprehensive plan update,
community members expressed the following:
• A recognition that tourism is an important
industry in the County, but some concern that
the interests of tourism-related activity play
an outsized role in the County.
• Desire for a strong and diverse economy that
benefits local residents.
• Strong interest in expanding access to
childcare for rural residents, especially
those who travel into incorporated cities for
employment.
• Interest in exploring new economic
opportunities including renewable energy
development.
• Desire for additional educational and job
training opportunities, including expansion of
colleges and universities.
9-5 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Economic Development
Economic Development Goals
and Policies
Goal 9.1: Maintain a stable, and sustainable, and
thriving rural economy, compatible with rural
lifestyles and a healthy environment.
Policy 9.1.1. Promote rural economic initiatives,
including home-based businesses, that maintain
the integrity of the rural character and natural
environment.
Policy 9.1.2. Support a regional approach
to economic development in concert with
Economic Development for Central Oregon or
and similar organizations.
Policy 9.1.3. Support growth and expansion of
colleges and universities, regional educational
facilities, and workforce training programs.
Policy 9.1.4. Support renewable energy
generation as an important economic
development initiative, while taking other
community goals and concerns into
consideration.
Policy 9.1.5. Support and participate in master
planning for airports in Deschutes County,
including expansion of noise impact boundaries
and upgrades to facilities as airports continue to
grow.
Policy 9.1.6. Within the parameters of State
land use regulations, permit limited local-
serving commercial uses in higher-density
rural communities. Support limited and
locally-serving commercial uses in appropriate
locations.
Policy 9.1.7. Support expansion of high-
speed internet in rural areas and integrate
infrastructure such as fiber-optic cables into
new development and road projects.
Policy 9.1.8. Support funding and development
of childcare locations across the County to
support families in the workforce.
Policy 9.1.9. Explore need for master planning
for rural economic development lands,
including Deschutes Junction.
Policy 9.1.10. Recognize the importance of
maintaining a large-lot industrial land supply
that is readily developable in Central Oregon,
and support a multi-jurisdictional cooperative
effort to designate these sites.
Goal 9.2: Support creation and continuation
of rural commercial areas that support rural
communities while not adversely affecting nearby
agricultural and forest uses.
Policy 9.2.1.Allow for new Rural Commercial
zoning designations if otherwise allowed by
Oregon Revised Statute, Administrative Rule,
and this Comprehensive Plan.
Policy 9.2.2.In Spring River there shall be a
Limited Use Combining Zone.
Policy 9.2.3.Ensure new uses permitted on
Rural Commercial lands do not adversely affect
nearby agricultural and forest uses.
Policy 9.2.4.Ensure new commercial uses on
Rural Commercial lands are limited to those
intended to serve the surrounding rural area
and/or the needs of the traveling public.
Policy 9.2.5.New commercial uses shall be
limited in size to 2,500 square feet or if for an
agricultural or forest-related use, 3,500 square
feet.
Policy 9.2.6.A lawful use existing on or before
November 5, 2002 that is not otherwise allowed
in a Rural Commercial zone, may continue to
exist subject to the county’s nonconforming use
regulations.
Policy 9.2.7.An existing lawful use may expand
up to 25 percent of the total floor area existing
on November 5, 2002.
Policy 9.2.8.The Rural Commercial zoning
regulations shall allow a mixed use of residential
or rural commercial uses.
9-6 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Economic Development
Policy 9.2.9. Residential and commercial
uses shall be served by DEQ approved on-site
sewage disposal systems.
Policy 9.2.10. Residential and commercial uses
shall be served by on-site wells or public water
systems.
Policy 9.2.11. Community sewer systems,
motels, hotels and industrial uses shall not be
allowed.
Policy 9.2.12. Recreational vehicle or trailer
parks and other uses catering to travelers shall
be permitted.
Goal 9.3: Support the creation and continuation of
rural industrial areas that support rural communities
while not adversely affecting nearby agricultural
and forest uses.
Policy 9.3.1. Update the policies for lands
designated Rural Industrial as needed to
limit and control industrial uses through the
use of the Rural Industrial designation and
development standards.
Policy 9.3.2.To assure that urban uses are
not permitted on rural industrial lands, land
use regulations in the Rural Industrial zones
shall ensure that the uses allowed are less
intensive than those allowed for unincorporated
communities in OAR 660-22 or any successor.
Policy 9.3.3.Limited Use Combining zones shall
be applied to the Redmond Military (Tax lot
1513000000116), Deschutes Junction (Tax lot
161226C000301, Tax lot 161226C000300, Tax lot
161226C000111 and Tax lot 161226A000203)
to ensure permitted uses are compatible with
surrounding farm and forest lands.
Policy 9.3.4. To ensure that the uses in Rural
Industrial zone on tax lot 16-12-26C-301,
as described in Exhibit “C” and depicted on
Exhibit “D” attached to Ordinance 2009-007
and incorporated by reference herein, are
limited in nature and scope, the Rural Industrial
zoning on that site shall be subject to a Limited
Use Combining Zone which will limit the uses
to storage, crushing, processing, sale and
distribution of minerals.
Policy 9.3.5. To ensure that the uses in Rural
Industrial zone on tax lot 16-12-26C-301,
as described in Exhibit “C” and depicted on
Exhibit “D” attached to Ordinance 2009-007
and incorporated by reference herein, are
limited in nature and scope, the Rural Industrial
zoning on that site shall be subject to a Limited
Use Combining Zone which will limit the uses
to storage, crushing, processing, sale and
distribution of minerals
Policy 9.3.6. To ensure that the uses in the
Rural Industrial Zone on Tax Lot 300 on
Assessor’s Map 16-12-26C-300 and Tax Lot 203
on Assessor’s Map 16-12-26A-300 and portions
of Tax Lot 111 on Assessor’s Map 16-12-26C-
111 as described in Exhibit ‘D’ and depicted in
Exhibit ‘E’ attached to Ordinance 2010-030 and
incorporated by reference herein, are limited in
nature and scope, the Rural Industrial zoning on
the subject parcel shall be subject to a Limited
Use Combining Zone, which will limit the uses
to storage, crushing, processing, sale and
distribution of minerals, subject to conditional
use and site plan approval
Policy 9.3.7. Ensure new uses on Rural
Industrial lands do not adversely affect nearby
agricultural and forest uses.
Policy 9.3.8. A lawfully established use that
existed on or before February 2, 2003 not
otherwise allowed in a Rural Industrial zone may
continue to exist subject to the county’s non-
conforming use regulations.
Policy 9.3.9. A lawfully established use that
existed on or before February 2, 2003 may be
expanded to occupy a maximum of 10,000
square feet of floor area or an additional 25
percent of the floor area currently occupied by
the existing use, whichever is greater.
9-7 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Economic Development
Policy 9.3.10. Ensure new uses on Rural
Industrial lands are served by on-site sewage
disposal systems approved by the Department
of Environmental Quality (DEQ).
Policy 9.3.11. Residential and industrial uses
shall be served by on-site wells or public water
systems.
Policy 9.3.12. Community sewer systems shall
not be allowed in Rural Industrial zones.
Policy 9.3.13. A 2009 exception (Ordinance
2009-007) included an irrevocably committed
exception to Goal 3 and a reasons exception
to Goal 14 to allow rural industrial use with
a Limited Use Combining Zone for storage,
crushing, processing, sale and distribution of
minerals.
Policy 9.3.14. A 2010 exception (Ordinance
2010-030) took a reasons exception to Goal 14
with a Limited Use Combing Zone for storage,
crushing, processing, sale and distribution of
minerals.
Policy 9.3.15.Properties for which a property
owner has demonstrated that Goals 3 and 4 do
not apply may be considered for Rural Industrial
designation as allowed by State Statute, Oregon
Administrative rules and this Comprehensive
Plan. Rural Industrial zoning shall be applied to
a new property that is approved for the Rural
Industrial Plan designation.
Rural Service Center Policies
Goal 9.4:Support the creation and continuation of
rural service centers that support rural communities
while not adversely affecting nearby agricultural
and forest uses.
Policy 9.4.1. Rural Service Centers in Alfalfa,
Brothers, Hampton, Wilstlestop, and Wildhunt
are identified on the Comprehensive Plan
Map and shall have zoning consistent with
Comprehensive Plan designations.
Policy 9.4.2. In Alfalfa, he remaining 20 acres
of the Rural Service Center will continue to be
zoned Rural Service Center – Residential District,
with a 5-acre minimum lot size. A zone change
to mixed use commercial can be considered
only for a specific use and upon findings that
the existing commercial area is fully developed.
Policy 9.4.3. Ensure that land uses at Rural
Service Centers do not adversely affect
agricultural and forest uses in the surrounding
areas.
