Draft Habitat Conservation Plan for Western Oregon’s State Forests, Sept. 25

ODF release – SALEM, Ore. – The Oregon Department of Forestry has developed a draft Habitat Conservation Plan for western Oregon’s state forests, proposing enhanced conservation for threatened and endangered fish and wildlife with increased certainty that counties and rural communities will receive revenues for decades to come. Covering approximately 639,000 acres of state forestlands west of the Cascades, the draft Habitat Conservation Plan would offer enhanced protections for threatened and endangered fish and wildlife, while ensuring predictable timber revenues to help fund public services in rural communities. An independent analysis found that under the draft HCP, ODF can achieve more certainty in environmental protections as well as timber harvest volume compared to ODF’s current approach to complying with the Endangered Species Act. If an HCP were approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA Fisheries, ODF would be assured ESA compliance over a 70-year permit term. The draft plan can be viewed by visiting https://www.oregon.gov/odf/aboutodf/Pages/HCP-initiative.aspx. On October 6, the Board of Forestry is set to vote on whether to advance the project into the National Environmental Policy Act process. Written comment can be submitted to boardofforestry@oregon.gov, while information on providing verbal comment will be posted on the Board of Forestry page at https://www.oregon.gov/odf/board/Pages/bofmeetings.aspx. Lands owned by the Board of Forestry must, by law, provide economic, environmental and social benefits to Oregonians under a concept called Greatest Permanent Value – and to achieve this ODF must comply with the federal Endangered Species Act. At the same time, ODF’s State Forests Division is funded almost entirely on timber sale revenue, and Forest Trust Land counties rely on timber revenue to help fund local services. As more species become listed as threatened or endangered, this is projected to result in reduced harvest opportunities over time. Additionally, ESA compliance on ODF lands currently costs several million dollars each year, with expenses likely to grow with more listings. The draft HCP takes a holistic approach to protecting and increasing habitat for threatened and endangered species, while assuring a more predictable rate of timber harvest over a 70-year HCP permit term and reducing costs compared to the current site-by-site approach to ESA compliance. As part of ODF’s commitment to public and stakeholder involvement, ODF hosted six meetings open to the public throughout development of the draft HCP as well as dozens of individual and focus group meetings. Recognizing the unique relationship between ODF and Forest Trust Land counties, ODF has provided updates and solicited input from county representatives at every opportunity provided.  The plan was developed under a Steering Committee and Scoping Team with input from their technical experts that included representatives from the following federal and state agencies U.S. Fish & Wildlife and NOAA Fisheries, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Department of State Lands, Department of Environmental Quality, and Oregon State University.