Directs the State Board of Forestry to convey certain state forest lands to a county that determines that the county would secure the greatest permanent value of the lands to the county and requests conveyance.

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83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
House Bill 3455
Sponsored by Representative BOICE
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 tells an agency to transfer certain state forest lands to counties. The Act de-
scribes when and how the transfers must occur. (Flesch Readability Score: 77.4).
Directs the State Board of Forestry to convey certain state forest lands to a county that de-
termines that the county would secure the greatest permanent value of the lands to the county and
requests conveyance.
A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to state forest lands.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1.
Section 2 of this 2025 Act is added to and made a part of ORS 530.010 to
530.170.
SECTION 2. (1) As used in this section, “forest lands”:
(a) Means any lands, or interest in lands, that constitute a state forest or a portion of
a state forest.
(b) Does not include lands that are Common School Forest Lands or are described in ORS
530.450.
(2) Notwithstanding ORS 530.010 and 530.050, the State Board of Forestry shall convey
forest lands within a county to the county if:
(a) The board of county commissioners of the county determines that conveyance of the
forest lands to the county would secure the greatest permanent value of the forest lands to
the county; and
(b) The board of county commissioners requests that the State Board of Forestry convey
the forest lands to the county.
(3) Forest lands conveyed under this section are conveyed subject to:
(a) Any encumbrance allowed by the state under ORS 530.020;
(b) Any covenants of the state under ORS 530.130 or 530.147;
(c) Any easement under ORS 530.050; and
(d) Any lease agreement under ORS 530.055.
(4) Forest lands conveyed under this section constitute county lands pursuant to ORS
chapter 275.
(5) The county shall pay all transaction and closing costs related to a conveyance under
this section, including recording fees, escrow fees or the costs of title insurance.
(6) The county shall pay to the state as consideration for the transfer not more than the
total of the following:
(a) Any purchase price or value received by the county from the state when the state
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 1888
HB 3455
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acquired the forest lands;
(b) Any costs to the state to partition the forest lands to achieve the transfer;
(c) Any expenses incurred by the state in suits by the state to quiet title to the forest
lands; and
(d) Any transaction costs paid by the state.
(7) Funds received by the state under subsection (6) of this section must be deposited in
the State Forestry Department Account.
(8) The Oregon Department of Administrative Services shall assist the State Board of
Forestry with the conveyance of forest lands under this section.
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