Blog | Oregon Forest Conservation Coalition

Our Coalition’s Comments on ODF’s Plans for 2016

May 13, 2016

To the Oregon Department of Forestry,

Thank you for considering the North Coast State Forest Coalition’s comments on FY2017 Annual Operations Plans for the Tillamook, Astoria, and Forest Grove Districts. We appreciate the time and care that went into these AOPs and would encourage Salem and district staff to engage us regarding any of our remarks below. Several remarks are similar or identical to those made by our Coalition regarding previous AOPs and reflect ongoing themes in the yearly plans that we would like to see addressed.

General comments regarding all three districts:

Our primary concern with these AOPs is the significant increase in clearcut acreage on all three districts. Meanwhile partial cut ranges have been decreased on all three districts (to a low of 0 acres in the Forest Grove and Tillamook Districts and 100 acres in the Astoria District). Clearcutting and associated activities are often detrimental to fish & wildlife habitat, clean drinking water, public health, and slope stability. This move from a balance between thinning and clearcutting has been explained in Appendix G of all three AOPs, but signals a lack of available acres for partial cuts and calls to question the overall sustainability of harvest levels and the ability to grow various forest structures across the landscape. State forest clearcutting contributes minimal habitat value on the north coast, while thinning has the potential to contribute to harvest levels and habitat value simultaneously. If this move is primarily driven by a lack of thinning opportunities, it would be desirable to know when those opportunities will reemerge. If this is a long term concern, harvest levels should be lowered. If this move is driven by the economics of clearcutting vs. thinning, we would urge you to not only consider the environmental and social impacts of clearcutting, but also review a recent publication by the USDA which indicates the habitat and timber value increases associated with thinning in the coast range: Effect of Habitat-Improvement Thinnings on Lumber Products from Coastal Douglas-fir by Dennis P. Dykstra, Patricia K. Lebow, Stephen Pilkerton, R. James Barbour, Susan Stevens Hummel, and Stuart R. Johnston, April 2016 (http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_rp605.pdf?).
The amount of aerial pesticide application is troubling. Pesticide drift can cause public health problems and pesticides that find their way into waterways degrade water quality for humans and aquatic wildlife. These AOPs indicate that site preparation and vegetation management will require nearly 5,000 acres to be sprayed, much of it aerially. For public lands, this is unacceptable.
The massive road network across all three districts continues to grow. The AOPs indicate a net increase of 24.5 miles to the already dense road network. While road improvement is welcome, we believe that the road network should be reduced to improve watershed health. High road density has been shown to contribute to habitat degradation. The density on private land holdings in these watersheds is also very high and ODF holdings should mitigate for the private road network. Furthermore, an ever increasing road network footprint decreases land for marketable timber.
We are glad to see that district staff is contributing its time and expertise to help with inventory questions which are critical to any long term planning. Accurate inventory and growth data is obviously a priority.
It is disappointing that the FY2017 AOPs only support base level maintenance of existing recreational infrastructure due to budget constraints. We will continue to advocate for supplemental financial support and alternative revenue sources for important recreation programs and we urge the Department to do the same. We are excited for an updated version of the Tillamook State Forest Recreation Map and would be keen to support the Department in this venture.
It is welcome to see no planned clearcuts in Terrestrial Anchor Sites.
There are high clearcut levels in several Aquatic Anchors, including Buster Creek, Upper North Fork Nehalem, Lousignont Creek/Upper Nehalem (nearly 1000 clearcut acres), East Fork South Trask, and Little North Fork Wilson. These areas are obviously critical for a variety of fish species. While slightly improved buffers are welcome in AAs, we would recommend focusing harvest away from these anchors.
All three districts note extensive plans for mountain beaver We understand the importance of protecting young trees. The Forest Grove District remarks that mountain beaver populations are increasing and are historically high. It may be beneficial to examine the causes of this rather than only focus on trapping.
We encourage the Department to support the Salmonberry Trail project, but we would request that the Salmonberry conservation commitments and their promotion be a priority.
We urge you to take seriously and follow the recommendations in the ODFW Biologist Review.
Policy Bulletin SFB 13-02 runs counter to the ODFW recommendations that “GTs should be avoided in or adjacent to RMAs and GTAs as their functions as structural components are minimized.” The proper scientific function of green trees and snags should certainly take priority over “efficient harvest units.” The Policy Bulletin is only referenced in the Tillamook AOP, but the ODFW recommendations are found across all three Districts.
We encourage the Department to be aggressive in seeking restoration project opportunities. To our mind, it is unfortunate that these important projects are only done opportunistically. Watershed restoration should be a priority.

