When Ryan Greco from the Oregon Department of Forestry hopped out of his truck on a soggy March morning, his eyes lit up as he grinned. “Here we are,” he said, pointing down a hill to a small property perched on the Millicoma River. “Soon kids from around the Oregon coast can come here to learn about salmon habitat and the great outdoors.” A collaborative project between the Oregon Department of Forestry and the Boy Scouts of America will give Oregon children and teens new opportunities to learn about and explore coastal forests in a camp-like setting. The collaboration is the result of a twenty year special-use permit issued by ODF to the Boy Scouts of America. As partners, the Boy Scout organization will serve as stewards and tenants of the property. The no-fee arrangement provides access to a three-acre forested parcel near the Millicoma Interpretive Center fish hatchery, northeast of Coos Bay. As part of the permit process, Boy Scout leaders submitted a business plan for restoring the property and improving buildings that have fallen into disrepair. “This partnership provides an opportunity to create a dedicated place for Oregon kids to learn, explore and recreate,” said Greco, the ODF assistant district forester for the Coos District who oversees the property. “This is just one more example of the many benefits that balanced state forest management and collaboration provide.” The property historically served as a Girl Scout camp off-and-on for thirty years, starting in the 1950s. After the Girl Scouts’ tenure, buildings and structures gradually became dilapidated, and problems with illegal camping and crime became regular issues on the property. “We’re proud and excited to partner with ODF. This work allows us to share a special place with our scouts and future generations, and serve as stewards through outdoor education and experiences,” said Jay Schaefer, a senior district executive for the Boy Scouts of America in southwest Oregon. “Our scouts will benefit from being part of a working forest and learning more about the environment.” ODF and Boy Scout staff hosted an open house in July to meet nearby neighbors and talk about the future of the property. Public access to the Millicoma River will remain open. “Ensuring that young Oregonians experience forests through places like this is an incredible opportunity,” said Greco. “I’m excited to see this property become a home for community, and I’m proud that we can partner with a committed organization to continue this work.” Nearly 8,000 acres of state forestland—-or public lands owned by the state Oregon Department of Forestry—-near Coos Bay are managed for economic, environmental and social benefits under Oregon law, and statutorily-mandated by the greatest permanent value rule requiring that balanced forest management provide this range of benefits for Oregon.
