Since its inception in the 1930s, Oregon's forest land classification system has evolved in response to changes in land uses and markets, as well as social and political pressures and events. Discussions of where ODF should be providing wildfire protection and where it should not, and who should pay for this protection, have been going on for decades. These issues have come to the fore in recent decades as rapid expansion and development of Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) areas make ODF involvement in these areas increasingly complicated and costly.
ODF's expertise in wildfire "perimeter control", wildfire suppression, and access to additional resources used to control fast-moving wildland fires are effective and valuable in the WUI fire protection environment. As housing density and structural protection presence and capability increase in WUI areas, districts will need to periodically review longstanding fire protection arrangements with rural and municipal fire departments.