EFCC certifies unencumbered fund balance and moves to repeal outdated administrative rule

The Emergency Fire Cost Committee on Jan. 6 certified the unencumbered balance of the Oregon Forest Land Protection Fund and voted to proceed with the administrative rule repeal the committee had previously proposed.

Lorna Hobbs, the committee’s finance coordinator, told members the cash balance on Dec. 31, 2025, and the fund’s unencumbered balance were calculated in the meeting materials and recommended certification. "The unencumbered fund balance of $11,173,987.78," Hobbs said, and the committee moved to certify the balance; the motion passed unanimously.

Separately, Nancy Hirsch, EFCC administrator, summarized the rule‑making record for repeal of chapter 629, division 165 of the Oregon Administrative Rules. She said the public comment period ran Dec. 15 through Jan. 1, two comments were received (one relating to the Department of Forestry's forest management plan), the hearings officer report is in the packet, and no changes were made as a result of the hearing. The committee voted unanimously to direct the administrator to proceed with promulgation of the repeal with an effective date of Jan. 20, 2026.

Why it matters: certification of the unencumbered balance under ORS 477.760 establishes the fund baseline the EFCC will use for interim allocations and budget directions. Repealing the administrative rule responds to statutory changes enacted by House Bill 3940 and is a procedural step toward aligning committee rules with the new law.

Next steps: the administrator will file promulgation paperwork and ODF and EFCC staff will proceed with implementation items tied to the certified fund balance and the interim allocation decisions made at the same meeting.