April 12, 2022 5:00 p.m. 

On Tuesday, Governor Kate Brown ceremonially signed Senate Bill 1546, the Elliot State Forest Bill, at the Department of State Lands.

A release said Brown was joined by fellow State Land Board members, Secretary of State Shemia Fagan and State Treasurer Tobias Read, along with legislative leaders and members of the Elliot State Research Forest Advisory Committee.

The legislation will implement the State Land Board’s vision to keep the Elliot State Forest in public ownership and preserve it for future generations for conservation, economic growth, recreation, education and forest research, according to the release from Governor Brown’s Office. Since 2017, the Department of State Lands has worked with Oregon State University, the Legislature, Tribal representatives, and a diverse group of Oregon stakeholders in what is being called, “a far-reaching collaboration to develop the plan to transform the Elliot into a state research forest”.

Brown said, “Together, we have found a way to sustain the Common School Fund and keep the Elliot State Forest public, all while protecting the Elliot’s diverse habitats, guaranteeing long-term public access to the lands and keeping a door open for economic opportunity for the South Coast”. Brown said the Elliot will have a lasting legacy as a research forest that will contribute to the development of knowledge around forestry and environmental stewardship.

The Elliot is located in Douglas and Coos counties.

A copy of the Governor’s prepared remarks from the bill signing are linked: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WbtLPwZSMqigfigYSTjdMMU-L4kF7l70/view