Comments specific to Astoria District operations:

We are keen to better understand the Major Modification to the IP as described in Appendix F and would like to meet with ODF staff to discuss the modification. The amount of 76-100 year old acres being replaced by 26-50 year old acres in the DFC Complex allotment is concerning.
Area 1 of Rector Quad appears to offer uncommon habitat type as a mixed age stand with older trees. We would like to view this sale with ODF staff to understand the forest structure and prescription better. This sale also includes management activity within ¼ mile of a marbled murrelet management area.
The Astoria District AOP is unique in that it explicitly omits right-of-way acres for new road construction in harvest acreage (page 4). This seems counterintuitive as those acres are typically logged before road construction and no longer offer conservation value. We would like to know if this practice is the same for the Tillamook and Forest Grove Districts.

Comments specific to Tillamook District operations:

We are keen to better understand the Major Modification to the IP as described in Appendix F and would like to meet with ODF staff to discuss the modification.

Comments specific to Forest Grove District operations:

We are keen to better understand the Major Modification to the IP as described in Appendix F and would like to meet with ODF staff to discuss the modification. It would be helpful to have the type of information that the Tillamook and Clatsop District AOPs articulate in Figures 1 and 2 of Appendix F.
My Mulligan, Mega Lou Mania, and Step Over are all located near Lousignont Creek, a spawning stream for coastal coho salmon. These sales also include clearcutting relatively old forest stands. We are interested in learning more about these operations. It is concerning to see expansive clearcutting of old stands in this Aquatic Anchor.

Blog, State Forests

Homesteader: 1890 – 2016

April 20, 2016

Northwest Oregon’s state-owned forests are comprised of less than .01% old growth, a stunning number that indicates their fraught history of devastating fires and aggressive logging. A notable forest parcel in the Clatsop State Forest, known as “Homesteader,” contained trees upwards of 125 years old that had survived massive fires and over a century of logging. This parcel had numerous old growth characteristics and showed signs of providing rare habitat for threatened species, including marbled murrelets, red tree voles, and northern spotted owls. It’s location on the bank of the Nehalem River made it important to aquatic species. And, for about two years, activists, surveyors, and researchers exploring the area enjoyed its accessibility, tranquility, and abundance of biodiversity.

Beginning in April of 2015, thousands of Oregonians submitted public comments to the Oregon Department of Forestry [ODF] asking that this parcel of old growth not be logged. Official public comments were supplemented by letters, media pieces, and general outcry from Oregonians (especially Clatsop County residents). The voices were varied but the message was clear: “old growth is rare, it is critical, it should not be logged.”

ODF responded to this message rapidly. On state forests, timber sales commonly take 1-3 years between the announcement of the sale and commencement of logging. In the case of Homesteader, perhaps because of intense public scrutiny and dissent, was logged less than 10 months after being announced. The trees were sold off in January and as of mid-March, what used to be a lush forest is now something altogether different:

Part of the blame for this expedited degradation of public land can be placed on ODF. However, the Agency is in a bind. They are expected to manage these state forests for a suite of values—social, environmental, and economic—yet they are only funded by logging. Moreover, 2/3 of state forest revenue goes to counties while 1/3 is retained by ODF. In 2015, state forest logging contributed $55 million to counties across Oregon. And yet, some counties are engaging in a disruptive lawsuit claiming that state forests are not producing enough timber! Meanwhile, ODF’s budget, like other natural resource agencies, continues to dwindle.

Oregon has changed and is changing. Logging is no longer a primary economic driver. While logging will remain a part of our history, culture, and (to an extent) our economy, Oregon’s present and future is built around outdoor recreation, fisheries, tourism, quality of life, and natural beauty. Yet private and public forest management has so far failed to keep up with the will of the people. Part of catching up is a balanced management plan for our coastal state forests, a plan that protects critical areas like Homesteader.

