Title 25, Public Lands

(1) The Department of State Lands may dispose of isolated sections and fragments of sections of state lands which are not suitable for management according to long-range policies of the State Land Board. The proceeds of such sales shall be applied and are continuously appropriate…

If any property owned by the state is held as an asset of any special trust fund securing the payment of bonds, it may be exchanged, under the authority granted in ORS 270.110, for other property of equal or superior value, and property so received in exchange shall be an asset o…

The state hereby is granted express power to relinquish the title to any of its property not needed for public use to the United States Government or any other governmental body or political subdivision within the state, providing such property shall be used and continue to be us…

(1) When property is exchanged under the authority of ORS 270.100, 270.110 and 270.130, the value of the real property accepted by the state in exchange for any of its property plus cash, if any, shall not be less than the value of the property relinquished by the state. The prov…

(1) The value of the respective properties proposed to be exchanged shall be determined by the state agency, board or commission which has supervision and direction of the department or activity of the state for which such property is held or belongs, and if there be no such agen…

Every lease entered into pursuant to ORS 270.110 shall be authorized by order of the state agency executing the same and shall provide such terms and conditions as may be fixed and determined by the governmental body executing the same. Any such lease may provide that the lessee …

(1) Any agency of the State of Oregon may donate to any person, firm or corporation selected by such governmental body, conditionally or otherwise, for industrial or manufacturing purposes, or both, and purposes incidental thereto, any real property owned by the governmental body…

The Department of State Lands is hereby authorized to sell, convey, lease or exchange any or all state lands chiefly suitable for grazing, to or with Oregon counties, and with the United States of America for other lands either of equal acreage or of equal value. All powers herei…

The state or any state agency occupying a street or public property of a political subdivision by any structure above, on or under the surface, may provide a contract of indemnity to protect the other political subdivision against loss or damage resulting from such occupancy. [19…

If the state holds the easement or fee title to a street or highway, the state may lease the space above or below that street or highway for private purposes for such period as the controlling state agency determines the space will not be needed for public purposes, and upon such…

As used in ORS 273.462 to 273.464: (1) “State agency” means an agency of the executive department, as defined in ORS 174.112, or a public university listed in ORS 352.002. (2) “Tribe” means a federally recognized Indian tribe in Oregon. (3) “Trust lands” means state land: (a) Gra…

It shall be the policy of the State of Oregon to: (1) Identify, as appropriate, trust lands under the jurisdiction of the State Land Board that, due to management or regulatory impediments, have limited performance potential as assets of the Common School Fund; and (2) Transfer t…

(1) The State Land Board may identify tracts of trust lands under the board’s jurisdiction that have limited performance potential as assets of the Common School Fund and submit to the Legislative Assembly proposals to transfer the identified tracts of trust lands to another stat…

(1) As used in this section: (a) “Public access site” means a site on state public lands where the public may access the lands for recreational use of a floatable natural waterway. (b) “State public lands” means any land, or improvements thereon, owned by the State of Oregon. (2)…

The object of ORS 273.511 is to ascertain and determine the title of the State of Oregon to the beds of shallow and dry lakes and the lands around lakes exposed to reliction or otherwise. [1967 c.421 §76]

The Department of State Lands shall ascertain the amount of land to which it is entitled under the Acts of Congress relative to submersible and swamp lands, acquire title thereto and enter into contracts for drainage and reclamation in order that the lands may be available for de…

As used in ORS 273.522 to 273.541, “forest products” has the meaning given that term in ORS 532.010. [1997 c.117 §2]

The Department of State Lands may sell and dispose of the forest products on lands of the State of Oregon that have not been designated Common School Forest Lands under ORS 530.460, regardless of acreage and in such quantities to each purchaser as the department shall prescribe. …

(1) Before offering any forest products for sale under ORS 273.523, the Department of State Lands shall cause the forest products to be appraised in a manner that it considers appropriate. (2) Prior to sale of forest products with an appraised value greater than $25,000, notice t…

When more than one bid has been received, or in case of doubt as to which of a number of bids is the highest and most advantageous for the state, the decision of the Department of State Lands is conclusive and not subject to review by the courts. [Formerly 273.315]

Bond or other security requirements for the sale of forest products by the Department of State Lands and provisions for the return of those bonds or securities to a purchaser shall correspond to the bond or other security requirements and provisions for the return of bonds or sec…

All documents required in carrying out ORS 273.522 to 273.541 shall be executed by the Director of the Department of State Lands, and all bonds, contracts and other instruments required by ORS 273.522 to 273.541 for the protection of the interests of the state shall be delivered …

(1) The Department of State Lands, as to any land or mineral and geothermal resource rights subject to its jurisdiction and control and without restricting, limiting or repealing any other powers and authority which it has, after consultation with the State Department of Geology …

(1) It is the policy of the State of Oregon to maintain an estuarine research reserve in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The estuarine research reserve management area includes: (a) Lands acquired as the South Slough Estuary Sanctuary pursuan…

