Forest Practices Act

About the Oregon Forest Practices Act (FPA)

The Oregon Forest Practices Act (FPA) sets standards for all commercial activities involving the establishment, management, or harvesting of trees on Oregon's non-federal forestlands. Oregon law gives the Board of Forestry primary responsibility to interpret the FPA and set rules for forest practices. ODF is responsible for administering and enforcing the FPA and the forest practice rules. ODF works with landowners and operators to help them comply with the requirements of the FPA. The Oregon Legislature first passed the FPA in 1971, and it was the first law of its kind in the U.S. Since that time, the act as well as the administrative rules implementing it have changed many times. Many of those changes are captured in this timeline.

In 2020, the Oregon Legislature passed Senate Bill 1602 which set helicopter pesticide application requirements discussed below and required the Governor to facilitate mediated sessions between representatives of the forest industry and representatives of environmental interests. As a product of this collaborative process the 2022 Private Forest Accord Report was drafted and released by an author group comprised of representatives from those discussions. During the 2022 Legislative Session, Senate Bills 1501 and 1502 were passed making substantial changes to the Forest Practices Act and requiring the recommendations of the Private Forest Accord Report be incorporated into ODF administrative rules.

To view current or previous compilations of the FPA and Forest Practice Rules visit the ODF Laws & rules page.

To learn more about current FPA rulemaking efforts visit the agency's rulemaking page.

Forest Practices Technical Guidance

• All Water Crossings
• Avoiding Roads in Critical Locations
  
• Equipment Limitation Zone (ELZ) and Retention–Equipment Limitation Zone (R-ELZ)
  
• Forest Road Inventory and Assessment (FRIA)
  
• Harvesting on Steep Slopes - Identifying Slope Retention Areas
  
• Road Condition Assessment for Small Forestland Owners
  
• Small Type N Stream Guidance and Flow Permanence Field Survey Protocol (Updated)
  
• Statutory Written Plan Waiver
  
• Wet Weather Road Use
  

Compliance

Forest Practices Monitoring Program

The Forest Practices Monitoring Program continually reviews the effectiveness of the FPA and its rules through monitoring and research. The goals of the monitoring program are:

• To provide scientific information for adapting regulatory policies and management practices
  
• To provide education and training on the FPA rules
  
• To assess whether the rules and guidance are sufficient in protecting natural resources on forestland
  
• To evaluate if the FPA laws, rules, and strategies are complied with and if voluntary measures are implemented
  

Monitoring and research are conducted in the following areas:

• Compliance
  
• Fish passage and stream crossings
  
• Forest roads
  
• Storm impacts and landslides
  
• Headwater protection
  
• Salmon and watersheds
  
• Pesticide use
  
• Riparian function and structure
  
• Riparian function and stream temperature
  
• Shade quality
  
• Stream temperature
  

Enforcement

View the enforcement page for more information.

Stewardship agreements

Stewardship agreements are voluntary land management agreements available to landowners under Oregon’s Forest Practices Act rules. They were established by the Oregon Legislature in their current form through House Bill 2114 in 2007.

Under a stewardship agreement, a landowner agrees to exceed ODF regulatory requirements designed to protect natural resources, such as water quality and fish and wildlife habitat, in exchange for long-term regulatory certainty under Forest Practices Act rules.

For questions or interest in applying, email Lori Bell.

Key elements

Videos

• Written Plans - Forest Practices Act Rules