Homesteader will not “rest in peace.” This sale is a wakeup call to Oregonians who are content with our forest managers and an absolutely inadequate responsiveness to public will. ODF, the Governor’s office, and the Board of Forestry failed to protect one of the most critical patches of forest in Clatsop County and on Oregon’s north coast. Homesteader captured the imagination of coastal residents and forest activists throughout the state and their message was clear: stop degrading our forest watersheds and destroying our forest legacy. ODF’s failure to appropriately respond to this message means that we need to be stronger and louder.

Blog

#ForestLegacy

March 17, 2016

Linn County has filed a disruptive lawsuit that seeks to turn Oregon’s state forests into industrial style tree farms. Stand up for balanced management and all of the things we love about forests—recreation, clean water, wildlife, abundant fish runs, solitude! Use #ForestLegacy on social media or send images of you in the forest to yourstateforest@gmail.com.

Blog, State Forests

Join us in Astoria!

February 29, 2016

Mark your calendars to celebrate and advocate for our state forests. We all need to stand up and make sure that Clatsop County opts out of the Linn County lawsuit. The future of the Clatsop State Forest should be a balanced, collaborative management plan, not an industrial tree farm!

What: A forest evening with the North Coast State Forest Coalition
Where: Lovell Showroom, Fort George Brewery, 1483 Duane St, Astoria
When: 6:30-8:30 pm, Friday March 11th
Why: 2016 is gearing up to be critical for protecting the Clatsop State Forest. Join others who care about conserving fish & wildlife habitat, clean drinking water, and recreation opportunities and lets keep Clatsop county out of a bad lawsuit!
Who: You and everyone you know!

RSVP Here

Blog, State Forests

Linn County lawsuit creates confusion along with disruption

February 7, 2016

When Linn County announced that they intend to sue the state of Oregon for $1.4 billion over “mismanagement” of our state forests, it was immediately obvious that the process to find a lasting, balanced Forest Management Plan would be severely disrupted. What has become clear over the past few weeks though, are some serious misunderstandings about the history, purpose, and current management of state forests. Some media outlets have failed to adequately research the complex nature of these lands and the result has been some dubious reporting.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Linn County Lawsuit

Here are a few on-point pieces related to the Linn County lawsuit:

Daily Astorian Letter: Pushy

Daily Astorian Letter: Beware “easy money”

Corvallis Gazette-Times: County lawsuit hampers state forestry collaborative efforts, Salmon rep says

Daily Astorian Letter: Economic terrorism

Daily Astorian Editorial: Difficult spot

Albany Democrat-Herald: Conservation groups oppose county class action lawsuit

Blog, State Forests

State forests should be managed for multiple benefits

January 15, 2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Forest Coalition: State forests should be managed for multiple benefits

“Greatest Permanent Value” means protecting fish and wildlife, clean water, recreation – as well as timber

January 14, 2016 Portland, Ore. – A coalition of fishing and conservation groups working on Oregon’s North Coast state forests is speaking out today against a threatened class action lawsuit by Linn County, on behalf of 150 Oregon taxing districts.

At issue is whether the state can manage its forestlands for values other than timber.

Members of the North Coast State Forest Coalition emphasize that the forests are in fact mandated by state statute to provide the “Greatest Permanent Value” to all Oregonians.

OAR 629-035-0020 reads: “‘greatest permanent value’ means healthy, productive, and sustainable forest ecosystems that over time and across the landscape provide a full range of social, economic, and environmental benefits to the people of Oregon.”

As such, the coalition stands behind state efforts to manage its state lands for multiple benefits – including timber revenue.

Guido Rahr, President of Wild Salmon Center said: “Oregonians are fortunate that our state forests can provide a broad array of values including diverse recreation opportunities, drinking water for hundreds of thousands of people, a rich salmon fishery, fish & wildlife habitat, and timber harvest for jobs and government revenue.”

“Therefore, our state-owned forests are more than a source of revenue for Linn County,” he continued. “What’s more, thousands of acres of state forests are clearcut every year. There is simply no more room to expand timber harvests and maintain the integrity of these forests.

