Oregon to Release Draft of New Wildfire Hazard Map

The draft has been released, and now Oregonians can look at it, comment, and add input. This image captures part of the map from the website.

New map of most hazardous wildfire areas

 The map is a collaboration of Oregon State University, the University of Oregon, and the Oregon Department of Forestry. This is round two, a previous attempt two years ago was met with a huge wave of criticism.

The previous map was panned by many landowners, who believed if their land was included in high fire danger areas, their insurance rates would skyrocket.

Now, a second map has been revealed. Authorities say it's an attempt to create the most accurate picture of fire dangers on an annual basis in Oregon. That data then can be used to help create and implement fire prevention and other safety programs.

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Citizens and other interested parties have until August 18th to look over and submit comments and input about the new map.

According to Oregon State University:

"The statewide wildfire hazard map identifies levels of wildfire hazard to help improve the safety and well-being of communities across the state. The map will allow individuals, state agencies, Tribes and organizations to make informed choices to reduce the impacts of wildfire and also improve future wildfire response efforts. 

The statewide wildfire hazard map will be publicly available on Oregon Explorer, which serves as a place for Oregonians to access mapping tools and resources relevant to natural resources decision making in the state."