FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Christie Shaw, Public Information Officer
Forestland Classification Filed with Wasco County
The Dalles, Ore. — Final classification for forestlands within Wasco County was adopted by the Hood River-Wasco Counties Forestland Classification Committee during their committee meeting January 18th. The committee held a series of public meetings and two public hearings in December seeking public input before finalizing the draft classification. This completes the work of the committee, which has been meeting since December 2019 (with a pause due to Covid), to establish criteria and review changes to the previous classification which had been adopted in 2012. Revisions to the 2012 classification include administrative corrections to lands where the criteria was not applied correctly, classifying CRP as Class 2 or 3 forestland as appropriate, identifying lands which no longer meet the definition of forestland and improved accuracy of the classification due to better technology and newer data.
The final classification was filed with the Wasco County Clerk’s Office January 20, 2022. This filing initiates the thirty-day appeal period for the classification. As per ORS 526.332 any landowner who is aggrieved by the classification may appeal to the County Circuit Court in which their property is located.
By definition “forestland” is any woodland, brushland, timberland, grazing land or clearing that, during any time of the year, contains enough forest growth, slashing or vegetation to constitute, in the judgement of the forester, a fire hazard, regardless of how the land is zoned or taxed (ORS 526.005 (6)(a)). ORS 526.324 further classifies “forestland” in Oregon into Class 1 (timber), Class 2 (timber and grazing class) and Class 3 (grazing).
Beginning July 1, 2022 all classified forestland in Wasco County will be included in ODF’s Forest Patrol and will have wildland fire protection provided by ODF’s Central Oregon District. ODF is part of the complete and coordinated fire protection system which includes local, rural, county, state, and federal resources. Landowners who receive this service will see a Forest Patrol Assessment on their county tax statement later this fall. The per acre assessment rate is based on a level of service determined by ODF with approval and oversight from Eastern Oregon Forest Protective Association and a District Budget Committee made up of local landowners from each of the counties in the District. The rate is determined each spring after the budgeting process. The 2021 Wasco County rate was $2.19 per acre for Class 1 (timber) and Class 2 (timber & grazing) forestland and $.74 per acre for Class 3 (grazing) forestland. There is a minimum assessment of $18.75 per taxlot for classified forestland.
The written order, finding of fact, and specific classification acres by taxlot can be viewed at the Wasco County Clerk’s Office, and at the following website https://sites.google.com/view/hoodriver-wasco-counties-flc/home, or by contacting Kristin Dodd (541-296-4626), The Dalles Unit Forester, at The Dalles ODF Office. The office is located at 3701 West 13th in The Dalles, Oregon.