The Riparian Rulemaking Advisory Committee will meet on Feb. 19 and March 22 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Oregon Department of Forestry’s Salem Headquarters, 2600 State St. A public comment period is scheduled at the beginning of each meeting, and complete meeting agendas will be available seven days in advance of the meetings on the committee’s website at www.oregon.gov/ODF/Board/Pages/RiparianRuleTechnicalAdvisoryCommittee.aspx. The Oregon Board of Forestry appointed the committee to collaboratively discuss and provide feedback on draft rule language to implement the Board’s Nov. 15 decision relating to riparian areas for small- and medium-sized fish-bearing streams in western Oregon. Meeting details: * Topics for the Feb. 19 meeting include providing input on the draft committee charter and operating principles, reviewing the Board’s decision and direction from the Nov. 15 meeting, the timeline for the rulemaking process, identifying policy issues that need clarification, and deciding on alternatives for identifying streams where salmon, steelhead, and / or bull trout are present. * Topics for the March 22 meeting include formally adopting the committee charter and operating principles, identifying the extent of any possible fiscal impact(s) created by the draft rules, and beginning to formulate draft rule language. * Meeting agendas may be subject to change based on the extent of committee discussions and decisions. In November 2015, the Oregon Board of Forestry adopted streamside shade buffers to protect cold water in western Oregon fish-bearing streams. Specifically, the decision applies to small- and medium-sized streams bearing salmon, steelhead, and / or bull trout that are located in the Coast Range, south coast, interior, and western Cascades geographic regions (as defined in the Oregon Forest Practices Act). The 13-member Riparian Rulemaking Advisory Committee is comprised of representatives from affected agencies, regional forest practices committees, small woodland owners, the conservation community, and industrial forestland owners.
