Oregon Legislature to consider sweeping wildfire plan

SALEM, Ore. (AP) -- Oregon lawmakers are looking at several bills that could change the way the state fights wildfires, and how it tries to prevent them. The Legislature convenes in Salem on Monday.

 The Oregonian/OregonLive reports that the plans, which stem from a panel appointed by Gov. Kate Brown, include an effort to restore forest health through thinning, removing brush and small trees, and increasing prescribed burns.

Critics argue forest thinning projects are expensive and have a low probability of success. 

The governor’s 20-year forest treatment plan comes with a $4 billion price tag - $200 million a year. And almost all of the work would be on federal and private lands, raising the question of why Oregon taxpayers should pay for it.

Read more at: https://apnews.com/af69a0c999d70fa3f1d41e4905ef3b6a