ASHLAND, Ore. — State Senator Jeff Golden, D-Ashland, wants to tax timber companies to acquire funding for wildfire prevention and response programs. Golden … said Oregon needs to make sure its communities have enough resources to protect its residents from wildfires. He said it’s much cheaper to prevent wildfires than it is to recover from them. …According to Golden, the proposal is similar to the timber severance tax that was eliminated decades ago. Golden said some parts of the timber industry help local economies but there are other parts of the industry that are solely focused on profit. …Golden said there are still some details to figure out but told NewsWatch 12 the tax would total a rough estimate of $75 million. …Ultimately, Golden wants his tax proposal to end up on the November 2024 ballot, so Oregonians can decide for themselves.