OAR 660-006-0010: Identifying Forest Land

(1) Governing bodies shall identify “forest lands” as defined by Goal 4 in the comprehensive plan. Lands inventoried as Goal 3 agricultural lands, lands for which an exception to Goal 4 is justified pursuant to ORS 197.732 and taken, and lands inside urban growth boundaries are not required to planned and zoned as forest lands. (2) Where a plan amendment is proposed: (a) Lands suitable for commercial forest uses shall be identified using a mapping of average annual wood production capability by cubic foot per acre (cf/ac) as reported by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Where NRCS data are not available or are shown to be inaccurate, other site productivity data may be used to identify forest land, in the following order of priority: (A) Oregon Department of Revenue western Oregon site class maps; (B) USDA Forest Service plant association guides; or (C) Other information determined by the State Forester to be of comparable quality. (b) Where data of comparable quality under paragraphs (2)(a)(A) through (C) are not available or are shown to be inaccurate, an alternative method for determining productivity may be used as described in the Oregon Department of Forestry’s Technical Bulletin entitled “Land Use Planning Notes, Number 3 April 1998, Updated for Clarity April 2010.” (c) Counties shall identify forest lands that maintain soil air, water and fish and wildlife resources.