Local Officials Remain Engaged on Repeal of Wildfire Maps

Nearly a month ago, discussions around repealing the state’s finalized wildfire hazard map started to gain momentum, with legislators calling for a repeal of the map, citing community frustrations.

Today, the state legislature is working to find solutions that balance the need for fire mitigation strategies, while attempting to alleviate concerns from those in “high-hazard” zones.

The map, which came out of Senate Bill 762, classifies lots as low-, moderate- or high-hazard zones to educate residents about their risk and assist in prioritizing mitigation resources. The map also aims to identify where defensible space and home hardening codes may apply in the future.

In late February, Sen. Anthony Broadman, who represents Central Oregon, called for a full repeal of the map, declaring it a distraction from the work the community is already doing on fuels reduction, community hardening and preparation for the fire season ahead.

“I’m a strong believer in the majority of SB 762. [It] has a recipe for mitigation, community hardening and it’s going to work, but the maps were clearly a distraction from 90% of SB 762 that is making our community safer,” Broadman told the Source Weekly.

In Deschutes County alone, there are 21,258 lots classified as high hazard.

Broadman’s goal, he said on March 7, is for legislation to help “surgically” remove the maps from the bill, while maintaining the work on mitigation and community hardening.

“That’s what I’m hoping we can accomplish this session. There are specific discussions, they’re happening now,” he said.

When the map was first published in 2022, homeowners across the state worried about its role in increasing insurance premiums. In 2023, the state legislature passed a bill that made it illegal for insurance companies to use the maps for decisions about premiums and coverage.

However, when the Oregon Department of Forestry released the final version of the maps on Jan. 7, those concerns remained. While the state maintains that insurers create their own risk models and maps based on property risk, Central Oregonians continue to report significant premium increases and even coverage retractions in certain areas.

Deschutes County Commissioner Patti Adair has opposed the map since 2022. In recent weeks, she’s raised discussions around the map and supported a mass appeal of the map.

On Feb. 24, the Deschutes County Board of Commissioners voted 2-1 to submit an appeal form on behalf of all County properties classified as “high hazard.” The purpose of the vote, according to Adair, was to send a message to the governor and legislators.

While Adair said there still needs to be a focus on defensible space procedures, she hopes legislators address problems with the map in the near future.

“We definitely need to get rid of the map. I would really love for them to come through with this before June,” Adair told the Source Weekly.

In response to community frustrations, the Oregon Property Owners Association (OPOA), alongside Harney and Grant counties, on March 7, filed a lawsuit against the Oregon Department of Forestry and the State Forester on behalf of hundreds of rural families and property owners.

The lawsuit calls for a judicial order to set aside the wildfire hazard map and invalidate orders sent to property owners.

“This is our way of demanding that your voices are heard and your rights are protected,” OPOA stated in a press release.

Deschutes County Commissioner Phil Chang, who voted no on the mass appeal, has defended the purpose of the maps, seeing them as a tool to incentivize defensible space.

“My interest is actually doing something for the people of Deschutes County, so their house doesn’t burn to the ground. This appeal and all of this focus on the maps is not helping them,” Chang said on Feb. 24.

The maps, he said, give people clear direction on who the requirements apply to. According to Chang, previous bills have brought forward defensible space requirements, but the main problem was that they were unenforceable.

“The more time we waste on things like this, and the less time we put into things that really matter, like getting a wildfire funding package for the state this year, the more we are responsible for the people who will lose their homes in the coming years in the community,” he added.

While Sen. Broadman sees the need to prepare for the fire season, he believes eliminating the maps from the equation will help the state better focus on the budget for fire mitigation work.

“My hope is that we can move quickly to excise the maps from this discussion, again, surgically, so that we can focus on the good work that we’ve already accomplished, and a lot of the work we need to do moving forward to harden communities and make sure we’re fire resilient.”

This article appears in The Source Weekly March 13, 2025.