Counties

Harney County

Courts and public offices

Appeals go to the Oregon Court of Appeals in Salem. Federal cases from the county are filed in the United States District Court for the District of Oregon and heard in the Pendleton Division.

• Harney County Circuit CourtHarney County Courthouse, 450 N Buena Vista Avenue, Burns, OR 97720 · 541-573-5207 · courts.oregon.gov. 8 to 5, Monday to Friday, excluding holidays. Grant and Harney counties share one elected circuit judge as the 24th Judicial District.
• Burns Paiute Tribe, Tribal Agency and Court (cases arising on the Burns Paiute Reservation)100 Pasigo Street, Burns, OR 97720 · 541-573-6028 · burnspaiute-nsn.gov
• County Clerk and Recorder (recording, elections, passports, Board of Property Tax Appeals)450 N Buena Vista #14, Burns, OR 97720 · 541-573-6641 · harneycountyor.gov · Recording and records research. Monday to Thursday 8:30 to 5, closed noon to 1; Friday 8:30 to noon
• County Assessor and Tax Collector (property records, tax maps, tax statements)450 N Buena Vista #13, Burns, OR 97720 · 541-573-8365 · harneycountyor.gov. Monday to Thursday 8 to 5, closed 12:15 to 1; Friday 8 to 12:30
• County Surveyor (survey records, corner records, road petitions)P.O. Box 12, Mt Vernon, OR 97865 · 541-573-6655 · harneycountyor.gov. Kenny Delano, Jr., the county surveyor, is in private practice and keeps his office in Mt Vernon (Grant County), as in most rural Oregon counties.
• Community Development Department (planning, zoning, partitions and subdivisions, land use applications, building permits, environmental health and onsite septic)111 W Washington Street, Burns, OR 97720 · 541-573-8195 · harneycountyor.gov
• Sheriff, civil division (service and enforcement of civil process, concealed handgun licenses)485 North Court Avenue, Burns, OR 97720 · 541-573-5961 · harneycountyor.gov
• County Court (Commissioners) (county governing body; probate jurisdiction under ORS 111.075)450 N Buena Vista #5, Burns, OR 97720 · 541-573-6356 · harneycountyor.gov. Harney is one of six Oregon counties where the county judge keeps judicial authority, here probate. The court is a county judge and two commissioners.
• Watermaster, Oregon Water Resources Department, District 10 (water rights regulation and distribution)450 N Buena Vista #3, Burns, OR 97720 · 541-573-2591 · harneycountyor.gov · OWRD regional offices and watermasters directory
• United States District Court, District of Oregon, Pendleton Division (federal cases from Harney County)John F. Kilkenny U.S. Post Office and Courthouse, 104 SW Dorion Avenue, Pendleton, OR 97801 · Clerk's office, Portland, 503-326-8000 · ord.uscourts.gov. The Pendleton courthouse is not staffed; filings go to the Portland clerk.

National forests and public land

• Malheur National ForestSupervisor's office in John Day.
• Emigrant Creek Ranger District, Malheur National Forest265 Highway 20 South, Hines, OR 97738 · 541-573-4300
• BLM Burns District Office28910 Highway 20 West, Hines, OR 97738 · 541-573-4400 · Covers the Three Rivers and Andrews/Steens resource areas, including the Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Area and the Alvord Desert.
• Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Area
• Steens Mountain Wilderness
• Malheur National Wildlife RefugeU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; established 1908; includes Malheur and Harney lakes.

History

Harney County was set off from Grant County in 1889, on land that was the homeland of the Wadatika Band of the Northern Paiute (Oregon Blue Book, Burns Paiute Tribe, Oregon Blue Book). Burns won the county seat from Harney City in a contested 1890 election (An Illustrated History of Baker, Grant, Malheur and Harney Counties). The Edward Hines Lumber Company completed its sawmill at Hines on January 27, 1930 (City of Hines, Hines Mill History).