Does Oregon’s planning program allow new dwellings on forest land?
Yes. Oregon’s laws on forest zoning provide for several ways to approve new dwellings. The main options are forest “template” dwellings in areas of existing development and “lot of record” dwellings. DLCD’s farm and forest lands specialist or a county planner can provide more details regarding the approval criteria. There are now six different ways for dwellings to be approved in forest zones: • As a large tract forest dwelling • On a “lot-of-record” owned before 1985 • As a “template” dwelling near other concentrations of dwellings • Temporarily, during a medical hardship of a family member • To replace an existing dwelling • As a caretaker dwelling for a park or fish hatchery What threats are there to forest land? As timber harvests have declined over the last two decades, industrial forest ownerships are increasingly coming under pressure to be developed. The resulting fragmentation of the forest land base and introduction of dwellings into forest settings can create challenges and
