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Coalition puts forth forest plan
From The Oregonian, Feb. 13, 2003, p C1 (Metro)
Coalition puts forth forest plan Business and conservancy groups promote new laws to balance logging and protection along the coast, but county officials resist By MICHAEL MILSTEIN, The Oregonian A coalition of more than 30 conservation groups, fishing guides and coastal businesses Wednesday unveiled a blueprint for state-owned forests in the Coast Range that would reserve half of the moss-draped rainscape for protection of fish, wildlife and water quality. The forest activists say they will begin by pursuing new state laws to more evenly balance logging with protection of the 500,000-acre Tillamook and Clatsop state forests and, if that doesn't work, a ballot initiative. The proposal by the Tillamook Rainforest Coalition would leave half of the forests under an Oregon Department of Forestry plan that uses logging to create a range of forest conditions, from large, dense trees to open clear-cuts. THe other half, much of it river corridors valuable to fish and wildlife, would be logged only when needed to thin overcrowded timber. An economic study commissioned by the coalition said forest protection could have a greater payoff for coastal counties than accelerated logging because it would diversify area economies, ensure clean drinking water and attract more recreation spending. But commissioners in rural counties that receive proceeds from state logging say the proposal betrays the goals of forests replanted by volunteers after the famed Tillamook fires decades ago. Counties turned the lands over to the state, with the expectation that consistent cutting would generate local dollars, they said. "People in Clatsop County understand trees are not just a product to be cut and sold," said Clatsop County Commissioner Sam Patrick. "We understand people from the (Willamette) Valley want to come over and walk in the forest, but we also need to provide services for our people that people in the valley take for granted." The forest reserve proposal may face a challenging legal road. If the Legislature were to approve an upcoming bill writing the changes into law, or voters were to pass an initiative doing so, counties may contest the changes in court as a violation of the deal that transferred the land to the state. "It's something both sides would have to agree to," said Tillamook County Commissioner Tim Josi. Current state law requires state forests to be managed for their "greatest permanent value," including timber cutting but also safeguarding wildlife. By some estimates, as much as a third of the forests are already off-limits to logging due in part to fish and wildlife needs. The forest coalition went to great lengths to argue that greater forest protections would help area communities, not harm them. Businesses including the Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association, Tillamook Guides Association, restaurants, markets and art galleries have signed onto the plan. Logging overall would not decrease, but it would not increase as much as the state had planned. "This is not an antilogging proposal," said Guido Rahr, president of The Wild Salmon Center and chairman of the coalition. "We respect the counties' needs for revenue." Washington County Commissioner Dick Schouten appeared at a news conference Wednesday in Portland. Although his largely urban county receives some revenue from state forest logging, he said clear-cutting spectacular forests for the Coast Range is "like scraping paint off a Rembrandt to paint something else." Rivers and streams emerging from the state forests supply water to about 350,000 people, including coastal towns and Willamette Valley cities. Economics professors from the University of Montana and Pacific University in Forest Grove compiled a study for the coalition, concluding the Oregon Department of Forestry had neglected many values of forest protection. Healthy fisheries and wildlife could bring coastal counties enough hunting, fishing and recreational spending to drive more job growth than modest increases in logging, it said. More information is available at www.tillamookrainforest.org Posted as a courtesy by Daniel B. Wheeler www.oregonwhitetrufles.com |
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Coalition puts forth forest plan
Larry Caldwell wrote in message t...
(Daniel B. Wheeler) writes: But commissioners in rural counties that receive proceeds from state logging say the proposal betrays the goals of forests replanted by volunteers after the famed Tillamook fires decades ago. Counties turned the lands over to the state, with the expectation that consistent cutting would generate local dollars, they said. The only reason the counties ended up with the land was that property owners could not make property tax payments during the great depression, particularly after the land burned. The land should be sold off in 160 acre homesteads and the sale proceeds distributed to the counties. That's certainly a possibility that Oregon may be looking at in the future, Larry. But for that to be a viable option, I think reliable roads would have to be in existence. And a lot of the coastal range *roads* are little more than jeep tracks. Also, considering the restrictions put on logging in coastal areas where coho salmon spawn, there are quite a few serious limitations on what may be done with the property, and when. Daniel B. Wheeler www.oregonwhitetruffles.com |
#4
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Coalition puts forth forest plan
"Daniel B. Wheeler" wrote in message
om... Larry Caldwell wrote in message t... (Daniel B. Wheeler) writes: But commissioners in rural counties that receive proceeds from state logging say the proposal betrays the goals of forests replanted by volunteers after the famed Tillamook fires decades ago. Counties turned the lands over to the state, with the expectation that consistent cutting would generate local dollars, they said. The only reason the counties ended up with the land was that property owners could not make property tax payments during the great depression, particularly after the land burned. The land should be sold off in 160 acre homesteads and the sale proceeds distributed to the counties. That's certainly a possibility that Oregon may be looking at in the future, Larry. But for that to be a viable option, I think reliable roads would have to be in existence. And a lot of the coastal range *roads* are little more than jeep tracks. Also, considering the restrictions put on logging in coastal areas where coho salmon spawn, there are quite a few serious limitations on what may be done with the property, and when. Daniel B. Wheeler www.oregonwhitetruffles.com Well, then the state law should say, "such forests may only be managed by members of the Forest Stewards Guild". (http://foreststewardsguild.org) JZ |
#5
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Coalition puts forth forest plan
(Daniel B. Wheeler) writes:
Larry Caldwell wrote in message t... (Daniel B. Wheeler) writes: But commissioners in rural counties that receive proceeds from state logging say the proposal betrays the goals of forests replanted by volunteers after the famed Tillamook fires decades ago. Counties turned the lands over to the state, with the expectation that consistent cutting would generate local dollars, they said. The only reason the counties ended up with the land was that property owners could not make property tax payments during the great depression, particularly after the land burned. The land should be sold off in 160 acre homesteads and the sale proceeds distributed to the counties. That's certainly a possibility that Oregon may be looking at in the future, Larry. But for that to be a viable option, I think reliable roads would have to be in existence. And a lot of the coastal range *roads* are little more than jeep tracks. That is certainly a consideration. I am sure the circumstances would vary from parcel to parcel. When they were originally homesteaded there would have been provisions for roads, though the traditional section line roads would have been impractical. Building roads would be expensive too, since good road ballast is sometimes hard to come by in the Coast Range. There is a lot of shale and sandstone. Basalt is rare in some areas. Also, considering the restrictions put on logging in coastal areas where coho salmon spawn, there are quite a few serious limitations on what may be done with the property, and when. The ESA is hardly the most restrictive land use law in Oregon. Remember, the minimum size parcel you could even build a house on would be 160 acres. I think most of the homesteads in the Coast Range were 160 acres, so that would work out. -- http://home.teleport.com/~larryc |
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