December 3, 2020 3:40 a.m.

Staff with Oregon State University will present an Elliott State Research Forest proposal to the State Land Board next Tuesday.

A release from the Oregon Department of State Lands said in 2018 the State Land Board asked the department and OSU to explore transforming the forest into a publicly owned research forest. The research forest proposal was drafted over the next two years, with input from advisory committees, tribes, state and local governments, stakeholders and the public.

The release said a successful proposal will be consistent with the Land Board’s vision for the forest, which includes keeping the forest publicly owned with public access, decoupling the forest from the Common School Fund and compensating the fund for the forest, continuing habitat conservation planning to protect species and allow for harvest, and providing for multiple forest benefits, increasing recreation, education and working forest research.

The State Land Board video meeting will begin at 10:00 a.m. and will be livestreamed: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQA7FHTWwl-gjJkQeYPJ1IA.

The meeting agenda and materials, including the final research forest proposal and a summary of comments received are at: https://www.oregon.gov/dsl/Board/Pages/SLBmeetings.aspx

The release said the public may submit written testimony or sign up to provide spoken testimony during the meeting. The deadline to sign up is next Monday at 10:00 a.m. Testimony information is also available: https://www.oregon.gov/dsl/Board/Pages/SLBmeetings.aspx

The Elliot State Forest is in Douglas and Coos counties.