Salem, Oregon – Governor Tina Kotek recently instructed the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) to stop forwarding wildfire danger map appeals to the Office of Administrative Hearings until the end of the current legislative session. This action responds to widespread concerns among Oregonians about the accuracy and consequences of the Oregon Statewide Wildfire Hazard Map.
The Oregon Statewide Wildfire Hazard Map, which delineates regions across the state prone to wildfire risks, has been a topic of intense scrutiny and debate. Many of the residents expressed concerns about the designations since they believe mistakes would compromise property values and rise insurance rates. Governor Kotek’s decree guarantees that, in response to these issues, appeals will not immediately go to the Office of Administrative Hearings even if they can still be filed to the ODF until March 10, 2025.
The governor’s ruling seeks to prevent any conflicts and unwarranted court costs should the appeal of the wildfire hazard zones be sought while the legislature is still debating revisions to the criteria of the map. This intentional restriction is meant to let the Oregon Legislature go through a comprehensive public process to examine potentially change the map criteria free from the complexity of concurrent litigation procedures.
“Oregonians have raised concerns over the current Oregon Statewide Wildfire Hazard Map, and this issue runs parallel to our urgent need for long term, sustainable funding for wildfire response and mitigation,” Governor Kotek said. “The Legislature is rising to the occasion on these challenges. This pause will allow for the transparent, public process required to address both. Lives and lands depend on it.”
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The process is still open for people concerned about the classification of their homes within areas of wildfire hazard. Appeals have to be filed with the ODF by the March deadline; legal representation is not needed in this first step. This stage serves just to guarantee that every appeal is formally noted and ready for examination.
Should the legislature decide not to change the wildfire hazard map or the appeals process in this session, the ODF will proceed to refer the accumulated appeals to the Office of Administrative Hearings following the legislative session ends, so preserving the appeals process as now defined by law.
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Governor Kotek’s strategy focuses on finding a balance between the legislative process’s integrity and the need for quick response in the face of wildfire dangers so that every opinion is heard and any policy modification is done with the most complete and current information available.
