April 23, 2025 3:20 a.m.
The Bureau of Land Management has distributed more than $27.7 million in timber revenue payments to 18 western Oregon counties.
Douglas County is receiving just over $6.9 million dollars.
A BLM Release said the payments are supported by the timber harvested from public lands and support local services, including emergency response and education.
BLM Oregon/Washington State Director Barry Bushue said, “The BLM is working to protect our national and economic security, as directed in President Trumps order, by immediately expanding American timber production”. Bushue said, “We manage more than 2.4 million acres of some of the world’s most productive forests in western Oregon, and are committed to supplying a reliable, secure, and resilient domestic supply of timber, while providing jobs and other support to local communities through timber production”.
The release said the BLM manages this area, referred to as O&C and CBWR lands, as well as the funds generated from timber harvests in accordance with two laws: The Oregon and California Railroad and Coos Bay Wagon Road Grant Lands Grant Act of 1937 directs revenue from O&C Lands and is shared between the U.S. Treasury and 18 western Oregon counties. The Coos Bay Wagon Road Act of 1939 directs revenue from CBWR Lands to be paid in-lieu of tax payments to Douglas and Coos counties.
The funding provides local communities with the means to construct new county buildings, develop fairgrounds and museums, support libraries, schools, jails and build flood-control dams and reservoirs.
The release said BLM forestry and timber production supports economic security, reduces risks from wildfire, improves fish and wildlife habitat and decreases the cost of energy production. Local communities rely on jobs that come from BLM-managed forests and timber from public land feeds local industry.
County Commissioner Tim Freeman said no matter where the timber is cut in any of the O&C counties, 50 percent of the receipts go into the O&C account. Douglas County gets 25 percent of each year’s portion of receipts that go to counties.