Senate Bill 1536 looks at multiple ways of protecting Oregon going into the wildfire season.
One component would educate homeowners to space out plants and clear lower limbs on trees in a 100-foot perimeter around a home.
"We actually don’t know the amount of homes that are currently out in the urban interface. We know it’s anywhere from about 500,000 to 800,000 homes that are out there. We don’t even know how many of those have done work around their homes," state Fire Marshal Jim Walker said.
Walker said, if passed, the state will use the general fund.
From there, his office would partner with nonprofits to find specialists that will visit homeowners in these neighborhoods.
"Our first and number one priority is not to go after and fine people; it’s to educate. We want to do the same thing with this program, to go out and educate these folks, not fine them into doing the right thing," Walker said.