ODFW release – SALEM, Ore. – The Private Forest Accord Mitigation Advisory Committee will hold its first meeting in person on Feb. 1, 2023, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., at ODFW headquarters in Salem. For a full agenda and virtual login information about the meeting, please visit: www.dfw.state.or.us/habitat/PFA/ The public is welcome to attend in person or virtually. The Committee will meet for the first time to kick-off the Private Forest Accord Grant Fund. This meeting involves electing committee officers, discussing committee operating procedures, mission and goals, and a proposed timeline for 2023. The committee will also undergo ethics and governance training. The Private Forest Accord Mitigation Fund was established in the 2022 Legislative Session (Senate Bills 1501 and 1502; House Bill 4055) as an outcome of the landmark agreement between timber and conservation groups to recommend changes to the Forest Practices Act. The Private Forest Accord allows for forest practices to proceed with increased protections for natural resources, including the development of a habitat conservation plan (HCP) for aquatic species. The Private Forest Accord Mitigation Fund’s purpose is to fund projects that help aquatic species and habitats covered by the HCP and is to be administered by ODFW. Learn more about this important effort at the Oregon Department of Forestry’s webpage.