Policy 9.4.4. Zoning in rural service areas
shall promote the maintenance of the area’s
rural character. New commercial uses shall be
limited to small-scale, low impact uses that
are intended to serve the community and
surrounding rural area or the travel needs
of people passing through the area. The
commercial/mixed use zoning regulations
shall allow a mixed use of residential or small-
scale commercial uses such as health and retail
services.
Policy 9.4.5. Residential and commercial
uses shall be served by DEQ approved on-site
sewage disposal systems.
Policy 9.4.6. Residential and commercial uses
shall be served by onsite wells or public water
systems.
Policy 9.4.7. Community water systems, motels,
hotels and industrial uses shall not be allowed.
Policy 9.4.8. Recreational vehicle or trailer parks
and other uses catering to travelers shall be
permitted.
9-8 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Economic Development
10 HousingHousing
Context
PROJECTED POPULATION GROWTH IN
UNINCORPORATED DESCHUTES COUNTY
Deschutes County is one of the fastest growing
counties in Oregon, and that trend is expected to
continue. Significant growth is expected to occur in
Deschutes County in the coming years (over 90,000
new residents in the next 25 years). However, the
majority of this growth is forecasted to happen in
urban areas with a more modest amount occurring
in unincorporated parts of the County (about 5,000
additional people during the same period). (Source:
Portland State University Population Research
Center)
10-2 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Housing
Opportunities, Challenges, and Considerations
Deschutes County faces a variety of housing demands, issues, and challenges.
The County continues to be a desirable and attractive place to live, with access to
jobs, recreation, beautiful natural landscapes, and a variety of other amenities. The
County’s population is projected to continue to grow in the coming decades. At
the same time, there are several challenges to the development of housing in the
County. Some of the key issues the County faces today include increased demand
for rural housing; housing affordability; state planning requirements related to
Urban Growth Boundaries, farm and forest land, destination resorts, and others;
water availability; and issues related to homelessness.
INCREASED DEMAND FOR RURAL HOUSING
Between 2010 and 2022, Deschutes County
processed seven applications to rezone
approximately 1,200 acres of property from a
non-residential zone to a residential zone, with
several more applications recently submitted and
under review. Most of these applicants requested
rezonings of farmland due to poor soil quality for
farming. This trend is likely to continue.
HOUSING AFFORDABILITY
The median value of owner‐occupied housing
units in Deschutes County (including cities), is
significantly higher than that of the State of Oregon
($435,600 compared to $362,200 according to
2017-2021 Census figures), and consistently
increasing. In July 2023, Becon Appraisal Group
reported an all-time high median home value
for Bend area homes, in the amount of $785,000.
The same report estimated a median home price
as $694,000 for Sisters area homes, $473,000 for
Redmond area homes, and $401,000 for La Pine
area homes. Given that median income is generally
on par with the state as a whole, high housing
prices are likely an indicator of an inadequate
supply of housing affordable to many residents of
the Deschutes County, particularly those with low to
moderate incomes.
STATE PLANNING REQUIREMENTS
Although Deschutes County has numerous
prospects to expand residential development, some
of these opportunities face challenges with respect
to state rules and regulations. The Oregon land use
system is designed to concentrate most growth
within Urban Growth Boundaries. A variety of
statewide planning goals, laws, and administrative
rules designed to protect farm and forest land,
regulate destination resorts, and ensure cost-
effective provision of infrastructure limit where and
how housing can be built outside of urban areas.
Historical and Forecasted Population and Average Annual Growth Ratein Deschutes County and its Sub-Areas
10-3 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Housing
WATER AVAILABILITY AND CONSUMPTION
A growing demand for water for residential,
business, recreation, and agricultural uses; changes
in water table depth; allocation of water rights; and
potential future changes in water supply related to
climate change all may impact the availability of
water to support new housing. Water resources are
discussed in Chapter 5 in more detail.
HOMELESSNESS
The incidence and impacts of homelessness have
been rising in Deschutes County, as well as across
the state and nation in recent years. A variety of
factors have contributed to this trend, including
rising housing costs, increasing income disparities,
and limited transitional housing and supportive
resources. As a result, impacts on both urban areas
and natural resources have increased, with elevated
levels of community concern and support for more
action by the County and its partners to address
these issues.
BALANCING DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES
WITH VISITOR ACCOMMODATIONS
Although population growth in unincorporated
Deschutes County is forecasted to be relatively
limited, rural parts of the County, including several
destination resorts, include significant capacity for
new residential development. Community members
have expressed concern regarding the use of these
homes as primary residences, second homes, or
vacation rentals.
RECENT CHANGES IN COUNTY HOUSING RULES
The County has recently adopted and/or is currently
considering new rules related to development and
regulation of different types of housing. These
include:
• Changes to where accessory dwelling units
are allowed.
• Repeal of the County’s “Conventional
Housing Combining Zone” which prohibited
manufactured homes in three large
unincorporated areas east and west of Tumalo
and east of Bend.
Vacant Lots in Resort Areas
Resort Area Number of
Vacant Lots
Destination Resorts
Caldera Springs 101
Eagle Crest 139
Pronghorn 285
Tetherow 200
Resort Communities
Black Butte 27In of the 7th Mountain/Widgi Creek 12
Urban Unincorporated Area
Sunriver 118
Total Vacancies, Resort Areas 887
Vacant Lots in Rural Residential Areas
Rural Residential Areas Number of
Vacant Lots
Rural Residential Zones
Rural Residential 2,139
Multiple use Agriculture 518Suburban Low Desnsity Rural Residential 32
Urban Area Reserve 292
Rural Communities
Tumalo (TUR/TUR5)32
Terrebonne (TER/TER5)134Total Vacancies, Rural Residential Areas 3,447
Future Opportunities for Rural Residential Lots
Rural Residential Areas Count
Thornburgh Destination Resort 950
Caldera Springs Destination Resort Phase 2 340
West Side Transect 187Tumalo Irrigation District Rezoned Parcel 72
Gopher Gulch (North of Bend)10Total Vacancies, Rural Residential Areas 1,559
10-4 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Housing
Key Community
Considerations
Given the range of issues and conditions discussed
related to this important topic, the Comprehensive
Plan includes a variety of policies to guide future
development of housing and address impacts to
residents in rural areas. Additional related policies
are found in Chapter 2 (Land Use) and Chapter 13
(Transportation). These strategies are underpinned
by community sentiment, as described below.
• Some community members expressed
support for allowing or encouraging growth
in rural areas, particularly to alleviate housing
pressure and provide larger-lot options.
However, engagement showed greater
opposition to residential development outside
of Urban Growth Boundaries.
• Overall support for allowing a wider range
of types of housing (e.g., accessory dwelling
units, manufactured homes, recreational
vehicles, etc.), but concerns about the quality
of this housing and additional rural residential
development in general.
• Concern about homelessness and its impacts,
coupled with strong support for a proactive
approach by the County to work with partner
agencies and groups to address this issue.
• Relatively strong opposition for rezoning
low productivity farmland with poor soil to
allow greater opportunities for housing, due
to negative impact on open space, habitat,
transportation, and active farm practices.
What type of housing is allowed in
unincorporated Deschutes County?
Residential development in Deschutes
County is less dense than the Cities of
Bend, La Pine, Redmond and Sisters due
to state land use rules. Single family
homes are most common type of housing
throughout the county in all zones.
Recreational vehicles are allowed to be
placed on property for temporary living
situations or as medical hardship dwellings
for family members but are not intended to
be permanent living situations. Accessory
Dwelling Units or ADUs, also known as
“granny flats” or “carriage houses” are
smaller secondary residences on a property.
In 2021, the Oregon legislature passed
Senate Bill 391 which allows for rural ADUs
with certain parameters, and Deschutes
County is currently in the process of
implementing this legislation.
10-5 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Housing
Goals and Policies
Goal 10.1: Support housing opportunities and
choices for rural County residents in unincorporated
Deschutes County, while meeting health and safety
concerns, minimizing environmental and resource
land impacts.
Policy 10.1.1. Incorporate annual farm and
forest housing reports into a wider system for
tracking the cumulative impacts of rural housing
development.
Policy 10.1.2. Continue to update the County
zoning ordinance and work with partnering
organizations to address health and safety
issues associated with housing.
Policy 10.1.3. Encourage and/or require,
where consistent with County policies and
requirements, new subdivisions to incorporate
alternative development patterns, such as
cluster development, that mitigate community
and environmental impacts.
Policy 10.1.4. Implement legislation allowing
accessory dwelling units in rural areas to expand
housing choices.
Policy 10.1.5. Create and encourage
opportunities for flexibility in rural housing
including development of manufactured home
parks, safe parking sites, and RV parking areas.
