Jim Johnson
Land Use & Planning Coordinator for Oregon Department of AgricultureBiography
Jim is currently the Land Use and Water Planning Coordinator for the Oregon Department of Agriculture where he has been employed for over 20 years. In this role, he is involved in a broad range of land use matters both in policy and implementation venues, all from the perspective of agriculture. Jim is widely recognized as an expert in issues related to the protection of farmland. He has given presentations relating to farmland protection and the Oregon Planning Program to government organizations, university classes, citizen groups and NGOs throughout Oregon, nationally and in Canada.His professional career has bridged local, state and regional perspectives including positions with Klickitat County, Washington, Wasco County, Oregon, the Columbia River Gorge Commission and the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development, the State of Oregon’s land use planning agency. While at DLCD, Jim was the lead planner for farm and forest
7 | Pageplanning. While at the Columbia River Gorge Commission, he was responsible for developing the agriculture and forest land elements of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Management Plan. Since his early days as a local government planner Jim’s focus has been on land use issues relating to agriculture and forest lands. Jim earned a MA in geography from the University of Nebraska-Omaha and a BS from Western Oregon University. Jim enjoys gardening, as directed by his wife Cheryl, spending time with his two granddaughters and continuing his quest to break 80 on the golf course.