This is all from my talk from Commissioner Roberts on Tuesday:
Jackson County Commissioner Colleen Roberts – So many public meetings needing your input. There’s the JET BOAT ISSUE ON THE RIVER: (From Commissioner Roberts)
TUESDAY JUNE 4th Touvelle State Park from 5:30 to 7:30 PM
MONDAY JUNE 17th AT MEFORD LIBRARY MEETING ROOM 5:30-7:30PM
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WILDFIRE MAP MEETINGS
STATE HOLDING OPEN HOUSE MEETINGS ON COMMUNITY WILDFIRE PROGRAMS
News Release from Oregon Dept. of Forestry
Posted on FlashAlert: May 14th, 2024 12:10 PM
SALEM, Ore. — A series of six open houses about the state’s new community wildfire risk reduction programs are scheduled June 3 through July 1 across Oregon. These events will offer opportunities to learn about new defensible space and home hardening standards, as well as the draft wildfire hazard map.
The resource-fair style open houses are being held in the communities that have some of the greatest levels of wildfire hazard within the wildland-urban interface. Each open house will begin with a short presentation and introductions, but visitors may stop in at any point during the event to get questions answered about the draft hazard map and associated community wildfire programs.
Representatives from multiple agencies will be present to have one-on-one or small group conversations to help people understand Oregon’s statewide wildfire programs.
- Oregon Department of Forestry representatives will address questions on administrative rules and hazard zone assessment appeals.
- Oregon State University representatives will address questions on wildfire hazard science, statewide data sources, and updates to the draft hazard map made over the last two years.
- Oregon State Fire Marshal representatives will address questions regarding defensible space standards, code adoption process and implementation.
- Building Codes Division representatives from the Department of Consumer and Business Services will address questions on home hardening construction standards, related code provisions, and implementation.
- Division of Financial Regulation representatives from the Department of Consumer and Business Services will address questions on home insurance market and requirements of insurers under Senate Bill 82 (2023).
- Wildfire Programs Advisory Council members will address questions on statewide policy direction for wildfire programs and council business.
Meetings will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. on the following dates:
- Redmond—Monday, June 3, Deschutes County Fairgrounds and Expo Center, South Sister Hall, 3800 SW Airport Way, Redmond, OR 97756
- La Grande—Tuesday, June 4, Union County Fairgrounds, Mount Emily Building, 3604 N 2nd, La Grande, OR 97850
- Central Point—Monday, June 17, Jackson County Fairgrounds, Mace Building, 1 Peninger Rd., Central Point, OR 97502
- Grants Pass—Thursday, June 20, Grants Pass High School, 830 NE 9th, Grants Pass, OR 97526
- Klamath Falls—Monday, June 24, Klamath County Event Center, Hall #2, 3531 S 6th, Klamath Falls, OR 97603
- The Dalles—Monday, July 1, Oregon Military Department Armory, 402 E. Scenic Dr., The Dalles, OR 97058
Find more information on ODF’s wildfire hazard webpage.
To subscribe to information related to updates on the statewide wildfire hazard map, visit the ODF website.
Background: The 2021 Legislature passed Senate Bill 762 that required the Oregon Department of Forestry to develop and maintain a comprehensive statewide map of wildfire risk that included wildland-urban interface boundaries and five fire risk classes by June 30, 2022, in collaboration with Oregon State University. After the initial version of the map was rescinded August 4, 2022, ODF and OSU began gathering feedback and incorporating it into future mapping efforts.
The 2023 Legislature passed Senate Bill 80 that made several changes to the map including changing the name from a “risk” map to a “hazard” map, reducing the number of hazard classes from five to three, and changing the appeal and notification requirements.
Written comment or questions about any aspect of the implementation of Senate Bill 762 and Senate Bill 80 may be submitted by email at any time to odf.wildfirehazardmap@odf.oregon.gov.
Contact Info:
Derek Gasperini, Public Affairs Officer, 971-283-6642, derek.gasperini@odf.oregon.gov
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AND THE CASCADE SISKIYOU MONUMENT RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN:
Hi Bill,
Thank you for airing the public comment opportunities this morning. Our Board a robust meeting with BLM about the monument resource management plan this morning:
- the need to honor current easements, rights-of-way, and existing uses of private property…. Their plans list “reasonable” access….(very subjective)
- concerns about grazing leases lost and the need to keep them and access to them.
- concern primarily for the private properties who have been enveloped by the monument and their communication, access, and more workable environment with the BLM.
- In one of the alternatives (the preferred alternative C), I questioned their allowance of a lightning strike to be allowed to burn is inconsistent with the CWPP, which includes our County policy prohibiting such.
Our meeting is archived (audio) and should be available soon, BLM was first up in the agenda.
Here is where public comment can be sent: this says by July 4th, another document I have states the final day is July 5th. Hey, I say get it sent by July 1st and it won’t matter!!! 😊
Interested parties may also submit written comments to BLM through the following methods:
- Online via the “participate now” feature at the BLM National NEPA Register.
- By mail to BLM Medford District Office, ATTN: Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument Planning, 3040 Biddle Road, Medford, OR 97504.
Comments must be submitted by July 4, 2024. For more information or questions, contact the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument RMP Team at 458-246-8861 or blm_csnm_rmp@blm.gov.