H.R. 7603 — O&C Renewal Act of 2026

This section revises the declaration of purposes in the Oregon and California Railroad Revested Lands Act of August 28, 1937 (O&C Act), which governs approximately 2.1 million acres of Bureau of Land Management lands in western Oregon primarily for sustained-yield timber production with revenues shared with counties. The revision designates permanent timber production under sustained-yield principles to generate revenues for county government services as the primary purpose and lists secondary purposes as contributing to economic stability of local communities and industries, protecting watersheds, regulating water flow, providing recreational opportunities, and reducing catastrophic wildfire risk.

This section requires the Secretary of the Interior, with respect to Oregon and California Railroad (O&C) timberlands, to (1) meet or exceed the fire protection standards, capacity, and readiness applicable to adjacent lands under Oregon state jurisdiction; (2) enter into fire protection agreements with the State of Oregon and applicable forest protective associations to meet such standards; and (3) provide compensation for services under those agreements.

This section defines timberlands for purposes of the O&C Act (i.e., the Act of August 28, 1937, 43 U.S.C. 2601 et seq., governing sustained-yield management of revested Oregon and California Railroad grant lands) as lands bearing or capable of bearing a growth of timber not less than 300,000 feet board measure on each 40-acre subdivision.

This section directs the Secretary of the Interior, not later than two years after enactment, to issue a record of decision revising each resource management plan for lands managed under the Oregon and California Railroad Act (commonly known as the O&C Act) and designating timberlands in accordance with amendments made by this Act. (As background, the O&C Act governs approximately 2.1 million acres of Bureau of Land Management lands in western Oregon, which must be managed for permanent forest production, timber harvest, and sustained yield.)