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Yamhill County to file appeal of wildfire hazard classification and WUI map
Summary
The Board approved filing an appeal with the Oregon Department of Forestry citing map inaccuracies and potential property impacts; staff said an appeal keeps options open while the legislature reviews map rules.
Yamhill County commissioners voted unanimously March 6 to file an appeal of the state's wildfire hazard classification and wildland-urban interface (WUI) map with the Oregon Department of Forestry.
The appeal motion, approved by the board, was presented as a protective step while state rulemaking and potential legislative fixes continue; county staff said filing preserves the county's ability to seek corrections for inaccurate map designations that could affect property sales and insurance.
Christian, a county staff member working on the maps, told the board there was ambiguity in the administrative rules and no clear precedent for a county-level blanket appeal. "We do have over 6,000 that are moderate risk and there's some language in the rules that allows a governmental entity to file an appeal," Christian said. He added that the appeals process may not be necessary if the legislature revisits portions of Senate Bill 762 and related rules.
Chair Johnston and Commissioner Starett said the maps contained inaccuracies when first released and that a timely filing was needed to protect property owners while the state process unfolds. Commissioners noted the governor had paused the mapping process but that the appeal deadline remained early in March; staff said filings must be submitted by March 10.
The board's action instructs staff to submit a county appeal form to the Oregon Department of Forestry. The motion passed unanimously.
If the appeal proceeds, county staff said they expect the matter may be overtaken by legislative or rule changes but that the filing preserves local rights to contest specific classifications if property owners are later affected.
Details the board highlighted included the lack of high-impact designations within Yamhill County on the published map, the presence of thousands of moderate-risk parcels, and the absence of a clear hearings history for the administrative rule interpretation.
