La Pine Pumice Co. v. Deschutes County Board of Commissioners

Petitioner seeks review of LUBA’s order upholding two ordinances of Deschutes County which amended, respectively, the county’s comprehensive plan and its zoning ordinance to establish regulations for the use of geothermal resources.

Petitioner is the owner of a 157-acre tract in the Newberry Crater area. The property is located above a volcanic chamber and fault zone, and it has been identified by the county as a very likely site of geothermal energy resources. The county’s ordinances create a conditional use procedure for geothermal production in some areas and for geothermal exploration in…