Curry County commissioners pull wildfire-hazard resolution after lengthy public objections

The Curry County Board of Commissioners on Feb. 18 voted 3-0 to remove from the agenda an item that would have declared a local emergency tied to the Oregon wildfire‑hazard map and related proposed actions.

The move followed more than an hour of public comment in which residents repeatedly urged the commissioners to withdraw language they said implied assuming control over federal public lands, questioned the legal basis for such a step and asked the board to prioritize fiscal problems and fire‑safety collaboration instead.

Why it matters: The item drew sustained public attention because several draft provisions raised the possibility of asserting county authority over public forest lands and sought to integrate locally developed wildfire plans with the state mapping process. Citizens and local officials said the combination of those measures with a proposed emergency declaration risked legal challenges, alienating partner agencies and distracting from immediate county needs.

Public comment and concerns - Several speakers thanked county staff for recent work tracing and reconciling federal COVID relief funds while also raising separate questions about past financial reporting. Lynn Coker, a resident who spoke during public comment, praised recent work by the county’s finance team: "they rose to the ... occasion" in tracing COVID‑era funds to satisfy federal inquiries.

- Multiple residents pressed the panel to remove any language suggesting the county would "assume constitutional management authority over all public forest lands." Iris Lever said she "wholeheartedly oppose[d]" the earlier version of the measure and asked the board to pursue approaches that build trust and local partnership. Several other speakers with experience in law, forestry and public‑lands policy — including a law student who studies natural resources — warned that federal supremacy and existing court precedent make a unilateral transfer of federal land authority legally fraught.

- Speakers also urged collaboration with existing local efforts, such as the Curry County Community Wildfire Protection Plan and regional collaboratives, noting those efforts already promote home‑hardening and multiagency treatments to reduce risk. Kim Foster, a Port Orford resident, told commissioners she had discussed mitigation measures with her insurer and that many effective actions — metal roofs, defensible space and noncombustible siding — are homeowner‑driven and already recommended by local volunteer firefighters.

Commissioner comments and next steps - Commissioner Patrick Hollinger told the room the board was not seeking federal land ownership: "this isn't a federal land takeover. We're not looking to take ownership." He said the draft language was being redrafted and that the county intends to pursue collaboration with federal agencies and local stakeholders.

- Commissioner Jay Trost said the process had started with the wrong emphasis. "We combined the two issues," he said, and recommended the board first define why the county should act and what it wants to accomplish before deciding how to proceed.

- Trost said he will travel to Salem to meet with state officials and that the governor has directed a pause on appeals tied to the wildfire map pending legislative action. Several speakers referenced that development and the possibility that the legislature may revise or repeal aspects of the map.

Votes at a glance - Motion to remove agenda item 7(a), wildfire hazard map resolution: passed 3–0. (No mover/second identified in the public portion of the transcript.)

What the board will do next: Commissioners said they will revise the draft language, pursue additional stakeholder meetings (including federal agencies and local collaboratives) and convene a workshop to continue the discussion. The board also announced plans to form a Citizen Advisory Committee to explore funding and stewardship options and to hold a related workshop on the county’s options later in the week.

Ending: Residents praised the board for pausing the resolution and urged the county to proceed with clearer goals, greater transparency and greater collaboration with federal agencies, regional collaboratives and local experts.