(1) For the purpose of providing for the administration of the estuarine research reserve management area in a manner consistent with the provisions of ORS 273.553, there is created the South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve Management Commission. The commission shall h…

(1) The South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve Management Account is established within the Common School Fund. Except for moneys otherwise designated by statute, all moneys received by the South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve Management Commission shall be …

(1) Jurisdiction for review of actions and proposed actions of the commission which are claimed to be in violation of any provision of ORS 273.553 or 273.554 is conferred upon the State Land Board. Proceedings for review of such actions may be instituted by filing a request for r…

(1) Violation of a rule adopted under ORS 273.553 (4) is a Class D violation for each day of violation. (2) In addition to all other remedies, when it appears to the South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve Management Commission that a person has engaged in, or is engagin…

As used in ORS 273.563 to 273.591, unless the context requires otherwise: (1) “Agency” means a local, state or federal agency, board, commission or department. (2) “Candidate natural area” means a natural resource area that may be considered for registration or dedication. (3) “C…

(1) The Legislative Assembly finds that many valuable natural heritage resources are represented in natural areas that can be protected through the voluntary cooperation of private landowners and public land managers. These areas will comprise a discrete and limited system of nat…

(1) To aid and advise the State Parks and Recreation Director in the performance of the functions related to the Natural Areas Program, the director may establish a natural areas advisory committee. (2) The advisory committee may assist the State Parks and Recreation Department: …

(1)(a) The State Parks and Recreation Department shall provide assistance in the selection and nomination of natural areas containing natural heritage resources for registration or dedication. (b) The Oregon Natural Areas Plan established by ORS 273.578 shall govern the Natural A…

(1) The Sixty-first Legislative Assembly approves the Oregon Natural Areas Plan submitted under ORS 273.576. (2) The State Parks and Recreation Commission may review and approve or disapprove any modification to the Oregon Natural Areas Plan submitted by the State Parks and Recre…

(1) The State Parks and Recreation Department shall maintain a state register of natural areas containing significant natural heritage resources to be called the Oregon Register of Natural Areas. (2) The department shall from time to time identify natural areas from the natural h…

(1) A private individual or organization that is the owner of any registered natural area may voluntarily agree to dedicate that area as a state natural area by executing with the State Parks and Recreation Department an instrument of dedication. The instrument of dedication shal…

The Natural Areas Program Account is established within the General Fund of the State Treasury. All moneys received by the State Parks and Recreation Department for the purposes of ORS 273.563 to 273.591 shall be paid into the State Treasury and credited to the account. All money…

(1) The Department of State Lands shall prescribe rules governing the exploration for and removal of semiprecious stones and petrified wood from lands owned by the State of Oregon and under the jurisdiction of the department. Such rules shall be designed to maximize the public be…

There is granted to all persons constructing railways built after February 21, 1891, within the boundaries of the state, and to their successors and assigns: (1) A right of way through any unimproved state lands, of the width of 100 feet, being 50 feet in width on each side of th…

(1) Whenever a railway company mentioned in ORS 273.751, or its successors or assigns, files with the Department of State Lands a map of the definite location of its road lines through any state lands, the department thereafter shall except from sale such right of way and lands f…

(1) A right of way for construction of a water ditch to be used for irrigation, manufacturing or mining purposes, ditches or water pipes for conveying water to political subdivisions for domestic purposes, or for the extinguishment of fires, is granted for a distance of 25 feet o…

Any person adding or removing any material to or from submerged or submersible land so as to make necessary or advisable the relocation or extension of a main or outfall described in ORS 273.761 (2) shall be liable to the municipal corporation for all expenses incurred by it in r…

(1) “Mineral” includes oil, gas, sulfur, coal, gold, silver, copper, lead, cinnabar, iron, manganese and other metallic ore, and any other solid, liquid or gaseous material or substance excavated or otherwise developed for commercial, industrial or construction use from natural d…

(1) Mineral and geothermal resource rights in real property owned by any state agency and mineral and geothermal resource rights retained as an interest in lands previously sold, granted or otherwise conveyed by the state or any agency thereof are property of the State of Oregon.…

ORS 273.551 and 273.775 to 273.790 do not apply to: (1) Soil, clay, stone, sand and gravel that state agencies acquire or use for the purpose of constructing or repairing roads or other state facilities, or the proceeds from soil, clay, stone, sand or gravel. (2) Mineral or geoth…

(1) As used in this section: (a) “Low-potential resource real property” means real property that is located: (A) Inside an urban growth boundary; or (B) Within an area zoned for residential use on a lot or parcel that is three acres or smaller in size. (b) “Owner” means: (A) The …

The Department of State Lands shall establish and maintain a registry of mineral and geothermal resource rights placed under the jurisdiction of the State Land Board. [1974 c.51 §5] COMMON SCHOOL GRAZING LANDS