Title 44, Forestry and Forest Products

As used in ORS 530.010 to 530.170 and 530.210 to 530.280: (1) “Bond-related costs” means: (a) The costs and expenses of issuing, administering and maintaining bonds, including but not limited to paying principal and interest, and premiums if any, on general obligation or revenue …

(1) The State Board of Forestry, referred to in this chapter as the board, in the name of the State of Oregon, may acquire, by purchase, donation, devise or exchange from any public, quasi-public or private owner, lands which by reason of their location, topographical, geological…

Title to all lands acquired by the State Board of Forestry under ORS 530.010 shall be free and clear of all encumbrances except easements of rights of way and reservations or exceptions of gas, oil, coal, mineral and timber rights, unless the board determines other encumbrances w…

For acquisitions made by the State Board of Forestry on or after July 28, 2009: (1) The board may hold and manage lands alone or in cooperation with other entities, including but not limited to community forest authorities under ORS 530.600 to 530.628. (2) The board may acquire l…

(1) The county court or board of county commissioners of any county may convey to the state for state forests any lands heretofore or hereafter acquired by such county through foreclosure of tax liens, or otherwise, that are within the classification of lands authorized to be acq…

(1) It is desirable that lands acquired under the provisions of ORS 530.010 shall be consolidated in areas wherever possible through exchanges of land. It is recognized that the management of state forests will be more economically feasible through such consolidation. (2) In orde…

Under the authority and direction of the State Board of Forestry except as otherwise provided for the sale of forest products, the State Forester shall manage the lands acquired pursuant to ORS 530.010 to 530.040 so as to secure the greatest permanent value of those lands to the …

If, under ORS 530.050, the State Forester permits the use of lands acquired pursuant to ORS 530.010 to 530.040 for recreation, the State Forester shall authorize the recreational use of the lands without charge to the following persons, upon showing of proper identification and a…

Except as limited in this section but subject to separate sale of forest products under ORS 530.059, lands acquired under ORS 530.010 to 530.040 may be leased by the State Forester to any person when approved by the State Board of Forestry and for purposes deemed by the board to …

(1) Before offering any forest products for sale under authority of ORS 530.050 or 530.500, the State Forester shall cause the forest products to be appraised. Should the appraised value of the forest products be in excess of $25,000, the State Forester shall not sell the same to…

The State Forester may require the successful purchaser at a forest products sale to provide a surety bond, cash deposit, assignment of surety, irrevocable letters of credit or other securities as determined acceptable by the State Forester for the purpose of securing performance…

(1) During the period of a timber sale contract made under ORS 530.059, either party may propose to change or modify the terms of the contract if unforeseen circumstances develop. As used in this subsection, “unforeseen circumstances” means acts of nature or other unforeseen circ…

(1) Notwithstanding ORS chapter 275 or any other law, deeds of conveyance or other instruments transferring county forests, public parks or recreational areas, from a county to the State of Oregon, either acting by and through or for the use and benefit of the State Board of Fore…

(1) All revenues derived from lands acquired without cost to the state, or acquired from counties pursuant to ORS 530.030, shall be paid into the State Treasury and credited to the State Forestry Department Account and shall be used in accordance with the following distribution: …

(1) Except as set forth in subsection (2) of this section, moneys described in ORS 530.110 (1)(b) and (2)(c) shall be credited to the county in which the lands are situated and shall be paid quarterly to the county by a warrant drawn as provided by law, pursuant to claim therefor…

The State Board of Forestry shall keep an accurate account, by legal subdivisions, of all receipts from lands acquired under the provisions of ORS 530.010 to 530.040 and shall credit to each legal subdivision the revenues derived therefrom. The board shall render annually to each…

(1) In compliance with the applicable provisions of ORS chapter 286A, the State Board of Forestry may request the State Treasurer to issue the revenue bonds described in ORS 530.140 to acquire any lands as provided in ORS 530.010 and to sell revenue bonds under ORS 530.140 in the…

(1) The State Board of Forestry may request the State Treasurer to sell revenue bonds of the State of Oregon, to be known as Oregon forest development revenue bonds, in an amount authorized under ORS 286A.035. The bonds shall not constitute a general obligation of the state, nor …

Revenue bonds issued under ORS 530.140 may be refunded as provided under ORS chapter 286A. [2009 c.831 §5]

(1) The Forest Development Revenue Bond Fund is established separate and distinct from the General Fund. Interest earned by the Forest Development Revenue Bond Fund shall be credited to the fund. Moneys in the fund may be invested as provided in ORS 286A.025 and 293.701 to 293.85…

Revenues from lands acquired by the state pursuant to section 5, chapter 478, Oregon Laws 1939, shall be disposed of as provided by law at the time of such acquisition. However, the county court or board of county commissioners of any county from which such lands were acquired ma…

(1) The Forest Acquisition County Reimbursement Fund is established in the State Treasury, separate and distinct from the General Fund. Interest earned by the Forest Acquisition County Reimbursement Fund shall be credited to the fund. Moneys in the Forest Acquisition County Reimb…

The State Forest Acquisition Fund is established in the State Treasury, separate and distinct from the General Fund. The State Forest Acquisition Fund shall consist of moneys deposited in the fund under section 13, chapter 906, Oregon Laws 2009, and section 16, chapter 624, Orego…

When used in ORS 530.210 to 530.280, unless the context clearly would be otherwise: (1) “Bonds” are the general obligation bonds of the State of Oregon issued pursuant to Article XI-E, Oregon Constitution. (2) “Forestland” is any land suitable for the production of forest crops. …

ORS 530.210 to 530.280 shall be known as the Oregon Forest Rehabilitation Act.

