Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Harvest Tax topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Subcommittee advances bill raising harvest-tax rate to fund Forest Practices Act administration
Summary
House Bill 2072 was advanced to the Ways and Means full committee. The bill extends components of the forest products harvest tax for 2026'27 and adjusts the tax rate used to fund a portion of Oregon Department of Forestry's administration of the Forest Practices Act, increasing that component from 253.46 cents to 265.44 cents per thousand board
The Ways and Means Natural Resources Subcommittee voted June 25 to move House Bill 2072 to the full committee with a due-pass recommendation. The bill extends three components of the forest products harvest tax for the 2026 and 2027 calendar years and adjusts the tax rate that supports administration of the Oregon Forest Practices Act.
Under HB 2072, the administration component of the harvest tax rises from 253.46 cents to 265.44 cents per thousand board feet; the increase is calculated to support up to 40% of the budgeted expenditures for administration of the Forest Practices Act based on projected harvest volumes. The tax rates that fund forest research (90 cents), fire suppression (62.5 cents) and forestry education (21 cents) remain unchanged. The adjusted rate takes effect Jan. 1, 2026.
Michael Eliason of the Oregon Forest Industries Council testified in support of the administration-component increase, saying the industry had reviewed the math and could support the modest increase. Representative Owens asked about sequencing with broader wildfire-funding policy; Eliason said wildfire funding remained under a separate legislative vehicle and had not moved out of the revenue committee, so the wildfire component of the harvest tax remains unchanged in this bill.
The Legislative Fiscal Office recommended moving HB 2072 to the Ways and Means full committee; committee members recorded no objection and the motion passed. The bill will be carried to the floor by a committee member for consideration by the full Ways and Means committee.
