ORS 477.317

(1) Any group of owners of rangeland that is within a rangeland protection system established under ORS 477.320, and that lies wholly outside any forest protection district, may organize a rangeland protection association for the purpose of protecting the rangeland from fire. The forester may enter into cooperative agreements or contracts with a rangeland protection association under the provisions of ORS 477.320 for the purpose of providing the assistance specified in subsection (2) of this section.

(2) The forester may assist a rangeland protection association with organizing the association, training association members and acquiring firefighting equipment for the association. The forester may also assist a rangeland protection association with payment for liability insurance and other administrative expenses of the association, which may not exceed 50 percent of the total of budgeted operating costs and the cash equivalent of in-kind supplies and services of the association in any fiscal year. The costs of assistance specified in this subsection may not be paid from funds assessed from forestland owners under ORS 477.230.