The document below was originally offered to one person that is trying to protect their community when the town council voted to approve a disastrous solar project that removed over thirty crop producing farms and bordered in excess of 80 homes and buildings, in favor of a solar developer that had no experience in building a solar project.

Since it seems like many states and counties either don't care about their citizens and taxpayers or are just uninformed, we are providing a list of questions that EVERY elected or appointed official that is responsible for rules or regulations overseeing any type of solar development, should read and act on.

We are publishing the entire list here in a PDF format so that it can be printed out and mailed to your local representatives.

We also want to give credit to Lynne Bruning and other members of the Stop Solar Farms Facebook Group and https://nosolarwind.org message board members for their contributions to this list.

Click the link below to read this list.
Questions-for-Town-Boards-and-planning-committee.pdf

Oregon put restrictions on the amount of land that can be used for Solar Farms depending on the quality of the farm land.

The state Land Conservation and Development Commission adopted new rules prohibiting solar farms being built on high-value farmland.

There are 289,363 acres of farmland deemed high value in Marion County, Oregon.
If any of the specified types of soil are on a portion of any of a farm property, the entire property is determined to be high value and thus off limits to solar development.

Marion County Commissioners removed allowing solar farms from the county code in early 2018.

The state commission approved one exemption to the prohibition of solar arrays on high-value farmland, a dual-use exemption.

In the dual-use model, the solar arrays on prime farmland may be built up to 20 acres if they serve multiple purposes, such as beehives or being used for grazing as well as solar production.

As many as 140 proposed solar farms in EFU land have been submitted for approval in Oregon, but a small number have been constructed.

*https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/local/silverton/2019/06/04/solar-farms-approved-marion-county-hard-deadline-permits-built/1263176001/

We are starting a list of locations and the regulations, in hopes our readers will send us additional information that can be used to encourage more local and state government agencies to start placing restrictions on the locations where Solar Farms can be built.

We would also like to encourage our readers to contact any local conservation groups and agencies, in order to have them assist us in our fight to stop Solar Farms in residential areas, on farm land and woodlands, or anywhere that will have a detrimental effect on local wildlife.

Many states, counties and municipalities have recognized the contradiction inherent in sacrificing valuable natural and economic resources for renewable electricity production.

The following is a very small sample of legislative responses, included here to illustrate the challenge nationwide;

The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources announced, in January 2017, a proposal to overhaul its solar incentive programs. The proposals would reward proposals to use landfills, brownfields, rooftops and parking lots and impose a fee on proposals to use undeveloped lands.

Wright County, Minnesota, enacted a six-month moratorium on applications in 2016, while Stearns County convened a work group to recommend ordinance revisions, adopted in December, that require solar facilities to include habitat for pollinators.

Santa Clara County, California, specifically prohibits facilities on certain agricultural lands and allows them on others that are deemed to be of marginal quality for farming purposes (Ord. NS–1200.331, adopted in 2010).

The New Jersey Energy Master Plan 2015 Update states: “The State should continue its policy of discouraging the development of solar farms on farmland and undeveloped open spaces, such as forests, and encouraging their placement on or above impervious surfaces or on landfills, brownfields or areas of historic fill.”

Monson, Massachusetts approved a bylaw amendment restricting large solar facilities to industrial and commercially-zoned districts.

Talbot County, Maryland enacted a six-month moratorium on solar arrays larger than two acres to “consider the impact of solar array energy systems on environmentally sensitive areas and agriculturally productive lands

Finally, some government agencies, are starting to revise their regulations to include updated restrictions on where solar farms can be located.

We are starting a list of locations and the regulations, in hopes our readers will send us additional information that can be used to encourage more local and state government agencies to start placing restrictions on the locations where Solar Farms can be built.

We would also like to encourage our readers to contact any local conservation groups and agencies, in order to have them assist us in our fight to stop Solar Farms in residential areas, on farm land and woodlands, or anywhere that will have a detrimental effect on local wildlife.

Many states, counties and municipalities have recognized the contradiction inherent in sacrificing valuable natural and economic resources for renewable electricity production.

The following is a very small sample of legislative responses, included here to illustrate the challenge nationwide;



The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources announced, in January 2017, a proposal to overhaul its solar incentive programs. The proposals would reward proposals to use landfills, brownfields, rooftops and parking lots and impose a fee on proposals to use undeveloped lands.



Wright County, Minnesota, enacted a six-month moratorium on applications in 2016, while Stearns County convened a work group to recommend ordinance revisions, adopted in December, that require solar facilities to include habitat for pollinators.



Santa Clara County, California, specifically prohibits facilities on certain agricultural lands and allows them on others that are deemed to be of marginal quality for farming purposes (Ord. NS–1200.331, adopted in 2010).



The New Jersey Energy Master Plan 2015 Update states: “The State should continue its policy of discouraging the development of solar farms on farmland and undeveloped open spaces, such as forests, and encouraging their placement on or above impervious surfaces or on landfills, brownfields or areas of historic fill.”



Monson, Massachusetts approved a bylaw amendment restricting large solar facilities to industrial and commercially-zoned districts.



Talbot County, Maryland enacted a six-month moratorium on solar arrays larger than two acres to “consider the impact of solar array energy systems on environmentally sensitive areas and agriculturally productive lands.”