Contact your Senator and Representative to support SB 762 A, the omnibus wildfire bill!
Quote from the Action Alert 9/16/21:
The League of Women Voters of Oregon supported SB 762, the omnibus wildfire bill. Now agencies are writing the rules to implement the bill. The Board of Forestry has opened a public comment period, from now through October 1, on whether the state should adopt the WUI definition that is most commonly used throughout the United States, especially in the West, and by the federal government – the “International Wildfire Urban Interface Code” definition: “that geographical area where structures and other human development meets or intermingles with wildland or vegetative fuels”.
| As a reminder: on the final day of the 2021 session, the legislature passed Oregon’s first comprehensive, forward-looking wildfire preparedness and resiliency bill, Senate Bill 762. This bill is a critical step for Oregon to increase community preparedness, reduce future wildfire risk, and build resiliency to withstand the increasing severity and frequency of wildfires in Oregon. Now it is time to implement SB 762 – the bill requires several state agencies to take actions and make investments towards achieving that wildfire resiliency. The Oregon Board of Forestry is currently in the process of adopting a definition of “wildland urban interface” (WUI) – this is the foundational definition on which much of the state’s wildfire preparedness investments, regulations, and guidance will be based. The Forestry Board needs to hear from you – how have Oregon’s recent wildfires impacted your life, and what do you expect from the state to better prepare Oregon & all Oregonians for the future? Right now, the Board especially needs to hear that: |
This rule is the first step in implementing SB 762. Another rulemaking committee is developing the set of specific maps identifying which properties are most at risk. Look for opportunities to comment on those maps in the coming months. For now, we support this foundational definition as work continues to refine the work specifically for a diverse Oregon.
Send your experiences and comments to the Board of Forestry at: sb762.rulemaking@oregon.gov
You can also speak at one of three public hearings by logging into the below zoom links and indicating you want to testify:
- Sept. 22, 2021, 2 p.m., Zoom meeting
- Sept. 23, 2021, 7 p.m., Zoom meeting
- Sept. 24, 2021, 9 a.m., Zoom meeting
To learn more about this WUI rulemaking process, go to: https://www.oregon.gov/odf/board/Pages/rac.aspx
League of Women Voters of the Umpqua Valley 