Policy 10.1.6. Reduce barriers to housing
development and supporting services (such as
locally serving medical offices or similar uses) in
unincorporated communities.
Policy 10.1.7. Explore grants and funding
opportunities for ongoing maintenance and
rehabilitation of existing housing stock.
Policy 10.1.8. Evaluate the impacts of short-
term rentals and consider regulations to
mitigate impacts, as appropriate.
Goal 10.2: Support agencies and non-profits that
provide affordable housing.
Policy 10.2.1. Support Central Oregon Regional
Housing Authority and other stakeholders
to meet the housing needs of all Deschutes
County residents by assisting, as needed,
in coordinating and implementing housing
assistance programs.
Policy 10.2.2. Utilize block grants and other
funding to assist in providing and maintaining
low- and moderate-income housing in
partnership with Housing Works and other
housing agencies and providers in Deschutes
County.
Goal 10.3: Regulate the location and density of
housing in the area located between the Bend UGB
and Shevlin Park through Westside Transect policies
Policy 10.3.1. Protect the sensitive eco-systems
and interrelationships of the urban/rural
interface on the west side of Bend between the
urban area and Shevlin Park and the public and
forestlands to the west.
Policy 10.3.2. Protect natural resources and
environmentally sensitive areas and provide
special setbacks between development and
Shevlin Park, Tumalo Creek, and forestlands.
Policy 10.3.3. Development patterns
shall reflect the protection of land with
environmental significance and fire-wise and
other fire prevention community design best
practices.
Policy 10.3.4. Limit residential development to
200 single-family residential lots.
Policy 10.3.5. Manage all areas outside of the
structural building envelopes on residential lots
for wildfire mitigation and wildlife habitat in
accordance with coordinated plans prepared by
professionals, reviewed annually with reports
submitted to the County every three years.
The wildfire mitigation and wildlife habitat
10-6 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Housing
plans shall be funded through homeowner
assessments and administered and enforced by
a homeowners association established at the
time of creation of any residential lots.
Policy 10.3.6. Reduce the impact of
construction by using best management
practices to minimize site disturbance during
construction and construction impacts (i.e.,
erosion) on Shevlin Park, Tumalo Creek, and
forestlands.
Policy 10.3.7. Coordinate with the City of Bend
for mitigation of impacts to City infrastructure
from development within the Transect.
Goal 10.4: Participate in regional efforts to plan for
housing.
Policy 10.4.1. Collaborate with cities and
private sector partners on innovative housing
developments to meet the region’s housing
needs.
Policy 10.4.2. Partner with cities to incentivize
development within urban growth boundaries
and reduce infrastructure costs for workforce
and affordable housing.
Policy 10.4.3. Partner with local, state,
and federal agencies to address and limit
nuisance and public health issues related to
homelessness.
Policy 10.4.4. Utilize County owned land in city
limits for affordable and workforce housing,
where appropriate.
Policy 10.4.5. Promote regional housing
planning, including urban reserve planning
for cities, to allow for longer term and multi-
jurisdictional housing strategies.
Policy 10.4.6. Limit parcelization and
development adjacent to cities or in conflict
with planned and/or known road/utility
corridors to preserve land for future urban
development.
10-7 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Housing
11 Unincorporated Unincorporated
Communities and Communities and
Destination ResortsDestination Resorts
In addition to these unincorporated communities,
Destination Resorts are another form of
development outside of urban areas. In recent
years, community members have expressed
concern about the creation of new resorts for a
variety of reasons. While Destination Resorts are
an opportunity for economic development and
housing in the rural County, many residents have
expressed opposition to additional development of
this type.
Context
Unincorporated Communities
Deschutes County‘s unincorporated communities
generally pre-date Oregon’s statewide land use
system and have more urban-scale uses in outer-
lying rural areas, within a defined geographic
boundary.
In 1994, Oregon Administrative Rules (OARs) were
amended to define unincorporated communities
and the types of uses that could be allowed in
these areas. The OARs established four types of
unincorporated communities, all of which were
required to be in existence at the time of the
change - the Rule did not allow for new rural
communities to be established. These community
types are described below.
URBAN UNINCORPORATED COMMUNITY
This is a community which contains at least 150
permanent dwelling units, a mixture of land uses,
and contains a community water and sewer system.
Sunriver is an Urban Unincorporated community.
One parcel just outside of the City of La Pine was
mistakenly left outside of the City’s urban growth
boundary, and is technically under this classification
as well.
11-2 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Unincorporated Communities and Destination Resorts
Opportunities, Challenges, and Considerations
Deschutes County is home to numerous unincorporated communities, which contain
urban levels of development outside of city limits. Many of these communities
provide services and amenities to rural residents. As the county continues to grow,
many residents are concerned about increasingly dense development in these
unincorporated areas which may feel out of scale with the surrounding rural uses.
However, many residents also see the need for more opportunities for small-scale
rural services and retail opportunities to serve existing and future community
members. Deschutes County will need to continue to refine the vision and guidelines
for development in these areas while balancing infrastructure needs, protection of
natural resources and rural land uses, and community desires.
RURAL COMMUNITY
This is a community which consists of permanent
residential dwellings and at least two other types
of land uses – such as commercial, industrial, or
public uses provided to the community or travelers.
Terrebonne and Tumalo are Rural Communities.
RESORT COMMUNITY
This type of community was established for a
recreation-related use on private land prior to 1989
when the state adopted its Destination Resort rules.
Black Butte Ranch and Inn of the 7th Mountain/
Widgi Creek are Resort Communities. It’s important
to note that there are several other resort style
developments in the County on private lands called
“Destination Resorts.” See the next section for more
information.
RURAL SERVICE CENTER
This is an unincorporated community that has
primarily commercial or industrial uses that provide
goods and services to the surrounding rural area
and travelers. These are the most common type of
unincorporated community in Deschutes County
and include Alfalfa, Brothers, Hampton, Millican,
Whistlestop, and Wildhunt.
Destination Resorts
Since 1979 destination resorts have increased in
importance to the economy of Deschutes County.
In 1989, recognizing the importance of tourism
to the economy of the State of Oregon, the
state legislature and the Land Conservation and
Development Commission (LCDC) took steps to
make it easier to establish destination resorts on
rural lands in the state. Statewide Planning Goal
8, the recreation goal, was amended to specify a
process for locating destination resorts on rural
land without taking an exception to Goals 3, 4, 11
and 14, which govern development in rural resource
lands. Under these changes, destination resorts may
be sited in EFU zones where they weren’t previously
allowed. In 1990, LCDC amended the rule for siting
destination resorts on forest lands as well.
Eagle Crest Resort, although it had existed prior
to these changes, applied for legislative changes
to comply with these new rules and expand onto
adjacent lands.
In 2010, Deschutes County completed an
amendment to its destination resort mapping
process, adding “clear and objective” requirements
for eligible and ineligible sites, and the process for
amending the destination resort map based on
changes in state law. Since that time, Pronghorn,
Caldera Springs, and Tetherow resorts have gone
through the siting process. Resorts existing prior
to the legislative change, such as Black Butte,
Sunriver, and the Inn of the Seventh Mountain
have also expanded and been rezoned to
Urban Unincorporated Community and Resort
Community, respectively. Thornburgh Resort has
received preliminary approvals, but has not yet
broken ground.
11-3 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Unincorporated Communities and Destination Resorts
Key Community
Considerations
Unincorporated Communities are limited in
their development potential due to their specific
geographic footprint. Protecting open space
and natural resources while providing economic
opportunities in these unincorporated areas
continues to be a balancing act.
As additional rural development occurs, so does
the demand for services and goods that can be
reached without having to drive to an incorporated
city. Aging residents have expressed a desire for
additional medical care and offices in rural areas to
support aging in place. On the other hand, many
residents would prefer limiting development in
unincorporated communities in order to preserve
the rural of the area.
Destination Resort development continues to be
a contentious issue. Community members have
expressed concern regarding the water use of
large-scale development – specifically the effects
to groundwater for neighboring property owners.
Many community members have expressed a desire
to further limit destination resorts, golf courses, and
visitor accommodations in order to preserve water
access and availability for year-round residents.
Goals and Policies
Resort Community Policies
1.1General Resort Community Policies
Policy 11.1.1. Land use regulations shall
conform to the requirements of OAR 660
Division 22 or any successor.
Policy 11.1.2. Designated open space and
common area, unless otherwise zoned for
development, shall remain undeveloped except
for community amenities such as bike and
pedestrian paths, park and picnic areas. Areas
developed as golf courses shall remain available
for that purpose or for open space/recreation
uses.
Policy 11.1.3. The provisions of the Landscape
Management Overlay Zone shall apply in Resort
Communities where the zone exists along
Century Drive, Highway 26 and the Deschutes
River.
