ORS 477.490
Statewide map of wildfire risk
- rules
(1)
The State Forestry Department shall oversee the development and maintenance of a comprehensive statewide map of wildfire risk that displays the wildfire risk classes described in subsection (4) of this section and populates the Oregon Wildfire Risk Explorer.(2)
The Oregon Wildfire Risk Explorer must be the official wildfire planning and risk classification mapping tool for the State of Oregon.(3)
The State Board of Forestry shall establish by rule criteria by which the map must be developed and maintained, including criteria concerning the use of the most current wildfire assessments.(4)
In consultation with Oregon State University, the department shall establish five statewide wildfire risk classes of extreme, high, moderate, low and no risk. The classes must be:(a)
Consistent with ORS 477.027 (Establishment of classes of wildland-urban interface).(b)
Based on weather, climate, topography and vegetation.(5)
The department shall enter into an agreement with the university that provides that the university will develop and maintain the map and make the map publicly available in electronic form through the Oregon Wildfire Risk Explorer.(6)
The board shall adopt rules that:(a)
Provide opportunities for public input into the assignment of properties to the wildfire risk classes described in subsection (4) of this section.(b)
Require the department to provide notice and information about how a property owner may appeal an assignment of the property owner’s property to the extreme or high wildfire risk classes.(c)
Allow affected property owners and local governments to appeal the assignment of properties to the wildfire risk classes after the map is developed, after any updates to the map and within a reasonably time after delivery of the notice and information described in paragraph (b) of this subsection.(d)
Establish a specific process for appeals through which a requested change in assignment is assessed based on:(A)
Whether the assignment is consistent with the criteria described in subsection (3) of this section;(B)
Any pertinent facts that may justify a change in the assignment; and(C)
Any error in the data the department used to determine the assignment, if the error justifies a change in the assignment.(7)
The map must:(a)
Be based on the wildfire risk classes.(b)
Be sufficiently detailed to allow the assessment of wildfire risk at the property-ownership level.(c)
Include the boundaries of the wildland-urban interface, as defined in ORS 477.015 (Definitions), consistent with national standards.(d)
Include a layer that geospatially displays the locations of socially and economically vulnerable communities.(8)
To develop and maintain the map, the university shall collaborate with the department, the State Fire Marshal, other state agencies, local governments, federally recognized Indian tribes in this state, other public bodies and any other information sources that the university deems appropriate.(9)
In maintaining the map, the university shall make technical adjustments as needed and update the map consistent with the results of appeals described in subsection (6)(b) of this section.(10)
The university shall provide technical assistance to representatives of state and local government, and to landowners, that use the map. [2021 c.592 §7]
Source:
Section 477.490 — Statewide map of wildfire risk; rules, https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/ors/ors477.html.
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