Oregon is going to be on fire again this summer. The sky may be filled with smoke even if there is no nearby wildfire.
We hope we are wrong. We doubt we are wrong.
As much as the 2024 Legislature was a success, it was not so much of a success for a better state response to wildfire.
Not all wildfires can be prevented. Not all wildfires should be prevented. There’s federal land, private land and state land and a mix of responsibilities.
What is the Oregon strategy? Who pays?
The state does have a plan. It does sound good. The plan is to have fire-adapted communities. The plan is to have resilient landscapes. The plan is to have safe and effective wildfire responses.
Prioritization must be to keep people from harm. Protect drinking water. Protect the electrical grid.
But even defining the areas of highest risk in Oregon proved difficult for the state to get done in a satisfactory way. And what report after report of the state’s Wildfire Programs Advisory Council has identified are funding gaps to do all the things.
When the Legislature met this year, there were discussions of options for funding. None of them passed.
No solution passed to increasing landowner fees for wildfire protection. There was division over whether private landowners should pay more or all Oregonians should pay more. Proposed ballot measures to ask voters for support on these sorts of questions died.
And when the session ended, Oregon wildfire preparation was just about where it began.
There is work getting done, but wildfire is still winning.
I just went to Kotek's priorities page and her top three are Homelessness, behavior, and housing. Exactly what is that the Forestry office is low on money for ? I drive the Columbia Gorge often and to see all the burnt trees above the falls is a sickening reminder of the State Forestry department 's continuous failure to thin. It will take a fire that destroys expensive homes on a big scale before the Gov. does anything.
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I just went to Kotek's priorities page and her top three are Homelessness, behavior, and housing. Exactly what is that the Forestry office is low on money for ? I drive the Columbia Gorge often and to see all the burnt trees above the falls is a sickening reminder of the State Forestry department 's continuous failure to thin. It will take a fire that destroys expensive homes on a big scale before the Gov. does anything.
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Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.