Policy 11.1.4. Residential minimum lot sizes
and densities shall be determined by the
capacity of the water and sewer facilities to
accommodate existing and future development
and growth.
Policy 11.1.5. The resort facility and resort
recreation uses permitted in the zoning for
Black Butte Ranch and the Inn of the Seventh
Mountain/Widgi Creek shall serve the resort
community.
1.2Black Butte Ranch General Policies
Policy 11.2.1. County comprehensive plan
policies and land use regulations shall ensure
that new uses authorized within the Black Butte
Ranch Resort Community do not adversely
affect forest uses in the surrounding Forest Use
Zones.
Policy 11.2.2. The County supports the
design review standards administered by the
Architectural Review Committee.
11-4 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Unincorporated Communities and Destination Resorts
Policy 11.2.3. Residential, resort and utility uses
shall continue to be developed in accordance
with the Master Design for Black Butte Ranch
and the respective Section Declarations.
Policy 11.2.4.Industrial activities, including
surface mining, shall only occur in the area
zoned Black Butte Ranch Surface Mining,
Limited Use Combining District (Black Butte
Ranch SM/LU) located in the northwest corner
of Black Butte Ranch.
Policy 11.2.5.Employee housing shall be
located in the area zoned Black Butte Ranch-
Utility/Limited Use Combining District (Black
Butte Ranch-U/LU).
Policy 11.2.6.Any amendment to the allowable
use(s) in either the Resort Community District or
the Limited Use Combining District shall require
an exception in accordance with applicable
statewide planning goal(s), OAR 660-04-
018/022 and DCC 18.112 or any successor.
Policy 11.2.7.The westerly 38-acres zoned
Black Butte Ranch Surface Mining, Limited Use
Combining District (Black Butte Ranch SM/LU)
shall be used for the mining and storage of
aggregate resources. Uses that do not prevent
the future mining of these resources, such
as disposal of reclaimed effluent and woody
debris disposal from thinning and other forest
practices may be allowed concurrently. Other
resort maintenance, operational and utility
uses, such as a solid waste transfer station,
maintenance facility or equipment storage may
be allowed only after mining and reclamation
have occurred.
Policy 11.2.8. The 18.5 acres zoned Black Butte
Ranch-Utility/Limited Use Combining District
(Black Butte Ranch-U/LU) may be used for the
disposal of reclaimed sludge.
Policy 11.2.9. The area west of McCallister
Road and east of the area zoned Black Butte
Ranch may be used for large equipment
storage, general storage, maintenance uses,
RV storage, telephone communications,
administration offices, housekeeping facilities
and employee housing.
Policy 11.2.10. Employee housing shall be
set back at least 250 feet from the eastern
boundary of the area zoned Black Butte Ranch
Surface Mining, Limited Use Combining District
(Black Butte Ranch SM/LU).
Policy 11.2.11. Surface mining within the Black
Butte Ranch community boundary shall adhere
to the following Goal 5 ESEE “Program to Meet
Goal” requirements:
a. Only the western most 38 acres of the site
shall continue to be mined.
b. Setbacks shall be required for potential
conflicting residential and other
development. A minimum 50-foot setback
shall be maintained from the perimeter of tax
lot 202 for all surface mining activity.
c. Noise impact shall be mitigated by buffering
and screening.
d. Hours of operation shall be limited to
between 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. weekdays.
No operations shall be allowed on weekends
and holidays.
e. Processing shall be limited to 45 days
in any one year, to be negotiated with
Deschutes County in the site plan process in
consultation with the Oregon Department of
Fish and Wildlife (ODFW).
f. The conditions set forth in the August 10,
1989, letter of ODFW shall be adhered to.
g. Extraction at the site shall be limited to five
acres at a time with on-going incremental
reclamation (subject to DOGAMI review and
approval).
11-5 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Unincorporated Communities and Destination Resorts
h. Mining operations, siting of equipment, and
trucking of product shall be conducted in
such a manner that applicable DEQ standards
are met and minimizes noise and dust.
i. DOGAMI requirements for a permit once
mining affects more than five acres outside
the 8.6-acre exemption area shall be met.
j. A conditional use permit shall be obtained
from Deschutes County, under the provisions
of section 18.128.280. Surface mining of
resources exclusively for on-site personal,
farm or forest use or maintenance of
irrigation canals, before mining activity
affects more than five acres outside the 8.6-
acre exempt area.
1.3Black Butte Ranch Public Facility Policies
Policy 11.3.1. Police protection services shall
be provided by the Black Butte Ranch Police
Services District.
Policy 11.3.2. The Black Butte Ranch Water
Distribution Company and the Black Butte
Ranch Corporation shall confirm the water and
sewer service, respectively, can be provided
for new uses or expansion of existing uses that
require land use approval.
Policy 11.3.3. The Black Butte Ranch Water
Distribution Company shall provide water
service for the Black Butte Ranch Resort
Community.
Policy 11.3.4. The Black Butte Ranch
Corporation shall provide sewer service for
Black Butte Ranch.
Policy 11.3.5. The Black Butte Ranch Fire
Protection District shall provide fire protection
services for Black Butte Ranch.
Policy 11.3.6. The roads and the bicycle/
pedestrian path system within the Black Butte
Ranch Resort Community boundary shall be
maintained by the Black Butte Ranch Owners
Association.
1.4Inn of the 7th Mountain Widgi Creek General
Policies
Policy 11.4.1. Any amendment to the allowable
uses in either the Resort Community District or
the Widgi Creek Residential District shall require
an exception in accordance with applicable
statewide planning goal(s), OAR 660-04-
018/022 or any successor, and DCC 18.112 or
any successor.
Policy 11.4.2. The County shall encourage and
support land exchanges efforts by and between
private property owners, public agencies, and
public trusts for the purpose of fostering public
access to and protection of natural resources,
such as rivers, streams, caves, areas/features of
historical importance and other natural features.
1.5Inn of the 7th Mountain/Widgi Creek Public
Facility Policies
Policy 11.5.1. Police protection services shall
be provided under contract with the Deschutes
County Sheriff.
Policy 11.5.2. Water service shall be supplied
by on-site wells for the Inn/Widgi Resort
Community.
Policy 11.5.3. New uses or expansion of
existing uses that require land use approval
shall be approved only upon confirmation
from the City of Bend that sewer service can be
provided.
Policy 11.5.4. Fire protection services for
the Inn/Widgi shall be provided through a
contract with the City of Bend until such time
as Inn/Widgi develops another plan to provide
adequate fire protection.
Policy 11.5.5. The Resort Community, not
Deschutes County, shall maintain roads in the
community.
Policy 11.5.6. The bicycle/pedestrian path
system shall be maintained by the Inn/Widgi
Owners Association.
11-6 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Unincorporated Communities and Destination Resorts
Policy 11.5.7. Emergency access between Widgi
Creek and the Inn of the Seventh Mountain shall
be provided in accordance with the approved
development plan for the Elkai Woods town
homes. The respective resort property owners
shall maintain emergency access between the
Inn and Widgi Creek
Destination Resorts Policies
Goal 11.6: Provide for development of destination
resorts in the County in a manner that will be
compatible with farm and forest uses, existing rural
development, and in a manner that will maintain
important natural features including habitat of
threatened or endangered species, streams, rivers,
and significant wetlands.
Policy 11.6.1. Provide a process for the siting
of destination resorts facilities that enhance
and diversify the recreational opportunities and
economy of Deschutes County, on lands that
have been mapped by Deschutes County as
eligible for this purpose.
Goal 11.7: Provide for development of destination
resorts consistent with Statewide Planning Goal
12 in a manner that will ensure the resorts are
supported by adequate transportation facilities.
Policy 11.7.1. Destination resorts shall only be
allowed within areas shown on the “Deschutes
County Destination Resort Map” and when the
resort complies with the requirements of Goal 8,
ORS 197.435 to 197.467, and Deschutes County
Code 18.113.
Policy 11.7.2. Create and implement additional
limitations on the siting and development of
destination resorts that go beyond current
state regulations to ensure protection of water
quality, recreational resources, and other
County resources and values.
Policy 11.7.3. Ensure that destination resort
developments support and implement
strategies to provide workers with affordable
housing options within or in close proximity to
the resorts.
