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Crook County commissioners criticize Oregon State University wildfire map, consider joining other counties' opposition
Summary
Commissioners said Oregon State University’s proposed wildfire-risk map contains anomalies—citing lakes mapped as fire-prone and coastal fog not accounted for—and discussed coordinating comments with other Eastern Oregon counties and a Jackson County letter ahead of an October deadline.
During commissioners' reports, members who met with an Oregon State University presenter said the OSU representative defended the scientific model but was firm in his conclusions, leaving county officials unconvinced. Commissioners described several alleged anomalies in the statewide map, including areas near reservoirs and lakes classified as extreme fire danger and inconsistency in coastal fog zones.
"The fact that the lakes can catch on fire is still kind of an anomaly for me on that one," a commissioner said. Another commissioner noted examples where two adjacent lots could receive different risk designations and therefore face significantly different building-cost requirements, with a speaker putting a potential difference at about $50,000.
Commissioners discussed joining a Jackson County letter that criticizes the map’s methodology and agreed to draft talking points to share with other Eastern Oregon counties to move the conversation toward policy rather than the technical science. They flagged the October comment deadline and said they would consider coordinated action.
No formal vote or binding action to join other counties was taken; the board discussed next steps and signaled intent to prepare comments.
