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83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
Enrolled
House Bill 3349
Sponsored by Representative OWENS; Representatives BREESE-IVERSON, GRAYBER, KROPF,
LEVY B, LEVY E, MCINTIRE, RESCHKE, SMITH G (at the request of former Senator Lynn
Findley)
CHAPTER .................................................
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 and 283.315, 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 vehi-
cles and related depreciated equipment and supplies, by sale or donation, to a rangeland
protection association upon terms that are mutually agreed to by the forester and the
rangeland protection association.
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 and other moneys appropriated, allocated, de-
posited or transferred to the fund by the Legislative Assembly or otherwise.
(3) Moneys in the fund are continuously appropriated to the department for purposes
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].
Enrolled House Bill 3349 (HB 3349-B) Page 1
(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
2025 Act .
(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) For the prevention, mitigation and suppression of fire on forestland or on land
other than forestland, or both, the forester and a forest protective association may :
(a) Jointly or separately purchase and dispose of, or contract for, goods, services, sup-
plies, equipment or motor vehicles.
(b) Enter into a contract or agreement with each other or, jointly or separately, with a federal
or state agency, political subdivision, 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. In addition to and not in lieu of any other appropriation, there is appropri-
ated to the State Forestry Department, for the biennium beginning July 1, 2025, out of the
General Fund, the amount of $1,000,000, for deposit in the Rangeland Protection Association
Fund established under section 4 of this 2025 Act.
SECTION 8. Notwithstanding any other law limiting expenditures, the amount of
$1,000,000 is established for the biennium beginning July 1, 2025, as the maximum limit for
payment of expenses by the State Forestry Department, from the Rangeland Protection As-
sociation Fund established under section 4 of this 2025 Act.
SECTION 9. 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.
Enrolled House Bill 3349 (HB 3349-B) Page 2
Passed by House June 23, 2025
..................................................................................
Timothy G. Sekerak, Chief Clerk of House
..................................................................................
Julie Fahey, Speaker of House
Passed by Senate June 25, 2025
..................................................................................
Rob Wagner, President of Senate
Received by Governor:
........................M.,........................................................., 2025
Approved:
........................M.,........................................................., 2025
..................................................................................
Tina Kotek, Governor
Filed in Office of Secretary of State:
........................M.,........................................................., 2025
..................................................................................
Tobias Read, Secretary of State
Enrolled House Bill 3349 (HB 3349-B) Page 3