The Deschutes County Board of Commissioners (BOCC) is celebrating several legislative victories for Central Oregon following an end-of-session report on the 2025 Oregon Legislature presented during its meeting on Monday, Aug. 4.
According to a news release: Throughout the 158-day legislative session, commissioners and county staff actively engaged with state legislators, offering support for bills benefiting Deschutes County and the Central Oregon region. The Board’s legislative priorities included a path forward for wildfire funding, building a mental health facility for youth, securing funding for juniper remediation projects, continuing the development of a CORE3 emergency operations center, and advocating for a transportation funding package.
One of the top successes celebrated by the Board is the legislature’s approval of $3.1 million to establish a mental health facility for youth in Central Oregon. Currently, there are no psychiatric beds available for young people in the region. In addition to the funding approved by state lawmakers, the Oregon Health Authority will provide matching funds, and the Central Oregon Health Council will contribute a $750,000 grant to have the facility built by the fall of 2026.
“When we met with Rep. Emerson Levy and Sen. Anthony Broadman last year to discuss the need for a youth-centered mental health facility, they became dedicated supporters of the initiative,” said Commissioner Phil Chang. “Through this facility, healthcare providers and families will be able to meet both acute and respite care needs for young people across Eastern Oregon.”
Juniper removal and water restoration initiatives received a boost with the allocation of $5.2 million in funding, focusing on areas of more than 100 acres (HB 3135). Juniper removal activities help preserve water and reduce wildfire risk. The funds will be distributed in varying amounts to seven counties in Eastern and Southern Oregon, including Crook, Deschutes, Harney, Jefferson, Klamath, Lake, and Wheeler.
“I want to give special thanks to Rep. Vikki Breese Iverson and Rep. Emerson Levy for pushing this bill forward,” said Commissioner Patti Adair. “This legislation plays a critical role in reducing the wildfire risks for thousands of high-risk properties in Deschutes County and significantly enhances our community’s safety and resilience.”
Another highlight from the 2025 legislative session is the $10 million allocated for the CORE3 project, an emergency response and training facility to be used by local, state and federal public safety and emergency management personnel.
“The CORE3 facilities are designated for first responder training and for providing a multi-agency emergency operations center in support of large-scale emergencies,” said Commissioner Chair Tony DeBone. “We greatly appreciate legislators including this essential facility in the Capital Construction funding, which will allow us to move the project forward.”
One of the major issues of the legislative session was wildfire funding. While lawmakers did not pass a single comprehensive funding package, the BOCC acknowledges the measures passed by state lawmakers that aim to reduce the risk and cover the cost of wildfires in Central Oregon and across the state. During the final week of the legislative session, lawmakers established a tax on oral nicotine products, with an estimated biennial revenue of $60 million going toward wildfire mitigation. Legislators also voted to repeal the controversial wildfire hazard map, which classified more than 21,000 properties within Deschutes County’s wildland-urban interface as high hazard (SB 83).
While state legislators failed to pass a transportation funding package before the session ended, the BOCC is awaiting the outcome of the upcoming special session, starting Friday, Aug. 29. The hope is that legislators will find ways to adequately fund critical operations and maintenance programs, as well as public safety improvements along key targeted areas like U.S. Highway 97.
These legislative achievements, along with others, reflect the Board of County Commissioners’ commitment to advancing the health, safety, and infrastructure of Deschutes County, while ensuring our growing community is resilient and continues to thrive for years to come.