Policy 11.7.4.Mapping for destination resort
siting.
a. To assure that resort development does
not conflict with the objectives of other
Statewide Planning Goals, destination resorts
shall pursuant to Goal 8 not be sited in
Deschutes County in the following areas:
1) Within 24 air miles of an urban growth
boundary with an existing population of
100,000 or more unless residential uses
are limited to those necessary for the staff
and management of the resort;
2) On a site with 50 or more contiguous
acres of unique or prime farm land
identified and mapped by the Soil
Conservation Service or within three miles
of farm land within a High-Value Crop
Area;
3) On predominantly Cubic Foot Site Class 1
or 2 forest lands which are not subject to
an approved Goal exception;
4) On areas protected as Goal 5 resources
in an acknowledged comprehensive plan
where all conflicting uses have been
prohibited to protect the Goal 5 resource;
5) Especially sensitive big game habitat,
and as listed below, as generally mapped
by the Oregon Department of Fish and
Wildlife in July 1984 an as further refined
through development of comprehensive
plan provisions implementing this
requirement.
i. Tumalo deer winter range;
ii. Portion of the Metolius deer winter
range;
11-7 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Unincorporated Communities and Destination Resorts
iii. Antelope winter range east of Bend
near Horse Ridge and Millican;
6) Sites less than 160 acres.
b. To assure that resort development does
not conflict with Oregon Revised Statute,
destination resorts shall not be sited in
Deschutes County in Areas of Critical State
Concern.
c. To assure that resort development does not
conflict with the objectives of Deschutes
County, destination resorts shall also not be
located in the following areas:
1) Sites listed below that are inventoried
Goal 5 resources, shown on the Wildlife
Combining Zone, that the County has
chosen to protect:
i. Antelope Range near Horse Ridge and
Millican;
ii. Elk Habitat Area; and
iii. Deer Winter Range;
2) Wildlife Priority Area, identified on the
1999 ODFW map submitted to the South
County Regional Problem Solving Group;
3) Lands zoned Open Space and
Conservation (OS&C);
4) Lands zoned Forest Use 1 (F-1);
5) Irrigated lands zoned Exclusive Farm Use
(EFU) having 40 or greater contiguous
acres in irrigation;
6) 6. Non-contiguous EFU acres in the same
ownership having 60 or greater irrigated
acres;
7) Farm or forest land within one mile
outside of urban growth boundaries;
8) Lands designated Urban Reserve Area
under ORS 195.145;
9) Platted subdivisions;
d. For those lands not located in any of the
areas designated in Policy 3.9.5(a) though
(c), destination resorts may, pursuant to Goal
8, Oregon Revised Statute and Deschutes
County zoning code, be sited in the following
areas:
1) Forest Use 2 (F-2), Multiple Use
Agriculture (MUA-10), and Rural
Residential (RR-10) zones;
2) Unirrigated Exclusive Farm Use (EFU) land;
3) Irrigated lands zoned EFU having less than
40 contiguous acres in irrigation;
4) Non-contiguous irrigated EFU acres in
the same ownership having less than 60
irrigated acres;
5) All property within a subdivision for
which cluster development approval was
obtained prior to 1990, for which the
original cluster development approval
designated at least 50 percent of the
development as open space and which
was within the destination resort zone
prior to the effective date of Ordinance
2010-024 shall remain on the eligibility
map;
6) Minimum site of 160 contiguous acres or
greater under one or multiple ownerships;
e. The County shall adopt a map showing
where destination resorts can be located
in the County. Such map shall become part
of the Comprehensive Plan and Zoning
Ordinance and shall be an overlay zone
designated Destination Resort (DR).
Policy 11.7.5. Ordinance Provisions
a. The County shall ensure that destination
resorts are compatible with the site and
adjacent land uses through enactment of
land use regulations that, at a minimum,
provide for the following:
11-8 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Unincorporated Communities and Destination Resorts
1) Maintenance of important natural
features, including habitat of threatened
or endangered species, streams, rivers,
and significant wetlands; maintenance
of riparian vegetation within 100 feet of
streams, rivers and significant wetlands;
and
2) Location and design of improvements
and activities in a manner that will avoid
or minimize adverse effects of the resort
on uses on surrounding lands, particularly
effects on intensive farming operations in
the area and on the rural transportation
system. In order to adequately assess the
effect on the transportation system, notice
and the opportunity for comment shall be
provided to the relevant road authority.
3) Such regulations may allow for alterations
to important natural features, including
placement of structures, provided that
the overall values of the feature are
maintained.
b. Minimum measures to assure that design
and placement of improvements and
activities will avoid or minimize the adverse
effects noted in Policy 3.9.4(a) shall include:
1) The establishment and maintenance of
buffers between the resort and adjacent
land uses, including natural vegetation
and where appropriate, fenced, berms,
landscaped areas, and other similar types
of buffers.
2) Setbacks of structures and other
improvements from adjacent land uses.
c. The County may adopt additional land
use restrictions to ensure that proposed
destination resorts are compatible with the
environmental capabilities of the site and
surrounding land uses.
d. Uses in destination resorts shall be limited to
visitor- oriented accommodations, overnight
lodgings, developed recreational facilities,
commercial uses limited to types and levels
necessary to meet the needs of visitors to the
resort, and uses consistent with preservation
and maintenance of open space.
e. The zoning ordinance shall include measures
that assure that developed recreational
facilities, visitor-oriented accommodations
and key facilities intended to serve the entire
development are physically provided or
are guaranteed through surety bonding or
substantially equivalent financial assurances
prior to closure of sale of individual lots or
units. In phased developments, developed
recreational facilities and other key facilitated
intended to serve a particular phase shall be
constructed prior to sales in that phase or
guaranteed through surety bonding.
SUNRIVER POLICIES
1.8General Sunriver Policies
Policy 11.8.1. Land use regulations shall
conform to the requirements of OAR 660
Division 22 or any successor.
Policy 11.8.2. County comprehensive plan
policies and land use regulations shall ensure
that new uses authorized within the Sunriver
Urban Unincorporated Community do not
adversely affect forest uses in the surrounding
Forest Use Zones.
Policy 11.8.3. To protect scenic views and
riparian habitat within the community,
appropriate setbacks shall be required for all
structures built on properties with frontage
along the Deschutes River.
Policy 11.8.4. Open space and common area,
unless otherwise zoned for development, shall
remain undeveloped except for community
amenities such as bike and pedestrian paths,
and parks and picnic areas.
11-9 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Unincorporated Communities and Destination Resorts
Policy 11.8.5. Public access to the Deschutes
River shall be preserved.
Policy 11.8.6. The County supports the design
review standards administered by the Sunriver
Owners Association.
1.9Sunriver Residential District Policies
Policy 11.9.1. Areas designated residential
on the comprehensive plan map shall be
developed with single family or multiple family
residential housing.
1.10Sunriver Commercial District Policies
Policy 11.10.1. Small-scale, low-impact
commercial uses shall be developed in
conformance with the requirements of OAR
Chapter 660, Division 22. Larger, more intense
commercial uses shall be permitted if they
are intended to serve the community, the
surrounding rural area and the travel needs of
people passing through the area.
Policy 11.10.2. No additional land shall be
designated Commercial until the next periodic
review.
Policy 11.10.3. Multiple-family residences
and residential units in commercial buildings
shall be permitted in the commercial area for
the purpose of providing housing which is
adjacent to places of employment. Single-family
residences shall not be permitted in commercial
areas.
Policy 11.10.4. Approval standards for
conditional uses in the commercial district
shall take into consideration the impact of
the proposed use on the nearby residential
and commercial uses and the capacity of the
transportation system and public facilities and
services to serve the proposed use.
1.11Sunriver Town Center District Policies
Policy 11.11.1. Small-scale, low-impact
commercial uses shall be developed in
conformance with the requirements of OAR
Chapter 660, Division 22. Larger, more intense
commercial uses shall be permitted if they
are intended to serve the community, the
surrounding rural area or the travel needs of
people passing through the area.
Policy 11.11.2. Development standards in
the town center district should encourage
new development that is compatible with a
town center style of development that serves
as the commercial core of the Sunriver Urban
Unincorporated Community. The following
policies should guide development in the Town
Center District in Sunriver:
a. Combine a mixture of land uses that may
include retail, offices, commercial services,
residential housing and civic uses to create
economic and social vitality and encourage
pedestrian use through mixed use and stand
alone residential buildings.
b. Develop a commercial mixed-use area
that is safe, comfortable and attractive to
pedestrians.
c. Encourage efficient land use by facilitating
compact, high-density development that
minimizes the amount of land that is needed
for development.
d. Provide both formal and informal community
gathering places.
e. Provide visitor accommodations and tourism
amenities appropriate to Sunriver.
f. Provide design flexibility to anticipate
changes in the marketplace.
g. Provide access and public places that
encourage pedestrian and bicycle travel.
h. Provide road and pedestrian connections to
residential areas.
11-10 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Unincorporated Communities and Destination Resorts
i. Facilitate development (land use mix, density
and design) that supports public transit
where applicable.
j. Develop a distinct character and quality
design appropriate to Sunriver that will
identify the Town Center as the centerpiece/
focal point of the community.
