By Representative David Gomberg, House District 10
7/31/2023
Dear Neighbors and Friends,
A wet spring that encouraged the growth of grasses and vegetation, and a long, hot, dry summer have again created a recipe for dangerous wildfires. We’ve seen recent evidence of that locally when fireworks sparked a fire south of Waldport closing Highway 101 and another fire east of Toledo required homes to be evacuated. Philomath Fire and Rescue deployed two personnel to the Golden Fire outside Klamath Falls last week.
Sadly we are learning that most fires that erupt across western Oregon are caused by humans. People started about half of the 70,000 wildfires that raged across Oregon over the past three decades. The top three activities causing wildfires in Oregon are debris burns, sparks from equipment like cars, chainsaws and ATVs, and campfires that aren’t completely doused, according to the Oregon Department of Forestry.
- Firecrackers caused about 1.7% of total wildfires between 1992 and 2020, including the devastating 2017 Eagle Creek fire in the Gorge.
- Power generation is blamed for 1.6% of wildfires — as in the $73 million judgment against PacificCorp for fires in 2020.
- Arson — which devastated two Southern Oregon towns that year — is the culprit in 3% of wildfires.
Two years ago, Oregon lawmakers put $220 million toward overhauling wildfire prevention policies. Senate Bill 762 is comprehensive legislation passed with bipartisan support to help Oregon modernize and improve wildfire preparedness through three key strategies: creating fire-adapted communities, developing safe and effective responses, and increasing the resiliency of Oregon’s landscapes.
Improving the prospects for property owners in hazardous wildfire zones was a major focus for the 2023 session as well. I was pleased to co-sponsor House Bill 2522, which directs the State Fire Marshal to conduct a full overview of our rural fire protection-related laws to modernize and streamline our processes and programs. I also introduced and passed House Bill 2902, which directs the Department of Education to develop guidance materials for schools to better prepare their students for natural disasters.
SB 80 will put a lot more coherence, transparency and public involvement in the wildfire mapping process, and SB 82 should improve transparency and cooperation between insurance companies and policyholders who live in hazardous areas.
A Newport Fire Department rig able to drive on the beach sprays water on a 300-yard-long fire burning between Waldport and Yachats last week. Yachats News photo.
What can you do?
- Check and follow local yard debris burning restrictions. Chip, compost or recycle yard debris instead.
- Operate ATVs and other motorized vehicles only on established and legal roads.
- Check your vehicle for dragging tow chains or mechanical issues that could send sparks into roadside vegetation.
- Don’t park on dry grass – the hot exhaust system can set it smoldering in seconds.
- Know before you go. Check current fire restrictions before building a campfire, as open fires may be prohibited. If allowed, stay with the campfire at all times and extinguish it until it’s cold to the touch before leaving the area.
- When driving, smoke only in an enclosed vehicle and properly dispose of smoking materials. Never throw cigarettes on the ground!
As you know, I live in the Echo Mountain Fire Zone and have watched our neighborhoods and neighbors slowly recover from the devastation of September 2020. Many still struggle.
One of my latest efforts has been to help repair local roads impacted by fires and fire recovery. Otis should begin to see about half-a-million dollars in gravel and grading late this summer. The Fire Marshal’s Office continues to distribute grants to help communities. Here are the latest.
I also recommend current wildfire information and reports from the Oregon Department of Forestry, AlertWildfire information and public access for real-time cameras, and Wildfire Response and Recovery for sheltering, air quality, statistics, evacuation information, and lots more.
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With the legislative session concluded, I am spending most of my days out and about in our large and diverse district. But Thursday I traveled back to Salem where I was invited to participate in the signing of four measures intended to address the continuing challenge of housing, home affordability, and homelessness. At least 18,000 Oregonians were homeless on a single night in 2022, and state analysts predict Oregon needs to build at least 500,000 homes over the next two decades to keep pace with demand.
House Bill 3395, which I co-sponsored, will make it easier to build affordable housing on land now zoned for commercial use and restrict local governments’ ability to block affordable housing or homeless shelters. And Senate Bill 5511, which was crafted by the committee I co-chair, allocates more than $2.5 billion to Oregon Housing and Community Services over the next two years, including money for homeless shelters and rent assistance. For that work, I was presented with the pen Governor Kotek used to sign the bill.
