March 8,2023 11:00 a.m. 

On Tuesday, the Oregon House Republican Caucus sent a letter to Governor Tina Kotek urging the immediate reconsideration of the Oregon Department of Forestry’s proposed Habitat Conservation Plan, or HCP.

A release from the HRC said in a February 15 meeting, the Board of Forestry rejected a proposal that would have taken the plan back to the drawing board to balance the economic needs of Oregon’s rural communities.

House Republican lawmakers stated that the current plan extends much further than was previously proposed by ODF, citing a 27 percent harvest reduction on state forestlands which would devastate individual communities.

The lawmakers said while they largely support the intent of the HCP, they are concerned about the valuable economic and societal resources in jeopardy. Their letter said, “Sharp reductions will result in a steady decline to state and county revenues, less available public services, fewer jobs, lower wages, and a hemorrhaging rural business industry”.

The HRC stated that given the long-lasting ramifications of the HCP on rural communities, ODF’s current proposal must be reconsidered.

Representative Cyrus Javadi of Tillamook has proposed legislation that would require ODF to consider other HCP plans and issue a detailed analysis of how ODF regulations impact local jobs.