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83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
House Bill 3349
Sponsored by Representative OWENS; Representatives BREESE-IVERSON, LEVY B, MCINTIRE, SMITH G (at the
request of former Senator Lynn Findley)
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.The statement includes a measure digest written in compliance with applicable readability
standards.
Digest: The Act allows an agency to take certain actions related to items used for fighting fires.
The Act makes changes related to groups that fight fires in certain rural areas. The Act creates a
new fund for providing moneys and items to groups.(Flesch Readability Score: 70.8).
Authorizes the State Forestry Department to take certain actions related to motor vehicles and
other equipment used by the department.
Instructs and authorizes the department to take certain actions related to rangeland protection
associations.
Establishes the Rangeland Protection Association Fund.
Makes certain changes related to the authority of the State Forester to assist rangeland pro-
tectionassociations.
Declares an emergency, effective on passage.
A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to fire protection; creating new provisions; amending ORS 477.317 and 477.406; and de-
claring an emergency.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1. Sections 2 to 4 of this 2025 Act are added to and made a part of ORS 477.315
to 477.325.
SECTION 2.Notwithstanding ORS 283.310, the State Forestry Department may:
(1) Control and regulate the disposal of and access to motor vehicles, and other equip-
ment, that are used by the department.
(2) Authorize the State Forester to transfer ownership of depreciated firefighting vehicles
and related depreciated equipment and supplies, by sale or donation, to a rangeland pro-
tection association upon terms that are mutually agreed to by the forester and the rangeland
protectionassociation.
SECTION 3.The State Forestry Department:
(1) May provide funding to rangeland protection associations for firefighting and
rangeland fire readiness.
(2) Shall assist rangeland protection associations with pursuing federal grant funding for
volunteers to assist with firefighting and for rural fire readiness.
SECTION 4.(1) The Rangeland Protection Association Fund is established in the State
Treasury, separate and distinct from the General Fund.
(2) The Rangeland Protection Association Fund consists of moneys appropriated by the
Legislative Assembly for deposit in the fund, grant funds received by the State Forestry
Department and other moneys appropriated, allocated, deposited or transferred to the fund
by the Legislative Assembly or otherwise.
(3) Moneys in the fund are continuously appropriated to the department for purposes
NOTE:Matter in boldfaced type in an amended section is new; matter [italic and bracketed] is existing law to be omitted.
New sections are in boldfaced type.
LC 1616 HB3349
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described in sections 2 (2) and 3 of this 2025 Act.
SECTION 5. ORS 477.317 is amended to read:
477.317. (1) The forester may enter into cooperative agreements or contracts with a rangeland
protection association under the provisions of ORS 477.320 for the purpose of providing the assist-
ance [specified in subsection (2)] described in subsections (2) and (3) of this section.
(2) The forester may assist a rangeland protection association with:
(a) Organizing [a] the rangeland protection association[,].
(b) Training [association] members of the rangeland protection association [and].
(c) Acquiring or maintaining firefighting vehicles, supplies and other equipment for the
rangeland protection association, including as described in ORS 477.406 and section 2 of this
2025Act.
(d) [The forester may also assist a rangeland protection association with] Payment for liability
insurance and other administrative expenses of the rangeland protection association.
(3) [The insurance and administrative expense assistance] A payment described in subsection
(2)(d) of this section may not:
(a) Exceed 50 percent of the total of budgeted operating costs and the cash equivalent of in-kind
supplies and services of the rangeland protection association in any fiscal year.
(b) [The costs of assistance specified in this subsection may not] Be paid from funds assessed from
forestland owners under ORS 477.230.
SECTION 6. ORS 477.406 is amended to read:
477.406. (1) The forester and a forest protective association may enter into a contract or
agreement with each other or, jointly or separately, with a federal or state agency, political subdi-
vision, corporation, responsible organization or responsible landowner or group of landowners for
the prevention and suppression of fire on forestland or on land other than forestland, or both, to
prevent and suppress fire.
(2) Contracts and agreements under subsection (1) of this section, and all renewals and revisions
thereof, must be negotiated in accordance with procedures specified by rules of the State Board of
Forestry.
(3) The forester and a forest protective association may enter into a contract or agreement for
the accomplishment of forestry related activities.
(4) Contracts and agreements between the forester and a forest protective association under
subsections (1) and (2) of this section may include the purchase from the forester of supplies and
equipment, whether new or depreciated, that is needed to provide and support fire protection
services.
SECTION 7.This 2025 Act being necessary for the immediate preservation of the public
peace, health and safety, an emergency is declared to exist, and this 2025 Act takes effect
on its passage.
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