The Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) has continuously engaged with the legislature, state agencies, and stakeholders in the development of comprehensive wildfire policies for numerous sessions. By focusing on thoughtful, effective, and regionally tailored wildfire policy, AOC has been able to ensure the county perspective is not only at the negotiating table but included in the implementation of statewide policy on wildfire.
Senate Bill 80B (2023) makes many technical changes to the 2021 Wildfire bill, SB 762, including revisiting the statewide wildfire risk map. Based on AOC Natural Resources Steering Committee principles and discussions, AOC staff and steering committee chairs worked with bill sponsor Senator Jeff Golden (D-Ashland), the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF), and Wildfire Program Advisory Council Chair Mark Bennett and Director Doug Grafe on statutory changes with the goal of an improved statewide wildfire hazard map.
Upon passage of SB 80, statute now requires that, “to ensure local characteristics in each area of this state are considered in the mapping process and before the draft map is released, the department shall meet with county commissioners and their staff in eight in-person meetings throughout this state.”
The bill goes on to say that after those meetings occur and the map is released for public comment, counties will have one additional opportunity to meet with ODF to discuss additional concerns and potential changes to the map. This process must be “interactive and does not consist solely of delivering information in a top-down manner.”
Finally, to ensure that counties have an active role in the wildfire mapping process, ODF stated on the legislative record that, “The department will receive and consider all comments and concerns for integration into the map, and if they are not integrated, an explanation on why will be provided.”
These county-ODF meetings will be scheduled in coordination with the AOC District Meetings this fall. AOC staff is meeting with county planning directors in advance of the fall ODF meetings to ensure counties are prepared to engage meaningfully in the map review process.
“We look forward to meeting with county commissioners and staff as we put the Wildfire Hazard Map together later this year,” said Cal Mukumoto, Oregon State Forester. “Through working together with counties we were able to craft language that works for both parties. Knowing the local concerns and issues faced in specific areas will help us make a map that is beneficial statewide.”
Contributed by: Branden Pursinger, AOC legislative affairs manager