(1) Any operator, timber owner or landowner affected by any finding or order of the State Forester issued under ORS 527.610 to 527.770 and 527.992 may request a hearing within 30 days after issuance of the order. The hearing shall be commenced within 14 days after receipt of the request for hearing and a final order shall be issued within 28 days of the request for the hearing unless all parties agree to an extension of the time limit.
(2) The State Board of Forestry may delegate to the administrative law judge the authority to issue final orders on matters under this section. Hearings provided under this section shall be conducted as contested case hearings under ORS 183.413 to 183.470. The board may establish such rules as it deems appropriate to carry out the provisions of this section. Appeals from final hearing orders under this section shall be provided in ORS 183.482, except that the comments of the board or the State Forester concerning a written plan are not reviewable orders under ORS 183.480.
(3) Any person adversely affected or aggrieved by an operation described in subsection (4) of this section may file a written request to the board for a hearing if the person submitted written comments pertaining to the operation within the time limits established under ORS 527.670 (9).
(4) A request for hearing may be filed under subsection (3) of this section only if a written plan was required pursuant to ORS 527.670 (3).
(5) A request for hearing filed under subsection (3) of this section shall be filed within 14 calendar days of the date the State Forester completed review of the written plan and issued any comments. Copies of the complete request shall be served, within the 14-day period, on the operator, timber owner and landowner. The request shall include:
(a) A copy of the written plan on which the person is requesting a hearing;
(b) A copy of the comments pertaining to the operation that were filed by the person requesting the hearing;
(c) A statement that shows the person is adversely affected or aggrieved by the operation and has an interest which is addressed by the Oregon Forest Practices Act or rules adopted thereunder; and
(d) A statement of facts that establishes that the operation is of the type described in ORS 527.670 (3).
(6) If the board finds that the person making the request meets the requirement of subsection (5)(c) of this section, the board shall set the matter for hearing within 21 calendar days after receipt of the request for hearing. The operator, timber owner and landowner shall be allowable parties to the hearing. The person requesting the hearing may raise, in the hearing, only those issues that the person raised in written comments filed under ORS 527.670 (9) relating to conformity with the rules of the board. The board shall issue its own comments, which may affirm, modify or rescind comments of the State Forester, if any, on the written plan within 45 days after the request for hearing was filed, unless all parties agree to an extension of the time limit. The comments of the board or of the State Forester concerning a written plan are not reviewable orders under ORS 183.480.
(7) The board may award reasonable attorney fees and expenses to each of the prevailing parties against any other party who the board finds presented a position without probable cause to believe the position was well-founded, or made a request primarily for a purpose other than to secure appropriate action by the board.
(8)(a) Upon the written request of a person requesting a hearing under subsection (3) of this section, a stay of the operation subject to the hearing may be granted upon a showing that:
(A) Commencement or continuation of the operation will constitute a violation of the rules of the board;
(B) The person requesting the stay will suffer irreparable injury if the stay is not granted; and
(C) The requirements of subsections (3), (4) and (5) of this section are met.
(b) If the board grants the stay, it shall require the person requesting the stay to give an undertaking which may be in the amount of the damages potentially resulting from the stay, but in any event shall not be less than $15,000. The board may impose other reasonable requirements pertaining to the grant of the stay. The board shall limit the effect of the stay to the specific geographic area or elements of the operation for which the person requesting the stay has demonstrated a violation of the rules and irreparable injury under paragraph (a) of this subsection.
(c) If the board determines in its comments that the written plan pertaining to the operation for which the stay was granted is likely to result in compliance with ORS 527.610 to 527.770 or the rules of the board, the board may award reasonable attorney fees and actual damages in favor of each of the prevailing parties, to the extent incurred by each, against the person requesting the stay.
(9) If the board rescinds or modifies the comments on the written plan as submitted by the State Forester pertaining to any operation, the board may award reasonable attorney fees and costs against the state in favor of each of the prevailing parties.
(10) As used in this section, “person” means any individual, partnership, corporation, association, governmental subdivision or public or private organization of any character. [Formerly 527.240; 1983 c.28 §2; 1987 c.919 §13; 1999 c.849 §110; 2003 c.75 §94; 2003 c.740 §4]
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Last modified: August 7, 2008