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Land use changing in Klamath, E. Oregon
Published September 10, 2004
By DYLAN DARLING
Private timberlands and open range in Eastern Oregon are giving way to houses nestled among woods and fields, according to report released this week by the U.S. Forest Service and Oregon Department of Forestry.
Titled "Forests, Farms & People," the report addresses changes in land use in Eastern Oregon, including Klamath and Lake counties, from 1975 to 2001. The most significant shifts occurred on private land in Deschutes and Klamath counties, particularly in areas close to the city of Bend, according to the report.
While there has been a noticeable boom in development around Bend, the expansion around Klamath Falls and throughout southern Klamath County has been more subtle, said Gary Lettman, principal forest economist for the department in Salem.
"It's still fairly rapid development compared to the rest of Eastern Oregon," Lettman said.
According to the report:
"In Klamath County outside of the Bend area, the rate of growth was also high; urban land uses increased by 36 percent and low-density residential areas increased by 246 percent."
But that impressive figure of more than 200 percent is put into context when the total amount of developed land in the county is taken into account.
"The proportion of developed area in Klamath County remains relatively low, at about 2 percent," he said. "The actual numbers aren't huge," Lettman said.
Wildland range is still the dominant type of land in most of Klamath County and eastern Oregon, he said. The study, which took into account 17 counties east of the Cascade Mountains, showed there was a shift back from industrial ownership, including mostly timber land, to non-industrial ownership.
Some people are buying the land to develop into neighborhoods tucked into the forest, and some are using it for other things.
"People are buying big chunks of acreage to have it and just use it for their own recreational use," Lettman said.
According to the report:
"From 1975 to 2001, wildland forest decreased by 1 percent and wildland range decreased by 2 percent. The amount of land used for intensive agriculture increased by 1 percent during the same time period."
Wildland forest decreased by about 176,280 acres, and wildland range decreased by about 352,560 acres, while intensive agriculture increased by 176,280 acres.
In all, more than 17 million acres were examined in the study.
He said the report could be used by policy makers to figure out what uses land should be zoned for over the next several years.
By DYLAN DARLING
Private timberlands and open range in Eastern Oregon are giving way to houses nestled among woods and fields, according to report released this week by the U.S. Forest Service and Oregon Department of Forestry.
Titled "Forests, Farms & People," the report addresses changes in land use in Eastern Oregon, including Klamath and Lake counties, from 1975 to 2001. The most significant shifts occurred on private land in Deschutes and Klamath counties, particularly in areas close to the city of Bend, according to the report.
While there has been a noticeable boom in development around Bend, the expansion around Klamath Falls and throughout southern Klamath County has been more subtle, said Gary Lettman, principal forest economist for the department in Salem.
"It's still fairly rapid development compared to the rest of Eastern Oregon," Lettman said.
According to the report:
"In Klamath County outside of the Bend area, the rate of growth was also high; urban land uses increased by 36 percent and low-density residential areas increased by 246 percent."
But that impressive figure of more than 200 percent is put into context when the total amount of developed land in the county is taken into account.
"The proportion of developed area in Klamath County remains relatively low, at about 2 percent," he said. "The actual numbers aren't huge," Lettman said.
Wildland range is still the dominant type of land in most of Klamath County and eastern Oregon, he said. The study, which took into account 17 counties east of the Cascade Mountains, showed there was a shift back from industrial ownership, including mostly timber land, to non-industrial ownership.
Some people are buying the land to develop into neighborhoods tucked into the forest, and some are using it for other things.
"People are buying big chunks of acreage to have it and just use it for their own recreational use," Lettman said.
According to the report:
"From 1975 to 2001, wildland forest decreased by 1 percent and wildland range decreased by 2 percent. The amount of land used for intensive agriculture increased by 1 percent during the same time period."
Wildland forest decreased by about 176,280 acres, and wildland range decreased by about 352,560 acres, while intensive agriculture increased by 176,280 acres.
In all, more than 17 million acres were examined in the study.
He said the report could be used by policy makers to figure out what uses land should be zoned for over the next several years.
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Kaylah wrote on Dec 19, 2007 3:21 PM:
" this was my grandmother, i am one of her many grandchildren and boy oh boy do i miss her. i was looking back throught the herald and news and i am suprised i found this article. it nice to save the news papers every year for some people to pull memories off the web. thank you "
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Sarah Ritch wrote on Jun 18, 2008 10:47 AM:
She made my ribbon dresses and helped to teach me how to fancy dance.
-Sarah Ritch(Garcia) "