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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#1F497D'>OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY – NEWS RELEASE<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;text-autospace:none'><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'>Emergency Fire Cost Committee to meet March 6 in Salem<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'>For immediate release Major media distribution<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'>February 23<b><span style='color:#0033CC'>,</span></b> 2012 Contact:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><i> </i> Rod Nichols, 503-945-7425, <a href="mailto:rnichols@odf.state.or.us">rnichols@odf.state.or.us</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='color:black'>The Emergency Fire Cost Committee (EFCC) will take up various business matters related to the Oregon Forest Land Protection Fund when it meets on March 6 in Salem. The Board of Forestry-appointed panel manages the fund, which pays firefighting costs for large wildfires that occur on lands protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='color:black'>The committee will receive a report on the financial status of the fund, and also review terms of an insurance policy for the 2012 wildfire season. Oregon annually purchases catastrophic loss coverage to safeguard the state’s general fund in the event of a severe season.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=Default><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Also on the EFCC’s agenda is a discussion of proposed changes to Oregon’s wildfire protection funding system recommended by an advisory group to the department. The Fire Protection Funding Committee recently concluded deliberations on ways to reduce the frequency of large, damaging fires and better fund wildfire protection.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=Default><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=Default><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>The meeting will be held in the Santiam Room – Building D, at Oregon Department of Forestry headquarters, 2600 State St. The meeting will begin at 10 a.m. It is open to the public, and public comment will be received.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=Default><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=Default><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>State statute requires that the EFCC consist of forest landowners or representatives of forest landowners from each of the three forest regions of the state. In addition, a fourth member represents the interests of small woodland owners. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=Default><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=Default align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>###<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></body></html>