our backyard forests on the chopping block
When it comes to the management of public forest lands in our state, most Oregonians think of the U.S. Forest Service. But the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is responsible for more than two million acres of public land in Western Oregon. These forests, located in the backyards of millions of western Oregonians, shelter important salmon streams, provide critical habitat for threatened wildlife, offer incredible recreation opportunities, and provide the scenic backdrop and drinking water for thousands of rural Oregonians.
Due to the unique history of these "O&C lands", counties with O&C lands received funding based on the amount of timber harvested there. This led to a perverse incentive to log more old-growth forests to pay for basic county services like schools, law enforcement and libraries.
After decades of over logging and the destruction of important wildlife habitat, unsustainable clearcutting came to an end and the Northwest Forest Plan was put in place. To bridge the gap in funding that counties were used to getting from logging, Congress passed the "Secure Rural Schools" Act in 2000 (more information on this history here).
Today, Western Oregon counties are facing a looming financial crisis due to the end of federal Secure Rural Schools legislation and the support it provided. Proposals in Congress to dramatically increase logging, including clearcutting, of public lands to fund county services are severely flawed, and would put clean water, salmon, and Oregon's tourism and recreation economy at risk.
It is vital a more reliable, long-term source of funding be found to provide for vital government services, without jeopardizing the clean water, fish and wildlife, and recreation found on these public lands.
Due to the unique history of these "O&C lands", counties with O&C lands received funding based on the amount of timber harvested there. This led to a perverse incentive to log more old-growth forests to pay for basic county services like schools, law enforcement and libraries.
After decades of over logging and the destruction of important wildlife habitat, unsustainable clearcutting came to an end and the Northwest Forest Plan was put in place. To bridge the gap in funding that counties were used to getting from logging, Congress passed the "Secure Rural Schools" Act in 2000 (more information on this history here).
Today, Western Oregon counties are facing a looming financial crisis due to the end of federal Secure Rural Schools legislation and the support it provided. Proposals in Congress to dramatically increase logging, including clearcutting, of public lands to fund county services are severely flawed, and would put clean water, salmon, and Oregon's tourism and recreation economy at risk.
It is vital a more reliable, long-term source of funding be found to provide for vital government services, without jeopardizing the clean water, fish and wildlife, and recreation found on these public lands.