Oregon’s controversial effort to map wildfire risk of every property in the state is moving forward more than two years after the state bungled the rollout of its original map and drew public backlash.
Officials released a new map Thursday. The bottom line: It hasn’t changed much.
“It’s not a satisfying outcome for some landowners,” said Andy McEvoy, a faculty research assistant at Oregon State University who helped develop the map.
The map identifies areas in Oregon most likely to experience a “wildfire disaster” and where new state vegetation management and building codes should apply. The state first released a map in June 2022 but quickly withdrew it amid widespread concern about its potential to increase insurance rates and lower property values.
