Elliott State Forest before State Land Board, Oct. 16

A report on stakeholder perspectives regarding the Elliott State Forest will be presented to the State Land Board on Oct. 16 as part of ongoing work to keep the forest publicly owned. Oregon Consensus conducted more than 45 interviews with tribes and stakeholders representing key interests associated with the Elliott State Forest to gather perspectives on decoupling the forest from the Common School Fund. Decoupling would release the forest from its revenue obligations to the school fund, and could include transfer of the forest to a different public owner. The Oregon Consensus report summarizes what was heard and includes discussion of key themes, issues, and considerations for successful decoupling.  The stakeholder interviews and resulting report are part of the overall effort toward decoupling. The Land Board in 2017 voted to keep the forest in public ownership and directed the Oregon Department of State Lands (DSL) to identify options for decoupling. DSL engaged Oregon Consensus, a program of the National Policy Consensus Center at Portland State University, as an objective party to independently interview stakeholders and provide a summary of its findings. During the meeting DSL will also ask the Board to consider approving new rules for easements on state-owned lands and the sale of .4 acres in Coos County. Additional items include updates on the DSL trust property program and a Request for Information on forest management services. The meeting will be held: Tuesday, October 16, 10 a.m. to noon. Department of State Lands, Land Board Room, 775 Summer St. NE, Salem.  Meeting agenda and materials, including the Oregon Consensus report: https://www.oregon.gov/dsl/Board/Pages/SLBmeetings.aspx To live stream the meeting, go to the State Lands YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQA7FHTWwl-gjJkQeYPJ1IA  This meeting will be held in a facility that is accessible for persons with disabilities.  If you need assistance to participate in the meeting due to a disability, please notify Arin Smith at (503) 986-5224 or arin.n.smith@state.or.us at least two working days prior to the meeting.