Policy 11.11.3. Development within the Town
Center (TC) District will be substantially more
dense than development elsewhere in Sunriver.
This increased density will require changes to
existing topography and vegetation in the TC
District to allow for screened, underground
parking. The requirements of the County’s site
plan ordinance shall be interpreted to reflect
this fact.
1.12Sunriver Resort District Policies
Policy 11.12.1. Areas designated resort on the
comprehensive plan map shall be designated
resort, resort marina, resort golf course, resort
equestrian or resort nature center district
on the zoning map to reflect a development
pattern which is consistent with resort uses and
activities.
1.13Sunriver Business Park District Policies
Policy 11.13.1. A variety of commercial uses
which support the needs of the community
and surrounding rural area, and not uses solely
intended to attract resort visitors, should be
encouraged.
Policy 11.13.2. Allow small-scale, low-impact
commercial uses in conformance with the
requirements of OAR Chapter 660, Division
22. Larger more intense commercial uses shall
be permitted if they are intended to serve the
community, the surrounding rural area and the
travel needs of people passing through the
area.
Policy 11.13.3. Small-scale, low-impact
industrial uses should be allowed in
conformance with the requirements of OAR
Chapter 660, Division 22.
1.14Sunriver Community District Policies
Policy 11.14.1. Areas designated community
on the comprehensive plan map shall be
designated community general, community
recreation, community limited or community
neighborhood district on the zoning map
to reflect a development pattern which is
consistent community uses and activities.
Policy 11.14.2.Policy 11.9.2. Lands designated
community shall be developed with uses which
support all facets of community needs, be they
those of year-round residents or part-time
residents and tourists.
Policy 11.14.3.Policy 11.9.3. Development
shall take into consideration the unique physical
features of the community and be sensitive to
the residential development within which the
community areas are interspersed.
11-11 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Unincorporated Communities and Destination Resorts
1.15Sunriver Airport District Policies
Policy 11.15.1. Future development shall
not result in structures or uses which, due to
extreme height or attraction of birds, would
pose a hazard to the operation of aircraft.
Policy 11.15.2. Future development should
not allow uses which would result in large
concentrations or gatherings of people in a
single location.
Sunriver Utility District Policies
Policy 11.15.3. Lands designated utility shall
allow for development of administrative offices,
substations, storage/repair yards, distribution
lines and similar amenities for services such as
water, sewer, telephone, cable television and
wireless telecommunications.
1.16Sunriver Forest District Policies
Policy 11.16.1. Uses and development on
property designated forest that are within the
Sunriver Urban Unincorporated Community
boundary shall be consistent with uses and
development of other lands outside of the
community boundary which are also designated
forest on the Deschutes County comprehensive
plan map.
Policy 11.16.2. Forest district property shall be
used primarily for effluent storage ponds, spray
irrigation of effluent, biosolids application and
ancillary facilities necessary to meet Oregon
Department of Environmental Quality sewage
disposal regulations.
Policy 11.16.3. The development of resort,
residential or non-forest commercial activities
on Forest district lands shall be prohibited
unless an exception to Goal 14 is taken.
1.17Sunriver General Public Facility Policies
Policy 11.17.1. Residential minimum lot sizes
and densities shall be determined by the
capacity of the water and sewer facilities to
accommodate existing and future development
and growth.
Policy 11.17.2. New uses or expansion
of existing uses within the Sunriver Urban
Unincorporated Community which require
land use approval shall be approved only upon
confirmation from the Sunriver Utility Company
that water and sewer service for such uses can
be provided.
Policy 11.17.3. Expansion of the Sunriver Water
LLC/Environmental/LLC Water and Sewer District
outside of the historic Sunriver boundaries shall
adequately address the impacts to services
provided to existing property owners.
1.18Sunriver Water Facility Policies
Policy 11.18.1. Water service shall continue to
be provided by the Sunriver Utilities Company.
1.19Sunriver Sewer Facility Policies
Policy 11.19.1. Sewer service shall continue to
be provided by the Sunriver Utilities Company.
1.20Sunriver Transportation System Maintenance
Policies
Policy 11.20.1. Privately-maintained roads
within the Sunriver Urban Unincorporated
Community boundary shall continue to be
maintained by the Sunriver Owners Association.
Policy 11.20.2. The bicycle/pedestrian path
system in Sunriver shall continue to be
maintained by the Sunriver Owners Association
or as otherwise provided by a maintenance
agreement.
Policy 11.20.3. The County will encourage the
future expansion of bicycle/pedestrian paths
within the Sunriver Urban Unincorporated
Community boundary in an effort to provide an
alternative to vehicular travel.
Policy 11.20.4. All public roads maintained
by the County shall continue to be maintained
by the County. Improvements to County
maintained public roads shall occur as
described the County Transportation System
Plan.
11-12 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Unincorporated Communities and Destination Resorts
12 Public FacilitiesPublic Facilities
Statewide Planning Goal 11, Public Facilities and
Services and the associated Oregon
Administrative Rule 660-011 specify that facilities
and services should be appropriate for, but limited
to, the needs and requirements of rural areas to
be served. Public facility plans are not required
(with some exceptions); in fact, Goal 11 and the
associated rule set limits to the provision of sewers
and water systems in rural areas, in order to limit
rural growth.
There are several important issues relating to the
provision of public facilities and services that this
Comprehensive Plan addresses, including:
• Meeting the needs of county residents while
supporting the protection of resource lands;
• Maintaining health, safety, and security
throughout the county; and
• Cooperation among the various providers of
public services.
12-2 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Public Facilities
Opportunities, Challenges, and Considerations
Public facilities and services provide the basic infrastructure for urban and rural
development. These systems include water and sewer systems, police and fire
protection, health and social services, schools, and libraries. The transportation
system is also a public facility – the County has developed and maintains a
Transportation System Plan that is included as Appendix B.
These public services are provided by a variety of entities, each with their own
jurisdiction, funding sources, and regulatory requirements. Overall, the provision
of facilities and services is more efficient and cost-effective in urban areas than in
rural development, where ratepayers may be few and far between. In some areas
of the County, particularly east County, available services are limited due to lower
population density and distance from urban centers. Many of the people who
choose to reside there consider the limited availability of services and facilities as an
acceptable tradeoff for a rural lifestyle.
Context
Deschutes County plays a role in ensuring that
public facilities and services are planned for,
however the facilities and services are often not
provided by county government directly. The
discussion below highlights who provides the
services listed and how the County will manage
development impacts on existing facilities and
services.
County Facilities and Services
LAW ENFORCEMENT
The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office is a full
service organization providing patrol, traffic team,
criminal investigations, corrections, civil and search
and rescue. Special operations include a Marine
Patrol, K-9 units, and Forest Patrol. The Sheriff is an
elected public official who serves a four-year term.
Housed within the Sheriff’s office is the County’s
Emergency Management Unit, which coordinates
the countywide response to natural hazards events.
SOLID WASTE
The County manages Knott Landfill Recycling
and Transfer Station, which is the only landfill
in Deschutes County. In addition to this, the
department manages four additional transfer
stations throughout the County which gather waste
in convenient locations, before transferring to the
Knott Landfill facility. Operations at the landfill
include recycling, hazardous waste disposal, and
composting. This landfill site is anticipated to
remain open until 2029 at which time it is projected
to reach maximum capacity.
The Deschutes County Solid Waste Department is
currently undertaking a new landfill siting process,
which is anticipated to be completed in 2024. In the
future, the County will likely need to site addition
facilities to support composting, recycling, and
waste stream diversion facilities.
Deschutes County Solid Waste System, Source: Solid Waste Management Plan, 2019
12-3 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Public Facilities
COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT
Deschutes County Health Services has a primary
responsibility to help address the basic health
and wellness of Deschutes County residents.
The department offers services at more than 40
locations in Deschutes County including public
schools; health clinics in Bend, La Pine, Redmond
and Sisters; five school-based health clinics;
agencies such as the KIDS Center and the State
of Oregon Department of Human Services; area
hospitals; care facilities and homes.
FAIRGROUNDS
The County maintains the County Fairgrounds and
Expo Center. With panoramic views of the snow-
capped Cascade range, the Deschutes County
Fair and Expo Center is situated on the outskirts
of Redmond just off of Hwy 97 and adjacent
to the Redmond Municipal Airport. Due to its
central location, the fairgrounds also serves as an
emergency center. The fairgrounds hosts the annual
County Fair and numerous other events throughout
the year.
Other Agency Facilities and Services
Where other agencies provide facilities and
services, the County coordinates with numerous
other providers of facilities and services for the
benefit of County residents. Where there are gaps
in the coverage for specific areas, the County can
work with providers to fill them. A selection of other
agencies and entities are noted below.
