| Sub Title: | [SUNRISE Edition] |
|---|---|
| Column Name: | CLOSE UP Public Life News & Update |
| Start Page: | B02 |
| Full Text: | |
| Copyright Oregonian Publishing Company Jun 29, 1997 |
The House has defeated a bill that would allow the state Board of Forestry to restrict timber harvesting and other activities in areas subject to mudslides.
Foes of the Senate-passed measure said it is vague and unenforceable. The House rejected the measure 28-21 Friday night.
After landslides last fall caused five deaths, the board adopted voluntary guidelines asking timberland owners to refrain from logging or road-building in high-risk areas.
The board sought legislation giving it power to halt logging after some loggers and landowners ignored the request to stop clear-cutting above homes and highways.
Senate Bill 1211 would give the board that authority until January 2000, when the board expects to have recommendations from a task force that is studying landslides and logging.
People who knowingly construct homes within the extent of a potential landslide from a high-risk site would be barred from bringing damage lawsuits.
Opponents of SB1211 said that the wording is too ambiguous to describe which areas are involved and that land values could be harmed as authorities try to determine the areas.
-- The Associated Press