Bend Democratic lawmakers Anthony Broadman, Emerson Levy join GOP in calling for repeal of state’s wildfire hazard map

(Update: Adding responses from Rep. Levy, Sen. McLane; Sen. Golden and Rep. Breese Iverson)

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Democratic state Senator Anthony Broadman of Bend on Thursday joined a recent call by Republican lawmakers to repeal the state's revised wildfire hazard map, saying it doesn't "create an equitable system" or account for variance among properties. Rep. Emerson Levy, D-Bend, told KTVZ News she also supports its repeal.

Here's the statement Broadman read on the Senate floor Thursday morning, which was livestreamed on KTVZ.COM:

"Senators, my home sits in the moderate zone of the fire maps, and the extreme zone is a couple streets away.  I am not a fire professional, I'm not a scientist, and I cannot tell the difference between my street and the next one over. The rigidity of the wildfire maps is not working in communities like mine, and they are distracting from much of the work my region is doing to get ready for the climate wildfire catastrophe coming this summer and in the future. 

"Our region is safer because of the work the good senator from the Rogue Valley has done, that we've done on fuels reduction, planning, investment, and preparation in SB 762. And the maps do not create an equitable system that encourages wildfire resilience work for homeowners partly because they do not account for variance among specific properties.  Both things can be true. 

"I don't want the maps to distract us from the good work we're doing on fuels reduction, community hardening, and preparation for fire season.  Senators, I encourage a full repeal of the fire maps and let us focus on getting ready for the fires that are coming."

KTVZ News has reached out to other Central Oregon lawmakers for their position on the map.

Rep. Emerson Levy, D-Bend, told us she also believes the map needs to be repealed:

"I share the Senator’s view that the wildfire maps have become a distraction from focusing on the necessary and important work of making resilient and fire-ready communities," Levy said.

And Senator Mike McLane, R-Powell Butte, replied to us: "I agree. The maps need to be repealed."

State Senator Jeff Golden, D-Ashland, who had recently proposed revising the map to remove property-level risk designation, apparently sees the writing on the wall.

But also speaking on the Senate floor on Thursday, Golden pointed to numerous other positive impacts Senate Bill 762 has had on wildfire preparation and risk reduction, from the State Fire Marshal providing more engines to rural departments, to the camera network that provides quick detection of smoke columns meaning many are put out quickly at small sizes.

"I'm sensing some convergence around deleting the wildfire map," Golden said. "I think we should repeal them," but he advised colleagues that they might "really regret" undoing the other, positive impacts of SB 762.

Rep. Vikki Breese Iverson, R-Prineville, provided this statement on the map and related wildfire issues:

Rep. Breese Iverson Statement on Wildfire Maps

Prineville, OR — As the deadline to file appeals to the State Wildfire Risk Map is approaching and public sentiment has become clear in opposition to these maps, State Representative Vikki Breese Iverson (R-Prineville) has issued the following statement:

My district was deeply affected by last year’s wildfire. We need to not only repeal the wildfire maps, but we also need to undo the damage caused by these maps.

I have identified four key policy changes we need to begin repairing the damage:

• Explore every opportunity to incentivize private insurance companies to offer plans to rural Oregonians again;
• Offer tax relief to Oregonians who lost their homes in major wildfires (HB 3139);
• Invoke state coordination to improve federal forest planning; and
• Return management control of our millions of acres of federal forest land to state and local governments (LC 4525).

Rep. Vikki Breese Iverson represents Oregon House District 59, which includes Crook County and parts of Deschutes and Jefferson counties.