Oregon Releases Forestry Strategic Plan

Oregon has become the first state in the nation to adopt internationally recognized criteria for evaluating and measuring forest benefits at the state level.

Contact: Susan Shipman
Environment, Energy & Natural Resources Division

http://www.nga.org/center/frontAndCenter/1,1188,C_FRONT_CENTER%5ED_6461,00.html

In January, the Oregon Board of Forestry released its 8-year strategic plan, Forestry Program for Oregon. The plan is designed to ensure Oregon’s forests provide a sustainable mix of social, economic and environmental benefits to current and future Oregonians. Sustainable forest management will provide:

* Healthy and diverse forest ecosystems that produce abundant timber and other forest products

* Habitat to support healthy populations of native plants and animals

* Productive soil, clean water, clean air, open space, and recreational opportunities

* Healthy communities that contribute to a healthy state economy

The plan emphasizes the importance of forests to the working landscape of Oregon and lays out the different roles of forest land including: wood production forests, multi-resource forests, residential value forests, and reserved forests. The plan addresses the legal framework for sustainable management, social and economic benefits, forest productivity, soil and water quality, native plants and animals, forest and watershed health, and carbon storage. Action items in the plan include:

* Managing fuels and vegetation actively, including wildfire suppression;

* Seeking congressionally approved experiments for local communities to demonstrate stewardship of federal forestlands;

* Promoting renewed, long-term watershed research to study the effectiveness of best management practices;

* Coordinating with state and federal agencies, tribes, universities, conservation groups, and private landowners to promote science-based evaluations of native plants and animal populations; and

* Recognizing local and global environmental and economic values of Oregon’s forests.

Related Links:

* Oregon Dept. of Forestry Press Release http://www.odf.state.or.us/DIVISIONS/resource_policy/public_affairs/News_Releases/NR02206.htm

* Forestry Program for Oregon http://www.oregonforestry.org/reports/2003fpfo.pdf