Representative proposes short-term lease for Ochoco National Forest; committee hears sharp differences over transfer of federal lands

Representative Vicki Breeze Iverson opened public testimony on House Bill 3846, a pilot measure authorizing the Oregon Department of Forestry to enter into a lease agreement with the U.S. Forest Service or another federal agency to assume management authority and responsibility for the Ochoco National Forest for a period of no less than 15 years.

Representative Breeze Iverson, sponsor of the bill, told the committee the measure is “a policy equivalent to dipping our toes into the shallow end of the pool,” and described a pilot lease as a way to showcase state management and to address perceived federal mismanagement that has led to heavy fuel loads and large fires. She said the terms of a lease could include negotiated revenue back to state and local governments to…