Kyle Collins, senior planner for Deschutes County, told the board on Nov. 10 that Senate Bill 83 rescinded the statewide wildfire hazard map and the associated statewide regulations enacted in 2021 and created an option for local jurisdictions to adopt components of the previous program locally.

Collins said staff divided the possible local response into two pieces: adopting building-hardening standards for new residential development (the R3-327 standards in the Oregon State Building Code) and later considering defensible-space standards once model language from the Oregon State Fire Marshal is available. He told the board that if the county adopts the R3-327 standards they must be adopted wholesale rather than piecemeal: “If we adopt it at all, there’s no real picking and choosing of standards that are listed within that building code. It’s either take it or you don’t,” Collins said.

Commissioners discussed scope and cost. Collins said the most recent Oregon-specific estimate commissioned by the state building codes division showed an increase of 2–11% in construction cost for a new home depending on size and specifications; he and commissioners noted the estimate is a few years old and that many developers already choose materials consistent with the standard. Commissioner (speaker 6) called for public process on defensible-space standards because they would affect a much larger set of properties.

Chair (speaker 1) said his preference was to pursue the streamlined building-code route while also running the proposal through the planning commission for additional review and public comment. Staff described a likely schedule: work over the holidays and a planning commission hearing and public process in January, with a return to the board for deliberation and potential adoption in the first half of next year.

No formal action was taken at the meeting; staff were directed to draft language, schedule planning commission review and return with a public‑hearing report and recommendation.