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Oregon Department of Forestry

Criterion 7 Indicator 57
Rationale
The Extent to Which the Institutional Framework has the Capacity to Enforce Laws, Regulations, and Guidelines
 
Laws and regulations must be enforced in order to be effective. The greater the extent of enforcement for laws and regulations related to forest conservation and sustainable management, the more likely it is that forests will be managed on a sustainable basis.

Evaluation
Institutional framework for non-federal forest lands — enforcement of laws, regulations, and guidelines
 
The Oregon Department of Forestry has 54 forest practices foresters located throughout the state to administer and enforce the forest practice rules. These rules set the specific standards and requirements that operators must follow to meet the Forest Practices Act. Whenever a forest practices forester determines that an operator has committed a violation of the forest practice rules, the forester may issue a citation and an order to cease further violation to the operator. If resource damage can be repaired, a repair order is also issued. The department may then assess a civil penalty or pursue criminal prosecution for any violation described in statute or rule. The amount of civil penalty per violation is determined by formulas specified in the administrative rules.
 
Institutional framework for federally managed forests — enforcement of laws, regulations, and guidelines
 
The federal forest management agencies have their own law enforcement officers to enforce laws and federal regulations. In addition, they have cooperative agreements with many county sheriffs’ departments, in order to get assistance with patrols and enforcement. Federal law allows citizens to sue the federal agencies in civil actions, if they believe the agencies have not complied with laws, regulations, and land and resource management plans.
C. Extent to which the economic framework (economic policies and measures) supports the conservation and sustainable management of forests through a variety of mechanisms.