Wildfire Hazard Map Town Hall

Josephine County to hold town hall meeting on new wildfire hazard map

JOSEPHINE COUNTY, Ore. — County leaders are inviting residents to learn more and share feedback about the Oregon Department of Forestry’s newly released statewide maps of wildfire hazard and the wildland-urban interface.

The Board of Josephine County Commissioners will host a Wildfire Hazard Map Town Hall 7-9 p.m. Jan. 30 at the Josephine County Fairgrounds Pavilion. The town hall will include public discussion regarding the map and a question-and-answer session.

More information about the wildfire hazard map and the wildland-urban interface can be found at https://tools.oregonexplorer.info/viewer/wildfire

In 2021, the Oregon Legislature passed Senate Bill 762 with the intention of modernizing and improving wildfire preparedness. ODF and Oregon State University were tasked with developing a statewide wildfire hazard map that shows residents the hazard level for the area they live in based on weather, climate, topography and vegetation.

Property owners may file an appeal of their property's designation in a particular wildfire hazard zone or the property's designation in the wildland-urban interface. An appeal form must be sent to ODF electronically or by mail. Mailed forms must be postmarked no later than March 10, 2025, and electronic submissions must be received by the same date.

Property owners with tax lots designated as both high wildfire hazard and within the wildland-urban interface were sent a packet of information by certified mail on Jan. 7. This packet included an appeal form and information about their rights under the contested case hearing process. For more information about appeals, visit https://www.oregon.gov/odf/fire/documents/wildfire-hazard-maps-appeals-faq.pdf

To assist with questions about the hazard map designations and what it means to property owners, ODF has opened a call center to address commonly asked questions. This support line is just for questions on the hazard map and will be staffed Monday through Saturday from 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Residents can call 1-844-996-2259 for assistance on the hazard maps. Those with more detailed questions can email them to hazardmap@odf.oregon.gov.