In order to provide funds for the purposes specified in Article XI-E of the Oregon Constitution, the State Board of Forestry may request the State Treasurer to issue bonds in accordance with the provisions of ORS chapter 286A. [Amended by 1981 c.660 §44; 2007 c.783 §214; 2009 c.8…

The net proceeds, after payment of bond-related costs, arising from the sale of each issue of bonds under ORS 530.210 to 530.280 shall be paid into the State Treasury and credited to the State Forestry Department Account and shall be used exclusively for the rehabilitation, refor…

(1) The State Forester, under the direction of the State Board of Forestry, shall rehabilitate, reforest and develop state-owned forestlands so as to secure the highest permanent usefulness to the whole people of the state. In the management and control of such land, the State Fo…

(1) When making reforestation plans for state-owned or state-managed lands the State Forester, insofar as edaphic conditions permit, shall select suitable hardwood species as well as coniferous species. (2) Silvicultural practices shall have as their objective the maintenance or …

(1) The State Forestry General Obligation Bond Fund is established separate and distinct from the General Fund. Interest earned by the State Forestry General Obligation Bond Fund shall be credited to the fund. Moneys in the fund may be invested as provided in ORS 286A.025 and 293…

(1) The Department of State Lands and the State Board of Forestry shall designate and set aside those lands owned by the State of Oregon, under the jurisdiction of the Department of State Lands, which are primarily suited for the growing of timber and other forest products. (2) T…

(1) Periodically as is necessary, the Department of State Lands and the State Board of Forestry shall proceed to designate and set aside Common School Forest Lands as rapidly as forestry data and information are obtained from field examinations of the lands eligible for dedicatio…

As the Common School Forest Lands are determined as required by ORS 530.460 to 530.520, such lands shall be described by legal subdivision. The State Land Board and the State Board of Forestry, respectively in their regular meetings, shall by separate board resolutions designate …

(1) Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law, or authority granted thereunder, after the State Board of Forestry and State Land Board resolutions and legal descriptions are filed with the Secretary of State as required by ORS 530.480, the State Forester hereby shall be aut…

In order to accomplish the purposes of ORS 530.490, the State Forester may: (1) Protect the lands from fire, disease and insect pests, cooperate with the counties and with persons owning lands within the state in the protection of the lands and enter into all agreements necessary…

(1) The State Forester may propose and initiate any exchange of Common School Forest Lands, or propose and initiate any exchange of timber on such lands, for land of approximately equal aggregate value, when any such exchange is in the furtherance of the purposes of ORS 530.460 t…

(1) Excepting receipts from the easements and leases designated in ORS 530.490 (3), all receipts from the Common School Forest Lands shall be paid into the Common School Fund and are continuously appropriated to the Department of State Lands for the purposes for which other money…

As used in ORS 530.600 to 530.628, unless the context requires otherwise: (1) “Authority” means a community forest authority created under ORS 530.606. (2) “Board” means the board of directors of a community forest authority. (3) “Community forestlands” means private lands that a…

To provide the people of the State of Oregon with renewable commercial forest resources that promote community stability and sound conservation practices, the Legislative Assembly finds that it is necessary and desirable to authorize the creation of community forest authorities h…

The governing body of a municipality may create a community forest authority under ORS 530.606. An authority may issue obligations on behalf of the municipality creating the authority to finance community forestlands. An authority may not be created or maintained for a purpose ot…

(1) Upon the written request of three individuals or upon its own motion, the governing body of a municipality may create a community forest authority for the purpose of financing community forestlands. (2) The governing body of a municipality may create a community forest author…

(1) The governing body of a municipality that creates a community forest authority under ORS 530.606 shall appoint a board of directors containing not fewer than five nor more than 11 directors to manage and control the authority. At least one-third of the directors must represen…

A community forest authority created under ORS 530.606 does not have the power or authority to levy taxes. [2005 c.500 §6] Note: See note under 530.600.

Except as otherwise provided in ORS 530.610, a community forest authority shall have the power necessary to accomplish the purpose of financing community forestlands under ORS 530.600 to 530.628, including the power to: (1) Sue and be sued in its own name. (2) Enter into agreemen…

(1) To accomplish its purposes, a community forest authority created under ORS 530.606 may issue revenue bonds or other revenue obligations payable from the revenues derived from the repayment of loans to nonprofit corporations whose purpose is to own and operate community forest…

A community forest authority created under ORS 530.606 may borrow from banks, investment banks or other lenders sums of money on terms that the board deems necessary or advisable. An authority may also issue, sell and assume bond anticipation notes or the equivalent that bear a d…

Revenue bonds and other revenue obligations of a community forest authority created under ORS 530.606 are not a general obligation of the municipality nor a charge upon the tax revenues of the municipality. [2005 c.500 §10] Note: See note under 530.600.

The board of directors of a community forest authority created under ORS 530.606 shall establish loan repayment terms and other charges at least adequate to pay the principal of and interest on the obligations of the authority as the same become due, including payments to a speci…

(1) The powers and responsibilities provided in ORS 530.600 to 530.628 may be exercised and discharged by two or more community forest authorities acting jointly to effectuate the purposes of ORS 530.600 to 530.628. In addition, one or more community forest authorities may author…

(1) A community forest authority created under ORS 530.606 is deemed a municipal corporation performing a public function. An authority, all assets owned by the authority, the income earned by those assets and the interest earned by revenue bonds or other revenue obligations issu…