Clatsop County, population 36,300, surrounds the City of Astoria, approximately 70 miles northwest of Portland. Bounded by the Columbia River to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the west, Clatsop County’s economy is concentrated in forestry, fisheries and tourism.

Clatsop County has provisions that allow development potential to be transferred between properties in the Clatsop Plain. The portion of the sending parcel to be preserved must be rezoned to the Open Space Parks and Recreation zone, the Natural Uplands zone, the Conservation Shorelands zone or the Natural Shorelands zone. The rezone request must be filed in conjunction with the request for density transfer. Before the density transfer receives final approval, a deed restriction must be recorded that prevents further development of the preservation parcel unless and until “the entire area within the density transfer approval” has been included within an urban growth boundary. The receiving area parcels must have a minimum lot size that ranges between one-half acre and one acre.

To date, no one has used the County’s TDR provisions.

Clatsop County, Oregon allows development potential to be transferred from sensitive environmental areas such as these coastal dunes.