CENTRAL OREGON INTERGOVERNMENTAL
COUNCIL (COIC)
COIC began serving the residents and communities
of Central Oregon in 1972 as a Council of
Governments organized under ORS 190 by Crook,
Deschutes and Jefferson Counties and Bend, Culver,
Madras, Metolius, Prineville, Redmond and Sisters.
COIC provides a wide variety of educational and
economic development services such as workforce
training, alternative high school education, business
loans and public transportation. COIC continues to
evolve to meet the needs of Central Oregon.
COIC is governed by a 15-member board made
up of elected officials who are appointed by each
of the member governments as well as appointed
representatives of key economic sectors – business
and industry, tourism and recreation, agribusiness
and agriculture, timber and wood products, and the
unemployed/underemployed.
SCHOOL DISTRICTS
There are three school districts in Deschutes
County:
• Bend-La Pine (SD 1),
• Redmond (SD 2J) and
• Sisters (SD 6).
Additionally, the Brothers Community School is
owned and operated by Crook County School
District (SD 15). The High Desert Education Service
District (ESD) partners with the districts to provide
support services such as special education, school
improvement, administrative and legal services.
FIRE DISTRICTS
The following fire districts support rural residents:
Bend Fire Department, Black Butte Ranch Rural Fire
Protection District, Cloverdale Rural Fire Protection
District, Crooked River Ranch Rural Fire Protection
District, Deschutes County Rural Fire Protection
District #1 and #2, La Pine Rural Fire Protection
District, Sisters-Camp Sherman Rural Fire Protection
District, and Sunriver Service District. Public lands
are protected by federal agencies. There are some
areas in Deschutes County that are not covered
by a fire district. (See Chapter 7 for more on fire
protection.)
IRRIGATION DISTRICTS
Irrigation districts in Oregon are organized as
Special Districts under ORS Chapter 545. Six
irrigation districts operate in Deschutes County:
Arnold, Central Oregon, North Unit, Swalley,
Tumalo, Three Sisters Irrigation Districts. They
are public corporations under Oregon Law, with
prescribed rules for purpose, boards, elections,
staffing, charges, etc. The districts are created for
12-4 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Public Facilities
the purpose of delivering water to their patrons.
As such they are effectively non-profit water
user associations. In addition to irrigation uses,
these districts also supply a number of other
services, including municipal, industrial, and
pond maintenance, warranting coordination with
municipalities.
LIBRARIES
Deschutes Public Library has branches in Bend,
Redmond, Sisters, La Pine and Sunriver. They also
operate a bookmobile program that focuses on
children and parenting books and a program for
supplying books to homebound residents.
HIGHER EDUCATION
Deschutes County is home to Oregon State
University Cascades Campus (Bend) and Central
Oregon Community College (Bend and Redmond).
These campuses are expected to grow significantly
in the future.
SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT
Soil and Water Conservation Districts are
authorized by the State of Oregon to provide for
the conservation of its soil and water resources.
Working in cooperation with stakeholders, the
districts address issues such as control and
prevention of soil erosion, conservation and
development of water resources, water quality,
and wildlife preservation. The Deschutes Soil and
Water Conservation District is a legally defined
subdivision of the state government, but, like all soil
and conservation districts, functions as a local unity
led by a locally elected board of directors who serve
without pay.
PUBLIC WATER SYSTEMS
Public Water Systems are defined as those that
have more than three connections, supply water
at least 60 days/year and are used by at least 10
persons/day. All water systems are regulated under
the federal 1974 Safe Drinking Water Act and 1981
Oregon Drinking Water Quality Act. Public Water
Systems serving over 3,300 people are overseen
by the Oregon Department of Human Services
Drinking Water Program. The County acts as a
contractor for the Department of Human Services
to monitor approximately 180 Public Water
Systems. Some privately owned systems are, for
various reasons, regulated by the Public Utility
Commission, which sets rates and rules for public
utilities.
Privately Owned Facilities and Services
UTILITIES
Electric
Electricity is provided by Pacific Power around Bend
and Redmond. Central Electric Cooperative and
Midstate Electric provide service in the rest of the
County. Phone service is provided by Qwest and
numerous cell phone providers. Cable is provided
by Bend Cable and satellite providers. Internet
access is provided by a variety of entities.
Hospitals
Cascade Healthcare Community manages
two hospitals: St. Charles Bend and St. Charles
Redmond. Additionally there are numerous health
providers and clinics in the County.
Sewer Districts
Creating or expanding existing sewer systems
outside an urban growth boundary or
unincorporated community is governed by
Statewide Goal 11 and OAR 660-011-0060. In
order to protect rural areas from urban-style
development, the rules regulate where and when
rural sewers are appropriate. Some sewer districts,
such as Oregon Water Wonderland Unit 2, have
used the Statewide Goal 2 exception process to
create or expand a sewer system.
INDIVIDUAL FACILITIES AND SERVICES
Private wells
Most rural properties are served by private wells
that are approved and managed by the Oregon
Water Resources Department. The County currently
does not track the number of wells.
12-5 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Public Facilities
Individual septic systems
Most rural properties are served by septic systems
that are approved by the Onsite Wastewater
Division.
Key Community
Considerations
The role that Deschutes County plays in the
provision of public facilities and services was part of
the community discussion during the update of this
Comprehensive Plan. Highlights included:
• City governments currently own property
outside of urban growth boundaries and
within County jurisdiction. In some instances,
these lands are used for water and wastewater
treatment facilities. As the County continues
to grow, additional facilities are likely to be
needed, and coordination among jurisdictions
regarding placement of these facilities will be
key.
• Significant population growth will lead to an
increase in solid waste, requiring at minimum
the siting of a new landfill. Community
members expressed a desire for consideration
of livability among other factors when
considering the placement of key public
facilities.
Goals and Policies
Goal 12.1: Support the orderly, efficient, and
cost-effective siting of rural public facilities and
services.
Policy 12.1.1. Encourage and support the
formation of special service districts to serve the
need for public facilities in rural areas.
Policy 12.1.2. Encourage and support planning
for and acquisition of sites needed for public
facilities, such as transportation, water, and
wastewater facilities.
Policy 12.1.3. Support the siting of community
health clinics, hospitals, and private medical
practices to serve rural residents throughout the
County.
Policy 12.1.4. Continue to support the County
Fairgrounds as a community gathering place,
event facility and home to the annual County
Fair.
Policy 12.1.5. Maintain the County Fairgrounds
as an emergency readiness location and staging
area in the event of a Cascadia Subduction Zone
earthquake or other large disaster.
Policy 12.1.6. Prior to disposing of County-
owned property, consider whether the land is
appropriate for needed public projects such
as schools, health clinics, fire stations, senior
centers, or affordable housing.
Policy 12.1.7. Coordinate with rural service
districts and providers to review development
proposals.
Policy 12.1.8. Use the land use entitlement
process to ensure new development addresses
and mitigates impacts on existing and planned
public facilities.
Policy 12.1.9. Support education districts,
library districts and recreation districts in
meeting community needs, such as meeting
spaces.
12-6 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Public Facilities
Policy 12.1.10. Where practicable, locate utility
lines and facilities within or adjacent to existing
rights-of-way to avoid dividing farm or forest
lands.
Policy 12.1.11. Use the development code
to mitigate visual and other impacts of public
facilities and cell towers.
Policy 12.1.12. Use the Comprehensive
Plan and Development Code to guide rural
development in a manner that supports the
orderly and cost-efficient provision of public
facilities and services.
Policy 12.1.13. Support siting and development
of city owned water and wastewater facilities on
rural lands, including innovative facilities that
include additional community amenities.
Goal 12.2: Pursue sustainable, innovative, and cost-
effective waste management practices
Policy 12.2.1. Allow for siting of waste
management facilities on rural lands, including
but not limited to landfill facilities, transfer
stations, organics management facilities,
material recovery facilities, and recycling
modernization facilities, in a manner that is
sensitive to environmental and community
concerns.
Policy 12.2.2. Provide incentives, education,
and resources to promote reuse and recycling
of construction waste.
Policy 12.2.3. Encourage waste reduction
through community education and partnerships
with community groups such as the
Environmental Center
Policy 12.2.4. Support the creation of a landfill
overlay zone.
Goal 12.3: Serve as a conduit for countywide
resources.
Policy 12.3.1. Provide resources to connect
community members with a variety of housing
and health related issues in Deschutes County
12-7 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Public Facilities
13 TransportationTransportation
13-2 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Transportation
The Deschutes County transportation system includes roadways, bicycle facilities,
pedestrian facilities, and transit facilities, as well as rail, air, marine, and pipeline
systems. In general, the County only owns, manages, and maintains facilities in
the unincorporated portions of the County. Facilities within the Urban Growth
Boundaries of the incorporated cities of Bend, Redmond, Sisters, and La Pine are
managed and maintained by those cities. In addition, the Oregon Department of
Transportation (ODOT) owns and maintains a number of state highways throughout
the County.
