Residents fight ban on farm animals

WHITE CITY, Ore. – People raising chickens and goats to make ends meet during hard times in a southern Oregon district are protesting a crackdown on their farm animals, which are banned in the area of older rural tracts and newer subdivisions.

There have been more complaints over enforcement of the ban on the animals in the White City district than there were a few years ago when Jackson County closed libraries because of budget cutbacks, said County Commissioner John Rachor.

Complaints from neighbors about the animals brought enforcement notices in the unincorporated Urban Residential District.

Then, backyard animal raisers protested to the commissioners, saying their chickens and goats help them make ends meet.

Farm animals are allowed in other unincorporated parts of the county, including up to 20 chickens per acre.

Now, the commissioners are trying to figure out how to lift or change the White City ban, the Medford Mail Tribune reports.

“This whole valley is up in arms about it,” said Lori Hutson, who received a notice of violation on Oct. 26 about her two dozen chickens on a 1-acre parcel.

The notices tell Hutson and others they have a month to get rid of the animals or risk a $600 fine that could rise to as much as $10,000 if not resolved.

Rachor said he hopes White City residents don’t get stuck with a fine while commissioners work on the ordinance.

“We don’t want this woman to be a martyr because she can’t feed her family,” he said.

Commissioner C.W. Smith, who owns a dozen chickens himself in the Eagle Point area, said he knew the county had an ordinance relating to White City Urban Residential District but didn’t realize chickens and other farm animals weren’t allowed.

“I’m pretty confident we can figure something out,” he said.

Residents around the county have rallied to Hutson’s cause.

Kate Wood, a 64-year-old who lives in rural Central Point, said she would be willing to offer up space on her farm to provide foster care for Hutson’s hens while the issue is sorted out.

“If she wanted to temporarily house her chickens, that would be fine by me,” she said. “We’re stressing ‘green’ so much lately, so having chickens in a backyard should be allowed. Besides, these are hard economic times.”