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This appendix to the City of Eugene Industrial Land Study provides a detailed account of the soil analysis
<br />used to address the state mandate to give higher priority to suitable land of lower soil capability for
<br />purposes of urban growth boundary expansion. The first section summarizes the legal basis (found in
<br />more detail in subsection II.g.1 of the Industrial Land Study) for the use of high value farmland
<br />designation for identifying lower and higher capability soils within the study area. The second section
<br />lists the specific soil makeup of each tax lot under consideration. This analysis shows that all tax lots that
<br />contain land that meets the development constraint and site characteristics required for industrial
<br />expansion are predominantly composed of soil classified as high value farmland.
<br />High Value Farmland and Soil Capability
<br />State law requires that, among the Fourth Priority land, "higher priority shall be given to land of lower
<br />capability as measured by the capability classification system or by cubic foot site class, whichever is
<br />appropriate for the current use." The capability classification system pertains to agricultural land, while
<br />the cubic foot site classification system pertains to forest land. Since none of the remaining land under
<br />consideration is designated for Forest, the forestry classification of cubic foot site is not applicable in this
<br />analysis.
<br />There are several components to the "soil capability classification system." The USDA (through the
<br />Natural Resources Conservation Service or "NRCS") has categorized all the nation's soil types into eight
<br />general capability classifications. At that macro level, "Class I" soil types have the highest agricultural
<br />capability and "Class VIII" soil types have the lowest. The NRCS recognizes that these classifications are
<br />only an "indicator" of soil value, however. For purposes of Oregon's land use program, DLCD classifies
<br />the most productive agricultural soils in Oregon as "high value farmland." The Agricultural Land Rule
<br />(OAR 660-033) specifies the way in which "high value farmland" is to be identified'. Eugene is situated in
<br />the Willamette Valley which includes large areas of high value farmland, many of which carry a Class III
<br />or Class IV general classification on a national level.
<br />The (pre-2016) OARS that apply to Eugene's UGB expansion do not include any direction regarding the
<br />statutory requirement that "higher priority shall be given to land of lower capability as measured by the
<br />capability classification system." DLCD's new UGB administrative rules (2016) provide some direction for
<br />' As applicable to Eugene's expansion area, OAR 660-033-0020(8)(a) defines "High-Value Farmland" as: "land in a
<br />tract [OAR 660-033-0020 (14) "Tract" means one or more contiguous lots or parcels under the same ownership]
<br />composed predominantly of soils that are: (A) Irrigated and classified prime, unique, Class I or 11; or
<br />(B) Not irrigated and classified prime, unique, Class I or 11. * * * and (c) tracts composed predominantly of the
<br />following soils in Class III or IV or composed predominantly of a combination of the soils described in subsection (a)
<br />of this section and the following soils: (A) Subclassification IIle, specifically, Bellpine, Bornstedt, Burlington,
<br />Briedwell, Carlton, Cascade, Chehalem, Cornelius Variant, Cornelius and Kinton, Helvetia, Hillsboro, Hult, Jory,
<br />Kinton, Latourell, Laurelwood, Melbourne, Multnomah, Nekia, Powell, Price, Quatama, Salkum, Santiam, Saum,
<br />Sawtell, Silverton, Veneta, Willakenzie, Woodburn and Yamhill; (B) Subclassification Illw, specifically, Concord,
<br />Conser, Cornelius Variant, Dayton (thick surface) and Sifton (occasionally flooded); (C) Subclassification IVe,
<br />specifically, Bellpine Silty Clay Loam, Carlton, Cornelius, Jory, Kinton, Latourell, Laurelwood, Powell, Quatama,
<br />Springwater, Willakenzie and Yamhill; and (D) Subclassification IVw, specifically, Awbrig, Bashaw, Courtney,
<br />Dayton, Natroy, Noti and Whiteson."
<br />Expansion Analysis for Employment Land - A May 2017 Draft Page 1
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