Forest Classification and Review Process

Introduction

What lands are classified as "forestland" is important because that determines where within the district the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) has fire protection responsibilities. That is relevant to landowners because

1. Lands classified as "forestland" within the boundary receive protection from ODF, and
2. Lands classified as forestland are assessed for fire protection.

Forestland Classification in Oregon Today

Since its inception in the 1930s, Oregon's forest land classification system has evolved in response to changes in land uses and markets, as well as social and political pressures and events. Discussions of where ODF should be providing wildfire protection and where it should not, and who should pay for this protection, have been going on for decades. These issues have come to the fore in recent decades as rapid expansion and development of Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) areas makes ODF involvement in these areas increasingly complicated and costly.

ODF's expertise in wildfire "perimeter control," wildfire suppression and access to additional resources used to control fast moving wildland fires are effective and valuable in the WUI fire protection environment. As housing density and structural protection presence and capability increase in WUI areas, districts will need to periodically review longstanding fire protection arrangements with rural and municipal fire departments.

We have developed three sections to help you better understand the Forest Classification and Review process.

Forest Classification Background provides readers with background to the system. Forest Classification Review Process outlines the work of the Classification Committee. The final section explains ODF's Role in Structural Protection.

Forestland Classification Background

Classification of lands as "forestland" essentially determines where within the District the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) has fire protection responsibilities. Lands classified as "forestland" within the boundary receive protection from ODF, and are assessed for fire protection.

The Oregon Department of Forestry's forestland classification system originated with the passage of the Forest Land Classification Act by the Oregon Legislature in 1937. By the 1950s, the system had been adopted statewide with significant regional variation in interpretation and application.

Many things have changed in the past 70 years. Land use patterns and the wildfire protection environment are much different today. Polk County's population has increased, and development patterns have changed. People are building homes and living in rural areas among flammable vegetation that can sustain and carry fire. The Wildland-Urban Interface areas, containing a mix of flammable vegetation and private homes, now cover large portions of the forest protection district.

As a consequence of these trends, the complexity and costs of Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) fire protection program escalate. Many of the conditions under which ODF's forestland classification system was originally established seventy years ago no longer apply. In response to frequent issues and questions arising from classification efforts, the ODF in 2007 formally initiated a thorough review of the statues, rules and policy that make up its forestland classification framework. Key goals of this review were to update the classification system to reflect current conditions, and identify ways to improve the efficiency and consistency of its administration.

One of the outcomes of this review has led to a Forestland Classification review of all lands in Polk County within ODF's West Oregon District boundary.

Forest Classification Review Process

The review is being conducted by a County Forestland Classification Committee, as authorized by Oregon Revised Statute (ORS) 526, and the West Oregon District of the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF).

Per statute, the Polk County Board of Commissioners appointed three (3) committee members, the Director of the Oregon State University appointed one member, Oregon Office of State Fire Marshall appointed one member, and ODF appointed one member, for a total of six Board Members.

Polk County Forestland Classification Committee
List of the Current Board Members

Jeff Classen (Oregon Department of Forestry)
Frank Pender, Vice Chair (Polk County landowner)
Terry Lamers, Chair (Polk County landowner)
Tom Parsons (Polk County landowner)
Brad Withrow-Robinson, Secretary (OSU Extension Forester)
Bill Hahn, Polk County Fire Chief (Oregon Office of State Fire Marshal)

The Polk County Forestland Classification Committee (Polk FCC) had its first meeting in May of 2008. The first several meetings were spent establishing its By-laws, determining how the Polk FCC would conduct its business, learning about the task that they were charged with, and clarifying protocol for implementation.

Once this was done, the Polk FCC began meeting to classify forestland for the portion of Polk County within the West Oregon District Forest Protection Boundary. The Committee worked systematically to make and record the determination of forestland across each Township and Section within the Protection Boundary.

The classification review to determine forestland within the West Oregon District protection boundary has been completed by the Polk FCC. A Public Hearing to receive comment on the classification work was conducted March 10, 2011. The Polk FCC approved the classification work and made it final May 11, 2011. Final classification determinations were recorded at the Polk County Clerk’s office May 31, 2011.

Results of the classification review have been submitted to the Assessor's Office, where they will implement the changes to the tax rolls.

ODF's Role in Structural Protection

The primary mission of the ODF Fire Protection Division is to protect forest resources, second only to protecting human lives. However, the ODF's forest protection role in the law is not strictly to protect trees.

For most of the past century, ODF protection districts encompassed sparsely populated forestlands, and structural protection was rarely a significant issue.

But in recent decades, the number of homes and other infrastructure within ODF protection districts has risen dramatically. Increasingly, the agency is faced with questions regarding the extent to which it should be involved with protecting these structures when fires occur. In many instances, it is impossible to separate the structures from the wildfire environment.

Questions such as these have been debated internally by agency staff several times over the past 30 years. In each case, it was concluded that ODF is not the agency directly responsible for protecting structures within district boundaries. The ODF works with Polk County's four local Rural Fire Protection Districts to prevent and control fires within the rural areas, and so does have an important indirect role in protecting structures.

Statutory guidance regarding ODF's role in structural protection became more complex with passage of the 1997 Urban Interface Fire Protection Act (SB360). This Act, in 477.015, defines "forestland-urban interface" as "a geographic area of forestland inside a forest protection district where there exists a concentration of structures in an urban or suburban setting." A key phrase is "inside a forest protection district." ODF has an additional role in these "interface" areas (477.0172a) of providing a "complete and coordinated fire protection system within the forestland urban interface in Oregon...in order to ensure the protection of human life, the safety of citizens and fire service personnel and the highest possible level of livability in Oregon..." ODF interpreted this clause to mean that where homes exist in forestland-urban interface within a protection district, as defined above, ODF's primary duties include the protection of human life, safety and livability concurrently with the protection of forest resources.