Four bills were signed by the Governor Thursday, but I did not support all of them. Senate Bill 611 will require a hard cap of 10% for rent increases when inflation is high. It builds on a 2019 law that limits increases on properties 15 years or older to no more than 7% plus inflation.
Rent control may be helpful in many parts of Oregon. But in our unique and fragile rental market on the Coast, most rentals are owned by small landlords, not large corporations. Anything we do that makes it harder to be a long-term landlord makes it easier to transfer those houses into the nightly vacation market. We’ve actually seen a relative decline in properties for long-term rent. I’ve opposed rent controls for those reasons. The answer to our housing costs here is more houses and less regulations that discourage home construction.
The Oregon Legislature made progress this year on addressing the state’s housing crisis with new policies and $1.2 billion in new spending on housing and homelessness but more work needs to be done.
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Here is a bill I’m proud to have co-sponsored and that you probably haven’t heard about. It was described in debate as short, cheap, and really important.
Our Gold Star Families are those Oregonians who have lost a son or daughter in military service. We honor and remember their sacrifice with signs along our highways and also qualify them to display special gold star license plates on their vehicles. But inexplicitly, families incur a cost of about $600 for those signs and plates.
House Bill 3001 provides $25,000 to the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) to cover the cost of Fallen Hero roadside memorial signs and veterans’ recognition registration plates to ensures that no Oregon family will be denied an honor because they can’t afford it.
The signs we pass on our roadways help families remember. But they also help Oregonians and our visitors understand the service and sacrifice of our soldiers and sailors, police and firefighters.
Just east of Toledo are two such signs honoring the Johnson brothers. Only four Oregon families lost two members in recent military conflicts. Charles and Clifford Johnson earned our respect and should not be forgotten. None of our Gold Star Families should be.
Please take a moment to watch the dedication ceremony and remember Charles and Clifford Johnson.
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Tracking legislation can be tricky unless you work with it every day. But now the Legislative Policy and Research Office (LPRO) is making it easier to look at issues and subject areas to see what was proposed, what passed, and what failed to move.
2023 legislative summary reports are now available online. The 15 individual reports are organized by policy areas and highlight measures that received a public hearing in a committee in session.
Check out details in the following subject areas: Behavioral Health & Health Care, Business & Consumer Protection, Civil Law, Courts, Criminal Justice, Education & Early Childhood, Emergency Preparedness, Energy & Environment, General Government & Elections, Human Services, Housing, Development, & Homelessness, Labor and Employment, Natural Resources, Transportation & Infrastructure, and Veterans.
LPRO’s Summary of Legislation web page can be found here. The Summary of Legislation page is set up for browsing by policy topic, checking out full summaries of legislation available by year, or searching for past summaries. You can also click on the policy areas above to read the new legislative summary reports.
The Policy and Research office has also published a new product, called a Storymap, which is designed to introduce members of the public to the Oregon Legislative Assembly. It includes information about the structure of the Legislative Assembly, an overview of legislative service agencies and commissions, legislative schedules and procedures, and how an idea becomes law.
In September, LPRO will release a second publication in the series: Legislative Summary Briefs. These briefs will highlight substantive changes to Oregon’s policy landscape based on measures considered during the 2023 legislative session.
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Tuesday is National Night Out and I’ll be scrambling to try and stop by events in Lincoln City, Depoe Bay, Newport, Toledo, Siletz, and Waldport. Here are more details so you can participate as well.
Wednesday I’m visiting another Project Turnkey project in Lincoln County. I have been a supporter of Project Turnkey since the concept was introduced in 2020 to fund the conversion of dilapidated hotels and motels into needed shelter and transition space.
Thursday I’m headed for LaGrande and the Eastern Oregon Economic Summit. This will be a good opportunity to discuss the rural infrastructure and economic development packages I coordinated the past two sessions.
Saturday I’m planning to attend the dedication of the Michael Gibbons mural in Toledo. And Sunday? Sunday I’ve got nothing but sunshine, gardening, and Susie time on the calendar…
Hope to see you out there somewhere soon!
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email: Rep.DavidGomberg@oregonlegislature.gov
phone: 503-986-1410
address: 900 Court St NE, H-480, Salem, OR, 97301
website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/gomberg