The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) is holding a series of community
information sessions starting July 26 and 27 in southwest Oregon. Each session
will include a presentation about the map’s function and purpose, how wildfire
risk is assessed, and how property owners may appeal their assigned risk class.
Time will be available to address questions from community members.
The wildland-urban interface (WUI) and statewide wildfire risk map available
through the Oregon
Explorer is a tool to help inform decision making and planning related to
mitigating wildfire risk for communities throughout Oregon.
Representatives from Oregon State University who produced the map based on
rules adopted by the Board of Forestry will also attend the sessions.
The first set of meetings is in southwest Oregon. Two sessions are currently
scheduled, one in Medford, and one in Grants Pass. Both meetings are from 7-8
p.m. Dates and locations for each community meetings are as follows:
- July 26, Grants Pass— Anne G.
Basker Auditorium, 500 NW 6th St. - July 27, Medford—Medford
Public Library, 205 S Central Ave.
Details will soon be announced for sessions in The Dalles, La Grande, and
Bend. Additional community meetings may be added.
Property owners in the high and extreme risk
classes will receive written notice from ODF this week indicating the
property’s risk class and whether it’s in the wildland urban interface. The
notice will inform them if they may be subject to future defensible space or
building code requirements and how to find information on those requirements. It
will also provide information on the process to appeal a property’s risk
classification.
For properties in the WUI and a risk classification of high or extreme,
Senate Bill 762 requires actions to help mitigate the risk of wildfire through
adoption of defensible space and home hardening building codes. Oregon State
Fire Marshal is passing defensible
space code requirements through a public process. Code adoption of
defensible space requirements will occur December 2022, after the map
validation and appeals period is closed. Those requirements won’t apply until
later. Visit OSFM’s
website for more information. Building Codes Division (BCD) will
adopt home
hardening building codes through a public process. Building codes will be
adopted October 1, 2022 and will be effective April 1, 2023. Visit BCD’s
website for more information.
The statewide phone number to call for additional information regarding effects to your ownership is 503-945-7310. Please leave a message and calls will be returned.