Each fiscal year, the director of natural resources or the director's designee shall designate not more than two hundred thousand dollars in the state forest fund created in section 1503.05 of the Revised Code for wildfire suppression payments. The amount designated shall consist only of money credited to the fund from the sale of standing timber taken from state forest lands as set forth in that section.

The director or the director's designee may use money designated for wildfire suppression payments to reimburse firefighting agencies and private fire companies for their costs incurred in the suppression of wildfires in counties within fire protection areas established under section 1503.08 of the Revised Code where there is a state forest or national forest, or portion thereof. The director or the director's designee may provide such reimbursement in additional counties. The director or the director's designee shall provide such reimbursement pursuant to agreements and contracts entered into under section 1503.14 of the Revised Code and in accordance with the following schedule:

(A) For wildfire suppression on private land, an initial seventy-dollar payment to the firefighting agency or private fire company;

(B) For wildfire suppression on land under the administration or care of the department of natural resources or on land that is part of any national forest administered by the United States department of agriculture forest service, an initial one-hundred-dollar payment to the firefighting agency or private fire company;

(C) For any wildfire suppression on land specified in division (A) or (B) of this section lasting more than two hours, an additional payment of thirty-five dollars per hour.

As used in this section, "firefighting agency" and "private fire company" have the same meanings as in section 9.60 of the Revised Code.

Amended by 132nd General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 49, §101.01, eff. 9/29/2017.

Amended by 131st General Assembly File No. TBD, SB 293, §1, eff. 9/14/2016.

Amended by 129th General AssemblyFile No.28, HB 153, §101.01, eff. 9/29/2011.

Effective Date: 06-30-1997 .