Bill > SB371

This bill directs the Oregon Department of State Lands to petition the U.S. Congress to transfer federal public lands to the state, specifically targeting counties where more than 50% of the land is federally owned and which have formally requested inclusion in the transfer plan. If lands are successfully transferred, the Department of State Lands would establish a perpetual trust management program for these lands, with an annual requirement to distribute profits and interests to the county where the lands are located, with the funds strictly limited to use for education, health, or economic development purposes for county residents. The bill includes a built-in sunset provision, with the entire transfer request mechanism set to be repealed on January 2, 2028, though any trust or program established during this period would remain in effect. The bill appears designed to give counties with high levels of federal land ownership more direct control and financial benefit from those lands, potentially addressing concerns about federal land management and local economic impacts.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2025R1/Measures/Overview/SB371