Oregon

Oregon needs more money to fight big wildfires. Who should pay for it? – Ashland News – Community-Supported, NonProfit News

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2 years ago

January 4, 2024

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Oregon needs more money to fight big wildfires. Who should pay for it? – Ashland News – Community-Supported, NonProfit News

Sen. Golden proposes tax on timber; another Democratic senator backs $10 annual fee on every property owner in the state

By Alex Baumhardt, Oregon Capital Chronicle

The Oregon Department of Forestry needs more and consistent funding to fight wildfires. That much was clear following the 2020 Labor Day fires that burned nearly 850,000 acres of forests and became the state’s most expensive disaster in history.

But lawmakers are split on how to pay for it. Two Democratic senators recently unveiled competing proposals to address long-term wildfire funding. Sen. Jeff Golden, D-Ashland, wants a tax on the value of industrial timber harvests to pay for protection that he says disproportionately benefits private forest owners.

“There is a segment of the timber industry that’s more than able to shoulder more of the load, and when we think about the protection that they get from ODF, they should be picking up more of the baggage here,” Golden said.

Sen. Elizabeth Steiner, D-Portland, wants to charge every property owner in the state an annual fee to pay for what she sees as a statewide issue.

“This is an all Oregon problem now, and that’s different from where we were 10 years ago,” Steiner said.

Both will introduce their proposals during the short legislative session in February. Golden will seek a vote for a ballot referral, which would allow him to avoid a constitutional requirement that three-fifths of the House and Senate approve any new or increased taxes. Steiner will need the three-fifths vote in both chambers for her proposal to pass.

Sen. Elizabeth Steiner, D-Portland, is running for treasurer. Steiner campaign photo

Funding woes

In 2021, the year after the historic fires, the Legislature allocated $220 million for wildfire prevention and response. Two years later, after a couple of mild fire seasons, they approved just $87 million. The part of the budget meant to help Oregonians harden their homes and neighborhoods against wildfires went from $35 million in 2021 to $3 million in 2023.

“It’s very clear to me we are stumbling into the future without an adequate source of funding for wildfire,” Golden said.

Wildfire protection on private land in Oregon is generally split between landowners and the state’s general fund. But in the case of catastrophic fires, like those seen in 2020, it’s the general fund that covers the bulk of catastrophic costs. Golden and Steiner say general fund money is needed for other pressing statewide priorities such as housing and substance abuse response, and both senators want to find other less competitive funding sources for wildfires.

About 30% of the 16 million acres of land that the forestry department protects is privately owned by industrial timber companies, according to Joy Krawczyk, a public information officer with the agency. The rest is owned by ranchers, rural residential homeowners and state, federal and tribal governments, all of whom pay varying fees per acre of land for the department’s fire protection. Between 2023 and 2024, the average per-acre price of that wildfire protection went up 29%, Krawczyk said. Increases were highest for eastern Oregon landowners and grazers, according to Steiner.

Everybody’s problem

Steiner argues that everyone should chip in more for the forestry department’s wildfire fighting budget because wildfires are becoming everyone’s problem.

“It’s an issue that no longer just affects the people in the immediate area of the fire but rather an issue that affects every single Oregonian, one way or another,” she said.

She recently convened a group mainly of large private landowners from around the state, including timber companies, ranchers and the nonprofit The Nature Conservancy, to discuss rising wildfire protection costs on private lands and the concerns of landowners.

Steiner said large landowners in the eastern part of the state are most concerned about the rising per-acre costs of fire suppression. They feel they’re paying a premium for protection that’s more valuable for counterparts in the western part of the state, who have timber holdings worth billions.

But rather than shifting more of the per-acre costs on large timberland owners, Steiner is proposing a “communal” solution: A $10 annual fee added to the 2 million property owners in the state, sending an additional $20 million to the forestry department each year for wildfire suppression.

She also proposes bringing up-to-date for the first time in 15 years two fees that private landowners pay to the state as well as the timber harvest tax. This would bring in an additional $4 million each year. This additional $24 million would allow the forestry department to cut almost in half the per-acre fees forest and grazing landowners pay for their wildfire protection each year.

