Oregon Dept. of Forestry Seeks Operating Loan
State forestry officials are seeking changes to the way the state funds firefighting efforts after the agency had to ask the Oregon State Treasury for a $60 million loan to tide the agency over until it can get more money from the Legislature. After taking the brunt of this year’s $317 million in firefighting costs (almost half will be reimbursed—eventually—from the federal government), the Oregon Dept. of Forestry is broke.
According to ODF officials, the agency has had to ask for loans several times in the past 20 years, most recently in 2021. They add that firefighting costs have increased dramatically the past decade at a rate of more than $10 million annually of rising costs. The agency is working on a report that includes potential new funding models that will be forwarded to the 2025 legislature.
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Oregon Loggers Cause Tiny Fraction Of Fires
Following the horrible wind-driven conflagrations of 2020, Oregon has seen calmer fire seasons in 2021-22, and a report from 2022 shows Oregon loggers have performed admirably in fire prevention and first-response activities last year, according to a report from the Oregon Dept. of Forestry (ODF). As noted in the Associated Oregon Loggers Mainline newsletter, there were just 18 total Oregon state land forest fires caused by industrial mechanical equipment in 2022. Thanks to the efforts of Oregon loggers, only 15 acres burned…
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