2011 Oregon Revised Statutes
ORS Volume 12, Chapters 471 - 535
ORS Chapter 476
476.310 Zoning and rezoning of certain lands; hearing on petition of owners in nonzoned territory; duty of landowner to provide fire protection.

(1) The governing body of each county may, in cooperation with the State Board of Forestry, zone and, as often as necessary, rezone any lands within the county lying outside the boundaries of incorporated cities, organized rural fire protection districts, federal and state-owned lands, lands protected under ORS chapter 477 and railroad rights of way, except that railroad rights of way may be zoned or rezoned if the owners of such rights of way file their written consent with the governing body. Lands, when zoned or rezoned, shall be divided into two zones as follows:

(a) Zone 1 shall be composed of forest, range, grass or undeveloped lands, or any of such lands intermingled with grazing and agricultural lands.

(b) Zone 2 shall be composed of rural lands not included in zone 1.

(2) During the season of the year when there is danger of fire, every owner of zone 1 land shall provide adequate protection against the starting or spread of fire thereon or therefrom, which protection shall meet with the approval of the governing body of the county in which the zone 1 land is located.

(3) An owner shall be deemed to have complied with the requirements of subsection (2) of this section if, on January 1 of each year, the owner files with the governing body of the county a bona fide fire protection plan that meets with the approval of the county governing body. The governing body of the county, or its appointed representative, shall periodically inspect the protection facilities provided under such a plan in order to confirm compliance by the owner.

(4) If any owner of zone 1 land fails or neglects to file a fire protection plan, or to comply with the standard of protection approved by the county governing body, the governing body shall provide for forest protection pursuant to ORS 476.320.

(5) Nothing contained in ORS 476.310 to 476.340 shall prevent interested property owners in any nonzoned territory from petitioning the governing body and State Board of Forestry to hold a hearing on the matter of zoning the territory if a majority of the landowners within the territory file such petition. The governing body, cooperating with the State Board of Forestry, shall give full consideration to the wishes of the landowners as shown by the hearing. [Amended by 1957 c.432 1; 1963 c.222 1; 1965 c.253 143; 1991 c.459 415a; 2005 c.22 356]