Sara Duncan, a spokesperson for the Oregon Forest Industries Council, said in an email that Steiner’s proposal is welcome, but that most other Western states do not directly charge private landowners for additional wildfire protection like Oregon does. Other states instead rely more heavily on their general funds.

“We appreciate Senator Steiner’s thoughtful proposal to address the wildfire funding affordability crisis,” Duncan said in an email. “Currently, Oregon private forest landowners directly pay more for fire protection than in any other state, and will continue to do so under Sen. Steiner’s proposal.”

While other states do rely more heavily or entirely on general funds for wildfire response on private lands, private landowners in many Western states pay higher property and harvest taxes, and severance taxes, into those general funds.

Jody Wiser, founder and president of the nonprofit tax watchdog group Tax Fairness Oregon, said Steiner’s proposal continues a long-term trend of shifting costs from forestland owners to the public.

“They’re not paying for my property insurance, so why should I be paying for theirs?” she asked. “It’s shifting the burden of fire protection off of timber land owners — who already pay extremely low taxes to the state and who have forest products and homes that need protecting — to people who do not.”

Forestland owners as a group paid property taxes last year on less than 17% of their properties’ real market value, according to Tax Fairness’ analysis of Oregon Department of Revenue property tax data. Large portions of private forestland in Oregon are now owned by timber and real estate investment trusts, Wiser added, which do not pay corporate taxes and where investments can be kept in untaxed pension funds.

“These and other large private landowners hold assets worth millions, if not billions, of dollars. They should pay the bulk of the cost of their protection,” she said.

Steiner could not guarantee under her plan that large industrial timber companies would get a discount on fire prevention costs at the expense of all Oregon property owners.

“I really believe this is a communal problem,” she said.

Sen. Jeff Golden, D-Ashland, on the state senate floor in October 2022. Jeff Golden campaign photo

Timber tax

Golden would like a greater portion of forestry’s wildfire budget to come from industrial timber companies with forestland in Oregon. He says these companies disproportionately benefit from publicly funded wildfire protection.

He and Wiser of Tax Fairness point to the financial losses counties and the forestry department experienced when the state’s severance tax was eliminated in 1999. Some of that money was formerly used to fight wildfire, Golden said. To this day, no one in state government or the forestry department can provide a clean figure for how much revenue has been lost since the tax was ended. But, reporting from the Oregonian, Oregon Public Broadcasting and ProPublica found counties lost at least $3 billion in revenues in the three decades since.

Golden said it’s time for private companies that benefit from the forestry department’s firefighting work to pick up a larger share of the cost.

He will propose the Legislature approve a ballot measure to go to Oregon voters. If passed, it would impose a percentage tax on the value of timber harvested on private lands, much like the former severance tax. The tax percentage would be higher depending on the acreage that each company holds, so a small timber operation isn’t paying the same rate as a company like Weyerhaeuser, among the world’s largest international real estate and timber holding companies.

Golden is still working through the details, but he said there would be zero tax for those with less than 500 acres, gradually increasing to up to 6% on companies and individuals holding 5,000 acres or more.

Golden said imposing a timber value tax could bring the forestry department tens of millions of dollars annually for fighting wildfire and responding to threats from climate change. He’d also propose a discount on the timber taxes if a forestland owner gets certification from the nonprofit Forest Stewardship Council. Such certification requires the guarantee that companies will meet certain sustainability requirements.

Ideally, Golden said, he’d like to see 25% of the tax revenues go to the forestry department for fire suppression, another 25% to the state fire marshal’s office to help Oregonians protect their homes and reduce wildfire risks. Another 40%, he said, should be directed for firefighting resources to the counties where the timber is harvested, and the remaining 10% should go to the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board to help improve drinking water supplies in the Coast Range, where wildfires and logging are posing greater threats to water sources.

Golden said he’s open to feedback and adjustments during the short Legislative session in February, but that lawmakers should not leave that session without a blueprint for a long-term solution to the forestry department’s budget needs.

“The one non-negotiable point is establishing a reliable source of wildfire funding,” he said.

