Public invited to comment on draft rules governing wildlife food plots in Oregon forestland

SALEM, Ore. – The Oregon Department of Forestry is inviting the public to comment on rules the agency has drafted to regulate wildlife food plots on private forestlands in Oregon. A virtual public hearing on the rules will also be conducted online on the Zoom platform on Thursday, April 30. For instructions on attending, please go to https://www.oregon.gov/odf/AboutODF/Pages/ProposedLawsRules.aspx

Comments may also be submitted until 5 p.m. on Friday, May 1 by email to privateforests.publiccomment@oregon.gov or by mail to:

Attention: Nate Agalzoff, Building D

Oregon Department of Forestry

2600 State Street

Salem, OR 97310

The Oregon Legislature in 2015 passed a bill directing the Board of Forestry to write rules to allow owners of up to 5,000 acres of private forestland to designate a small portion of those lands as wildlife food plots. Depending on the amount of land owned, plots could range from a maximum of 12.5 acres to 50 acres.

Landowners wishing to manage those plots specifically for wildlife nutrition would need to maintain appropriate vegetation to nourish the wildlife species desired.

After receiving input from advisory committees, a tribal cultural resource group and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, ODF has drafted those rules. They are posted at oregon.gov/odf/Working/Pages/FPA.aspx

Once all public comments have been received, they will be reviewed and any changes to the rules made before they are presented to the Board of Forestry for adoption this summer. If adopted, the rules would go into effect this fall.

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