Removal of Wetlands & Loss of Agricultural Land to Solar Farms
Linn County is known for it's farming communities. We are, after all, called the "Grass Seed Capitol of the World." Large solar companies have been targeting farmland to host their panels because they are easier and cheaper to install on level land. It's happening all over our nation and if we don't take a stand against these money driven companies, we could be looking at a drastic decrease in farmable land.
AFT documented the disappearance of prime farmland and its potential impact on the future. Authors of the report note that from 2001 through 2016, 2,000 acres of farmland and/or ranchland were lost to or compromised by development each day. The report contends that if the trend continues unimpeded, 18.4 million acres could be converted from 2016 to 2040, an area nearly the size of South Carolina. About one-third would be converted to commercial development or housing of high or moderate density. About two-thirds would wind up in low-density housing, either large-lot subdivisions or scattered housing in rural areas. If the rate of development escalates, land converted from 2016 to 2040 could total 24.4 million acres. Yet if policymakers and land-use planners adopt policies that encourage compact development instead, 13.5 million acres of current farmland and ranchland could be saved, AFT says.
From 2017 to 2022, Oregon lost 4% of its farmland. The state is the second highest among western states with the most decrease in farmland behind Washington, which raises red flags for some agricultural land conservation advocates.
More and more farmland in New York is being purchased and rented for residential developments and solar power, decreasing the number of viable agricultural acres and increasing the price of land, federal and state data show.... “There is a big push to use renewable energy, which I'm totally in favor of, but it’s just not the best use for prime agricultural land,” Reeves said.
The Washington State Department of Agriculture says solar installations will damage soils, disputing a claim by an energy company that 1,000 acres of prime farmland in Klickitat County could revert to agriculture in 25 years and be as productive as before.