SALEM, OR – The Oregon Department of State Lands is seeking public comment on rulemaking that would establish distinct administrative rules for communication site facility leases.
The Department manages leases for communication site facilities located on school lands – lands owned by the people of Oregon that generate revenue for the state’s Common School Fund. Communication site leases allow entities to place communication facilities on school lands. These facilities support wireless cellular service, internet service, emergency communications, cable and radio broadcast, and local radio users.
Currently, communication site leases are authorized through the Department’s special use administrative rules, OAR 141-125. The proposed rulemaking would create a new set of rules, OAR 141-126, to address the unique nature of communication site lessees and sub-lessees, while removing management of communication sites from OAR 141-125.
The rule change would enable DSL to manage communication site leases more efficiently, while updating rates and fees to be consistent with market rates. The rules include an updated lease rate and fee structure, developed based on communications site leases managed by other western states and the Bureau of Land Management. A rule advisory committee comprised of industry and tribal representatives, as well as Common School Fund beneficiaries, evaluated the proposed rates and fees and determined they were consistent with industry standards.
A draft of the rule change is available on the DSL website.
Comment on the Proposed Rulemaking
Feedback on the proposed rules can be provided during a remote public meeting on July 21 from 5:30 – 7 p.m. The meeting will begin with a 30-minute information session, followed by an hour-long public hearing. Meeting links and call-in information are on the DSL website.
Written comments may also be submitted by online form, emailed to dsl.rules@dsl.oregon.gov, or mailed to DSL at 775 Summer Street NE, Suite 100, Salem, OR 97301.
The comment deadline is July 31, 2022 at 11:59 p.m.
###