ODF Proposes State Forest Implementation Plan Continuations, March 25

ODF release – The Oregon Department of Forestry is opening a 21-day comment period starting Wednesday, March 24 on proposed two-year continuations on implementation plans for five state forest districts. The continuations would maintain current forest management strategies and timber harvest targets through June 30, 2023 while the agency continues to pursue a Habitat Conservation Plan on western Oregon state forestlands. The comment period begins March 24 and ends April 14. The proposed implementation plan continuations would be for the Astoria, Forest Grove, Tillamook, Southwest Oregon, and West Oregon state forest districts. This includes the Tillamook and Clatsop state forests as well as scattered state forestlands in Lincoln, Polk and Benton counties (West Oregon District) and Curry, Douglas, Jackson and Josephine counties (Southwest Oregon District). ODF will also be hosting a virtual public hearing on the proposed continuations at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, April 1. This will be held on the Zoom platform. The implementation plans are available on ODF’s website. Comments can be submitted online by using this form, by emailing ODF.SFComments@oregon.gov, or by mailing comments to ODF Public Affairs, 2600 State St., Salem OR 97310. State forests by law must provide economic, environmental and social benefits to Oregonians, and are managed under long-range forest management plans, mid-range implementation plans, and annual operations plans. Implementation plans describe forest management activities such as timber harvest, road construction and maintenance, reforestation and young stand management, recreation, aquatic habitat restoration, and protection strategies for species of concern. These plans are rooted in the Northwest Oregon Forest Management Plan and the Southwest Oregon Forest Management Plan. At the direction of the Board of Forestry, ODF continues to pursue a Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) for these lands and entered the required federal National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process in March 2021. This marks the beginning of the process NOAA Fisheries and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service use to issue an Incidental Take Permit, and is expected to take two years. During this process, ODF is focusing resources on developing a companion forest management plan and accompanying implementation plans required to implement the HCP. Continuing the current implementation plans would allow the agency to focus limited resources on completing the HCP and policy development processes. Continuation of current implementation plans would maintain current harvest levels, protections for threatened and endangered species, soil and water conservation practices, and activities to maintain and improve recreational opportunities.