A growing coalition of property owners, builders, realtors, farmers, and housing advocates standing together against the systematic abuse of Oregon's land use appeal process.
Oregon's land use appeal process was designed to protect communities. Instead, a single organization — Central Oregon LandWatch — has turned it into a tool to systematically block property owners from exercising their legal rights, even after local government approval.
Sources: Deschutes County Community Development, The Bend Bulletin, OPB, LUBA Records
Property rights unite people across the political spectrum. Our coalition brings together organizations and individuals who believe in responsible development, housing access, and the rule of law.
Behind every LUBA case number is a property owner who played by the rules, got approval, and then had to spend years and tens of thousands defending their rights.
We spent 40 years trying to farm this land. Hay, cattle — we couldn't make it work. The county agreed. The hearings officer agreed. Then one organization that's never set foot on our property decided we were wrong about our own land.
My property has Class 7 soil, no irrigation, and sits between a highway and federal BLM land. Nobody has ever farmed it. But apparently it's "agricultural land" worth protecting from the family that actually owns it.
We had approval from the county, support from neighbors, and a plan to build housing people actually need. One nonprofit added three years and six figures to our costs. That's not protecting farmland — it's a shakedown.
Have you been affected by a LandWatch appeal? Your story matters.
Share Your StoryWhether you're a property owner, a housing advocate, a builder, or a concerned citizen — here's how you can help end the abuse.