Western Oregon - Cascadia Wildlands

Press Release: Cascadia Wildlands Statement on Board of Forestry Decision to Advance a Habitat Conservation Plan for Western Oregon State Forests

kaley — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 22:25:00 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 8, 2024

Contact:
Grace Brahler, Cascadia Wildlands, 541-393-8178, grace@cascwild.org

The Oregon Board of Forestry made a historic decision to move forward with a Habitat Conservation Plan for 640,000 acres of western Oregon state forests at its March 7th meeting in Salem. Voting 4-3 in favor of directing Oregon Department of Forestry to move forward with the draft Habitat Conservation Plan, the agency will now finalize the plan to establish a network of habitat and riparian conservation areas across roughly 300,000 acres of state forests and await federal approval. The department will also continue developing a new Forest Management Plan to guide implementation of the Habitat Conservation Plan.

Cascadia Wildlands, a Eugene-based non-profit conservation organization that works to defend and restore Cascadia’s wild ecosystems, has expressed consistent support for securing a strong Habitat Conservation Plan for western Oregon’s state forests for years.

“In the midst of worsening climate change and biodiversity loss crises, we are pleased to see the Department of Forestry renew its commitment to species conservation and clean water protection,” said Grace Brahler, Wildlands Director with Cascadia Wildlands. “We thank the Board for moving forward with a strong Habitat Conservation Plan for western Oregon’s state forests that will ensure Oregonians can enjoy these cherished public lands for generations to come.”

The vote follows a recommendation from Oregon State Forester Cal Mukumoto to proceed with the Habitat Conservation Plan without further delay. State Forester Mukumoto made this recommendation following years of public testimony and a recent series of listening sessions where community members from across Oregon spoke in support of strong conservation measures to protect clean water, fish and wildlife habitat and recreation on state-managed public forests.

Cascadia Wildlands will continue to seek alternative and stable funding sources for rural counties where logging revenue may be affected by the Habitat Conservation Plan.

Representing 12,000 members and supporters across the country, Cascadia Wildlands envisions vast old-growth forests, a stable climate, rivers full of wild salmon, wolves howling in the backcountry and vibrant, diverse communities sustained by the unique landscapes of the Cascadia bioregion.

*A high-resolution photo is available for download here for press use. Community members stand up for a strong conservation plan for state forests (photo by Robert Sherle).

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The post Press Release: Cascadia Wildlands Statement on Board of Forestry Decision to Advance a Habitat Conservation Plan for Western Oregon State Forests first appeared on Cascadia Wildlands.

Who Wants to Bet the Farm on This Tired Old Horse?

bob — Thu, 15 Aug 2013 19:35:45 +0000

By Bob Ferris

As a wildlife biologist who has spent most of his professional career working with critters, I have to admit that I am fairly new to forestry issues. Moreover, the O&C issue is a particularly gnarly one.

But I can read graphs and have spent a long time interpreting and analyzing data. So when I look at the above graph two questions pop into my mind that I feel all of us should be posing to the legislators intent on ramping up timber sales and once again sacrificing long-term biological sustainability:

1) Does this look like the economic EKG of an industry capable of turning the state’s economy around?

2) Did we learn nothing from the last time we felt this industry was the future of Oregon?

I am sure that the excuses are about to bubble out of the ground like the recently erupting geyser in Yellowstone, but just stop. What about entertaining solutions that are and will be part of our future rather than those that require us to put so much of what we hold dear at risk, like our clean water, recreational opportunities and fish and wildlife habitat? How about we look at sectors that are growing, healthy and would materially benefit from educated youth and quality of life for these needed revenues?

Oregon's economy grew by 3.9% (measured by GDP) last year and it obviously did so without the help of the timber industry. Let's look at growing sectors like manufacturing, leisure and hospitality, and construction as sources for a solution rather than this tired old horse.

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The post Who Wants to Bet the Farm on This Tired Old Horse? first appeared on Cascadia Wildlands.

The Fate of Western Oregon’s O&C Forest Lands–Please Join Us

bob — Thu, 15 Aug 2013 17:21:59 +0000

Please join Cascadia Wildlands, Oregon Wild, Forest Web of Cottage Grove, Eugene Weekly and other concerned community members for a presentation about the future of western Oregon’s public forestlands, also known as the O&C lands. These forest provide 1.8 million Oregonians with clean drinking water, offer habitat for imperiled fish and wildlife, and store incomparable amounts of carbon, yet politicians are looking to ramp up the cut on the these “backyard” forests in order to fund county services. Come learn about what is at risk, alternative solutions and what you can do.

When: Monday August 26, 2013, 6-8PM
Where: Eugene Public Library

Speakers:

Josh Laughlin, Campaign Director at Cascadia Wildlands

Chandra LeGue,Western Oregon Field Coordinator at Oregon Wild

Shawn Donnille, Vice President of Mountain Rose Herbs

Ernie Niemi, Senior Economist at ECONorthwest

Moderator:

Camilla Mortensen Eugene Weekly

Event Sponsors:

Cascadia Wildlands

Mountain Rose Herbs

Oregon Wild

Forest Web of Cottage Grove

Eugene Weekly

The post The Fate of Western Oregon’s O&C Forest Lands–Please Join Us first appeared on Cascadia Wildlands.