2023 Oregon Revised Statutes › Volume : 14 - Drugs and Alcohol, Fire Protection, Natural Resources › Chapter 527 - Pest Control; Forest Practices › Section 527.710 - Duties and powers of board; rules; inventory for resource protection; consultation with other agencies required.

(1) In carrying out the purposes of ORS 527.610 to 527.770, 527.990 (1) and 527.992, the State Board of Forestry shall adopt, in accordance with applicable provisions of ORS chapter 183, rules to be administered by the State Forester establishing standards for forest practices in each region or subregion.
(2) The rules shall ensure the continuous growing and harvesting of forest tree species. Consistent with ORS 527.630, the rules shall provide for the overall maintenance of the following resources:
(a) Air quality;
(b) Water resources, including but not limited to sources of domestic drinking water;
(c) Soil productivity; and
(d) Fish and wildlife.
(3)(a) In addition to its rulemaking responsibilities under subsection (2) of this section, the board shall collect and analyze the best available information and establish inventories of the following resource sites needing protection:
(A) Threatened and endangered fish and wildlife species identified on lists that are adopted, by rule, by the State Fish and Wildlife Commission or are federally listed under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 as amended;
(B) Sensitive bird nesting, roosting and watering sites;
(C) Biological sites that are ecologically and scientifically significant; and
(D) Significant wetlands.
(b) The board shall determine whether forest practices would conflict with resource sites in the inventories required by paragraph (a) of this subsection. If the board determines that one or more forest practices would conflict with resource sites in the inventory, the board shall consider the consequences of the conflicting uses and determine appropriate levels of protection.
(c) Based upon the analysis required by paragraph (b) of this subsection, and consistent with the policies of ORS 527.630, the board shall adopt rules appropriate to protect resource sites in the inventories required by paragraph (a) of this subsection.
(4) Before adopting rules under subsection (1) of this section, the board shall consult with other agencies of this state or any of its political subdivisions that have functions with respect to the purposes specified in ORS 527.630 or programs affected by forest operations. Agencies and programs subject to consultation under this subsection include, but are not limited to:
(a) Air and water pollution programs administered by the Department of Environmental Quality under ORS chapters 468A and 468B and ORS 477.013 and 477.515 to 477.532;
(b) Mining operation programs administered by the Department of Geology and Mineral Industries under ORS 516.010 to 516.130 and ORS chapter 517;
(c) Game fish and wildlife, commercial fishing, licensing and wildlife and bird refuge tax incentive programs administered by the State Department of Fish and Wildlife under ORS 272.060 and ORS chapters 496, 498, 501, 506 and 509;
(d) Park land, Willamette River Greenway, scenic waterway and recreation trail programs administered by the State Parks and Recreation Department under ORS 358.480 to 358.545, 390.310 to 390.368, 390.805 to 390.925, 390.950 to 390.989 and 390.121;
(e) The programs administered by the Columbia River Gorge Commission under Public Law 99-663 and ORS 196.110 and 196.150;
(f) Removal and fill programs administered by the Department of State Lands under ORS 196.800 to 196.900;
(g) Federal Safe Drinking Water Act programs administered by the Oregon Health Authority under ORS 448.273 to 448.990;
(h) Conservation and conservation tax incentive programs administered by the State Parks and Recreation Department under ORS 273.563 to 273.591;
(i) Open space land tax incentive programs administered by cities and counties under ORS 308A.300 to 308A.330;
(j) Water resources programs administered by the Water Resources Department under ORS 536.220 to 536.540; and
(k) Pesticide control programs administered by the State Department of Agriculture under ORS chapter 634.
(5) In carrying out the provisions of subsection (4) of this section, the board shall consider and accommodate the rules and programs of other agencies to the extent deemed by the board to be appropriate and consistent with the purposes of ORS 527.630.
(6) The board shall adopt rules to meet the purposes of another agency’s regulatory program where it is the intent of the board to administer the other agency’s program on forestland and where the other agency concurs by rule. An operation performed in compliance with the board’s rules shall be deemed to comply with the other agency’s program.
