SALEM — The fate of the landmark deal signed between a coalition of timber companies and environmental groups depends on lawmakers acting on legislation that would reform certain Oregon logging practices.

The deal brokered by Gov. Kate Brown and announced earlier this month outlines a process for the two warring sides to set aside prospective ballot initiatives and related litigation in favor of working together. One of the provisions in that agreement says the deal hinges on passage of legislation to reform practices around aerial spraying of pesticides.

That legislation — House Bill 4168 — was introduced Thursday, Feb. 20, by the House Rules Committee where lawmakers got their first glimpse of what timber interests, conservationists and policy staff from the Brown’s office have been working on.

The bill would require timber companies and small-woodland owners to notify nearby residents when they aerially spray pesticides following a harvest. It would spur the creation of new notification technology and establish an opt-in system for nearby residents to receive warnings in real-time when spraying takes place. It also adds a 300-foot, no-spray zone around schools and homes, as well as buffers for streams.

Lastly, the bill directs the state Board of Forestry to adopt rules regarding certain salmon species for the Rogue-Siskiyou region which were adopted for the rest of the state in 2017.

According to Miller, those responsible for aerial spraying of pesticides would be required to report to the Forest Activity Electronic Reporting and Notification System by 7 p.m. the day before. The system would then prompt an email to those who have registered with the program within one mile of the location where spraying is set to take place. They would have to report back on the completion of the spraying mission as well.

A company or landowner failing to provide the necessary notice could be punished with anything from a warning up to a $1,000 fine for repeated violations.

Anyone who deliberately interferes with a spraying operation could be fined up to $1,000 for the first incident and $5,000 fine for a second incident within a five-month period.

“This agreement proves that the future is brighter for Oregonians if we work together with a willingness to compromise,” Zejdlik said. “Healthy forests and a vibrant forest industry are not mutually exclusive, and Oregonians need both for prosperous and sustainable communities.”