The proposed sale of timber parcels within the Elliott State Forest of Southwest Oregon by the State Land Board will be considered during a meeting in Salem this morning. The question involves a little over 2,700 acres; however, the sale could be tainted by the discovery last summer of nesting Marbled Murrelets. The sea bird is an endangered species, and some say the discovery of the tiny bird dropped the value of the timberland from $22.1 million to $3.6 million. The DSL uses revenue from state timberlands to help fund public education.
State Land Board to Consider Elliott State Forest
After hearing three informational reports – on appointments to the Oregon Ocean Science Trust; the annual report on management of Common School Forest Lands; and the annual land management report – the State Land Board will deliberate Dec. 10, on a request to approve selling five scattered parcels in the Elliott State Forest in Coos and Douglas counties. The parcels total 2,714 acres, about 3 percent of the total Elliott acreage overseen by the Land Board. Oregon’s constitution directs the board to manage its land holdings to generate money for public education. Revenue from “school lands” is deposited in the Common School Fund, whose earnings are distributed twice a year to Oregon’s 197 public school districts. Because of recent restricted timber harvests, in fiscal year 2013 the Elliott was a roughly $3 million expense to the fund. The board will be accepting public comment on the sales before their decision on the parcels. Comments will be limited to two minutes per person, and all persons wishing to comment must sign up before the public meeting begins, at approximately 10:30 a.m. The meeting will be held at the State Lands Building, 775 Summer St., NE in Salem, beginning at approximately 10:30 a.m., in a facility that is accessible for persons with disabilities. If you need assistance to participate in this meeting due to a disability, please notify Lorna Stafford at (503) 986-5224 (lorna.stafford@state.or.us) at least two working days prior to the meeting. Agenda: http://www.oregon.gov/dsl/SLB/Pages/2013-State-Land-Board-Meetings.aspx