Alex Baumhardt has been a national radio producer focusing on education for American Public Media since 2017. She has reported from the Arctic to the Antarctic for national and international media, and from Minnesota and Oregon for The Washington Post.

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Oregon

Indiana vs. Oregon prediction: Who wins the Peach Bowl, and why?

Published

7 hours ago

January 8, 2026

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Indiana vs. Oregon prediction: Who wins the Peach Bowl, and why?

It’s a family affair for the Big Ten with a spot in the national championship game on the line as No. 1 seed Indiana squares off against fifth-seed Oregon in the Peach Bowl semifinal.

Indiana has smashed up just about everything in sight, marching out to a 14-0 record with its first outright Big Ten title since 1945 by edging out reigning champ Ohio State and then pounding the bewildered SEC runner-up Alabama in the Rose Bowl quarterfinal.

If they go all the way, the Hoosiers would become the first 16-0 team in college football since Yale did it back in 1894. Not bad for a program that has the most losses all-time.

Oregon is a 13-1 team with that one loss coming courtesy of these Hoosiers back during the regular season, but is coming off a dominant 23-0 victory over Big 12 champion Texas Tech in the quarterfinal round.

Indiana vs. Oregon: Keys to the game

Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

1. Indiana’s Defensive Discipline vs. Dante Moore

Indiana’s biggest edge arguably remains a very disciplined defense that already solved Oregon’s scheme once, holding Dante Moore to 186 passing yards with two interceptions and six sacks in the October win at Eugene.

The Hoosiers compress space, tackle cleanly, and rarely bust coverages, forcing Moore to sustain long drives instead of living on explosive downfield gainers.

Key to this rematch is turning that discipline into disruption again: winning on early downs, disguising pressures, and closing throwing lanes so Oregon’s timing‑based pass game never finds a rhythm.

If Indiana can keep Moore uncomfortable without giving up cheap shots in the deep field, it tilts the game back toward another grind that favors the unbeaten No. 1 seed.

2. Oregon’s Early‑Down Efficiency and Protection

Oregon’s path back into the national title picture depends on staying ahead of the chains and protecting Moore far better than in the first meeting.

This is not a max‑protect offense; the Ducks prefer to get the ball out quickly on first and second down to avoid Indiana dictating pressure looks on third and long.

With top back Noah Whittington healthy and Jordon Davison sidelined, Oregon must manufacture run efficiency with motion, RPOs, and constraint plays rather than stubborn downhill calls into Indiana’s stout front.

If that early‑down formula works, Moore’s accuracy, Oregon’s speed at receiver, and a more confident offensive line could finally stress a Hoosier defense that has thrived when opponents become predictable.

3. Mendoza, Complementary Run Game, and Game Control

Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza has turned Indiana into a complete, ball‑control machine, pairing 36 touchdown passes with just six interceptions while adding some key rushing scores.

The Hoosiers average over 220 rushing yards per game, using a deep backfield and a physical line to stay on schedule and keep their defense fresh.

Against an Oregon defense coming off a 23–0 shutout of Texas Tech, Indiana’s key is balance: steady run success, efficient intermediate throws, and red‑zone poise that converts long, methodical drives into sevens instead of threes.

If Mendoza controls tempo again, limits negative plays, and avoids the rare turnover, Indiana’s complementary profile again looks built to survive a tight matchup.

Indiana vs. Oregon prediction: Who wins?

Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Line: Indiana -3.5, 48.5, courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

If a team of destiny exists, it might be Indiana. Give them credit: they created that destiny themselves, playing a punishing brand of defense and riding an efficient offense behind a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback.

Dante Moore had the worst game of his season against the Hoosiers’ defense, and his late interception, one of two on the day, helped seal the deal in what remains Oregon’s only loss this year.

Jordon Davison was the Ducks’ leading rusher in that first meeting, and his absence in the rematch makes it difficult to see this going another way, in particular after watching the Oregon offense fail to capitalize as much as it could have in the Orange Bowl.

Having their rushing output compromised to that degree will only put more pressure on Moore to win the game, and Indiana’s secondary coverage unit is a little too good to let that happen. The Hoosiers will play for the national championship.

