ORS 530.050: Management of lands acquired; powers of forester; rules.

Under the authority and direction of the State Board of Forestry except as otherwise provided for the sale of forest products, the State Forester shall manage the lands acquired pursuant to ORS 530.010 to 530.040 so as to secure the greatest permanent value of those lands to the state, and to that end may: (1) Protect the lands from fire, disease and insect pests, cooperate with the counties and with persons owning lands within the state in the protection of the lands and enter into all agreements necessary or convenient for the protection of the lands. (2) Sell forest products from the lands, and execute mining leases and contracts as provided for in ORS 273.551. (3) Enter into and administer contracts for the sale of timber from lands owned or managed by the State Board of Forestry and the State Forestry Department. (4) Enter into and administer contracts for activities necessary or convenient for the sale of timber under subsection (3) of this section, either separately from or in conjunction with contracts for the sale of timber, including but not limited to activities such as timber harvesting and sorting, transporting, gravel pit development or operation, and road construction, maintenance or improvement. (5) Permit the use of the lands for other purposes, including but not limited to forage and browse for domestic livestock, fish and wildlife environment, landscape effect, protection against floods and erosion, recreation, and protection of water supplies when, in the opinion of the board, the use is not detrimental to the best interest of the state. (6) Grant easements, permits and licenses over, through and across the lands. The State Forester may require and collect reasonable fees or charges relating to the location and establishment of easements, permits and licenses granted by the state over the lands. The fees and charges collected shall be used exclusively for the expenses of locating and establishing the easements, permits and licenses under this subsection and shall be placed in the State Forestry Department Account. (7) Require and collect fees or charges for the use of state forest roads. The fees or charges collected shall be used exclusively for purposes of maintenance and improvements of the roads and shall be placed in the State Forestry Department Account. (8) Reforest the lands and cooperate with the counties, and with persons owning timberlands within the state, in the reforestation, and make all agreements necessary or convenient for the reforestation. (9) Require such undertakings as in the opinion of the board are necessary or convenient to secure performance of any contract entered into under the terms of this section or ORS 273.551. (10) Sell rock, sand, gravel, pumice and other such materials from the lands. The sale may be negotiated without bidding, provided the appraised value of the materials does not exceed $2,500. (11) Enter into agreements, each for not more than 10 years duration, for the production of minor forest products. (12) Establish a forestry carbon offset program to market, register, transfer or sell forestry carbon offsets. In establishing the program, the forester may: (a) Execute any contracts or agreements necessary to create opportunities for the creation of forestry carbon offsets; and (b) Negotiate prices that are at, or greater than, fair market value for the transfer or sale of forestry carbon offsets. (13) Establish a forestry renewable woody biomass conversion program to market, register, transfer or sell forestry woody biomass conversion offtakes. In establishing the program, the forester may: (a) Execute any contracts or agreements necessary to create opportunities for the creation of forestry woody biomass conversion offtakes; and (b) Negotiate prices that are at, or greater than, fair market value for the transfer or sale of forestry woody biomass conversion offtakes. (14) Do all things and make all rules, not inconsistent with law, necessary or convenient for the management, protection, utilization and conservation of the lands. [Amended by 1953 c.65 §5; 1955 c.421 §3; 1957 c.228 §1; 1959 c.141 §1; 1963 c.475 §1; 1965 c.128 §1; 1967 c.396 §3; 1983 c.759 §9; 2001 c.752 §8; 2005 c.103 §37; 2015 c.447 §1; 2023 c.442 §31]