(7)(a) The board may enter into cooperative agreements or contracts necessary in carrying out the purposes specified in ORS 527.630.
(b) The State Forestry Department shall enter into agreements with appropriate state agencies for joint monitoring of the effectiveness of forest practice rules in protecting forest resources and water quality.
(8) If, based upon the study completed pursuant to section 15 (2)(f), chapter 919, Oregon Laws 1991, the board determines that additional rules are necessary to protect forest resources pursuant to ORS 527.630, the board shall adopt forest practice rules that reduce to the degree practicable the adverse impacts of cumulative effects of forest practices on air and water quality, soil productivity, fish and wildlife resources and watersheds. Such rules shall include a process for determining areas where adverse impacts from cumulative effects have occurred or are likely to occur, and may require that a written plan be submitted for harvests in such areas.
(9)(a) The State Forester, in cooperation with the State Department of Fish and Wildlife, shall identify streams for which restoration of habitat would be environmentally beneficial. The State Forester shall select as a priority those streams where restoration efforts will provide the greatest benefits to fish and wildlife, and to streambank and streambed stability.
(b) For those streams identified in paragraph (a) of this subsection, the State Forester shall encourage landowners to enter into cooperative agreements with appropriate state agencies for conduct of restoration activities.
(c) The board, in consultation with appropriate state agencies, shall study and identify methods for restoring or enhancing fish and wildlife populations through restoration and rehabilitation of sites beneficial to fish and wildlife.
(d) The board shall adopt rules to implement the findings of this subsection.
(10) In addition to its responsibilities under subsections (1) to (3) of this section, the board shall adopt rules to reduce the risk of serious bodily injury or death caused by a rapidly moving landslide directly related to forest practices. The rules shall consider the exposure of the public to these safety risks and shall include appropriate practices designed to reduce the occurrence, timing or effects of rapidly moving landslides. As used in this subsection, "rapidly moving landslide" has the meaning given that term in ORS 195.250. [1971 c.316 §5; 1987 c.919 §14a; 1989 c.171 §69; 1989 c.904 §38; 1991 c.634 §7; 1991 c.919 §13; 1993 c.18 §126; 1995 c.79 §300; 1997 c.274 §54; 1997 c.413 §2; 1999 c.1103 §12; 2001 c.114 §52; 2001 c.540 §24; 2003 c.14 §342; 2003 c.539 §40; 2003 c.740 §7; 2009 c.217 §13; 2009 c.595 §983; 2011 c.83 §25; 2011 c.319 §21]
Note:
Section 6, chapter 33, Oregon Laws 2022, provides:
Sec. 6. Post-disturbance harvest rulemaking.
(1) Pursuant to the authority granted by ORS 527.710 and subject to the procedures set forth in ORS 527.714 for rules described in ORS 527.714 (1)(c), the State Board of Forestry shall initiate rulemaking concerning the post-disturbance harvest of trees that, but for the disturbance, would not be harvested under rules adopted, amended or repealed as part of the rule package described in section 2 of this 2022 Act [527.711].
(2) The rulemaking:
(a) Must be completed on or before November 30, 2025.
(b) Is not subject to the requirements of section 39 of this 2022 Act [527.734]. [2022 c.33 §6]
Note:
Section 7, chapter 33, Oregon Laws 2022, provides:
Sec. 7. Tethered logging rulemaking.
(1) Pursuant to the authority granted by ORS 527.710 and subject to the procedures set forth in ORS 527.714 for rules described in ORS 527.714 (1)(c), not more than three years after the effective date of this 2022 Act [March 17, 2022], the State Board of Forestry shall initiate rulemaking concerning tethered logging.
(2) The board shall prioritize the rulemaking.
(3) The rulemaking is not subject to the requirements of section 39 of this 2022 Act [527.734], but as part of the rulemaking, the board may solicit and consider reports that pertain to tethered logging from the Adaptive Management Program Committee and the Independent Research and Science Team described in sections 36 [527.732] and 38 [527.733] of this 2022 Act. [2022 c.33 §7]