College Football HQ picks…

Indiana wins 33-20
Covers the spread
And hits the over

How to watch the Peach Bowl Game

When: Fri., Jan. 9
Where: Atlanta

Time: 7:30 p.m. Eastern
TV: ESPN network

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, please call 1-800-GAMBLER.

More college football from SI: Top 25 Rankings | Schedule | Teams

Follow College Football HQ: Bookmark | Rankings | Picks

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Oregon turns to Peyton Woodyard, Zach Grisham to fill secondary gaps for Peach Bowl

Published

19 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Oregon turns to Peyton Woodyard, Zach Grisham to fill secondary gaps for Peach Bowl

ATLANTA — Oregon’s options for who to rotate in at safety and nickel in the Peach Bowl are finite, but not inexperienced.

Peyton Woodyard has 22 tackles and an interception as a backup this season. The sophomore is the next player behind starting deep safeties Dillon Thieneman and Aaron Flowers and could also play nickel behind Jadon Canady in the Peach Bowl against No. 1 Indiana.

Woodyard was UO’s only freshman defensive player not to redshirt last season. Though he fell behind Flowers and Lopa prior to the season, he’s still prepared to play a significant role, which could come in Friday’s College Football Playoff semifinal.

“You’d have more concern if you had a guy that wasn’t preparing like he wasn’t a starter,” defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi said. “But that’s the way he prepares. I’ve got the faith that we’re not going to put somebody out there that we don’t trust. … I don’t think if he’s out there competing for us, I wouldn’t hesitate one bit to put (him) out there.”

No. 5 Oregon lost Kingston Lopa and Daylen Austin to the transfer portal since the start of the playoff.

Walk-on Zach Grisham (44) and Woodyard (30) have the most snaps at nickel behind Canady and Austin. Woodyard has played 171 snaps this season, but just one in the Orange Bowl when Canady came out for a play. He played three snaps at deep safety during the October 11 game against Indiana.

Grisham has nine tackles in 11 games, splitting time between defense and special teams. He came in for the last defensive play in the Orange Bowl.

Lupoi called Grisham “an absolute baller” for the effort he brings to the field.

The Ducks may need to rely on one or both for a few snaps in the biggest game of the season.

“(Woodyard) brings a lot of range and he’s really smart,” Flowers said. “A really vocal leader. Great tackler. I feel super comfortable playing out there with him. Zach, he’s a man of the game. He knows every position; he knows star, safety. He’s really quick, really good man coverage.”

No. 1 Indiana (14-0) vs. No. 5 Oregon (13-1)

When: Friday, January 9
Time: 4:30 p.m. PT
Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
TV: ESPN
Stream: You can watch this game on DIRECTV (free trial) or with Sling (a Sling day pass to watch this game and more is just $4.99). Streaming broadcasts for this game will be available on these streaming services locally in Oregon and Washington, but may not be available outside of the Pacific Northwest, depending on your location.

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Oregon

CFP Semifinals Preview, Picks: What to Expect in Oregon-Indiana, Ole Miss-Miami

Published

1 day ago

January 7, 2026

Press Room

CFP Semifinals Preview, Picks: What to Expect in Oregon-Indiana, Ole Miss-Miami

Two powerhouse matchups. One step away from the national championship.

After a longer wait between games in the first two rounds of the College Football Playoff, we should have two fantastic games in the semifinals, and Vegas thinks so, too.

Miami (Fla.) and Ole Miss go head-to-head fresh off their stunning upsets over Ohio State and Georgia, respectively, in the quarterfinals. Indiana and Oregon, meanwhile, will meet up in the Peach Bowl in a game that I’m really excited about.

So, let’s dive into what I think will happen in each game, and who I have winning to advance to the national championship game.

Fiesta Bowl: No. 10 Miami (Fla.) vs. No. 6 Ole Miss

When I first started watching film of this matchup, the first thing I thought of — and Miami fans are going to love this, because the last thing they want is me picking Miami after picking against the Hurricanes in the first two rounds — is that this Ole Miss team resembles the SMU team it lost to.

