ORS Chapter 275 — County Lands

ORS 275.330. Conveyance of county forests, parks or recreational areas; agreements to manage timber. (1) Upon the entry of an order by the governing body of a county setting aside the real property for county forest, public park or recreational area, the lands shall be set apart for such use. Thereafter such lands may not be alienated by the governing body of the county for any purpose unless authorized by a majority of the electors of the county in a regular or special election, except that: (a) In counties having 450,000 population or over according to the latest federal decennial census: (A) The lands may be sold and conveyed by the governing body of a county if it considers the sale to be in the best interests of the county; or (B) The lands may be conveyed without payment or compensation for park and recreational purposes to any public educational institution, park and recreation district, service district formed under ORS chapter 451 to provide and maintain park and recreational facilities or nonprofit corporation organized under the laws of the State of Oregon for as long as the lands so conveyed are used for such purposes. Any lands conveyed under this subparagraph shall automatically revert to the county if the lands are not used for such purposes or if the institution, district or corporation to which the lands are conveyed is dissolved. However, lands conveyed under this subparagraph to a nonprofit corporation which is organized for the purpose of promoting the preservation of park and recreational areas may be conveyed without restriction subject to prior approval of the governing body of the county. When lands are conveyed under this subparagraph, the county shall be relieved from any obligation to account for the payment of any taxes, liens or assessments that may have been levied against the lands by any taxing agency, district or municipality authorized to levy against any of the lands. (b) The governing body of a county may convey the lands to the state, an incorporated city, a park and recreation district or the United States Government for public use. The conveyance may be made without the payment of compensation, and when so made the county shall be relieved from any obligation to account for the payment of any taxes, liens or assessments that may have been levied against the lands by any taxing agency, district or municipality authorized to levy taxes against any of the lands. (c) The governing body of a county may enter into agreements with the state or the United States for the management of the timber and other forest products on the designated county forestlands. (2) In addition to the methods described in subsection (1) of this section, lands that have been set aside for county forest, public park or recreational area may be alienated, sold or conveyed, in part or in whole, by the public body upon a finding that it is in the best interest of the public. Upon a determination that an alienation, sale or conveyance is in the public interest, the lands set aside may be sold at public or private sale, or other lands may be taken in exchange and set aside for park or recreational purposes. When a sale, an alienation or conveyance takes place, the proceeds shall be held for maintenance and improvement of existing park and recreation lands or future acquisition of lands to be set aside for park or recreational purposes. (3) Before making an order for an alienation, sale or conveyance of the property without approval at an election, or before entering into agreements for management of timber and other forest products under subsection (1)(c) of this section, the county governing body shall hold a hearing in the county at which objections to the proposed agreements or alienation, sale or conveyance may be heard. Notice of the hearing shall be given by publication weekly for two consecutive weeks in a newspaper circulated generally within the county, and the notice shall describe particularly the property affected.