October 31, 2021 3:30 p.m.
On Saturday, Governor Kate Brown announced a new timber agreement that she called historic.
A release said nearly ten months of negotiations between private forestry representatives, small forestland owners, conservation leaders, and fishing organizations has resulted in a historic proposal for new protections for sensitive species on over 10 million acres of forestland in Oregon.
Governor Brown said the proposal seeks to meet the federal standards for a statewide Habitat Conservation Plan. The changes to the Forest Practices Act agreed by the parties will be brought before the legislature.
Governor Brown said, “Today’s historic agreement is the perfect example of the Oregon Way – coming together at the table to find common ground, to the mutual benefit of us all”.
The release said the parties agreed on a framework for:
*Riparian buffers for streams, rivers, and bodies of water;
*Steep slopes protection to minimize erosion and protect habitat;
*An approach moving forward to improve forest roads; and
*A path forward to make adjustments and adaptation to forest practices in the future
In January of this year, the parties began a series of meetings in which they discussed proposed changes to forest practices, pursuing a statewide Habitat Conservation Plan from federal agencies for threatened and endangered species, which would provide more regulatory certainty for landowners and long-term conservation benefits to designated wildlife species. The parties worked intensively throughout the year towards formalizing an agreement to bring before the legislature.
Conservation and fishing side representatives included groups the Wild Salmon Center, Oregon Wild, Trout Unlimited and others. Also joining in the agreement are Cascadia Wildlands, the Oregon League of Conservation Voters, Rogue Riverkeeper and Umpqua Watersheds.
Timber sector representatives included Seneca Sawmill, Roseburg Forest Products, Oregon Small Woodlands Association, Lone Rock Resources and others.
The state will bring forward the proposal for consideration by NOAA Fisheries and the US Fish and Wildlife Service as a Habitat Conservation Plan.