By the way, it’s an SMU team I just spent time around during the Holiday Bowl and I had a conversation with SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee about Miami. We both talked about how dominant Miami is on the offense and defensive lines — that defensive line is excellent. But one thing SMU was able to do was utilize tempo on offense. So, a quicker tempo to try and tire those pass rushers while getting the ball on the perimeter as much in the first half as possible. Once the pass rushers got tired in the second half, it was easier for SMU to play offense and and it took advantage of that.

Well, Ole Miss can do that. I think Trinidad Chambliss is a better quarterback than SMU’s Kevin Jennings. Ole Miss can run the ball with Kewan Lacy. The Rebels can get on the perimeter and Chambliss can create. He’s wonderful at creating. He was so good against Georgia, buying time, showing off his strong and accurate arm.

Miami takes on Ole Miss in the Fiesta Bowl 🔥

So, at first blush, I liked Ole Miss in this game and the question for me was whether it would be able to hold up at the line of scrimmage. But that’s not the main question for me with this game. The main question of this game is who is coaching for Ole Miss? I cannot believe we’re in this situation where the head coach of a team playing in the semifinal is saying, “Well, I don’t really know what’s going on with the offensive coaching staff.” Are we kidding? What in the world is going on? In what world are we operating?

This is what I find so frustrating about this situation. This moment is meant to be so special for the players. It should be about Chambliss, Lacy and all these players who’ve put themselves in a position to win the national championship. Yet, they’re not being given the best possible opportunity to do that. This is not a coach’s moment.

Now, we’re talking about whether Ole Miss offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. is back to game plan for the offense? I think Weis should’ve stayed at Ole Miss in the first place, but he followed Lane Kiffin to LSU and is still working with the Rebels through the CFP. Weis proved that he can call plays and that he doesn’t need to be under Kiffin in the win over Georgia. But now we’re sitting here and we don’t know what’s going on with Ole Miss’ offensive coaches. They should be there to build, implement, execute and call the game plan. It’s not just about who’s there on Thursday, it’s about who’s there the last seven or eight days. What should’ve happened in this situation was Kiffin allowing those coaches to remain in Oxford in a full capacity until the end of Ole Miss’ CFP run.

Miami takes down Ohio State, Indiana rolls Alabama, Georgia stunned by Ole Miss & Oregon advances

Because of that, it has made me rethink what I believe will take place in this game. What I know about this game is that Miami has something that it can rely on, and it’s at the line of scrimmage on both sides. The offensive line with tackle Francis Mauigoa and the run game with running back Mark Fletcher Jr. have allowed Miami to not put quarterback Carson Beck in a position where he needs to throw the ball on third-and-long. How many times was he able to pick up a first down on a first-and-manageable? He had huge pickups with his feet, and he hasn’t needed to throw the ball 150 yards so far in this playoff. If Miami can control the tempo and line of scrimmage in this game, it’ll have a great chance to win this game.

On the flip side, it’s about corralling Chambliss if you’re Miami’s defense. If he can create, who knows how many points Ole Miss can score? This is a very good Ole Miss offense and it’s led by a quarterback who can force a lot of problems.

What do I think is going to happen? The quickest way to be defeated is to be distracted, and Miami fans, I’m sorry to do this to you, but I’ve got to go with the Canes.

Pick: Miami (Fla.) 30, Ole Miss 24 (Miami -3.5)

Peach Bowl: No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 1 Indiana

This is going to be one heck of a game, and we’ve already seen these two teams go head-to-head. We saw Indiana beat Oregon in Eugene in an incredible game that was tied in the fourth quarter before the Hoosiers pulled away with an incredible drive from Fernando Mendoza.

Let me talk a little bit about Indiana. You’re here because you love this sport like I do, but there are things that can be frustrating and there’s one thing that’s frustrating with this Indiana team. There’s an overlooking of Indiana that’s happening right now across the country. The reason I know that is that Indiana’s résumé is the best résumé in all of college football, without a doubt. Indiana’s the most tested team in the country. The Hoosiers are 14-0 and have handled everybody. They have only given up more than 15 offensive points one time this year, and that was in a game on the road against Penn State. Indiana has only given up more than one touchdown in two games. This is the team that’s so sound, mistake-free and just absolutely bludgeoned Alabama.

