With every session that follows an election, new members join the Legislature and a new set of committees are formed. Following a turbulent year, with a series of ongoing emergency issues, legislative leadership created committees to dive deep into newly identified needs across the state. 

Of the changes made by legislative leadership, the natural resources policy committees were shuffled around, some long standing committees no longer exist and new ones were created to take their place. 

Senate

For a number of years now, all natural resource related bills in the Senate have been heard in the Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. In light of Oregon’s catastrophic wildfire even in the late summer of 2020, and the myriad of legislative concepts being brought forth this session on wildfire, the Senate has split natural resources issues into two committees. The Senate Committee on Energy and Environment and the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Wildfire Recovery.

The Senate Committee on Energy and Environment is a new committee chaired by Senator Lee Beyer (D-Springfield). Senator Linn Findley (R-Vale) serves as vice chair. The committee is expected to focus on items like renewable energy development, the clean energy standard, and Oregon’s recycling program. Additionally, it has been speculated that some land use bills may find their way into the Senate Committee on Energy and Environment as well. 

The Senate President modified the previous Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee into the Senate Natural Resources and Wildfire Recovery Committee. This modified committee is chaired by Senator Jeff Golden (D-Ashland). Senator Dallas Heard (R-Roseburg) serves as the vice chair. This will be the committee that hears most, if not all, of the wildfire legislation throughout the session, as well as hot button natural resource issues like pesticides reform. 

House of Representatives

There have always been a number of committees in the House that handle natural resource issues. This year the Speaker of the House has disbanded the House Committee on Agriculture and Land Use. This means that land use issues will be spread among other committees. 

House Agriculture and Natural Resources will continue to be chaired by Representative Brad Witt (D-Clatskanie). The co-vice chairs are Representative Vikki Breese-Iverson (R-Prineville) and Representative Zach Hudson (D-Troutdale). The committee will hear a variety of agriculture and natural resource issues and is expected to take up bills related to land use on resource lands. 

The House Committee on Energy and Environment is now chaired by Representative Pam Marsh (D-Ashland). Representative David Brook Smith (R-Port Orford) and Representative Ken Helm (D-Beaverton) serve as co-vice chairs. While there continues to be a House Water Committee, this committee has general jurisdiction over bills relating to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and that includes water quality issues. Additionally, the House Committee on Energy and Environment will hear bills related to environmental health, renewable energy, and other related legislation as assigned. 

The House Committee on Water continues to be chaired by Representative Ken Helm (D-Beaverton). Representatives  Mark Owens (R-Crane) and Jeff Reardon (D-Happy Valley) serve as co-vice chairs. The House Water committee has jurisdiction over water related issues, except water quality. This includes but is not limited to quantity issues, measurement and reporting, wells, damn safety, and transfers. 

Finally, the Speaker of the House created a number of “Special Committees” for the 2021 legislative session, including a Wildfire Recovery Committee. This committee chaired by Representative Brian Clem (D-Salem) and co-vice chaired by Representative Rick Lewis (R- Silverton) and Representative Pam Marsh (D-Ashland) will handle all the legislation specifically targeted to recovery efforts related to Oregon’s historic wildfires late last summer. Expect to see legislation in this committee on rebuild efforts and potential property tax exemptions.

The Association of Oregon Counties is monitoring and engaging in these committees on policies that impact Oregon’s 36 counties. For questions on natural resource issues, please contact Lauren Smith. 

Contributed by: Lauren Smith | Legislative Affairs Manager