Oregon’s Forestry Board has approved a controversial plan to increase logging on more than 630,000 acres of state forests.
The reason? More timber revenues for counties, schools and other local governments. But environmental groups say wildlife will be hurt.
The areas most impacted by change are the Tillamook and Clastop State Forests in Northwest Oregon. They make up more than 80% of those 630,000 acres.
Under the plan, the Board expects about 196 million board feet to be harvested every year – an increase of 7 percent. Less land will be preserved as “older forests”. Instead of trying to protect 40-60% of state forests, the new goal is 30-50%.
The Oregon Sierra Club says this also means more clear cutting. It says that under the old rules, no more than 15% of a forest can be a recent clear cut. Now that’s increasing to 25%, or another 50,000 acres.
In a press release the group says, “Among the chief concerns from conservation groups are the increased levels of clear cutting, the lack of an independent scientific review of the changes, and the lack of any permanent protected areas for salmon, older forests, and clean water.”
Local officials in Northwest Oregon have complained for years that they’re not getting enough timber revenue from the forests. The last forest management plan was approved back in 2001 and according to the Forestry Board the “economic returns” have never lived up to expectations.
The Board of Forestry is imbalanced with racketeering crooks with finacial conflicts of interests that run their votes. It’s like Hampton Industries controls the board and Department of Forestry while the people of Oregon and state and federal wildlife laws
are ignored. This has to change. They violate ethics laws all the time. They must be sued for never recusing themselves from votes that could profit their families or business associates.
The Board of Forestry is definitely tilted toward the timber industry, no question about that.
And the 7% increase number is a bit misleading. The Board recently found that for years they were cutting way more than was sustainable under the 2001 plan — but instead of bringing the cut down to follow the plan, they are changing the plan to raise the cut even further.
This is like someone who is grossly overspending saying they will “only” increase spending by another 7%. Of course, if these public lands were treated like an industrial tree farm, they could cut even more. And given the Board composition, I won’t be surprised if that is where things are headed.
People interested in more conservation on state forests might want to check out the Fans of State Forest Conservation on Facebook that the Tualatin Riverkeepers have started. A range of groups is starting to organize around a common statement that calls for more a more balanced and conservation-minded approach to these lands.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Im-a-Fan-of-Oregon-State-Forest-Conservation/107537452614631