Information about existing conditions, planned investments, and policies related to
transportation are contained in the Deschutes County Transportation System Plan
(TSP), which is adopted as Appendix B of this Comprehensive Plan.
14 EnergyEnergy
In Deschutes County, the key energy issues include:
• Community design in more urban areas to
limit the need for large vehicles (generally
powered with fossil fuel) for everyday tasks.
• Generating, transporting, and storing
energy locally from a variety of sources, and
managing the impacts of these facilities.
• Conservation of energy through building
design and orientation, the use of energy-
efficient technologies, and incentives/
regulations/education to encourage others to
do so.
Deschutes County coordinates with utility providers
that serve the area, including:
• Central Electric Cooperative
• Midstate Electric Cooperative
• Pacific Power (PacifiCorps)
• Cascades Natural Gas
Statewide Planning Goal 13
Land and uses developed on the land
shall be managed and controlled so as to
maximize the conservation of all forms
of energy, based upon sound economic
principles.
14-2 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Opportunities, Challenges, and Considerations
The amount, source, and distribution of energy used in Deschutes County is a
fundamental component of how we live our lives, and it is influenced by land use
and other decisions made at the County level. The State of Oregon requires land
uses to be managed with an eye to their energy impacts.
Context
The role of Deschutes County in planning for
energy is addressed in more detail below.
SOLAR ORIENTATION
The solar orientation of structures can create
significant energy savings and allows for
photovoltaic energy generation. The County has
long promoted energy conservation through a
passive solar code that requires new structures to
be sited so that they do not block the sun from
falling on adjacent properties.
SITING LARGE-SCALE ENERGY FACILITIES
In general, cities and counties have siting authority
over energy projects below a certain size or
generating capacity. This includes individual
projects powering or supplementing homes
and businesses or small commercial projects
which produce energy for sale. Larger facilities
are regulated by the Oregon Energy Facility
Siting Council. The thresholds for Siting Council
jurisdiction are determined by the Legislature
and are defined in Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS)
469.300. The Siting Council does not regulate
hydroelectric development. Instead, the Oregon
Water Resources Commission has the authority to
issue licenses for hydroelectric development.
Deschutes County currently has five developed
large-scale energy facilities, primarily located
on the eastern side of the County, approved
between 2015-2017. In 2018, the Department
of Land Conservation and Development altered
statewide rules related to these types of large-scale
energy facilities on high value farmland, limiting
development opportunities in parts of the County.
Community members have expressed concern
regarding impacts of these facilities on wildlife
habitat and aesthetics.
In addition to solar, several irrigation districts
have developed in conduit hydroelectric facilities
in which existing canals are upgraded with
equipment for power generation. Three of these
facilities currently exist, two of which are owned
and operated by Central Oregon Irrigation District,
and the third owned and operated by Three Sisters
Irrigation District.
SMALL-SCALE RESIDENTIAL, BUSINESS, AND
COMMERCIAL ENERGY GENERATION
The State oversees construction and approval of
large commercial energy facilities, as noted above.
However, there is a role for local governments to
oversee smaller commercial projects. Commercial
energy generation is considerably more complex
than permitting small projects for homes and
businesses. From a land use perspective, the
scale, extended time frame, investment required
and required off-site components all complicate
the approval process. For example, to move the
electricity generated at an alternative energy
facility to market there is often a need for approval
of roads, transmission lines or substations. The
accessory facilities may or may not be in place at
the same site as the main facility, but are an integral
part of the project and are currently reviewed
separately, based on State regulations.
Wind Energy Generation
As shown in the following figure, wind energy is
most abundant in the eastern portion of Deschutes
County.
Potential impacts of this type of facility include
temporary construction impacts, habitat loss and
animal fatalities due to collision with turbines, visual
impacts from towers and accessory structures,
and noise. Deschutes County regulates small scale
wind energy development generating less than 100
kilowatts of power. This allowance was added to
the Deschutes County Code in 2010, although since
that time no applications have been received to
establish this type of facility.
Solar Energy Generation
The following figure gives a broad sense of where
in the US solar irradiance is highest, and therefore
where solar generation will be most efficient.
Deschutes County is generally favorable to solar
generation.
14-3 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Energy
Potential impacts of this type of facility include
temporary construction impacts, habitat loss,
animal fatalities due to reflected sunlight (for
some solar facilities), and visual impacts. As noted
previously, the Department of Land Conservation
and Development amended its rules in 2018 to
limit solar development on high value farmland.
Typically, solar developments require large acreage
and relatively flat terrain for their operations.
This requirement is a limiting factor in Deschutes
County, as many of the properties that would
meet large acreage and terrain requirements are
actively used for farming purposes. The Bureau
of Land Management is exploring an amendment
to its rules to allow for greater opportunity for
solar development in the western United States.
The County anticipates limited solar development
on private land going forward and an increase of
leased BLM land for this type of development in the
future.
Commercial Biomass
Commercial biomass uses organic material such as
wood, agricultural waste or crop residues to power
boilers to generate heat. According to the Oregon
Forest Resources Institute an estimated 4.25 million
acres (about 15% of Oregon’s forestland) have the
potential to provide useful woody biomass through
thinning to reduce the risk of uncharacteristic forest
fires.
Potential impacts include temporary construction
impacts, transportation impacts (as materials need
to be transported to a central location), visual
impacts, and air quality and climate impacts due to
combustion of biofuels.
The County’s first biomass facility is under
construction through a partnership with the
Deschutes National Forest and Mt. Bachelor Ski
Resort. The project is located on federal land
and outside of the purview of Deschutes County
regulations.
Geothermal Energy Generation
Geothermal energy is a form of renewable energy
derived from heat in the earth. This heat is
transferred to water through various means and the
steam produced is used to produce
electricity. Geothermal energy is dependent on
the location of geothermal resources; central
Oregon may contain some of the best prospects for
geothermal exploration in the continental United
States.
Potential impacts include construction and visual
impacts of geothermal facilities.
Deschutes County regulates geothermal energy in
accordance with state law, although no geothermal
development projects have been proposed to date.
Hydroelectric Energy Generation
Several water districts in Deschutes County have
implemented hydropower projects to harness the
energy of moving water. These projects may have
impacts on wildlife habitat and migration, as well as
construction, visual, and noise impacts.
Currently, Deschutes County has three approved
“in conduit” hydroelectric facilities that are owned
and operated by irrigation districts within existing
irrigation district canals. Approval of these facilities
have previously been contentious with many
community members expressing concern about
wildlife and impacts to other basin users. Irrigation
districts have expressed interest in reducing barriers
to permitting these types of developments to
promote renewable energy development using
man-made waterways.
14-4 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Energy
Key Community
Considerations
Community discussions related to energy have
revolved around the following topics:
• Interest in planning for and adapting to
climate change, including using more
renewable energy sources.
• Concern about the design and location
of energy facilities and their impacts on
environmental resources and scenic views.
• Preparation for more use of electric vehicles
in the future, which often require specialized
charging infrastructure.
Goals and Policies
Goal 14.1: Promote Energy Conservation and
Alternative Energy Production
Policy 14.1.1. Continue to incorporate energy
conservation into the building and management
of all County operations and capital projects
using regular energy audits to refine the results.
Policy 14.1.2. Reduce energy demand by
supporting energy efficiency in all sectors of the
economy.
Policy 14.1.3. Encourage energy suppliers
to explore innovative alternative energy
conservation technologies and provide energy
audits and incentives to patrons.
Policy 14.1.4. Provide flexibility and exemptions
for small properties and anomalous sites in
the development code to promote energy
conservation. Promote affordable, efficient,
reliable, and environmentally sound commercial
energy systems for individual homes, and
business consumers.
Policy 14.1.5. Promote development of solar,
hydropower, wind, geothermal, biomass
and other alternative energy systems while
mitigating impacts on neighboring properties
and the natural environment.
Policy 14.1.6. Provide incentives for homes
and businesses to install small-scale on-site
alternative energy systems consistent with
adopted County financing programs.
Policy 14.1.7. Support development of electric
vehicle charging stations and facilities to help
promote use of electric vehicles.
Policy 14.1.8. Use the development code to
promote commercial renewable energy projects
while addressing and mitigating impacts on the
community and natural environment.
Policy 14.1.9. Use Oregon’s Rural Renewable
Energy Development Zones to support the
creation of renewable energy projects.
Policy 14.1.10. Identify, protect, and support
the development of significant renewable
energy sites and resources.
14-5 | Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Energy