Public hearings are scheduled July 31 and Aug. 1 to gather feedback on a rules package establishing the contested case appeals process, designating properties in wildfire hazard zones, and identifying the wildland-urban interface, as required by Senate Bill 762 (2021) and Senate Bill 80 (2023).
The Board of Forestry approved the public hearing process for the proposed rule package, Oregon Administrative Rules 629-001-0001 to 0057 and 629-044-1000 to 1041, during their June 5 meeting. See the notice of proposed rulemaking for draft rule language. The department consulted a Rulemaking Advisory Committee representing a wide variety of stakeholder interests while drafting the proposed rules.
The rules will be used by Oregon State University to address irrigated agriculture as a mitigating factor to assessing wildfire hazard in the statewide wildfire hazard map, which includes assigning one of three hazard zones to individual properties. The rules also establish the process to appeal assignment of a hazard zone or classification.
Comment can be made at any of the virtual public meetings below:
- July 31, 10 a.m., Zoom meeting
- July 31, 2 p.m., Zoom meeting
- Aug. 1, 6 p.m., Zoom meeting
Comments can also be sent to maprules@odf.oregon.gov until 5 p.m. on Aug. 15. Please clarify which rule your comments pertain to in your email.