Oregon faces Indiana in a Big Ten CFP semifinal 🔥

If you listen to some of the loudest voices, you get a sense that they think anyone can win the national championship. But if this Indiana team had any other logo, we would all be talking about whether this is the best team we’ve ever seen in college football. Yes, I know I’ve been guilty of this as well with the way I talked about Ohio State earlier this season, but no team in the history of our sport has ever gone 16-0. Granted, that’s a scheduling thing, but Indiana has a chance to do that and it’s been one of the great defensive teams we’ve had in a long time.

So no, this isn’t a wide-open playoff. Indiana and Oregon are the odds-on favorites to win it all by a wide margin because of how tested they’ve been. That’s specifically the case for Indiana, which beat three teams that played in the CFP quarterfinals. No other team can say that. This team stands on business as the best team in college football.

To that end, there are four tight games Indiana has played this year. If you’re Oregon, you’ve got to mimic those tight games. Oregon understands that blueprint because it played in one of those games. The blueprint isn’t simple, but in every one of those games, a few things happen. One of them is attacking Indiana’s strengths and making it work to succeed. The first area I would go after is Indiana’s run game. In all four of its close matchups, Indiana ran for less than 4 yards per carry. You have to do that just to remain in the game. When Indiana is able to run the ball efficiently, it’s almost unstoppable on third down. Indiana had the No. 1 third-down offense in college football because it’s in short-yardage situations.

Second, Oregon has to find a way to score in the red zone, and I’m not talking about field goals. One of the things that goes unnoticed with Indiana is how elite its defense has been and how strong its red zone defense is. Indiana is No. 1 in the country in red zone touchdown percentage against at 26%. It’s a low number that we haven’t seen in several years. Oregon was 0-for-3 in scoring red zone touchdowns in the first matchup.

Indiana adds Josh Hoover and Nick Marsh from the transfer portal 👏

Lastly, Oregon has to play cleanly against this Indiana team. Indiana plays clean and doesn’t make mistakes. Indiana is ice-cold, no mistakes, to quote Ice Man from “Top Gun.” Maybe we should start calling Curt Cignetti Ice Man because Indiana is phenomenal at limiting penalties and turnovers. Indiana posted the third-fewest penalties per game this season and has only committed eight turnovers so far. Indiana’s turnover margin is plus-18, which is tied for first in the nation.

Those are three things Oregon needs to do just to be in the game late. Even then, that might not be enough because Indiana might be the most clutch team in college football. The Heisman Trophy winner, Fernando Mendoza, was clutch in all four of Indiana’s tight wins this year.

This Oregon team is no slouch, though. What Dan Lanning has built at Oregon can’t be overstated. Oregon is 38-4 in the last three years, losing to Washington twice (played for national championship in 2023), Ohio State (won national championship in 2024) and Indiana earlier this year. This is a great program that’s deep and strong at almost every position. It just happens to be going against a team that’s suffocatingly good.

Indiana dominates Alabama, Are they the new powerhouse of college football?

When Oregon’s offense gets its chances, quarterback Dante Moore has got to capitalize. Oregon can’t have mistakes and miscues. Lanning is going to have to manage a really great game because if you miss a chance against Indiana, there’s a good chance the Hoosiers are going to win the game.

If there’s one team that can do it, though, it would be Oregon. If you take away sacks, Oregon ran the ball for 4.8 yards per carry in its first matchup against Indiana. That’s the best way to protect Moore. We saw Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin and Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson struggle against Indiana when their respective teams didn’t run the ball efficiently and early in down sets.

I can talk all day about this game, but I’ve got to make a pick. I’ve got Indiana winning and covering, although this will be a phenomenal game.

Pick: Indiana 27, Oregon 21 (Indiana -4.5)

Joel Klatt is FOX Sports’ lead college football game analyst and the host of the podcast “The Joel Klatt Show.” Follow him @joelklatt and subscribe to “The Joel Klatt Show” on YouTube.

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