A land-use group says Oregon policymakers are dawdling on creating policies that better plan for wildfires. 1000 Friends of Oregon outlined suggested policy changes in a report released Monday.
The group has long defended forests and farmlands from urban sprawl. In its report about wildfire planning, it says stricter development regulations can save homes, and even lives.
But instead of making policies for better wildfire planning, staff attorney Meriel Darzen says policymakers are waiting for the perfect data set.
“Sometimes there’s a logjam around trying to find exactly what the perfect solution is to everything,” Darzen said. “We think we need to get moving on this now rather than searching for the exact right answers.”