ORS 527.755
Scenic highways

  • visually sensitive corridors
  • operations restricted
  • exemptions

(1)

The following highways are hereby designated as scenic highways for purposes of the Oregon Forest Practices Act:

(a)

Interstate Highways 5, 84, 205, 405; and

(b)

State Highways 6, 7, 20, 18/22, 26, 27, 30, 31, 34, 35, 36, 38, 42, 58, 62, 66, 82, 97, 101, 126, 138, 140, 199, 230, 234 and 395.

(2)

The purpose of designating scenic highways is to provide a limited mechanism that maintains roadside trees for the enjoyment of the motoring public while traveling through forestland, consistent with ORS 527.630 (Policy), safety and other practical considerations.

(3)

The State Board of Forestry, in consultation with the Department of Transportation, shall establish procedures and regulations as necessary to implement the requirements of subsections (4), (5) and (6) of this section, consistent with subsection (2) of this section, including provisions for alternate plans. Alternate plans that modify or waive the requirements of subsection (4), (5) or (6) of this section may be approved when, in the judgment of the State Forester, circumstances exist such as:

(a)

Modification or waiver is necessary to maintain motorist safety, protect improvements such as dwellings and bridges, or protect forest health;

(b)

Modification or waiver will provide additional scenic benefits to the motoring public, such as exposure of distant scenic vistas;

(c)

Trees that are otherwise required to be retained will not be visible to motorists;

(d)

The operation involves a change of land use that is inconsistent with maintaining a visually sensitive corridor; or

(e)

The retention of timber in a visually sensitive corridor will result in severe economic hardship for the owner because all or nearly all of the owner’s property is within the visually sensitive corridor.

(4)

Intentionally left blank —Ed.

(a)

For harvest operations within a visually sensitive corridor, at least 50 healthy trees of at least 11 inches DBH, or that measure at least 40 square feet in basal area, shall be temporarily left on each acre.

(b)

Overstory trees initially required to be left under paragraph (a) of this subsection may be removed when the reproduction understory reaches an average height of at least 10 feet and has at least the minimum number of stems per acre of free to grow seedlings or saplings required by the board for reforestation, by rule.

(c)

Alternatively, when the adjacent stand, extending from 150 feet from the outermost edge of the roadway to 300 feet from the outermost edge of the roadway, has attained an average height of at least 10 feet and has at least the minimum number of stems per acre of free to grow seedlings or saplings required by the board for reforestation, by rule, or at least 40 square feet of basal area per acre, no trees are required to be left in the visually sensitive corridor, or trees initially required to be left under paragraph (a) of this subsection may be removed. When harvests within the visually sensitive corridor are carried out under this paragraph, the adjacent stand, extending from 150 feet from the outermost edge of the roadway to 300 feet from the outermost edge of the roadway, shall not be reduced below the minimum number of stems per acre of free to grow seedlings or saplings at least 10 feet tall required by the board for reforestation, by rule, or below 40 square feet of basal area per acre until the adjacent visually sensitive corridor has been reforested as required under subsection (6) of this section and the stand has attained an average height of at least 10 feet and has at least the minimum number of stems per acre.

(5)

Harvest areas within a visually sensitive corridor shall be cleared of major harvest debris within 30 days of the completion of the harvest, or within 60 days of the cessation of active harvesting activity on the site, regardless of whether the harvest operation is complete.

(6)

Notwithstanding the time limits established in ORS 527.745 (Reforestation of certain harvest types) (1)(a), when harvesting within a visually sensitive corridor results in a harvest type 1 or harvest type 3, reforestation shall be completed by the end of the first planting season after the completion of the harvest. All other provisions of ORS 527.745 (Reforestation of certain harvest types) shall also apply to harvest type 1 or harvest type 3 within visually sensitive corridors.

(7)

Landowners and operators shall not be liable for injury or damage caused by trees left within the visually sensitive corridor for purposes of fulfilling the requirements of this section, when carried out in compliance with the provisions of the Oregon Forest Practices Act.

(8)

The following are exempt from this section:

(a)

Harvest on single ownerships less than five acres in size;

(b)

Harvest within an urban growth boundary, as defined in ORS 195.060 (Definitions); and

(c)

Harvest within zones designated for rural residential development pursuant to an exception adopted to the statewide land use planning goals under ORS 197.732 (Goal exceptions). [1991 c.919 §17; 1993 c.306 §1; 1995 s.s. c.3 §39e; 1996 c.9 §7; 1997 c.249 §179; 2007 c.383 §1]

Source: Section 527.755 — Scenic highways; visually sensitive corridors; operations restricted; exemptions, https://www.­oregonlegislature.­gov/bills_laws/ors/ors527.­html.

527.260
Injuring forest tree of another or extracting pitch without, or in violation of, a permit prohibited
527.310
Definitions for ORS 527.310 to 527.370
527.315
Process components
527.321
Implementation of process by State Forester
527.335
Investigations by State Forester concerning pests
527.341
Forestland owners to implement strategies to carry out resource management objectives
527.346
State Forester to assist owners unable to take action against pest
527.360
Costs of eradication
527.370
Disposition of receipts
527.610
Short title
527.620
Definitions for ORS 527.610 to 527.770
527.630
Policy
527.640
Forest regions
527.650
Forest practice committees
527.660
Committees to review rules
527.665
Notice of reforestation requirements to be given in forestland transfers
527.670
Commencement of operations
527.672
Aerial herbicide applications
527.674
Rules requiring approval of written plan prohibited
527.676
Leaving snags and downed logs in harvest type 2 or 3 units
527.678
Wildlife food plots
527.680
Violation by operator
527.683
Notice of violation
527.685
Civil penalty considerations
527.687
Civil penalty procedure
527.690
Failure to comply with order to reforest or repair damage
527.700
Appeals from orders of State Forester
527.710
Duties and powers of board
527.714
Types of rules
527.715
Rules to establish standards and procedures
527.721
Coordination with state and local agencies for review and comment on operations
527.722
Restrictions on local government adoption of rules regulating forest operations
527.724
Forest operations to comply with air and water pollution control rules and standards
527.730
Conversion of forestland to other uses
527.736
Forest practice standards for operations on public and private land
527.740
Harvest type 3 limitations
527.745
Reforestation of certain harvest types
527.750
Exceeding harvest type 3 size limitation
527.755
Scenic highways
527.760
Reforestation exemptions for land use changes
527.765
Best management practices to maintain water quality
527.770
Good faith compliance with best management practices not violation of water quality standards
527.780
Exemption from liability for trees or debris left on property
527.785
Exemption from liability for large woody debris left on property
527.786
Definitions
527.787
Registering to receive notice of pesticide application
527.788
Notice to State Forestry Department of proposed pesticide application
527.789
Notice to nearby recipient of proposed pesticide application
527.790
Notice to State Forestry Department prior to pesticide application
527.791
Verifying completion of pesticide application
527.792
Designation of forestland units
527.793
Failure to send notice
527.794
Department reporting system
527.795
Daily spray records
527.796
Interference with pesticide application
527.797
Limitations on pesticide applications
527.798
Reporting points of diversion
527.990
Criminal penalties
527.992
Civil penalties
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