OAR 629-001-0025: Conduct of Hearings

(1) Unless otherwise provided by law or order of the board or State Forester in a specific case, contested case hearings will be conducted by an administrative law judge, who shall prepare a proposed order for consideration by the board or State Forester. (2) Unaccepted proposals of settlement shall be privileged and shall not be admissible as evidence in the proceeding. (3) In civil penalty proceedings, conferences and hearings shall held at locations which are within the forest practices region of the person being assessed the penalty, unless otherwise agreed to by the State Forester and parties. (4) The issues for hearing shall be limited to those raised by the parties or by the State Forester in a request for hearing or other pre-hearing filings. (5) Timing of hearings and orders are stated as follows, unless all parties agree to an extension of the time limits: (a) For appeals from orders of the State Forester under ORS 527.700(1), hearings shall be commenced within 14 days after receipt of the request for hearing, and a final order shall be issued within 28 days of the request for hearing. (b) For appeals by persons adversely affected or aggrieved by an operation under ORS 527.700(3), hearings shall be commenced within 21 calendar days after receipt of the request for hearing. The board’s comments shall be issued within 45 days after the request for hearing was filed. (c) For appeals by persons adversely affected or aggrieved by a proposed or amended stewardship agreement, hearings shall be commenced within 45 calendar days after receipt of the request for hearing. A final order shall be issued within 45 calendar days of the concluded hearing. (d) Hearings on notices of civil penalty under ORS 527.687 shall not be held less than 45 days from the date of service of the notice of penalty. The hearing shall be held not more than 180 days following issuance of the notice. (6) In order to comply with statutory timelines, the administrative law judge may establish time limits different from those under OAR 137-003-0580 for making and responding to motions for ruling on legal issues. The administrative law judge shall not consider a motion for ruling on a legal issue if the agency requests that the case proceed to a hearing on that issue.