092011 WoodcuttingPermit FeeIncrease

							               Firewood cutting permit: Why the fee increase?
Oregon Department of Forestry’s (ODF) State Forests Division provides firewood from the by-
products of forest harvesting activities as a benefit to local community members. For more than
two decades, the fee for firewood has been $10 for two cords. During that time, the costs of
providing firewood (sorting it on the landing, issuing and administering permits, and providing
limited law enforcement) have risen to well in excess of $10. To offset some expenses, ODF is
increasing the fee to $20 for 2 cords.

The ODF field districts gathered public response to the proposed fee increase which was
announced in the draft 2012 Annual Operations Plans. In addition, a survey questionnaire from
one district, received comments from 45 permit customers. While most respondents did not
support a fee increase, there was a general sense that an increase was justified.

What are the criteria for setting the permit fee?
Oregon Administrative Rule 629-028 establishes criteria to follow when determining the permit
fee. The decision to charge a fee and the level of that fee are based on these criteria from the
rule:
        Level of demand in the local area
        The amount of fuel wood available
        Costs incurred in making fuel wood available
        Workload impacts to administrative staff
        Other significant impacts to general management activities

Why is ODF raising the permit fee?
These are the key reasons for raising the fee:
        The State Forests Division is making an adjustment to better align with current costs
           and workload impacts of the firewood program.
        The $20 fee is still below the full administrative costs of the firewood program.
        Charging $20 would bring ODF into alignment with the rate set by other public land
           management agencies. It is generally lower than the fees charged for firewood on
           private lands.

In summary, moving to a higher fee, but one that is still well below total costs, balances ODF’s
desire to provide low-cost personal firewood to the public with the need to offset some of the
administrative expenses.

Will ODF make a profit from this higher fee?
No, the costs to the program noted above are well in excess of $20 for two cords. The $20 fee
offsets some, but not all, of these costs.

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