State Agency Coordination

What are State Agency Coordination Programs? 

State Agency Coordination (SAC) programs are a cornerstone of Oregon’s unique land use planning system. Agencies must prepare programs to ensure that their rules and programs related to land use comply with the statewide planning goals, and are compatible with local comprehensive plans. (See ORS 197.180, OAR 660-030, and OAR 660-031.) In meeting these requirements, SAC agreements serve as important tools for coordination with other state agencies and local governments. 

What is included in a State Coordination Program? 

Agencies review their current programs and rules for those with a significant effect on statewide planning goals or local comprehensive plans. For those programs and rules, agencies must adopt or amend rules outlining the procedures for coordination with local governments, other state agencies and DLCD. Agencies must identify a program of cooperation and technical assistance with local governments, including coordination with local planning processes, such as the adoption of comprehensive plan amendments. Finally, agencies must designate staffing to coordinate their land use programs. 

How are State Agency Coordination Programs approved? 

Agencies must formally adopt the SAC program. After adoption, an agency submits its SAC program to the Director of DLCD for review and, once the submittal is deemed complete, the Director has 90 days to evaluate whether the submittal incorporates all required elements of a SAC program. At a minimum, DLCD must provide 30 days for public comment. The Director must provide an evaluation of the SAC program, including responses to timely objections, that concludes with a recommendation to the Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC). Following a review of the written report, LCDC must issue an order either certifying the SAC program, denying the program along identified corrections, or postpone final action until a later date. Certification by the commission means that the SAC program meets the applicable administrative rules and, under certain circumstances, allows the agency to take an action or adopt rules and programs not compatible with local comprehensive plans.

The approved State Agency Coordination Plans are available below.

• Capitol Planning Commission
• Governor's Watershed Enhancement Board
• Lane County Boundary Commission
• Portland Metropolitan Area Local Government Boundary Commission
  
• Oregon Building Codes Agency
• Oregon Department of Energy/Energy Facility Siting Council
• Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
• Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
• Oregon Department of General Services
• Oregon Department of Higher Education
• Oregon Department of Agriculture
• Oregon Department of Corrections
• Oregon Department of Forestry
• Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries
• Oregon Department of Revenue
• Oregon Department of Transportation
• Oregon Department of State Lands
• Oregon Economic Development Department
• Oregon Health Division
• Oregon Housing Agency
• Oregon Military Department
• Oregon Public Utility Commission
• Oregon State Emergency Management Division
• Oregon State Marine Board
• Oregon State Parks and Recreation Department
• Oregon Water Resources Department
  

A Brief History of State Agency Coordination Programs 

SAC programs have been integral to the state’s land use planning system since its adoption in 1973. The first generation of programs were developed and certified in the late 1970s and early 1980s as local governments developed their initial comprehensive plans. In the early 1990s, following statutory changes and the adoption of new rules, agencies were required to update their SAC programs. Most agencies completed this process between 1990 and 1995, resulting in the SAC agreements that many agencies currently use today. 

Updating State Agency Coordination Programs 

While some agencies have updated their SAC programs since the 1990s and early 2000s, most agencies still operate with twenty to thirty years old agreements. Since that time, agencies have changed, implementing new structures and programs. New issues such as climate change have altered how state agencies and local governments plan and coordinate for the future. Technology has changed how agencies interact with each other and with local governments. 

Given these changes, and the length of time since the last updates, DLCD has initiated an effort to encourage agencies to review and modernize their SAC programs. DLCD developed a template that simplifies the update process. Several agencies have committed to this effort with the goal of updating their programs by the end of 2026 or early 2027.