| Oregon Forestland-Urban Interface Fire Protection Act of 1997 |
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| Overview |
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The Oregon Forestland-Urban Interface Fire Protection Act of 1997 (often referred to as Senate Bill 360) enlists the aid of property owners toward the goal of turning fire-vulnerable urban and suburban properties into less-volatile zones where firefighters may more safely and effectively defend homes from wildfires. Basically, the law requires property owners in identified forestland-urban interface areas to reduce excess vegetation, which may fuel a fire, around structures and along driveways. In some cases, it is also necessary to create fuel breaks along property lines and roadsides.
Forestland-urban interface areas are identified in each county by a classification committee. A committee is composed of five members -- three appointed by the county, one by the state fire marshal and one by the state forester. The process of identifying forestland-urban interface areas follows steps and definitions described in Oregon Administrative Rules 629-044-1005 through 629-044-0145. Briefly, the identification criteria include:
- Lands within the county that are also inside an Oregon Department of Forestry protection district.
- Lands that meet the state’s definition of “forestland.”
- Lands that meet the definition of “suburban” or “urban”; in some cases, “rural” lands may be included within a forestland-urban interface area for the purpose of maintaining meaningful, contiguous boundaries.
- Lots that are developed, that are 10 acres in size or smaller, and which are grouped with other lots with similar characteristics in a minimum density of four structures per 40 acres.
Once forestland-urban interface areas are identified, a committee applies fire-risk classifications to the areas. The classifications range from “low” to “extreme," and the classification is used by a property owner to determine the size of a fuel break that needs to be established around a structure.
After a committee completes its draft identification and classification maps, a public hearing is held to formally exhibit the committee’s findings and hear testimony. The maps are finalized by the committee after the hearing, and the findings are filed with the county clerk and the Oregon Board of Forestry. At that point, the Oregon Department of Forestry assumes administrative responsibility and notifies the owners of properties within the county's forestland-urban interface areas. Property owners have two years after receiving their letter of notification to comply with the fuel-reduction standards described in OAR 629-044-1050 through 629-044-1085.
A committee convenes every five years to review forestland-urban interface classifications.
The Oregon Department of Forestry supplies information about the act’s fuel-reduction standards to forestland-urban interface property owners. ODF also mails each of these property owners a certification card, which may be signed and returned to ODF after the fuel-reduction standards have been met.
Returning this card to ODF is an important step. Certification relieves a property owner from the act’s fire cost-recovery liability. This takes effect on properties that are within a forestland-urban interface area and for which a certification card has not been received by the Department of Forestry. In these situations, the state of Oregon may seek to recover certain fire suppression costs from a property owner if a fire originates on the owner's property, the fuel reduction standards have not been met, and ODF incurs extraordinary suppression costs. The cost-recovery liability under the Oregon Forestland-Urban Interface Fire Protection Act is capped at $100,000.
Certification cards become void whenever a property is sold, a structure is added, or a county's classification committee has convened and reclassified forestland-urban interface lands.
The Oregon Forestland-Urban Interface Fire Protection Act of 1997 is fully described in Oregon Revised Statutes 477.015 through 477.061, and Oregon Administrative Rules 629-044-1000 through 629-044-1110.
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| Contacts |
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The Oregon Forestland-Urban Inteface Fire Protection Act of 1997 applies to all Oregon counties. However, the act has not yet been implemented statewide. Here is a summary of implementation:
- The act has been fully implemented in Deschutes, Jackson, Umatilla, Crook, Jefferson, Wasco and Douglas counties
- The classification process in Baker County has been completed
- The classification process has begun in Klamath, Josephine, Hood River and Lake counties
Here is local contact information for the counties in which implementation has either begun or is complete:
Jackson and Josephine counties
Jackson County Forestland-Urban Interface Classification Committee
Josephine County Forestland-Urban Interface Classification Committee
Brian Ballou
Oregon Dept. of Forestry
Southwest Oregon District
(541) 665-0662
Deschutes, Crook, Jefferson, Wasco and Hood River counties
Tom Andrade
Oregon Dept. of Forestry
Central Oregon District
(541) 549-6761
Klamath County
Dennis Lee
Oregon Dept. of Forestry
Klamath-Lake District
(541) 883-5681
Douglas County
Tom Fields
Douglas Forest Protective Association
(541) 672-6507
Umatilla County
Steve Meyer and Angie Johnson
Oregon Dept. of Forestry
Northeast Oregon District
(541) 963-3168
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| Landowner Guide |
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These links are to Adobe Reader (pdf) files of the "Oregon Forestland-Urban Interface Fire Protection Act Property Evaluation & Self-Certification Guide." This publication describes the act's fuel-reduction standards, concepts and alternatives. You may open or download the entire publication or choose individual chapters.
Entire publication (5 MB)
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| Forms |
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Certification forms: Use one of these forms to certify your property.
Evaluation forms. Use these to determine the fuel reduction standards required on forestland-urban interface properties. These forms are for your information only, and do not need to be returned to ODF. These forms are also not to be used as a self-certification form. If you need a self-certification form for your property, contact your local ODF office.
Choose the evaluation form that matches the classification for the area in which your property is located. No fuel reduction treatment is required on properties classified "low."
Accredited assessor application:
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| Maps |
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Deschutes County
These map files are large and it is recommended that you download your selection to your hard disc before opening it. To do this, right-click on the link, choose "Save Target As ..." from the menu, and select a destination folder for the file. All map files are in Adobe Reader (pdf) format.
Bend area
LaPine area
Sisters area
Jackson County
Applegate-Ruch (1.8 MB)
Ashland (1.7 MB)
Jacksonville (1.6 MB)
Rogue River - Wimer (1.4 MB)
Sams Valley (1.3 MB)
Shady Cove - Prospect (1.8 MB)
In addition, you can search for individual lots on the Jackson County Wildfire Map Viewer page.
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| Additional Information |
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Frequently asked questions about the Oregon Forestland-Urban Interface Fire Protection Act
Glossary of terms used in Oregon Forestland-Urban Interface Fire Protection Act administration
A short history of wildland/urban interface fires in Oregon
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