February 17, 2025 11:00 a.m.  

On Monday, Governor Tina Kotek directed the Oregon Department of Forestry to continue to accept all appeals of the Oregon State Wildfire Hazard Map to the March 10th deadline, but to pause on referring these appeals to Office of Administrative Hearings until after the legislative session concludes.

The session must end no later than June 29th.

A release said the Governor’s decision allows the legislature to carry out a public process for deliberating changes to the map requirements absent potential conflicts driven by a concurrent appeals process through the Office of Administrative Hearings. In addition, the pause will prevent Oregonians who elect to appeal their wildfire hazard designation from incurring potentially unnecessary legal fees between March and June of this year, if the legislature makes changes to the Oregon Statewide Wildfire Hazard Map.

Kotek said, “Oregonians have raised concerns over the current Oregon State Wildfire Hazard Map and this issue runs parallel to our urgent need for long term, sustainable funding for wildfire response and mitigation”. Kotek said, “The Legislature is rising to the occasion on these challenges. This pause will allow for the transparent, public process required to address both. Lives and land depend on it’

The release said those who wish to appeal the assignment of wildfire hazard zones or designation as wildland-urban interface still must appeal to the ODF by March 10th. No attorney is required for this first step in the appeal process. This step simply ensures that those who wish to appeal are still in the queue.

If the legislature does not change the map or appeals process this session, ODF will refer the list of received appeals to the Office of Administrative Hearings following the session and continue the appeals process outlined in existing law.