ORS 477.562 Registration fee; rules

The State Forestry Department shall collect a nonrefundable registration fee for Class 1 forestland under ORS 526.324 to be burned west of the summit of the Cascade Mountains, not including Hood River County.

Any owner of Class 1 forestland under ORS 526.324 and any agency managing Class 1 forestland under ORS 526.324 lying within the regulated area as described in the plan required under ORS 477.013 shall register with the State Forester, in accordance with rules adopted by the State Forester, the number of acres to be burned prior to December 31 of the same year.

The State Forester shall establish by rule the amount of fees to be collected under this section. The fees may not exceed:

Fifty cents per acre for registration.

$5 per acre for forestland classified as Class 1 under ORS 526.324 that has been treated by any prescription burn method authorized by the issuance of a permit under ORS 477.515 (1).

Federal lands included within the regulated area under the provision of the smoke management plan approved under ORS 477.013 shall also be subject to the fees authorized under subsection (3) of this section for forestland to be treated by any prescription burn method subject to the provisions of the State of Oregon Clean Air Act Implementation Plan and the federal Clean Air Act.

The State Forester may establish a minimum fee per billing, combining the fees in subsections (1) and (3) of this section. The combined minimum fee may not exceed $30.

In order to efficiently collect fees established by this section, the State Forester is authorized to enter into contracts or agreements with a federal land management agency, a person or a public body as defined in ORS 174.109. Such a contract or agreement may provide for payment methods such as estimated annual payments with periodic adjustment to ensure the recovery of actual fees due, or semiannual or quarterly consolidated billings.

Notwithstanding ORS 291.238, moneys collected under this section shall be deposited in the Oregon Forest Smoke Management Account established under ORS 477.560.