Congratulations to Baker County Commissioner Mark Bennett on his appointment to the Oregon Agricultural Heritage Commission (OAHP). AOC thanks you for stepping up and serving Oregon’s agriculture families. 
Oregon’s diverse farm and ranch lands are the cornerstone of the state’s economy and rural communities, providing myriad environmental benefits. More than one-quarter of Oregon’s 63 million acres are private working lands that produce agricultural crops valued at $5.4 billion annually — the state’s second-largest economic driver. At the same time, well managed agricultural lands support valuable fish and wildlife habitat and other natural resources. For over 40 years, Oregon’s unique land use program has helped protect working landscapes. Yet even with a strong economic position and existing state protections, farm and ranch land is increasingly challenged by fragmentation of parcels, conversion to non-farm uses, and the expense and complexity of intergenerational transfer.
More information about OAHC can be found here.
Or contact Mark at mbennett@bakercounty.org
Contributed by: Susan Morgan | AOC Policy Manager