Bill Text: OR HB3324 | 2013 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relating to State Forester reporting of private property losses from fire.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 19-0)

Status: (Failed) 2013-07-08 - In committee upon adjournment. [HB3324 Detail]

Download: Oregon-2013-HB3324-Introduced.html

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     77th OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2013 Regular Session

NOTE:  Matter within  { +  braces and plus signs + } in an
amended section is new. Matter within  { -  braces and minus
signs - } is existing law to be omitted. New sections are within
 { +  braces and plus signs + } .

LC 1964

                         House Bill 3324

Sponsored by Representative WHITSETT; Representatives CAMERON,
  CONGER, ESQUIVEL, FREEMAN, JENSON, KRIEGER, OLSON, SMITH,
  SPRENGER, THATCHER, WHISNANT, Senators BAERTSCHIGER JR, CLOSE,
  HANSELL, KNOPP, KRUSE, THOMSEN, WHITSETT

                             SUMMARY

The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the
measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject to
consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor's
brief statement of the essential features of the measure as
introduced.

  Requires that annual report by State Forester to Emergency
Board include private property loss information for fires of
1,000 acres or more.

                        A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to State Forester reporting of private property losses
  from fire; creating new provisions; and amending ORS 477.777.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
  SECTION 1. ORS 477.777 is amended to read:
  477.777. (1) As part of the preparation of the budget forms
submitted to the Oregon Department of Administrative Services
pursuant to ORS 291.208 for the State Forestry Department, the
State Forester shall prepare, in addition to any amounts budgeted
for forest protection districts pursuant to ORS 477.205 to
477.281, a budget request for a General Fund appropriation that
may be used for any or all of the following:
  (a) Providing funds for the purchase of insurance under ORS
477.775.
  (b) Placement of centrally managed fire suppression resources
for statewide use.
  (c) Acquisition of fast-mobilizing, short-term contingency
resources to be used based on predictions of unusually severe
fire weather, widespread lightning events or serious resource
shortage due to a heavy fire season.
  (d) Enhancement of forest protection district resources in
limited cases where land productivity or other economic factors
seriously limit the protection district's ability to provide
adequate funding to meet performance standards.
  (2) The State Forester shall utilize critical discretion in the
expenditure of the funds provided to the State Forestry
Department pursuant to the separate budget request required under
subsection (1) of this section.
  (3) The State Forester shall report to the Emergency Board,
each year, after the close of the fire season, on:
  (a) The nature and severity of the fire season;
  (b) The moneys expended on fire suppression;
  (c) The rationale for the expenditures; and
  (d) The balance remaining from the biennial appropriation.
   { +  (4) When reporting the nature and severity of the fire
season under subsection (3) of this section, for each fire
consuming 1,000 or more acres the State Forester shall provide
information regarding the resulting losses on private lands of
timber, buildings, fencing and livestock and of grazing land
capacity if the land is expected to be unavailable for two or
more grazing seasons. + }
  SECTION 2.  { + The amendments to ORS 477.777 by section 1 of
this 2013 Act apply to State Forester reports regarding fire
seasons that begin on or after the effective date of this 2013
Act. + }
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