Background
Cultural areas are a
Statewide Land Use Planning Goal 5 resource category that, until December 2024, lacked an implementing rule in Oregon Administrative Rules chapter 660, division 23 (division 23). Division 23 is a set of rules for implementing Goal 5. Division 23 was adopted in 1996 with an intention to add a rule for cultural areas later. Nearly thirty years later, cooperation with tribes, local government representatives, and other advisory committee members, DLCD staff drafted a rule to guide identification, assessment, and protection strategies for these important resources for current and future Oregonians.
The Land Conservation and Development Commission
adopted these rules December 4, 2025. Please find an updated fact sheet on the
rules and what they require online here.
The rule defines cultural areas as
archaeological sites and
landscape features of cultural interest.
As defined in state law, an archaeological site is a place where archaeological objects are located and preserved so that the contextual associations of the objects with each other or organic remains and geological deposits can inform our understanding of the site's origin.
Landscape features of cultural interests are known to tribes and culturally identified groups. For tribes, these may include sites: integral to a tribe's history, legends, traditions, and stories; traditionally used for wayfinding; traditionally used for gathering first foods and materials; integral to ongoing tribal cultural practices; traditional trails. For other culturally identified groups they include sites that are important to the history and experience of that group.
Upon receipt of an application to add a landscape features of cultural significance to a local inventory, local governments will hold a public process to evaluate and decide for which sites local protection measures will be applied.
DLCD staff have identified several discrete refinements to recommend the Land Conservation and Development Commission (commission) consider at their March 2025 meeting. These pertain to who can bring an application forth to amend a comprehensive plan to place a culturally significant landscape feature on a local inventory, and how local governments should process this type of application. A third area of clarification pertains to Metro's urban growth boundary expansion process.
For information on the 2024 rulemaking please see the previous
rulemaking webpage.
October 2025
Public comment closed on October 31, 2025 at 11:55 pm. Comments submitted during the public comment period (September 1, 2025 – October 31, 2025) may be found on the Land Conservation and Development Commission's website for their September hearing here.
Land Conservation and Development Commissioners are expected to deliberate and consider rule adoption at their December 4-5, 2025 meeting. Commissioners will not accept public comment at this meeting. The packet will be available on November 20, 2025 on the commission page here.
Please sign up to receive updates here or reach out to staff at 503-373-0050 or via email at dlcd.goal5ca@dlcd.oregon.gov.
Rulemaking Advisory Committee informationThe commission reopened the rulemaking at its March 2025 meeting. Members of the rulemaking advisory committee (RAC) for the 2024 rulemaking that resulted in adoption of OAR 660-023-0210 were invited to serve on the RAC for this rulemaking wiht the addition of a representative of Metro's regional government.
View the RAC membership here.
RAC meeting schedule:
RAC Meeting #1: May 22, 2025 1-3 p.m.
RAC Meeting #2: June 12, 2025 2-4 PM
RAC Meeting #3: July 18, 2025 1-3 PM
RAC Meeting #4: October 14, 2025 3-4:30 PM
Local Government Work Sessions
DLCD, the League of Oregon Cities, and the Association of Oregon Counties cosponsored four implementation work sessions for local governments in September and October. September 4 and October 29 were more formal webinars, with two open houses in between.
Public Comments
This rulemaking had open comments until Oct 31, 2025 and are posted here.