April 16, 2021 3:30 a.m.
Oregon Senate Urges Federal Government to Take Responsibility AM Ap 16 KB
On Wednesday, the Oregon Senate approved a memorial calling on the federal government to reimburse property owners for property damage that resulted from a fire that “…started on mismanaged federal forestlands”. The memorial urges Congress to establish a program to give property owners this redress.
A release from the Oregon Senate Republicans that the federal government manages 60 percent of Oregon forestland. The release said those federal lands are burning more land at a greater frequency. From 2000 to 2019, 15 of the 15 megafires in Oregon started on federally managed lands. In the last decade, 86 percent of burned forestland acres have been federal land, according to the release. It said that United States Forest Service Lands burn at nearly five times the rate of private and state lands.
Senate Republicans said under state law, if a spark from a barbecue started a fire on private property and spread to federal land, the landowner would be liable for the cost of the damage to the federal land. However, if the fire starts on federal forestland and destroys private property, there is no requirement for the federal government to compensate the private landowner. The release said the memorial would bring accountability to the federal government.
Senate Republican Leader Fred Girod said, “This legislation recognizes the federal government’s mismanagement of Oregon forestland has set the conditions for catastrophic wildfires”.
In Oregon, wildfires burned more than 1.2 million acres. More than 5,000 homes and commercial structures were destroyed. The release said those fires threatened lives, businesses, homes, displaced thousands of Oregonians and blanketed the state in dangerously high smoke levels.
Senate Republicans said last year alone, the cost to fight the fires was at least $354 million. The total cost was even higher. FEMA has estimated that the cost of wildfire and wind damage, response and debris removal will be around $1.5 billion. As of January, Oregon had only received $32.2 million in FEMA Assistance Payments to Oregonians.
Girod said he is urging Congress “…to provide and fund an expedient and efficient system to fully reimburse state and local government property owners and especially private property owners for the damage that results from wildfires that start on federal land”.
The memorial passed the Senate on a 29-1 vote and now moves to the House for consideration. A link to the memorial is posted:
https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2021R1/Measures/Overview/SJM3