Bob Rees, Executive Director of Northwest Steelheaders and long-time fishing guide said, “These lands provide the basis for multiple economies – including recreational fisheries and commercial salmon fisheries that contribute more than a billion dollars to the state economy every year. That’s a public value worth protecting.”

Tom Wolf, Executive Director of Oregon Trout Unlimited added, “We need to pass a legacy of healthy, working forests to the next generation. That includes a healthy timber enterprise, but it also requires intact watersheds for our iconic salmonid species. Linn County is forcing us into a false choice. It’s time for them to explore other sources of revenue.”

Greg Haller, Conservation Director for Pacific Rivers said: “Oregonians do not want State Forests managed like private industrial forestlands, which pollute our streams and degrade fish and wildlife habitat.”

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The North Coast State Forest Coalition seeks balanced management of the Tillamook & Clatsop State Forests, an approach that protects fish & wildlife habitat, clean drinking water, and recreation opportunities. Our member organizations are Association of Northwest Steelheaders, Wild Salmon Center, Oregon Council of Trout Unlimited, Oregon Chapter of Sierra Club, Native Fish Society, Pacific Rivers, and Northwest Guides & Anglers Association. Our supporters include thousands of Oregonians and approximately 100 Oregon businesses and organizations.

Blog, State Forests

Homesteader: The Precipice of a Huge Loss

January 13, 2016

Over 1600 Oregonians voiced their disapproval of clearcutting old growth as part of the Homesteader timber sale in the Clatsop State Forest. It is obvious that the loss of trees that survived the Tillamook Burn and a century of logging would be devastating, but is important to get an up-close view of what we lose along with the huge, old trees.

Complex branch structure on old doug firs provide red tree vole habitat. — Complex branch structure on old doug firs provide red tree vole habitat (photo by Trygve Steen).

Along with potential Northern Spotted Owl and Marbled Murrelet habitat, the giant Douglas-firs in Homesteader have complex branch structures that provide habitat for red tree voles and are unique to old growth trees. Private and state forest logging has fragmented potential old growth tree vole habitat on Oregon’s north coast. These elusive rodents are a favored food for spotted owls and require mature conifer forests to survive. The State of Oregon lists the red tree vole as a sensitive-vulnerable species in the Coast Range Ecoregion and the North Oregon Coast “distinct population segment” is a candidate for federal Endangered Species Act protection. (US Fish & Wildlife Service)

Northwestern Salamander found in area 2 of Homesteader (photo by Trygve Steen)

This Northwestern Salamander (right) lives in area 2 of Homesteader. Clearcutting renders habitat unsuitable for this species, and a forest buffer of 200–250 m surrounding breeding sites may preserve optimal environmental conditions for local populations. (Petranka, JW 1998 “Salamanders of the United States and Canada”)

Chaenotheca ferruginea and Chaenotheca chrysocephela are rare lichen species found in area 2 of Homesteader. If found on Forest Service land, these sensitive lichens would require a buffer to protect them from impact. There are likely other rare lichens in the area.

Chaenotheca ferruginea (Orange crust under a black pin) confidently identified in are 2 of Homeaster — Chaenotheca ferruginea (Orange crust under a black pin) confidently identified in area 2 of Homesteader (photo by Trygve Steen)

Chaenotheca chrysocephela (Yellow crust under pin with light line under spore mass) Identification could be more certain with lab study (photo by Trygve Steen)

These are just a few of the rare, sensitive, and important life forms that currently exist in the Homesteader area. If the Homesteader clearcuts move forward, these will likely all be wiped out and it will take at least a century to recover what is lost. This critical and rare refuge for so many species may, in fact, never recover. There is almost no old growth habitat left on Oregon’s north coast and the only real opportunity for conservation is on public lands. Special places like the old growth forest of Homesteader deserve long term protection, not to be wiped out for short-term profit.

This large, old western redcedar may be logged as part of the Homesteader clearcuts.

Blog, State Forests

State Forests in 2015

December 23, 2015

What a busy year for the Tillamook & Clatsop—we’re glad you were along for the ride!

Over the last few months, 1500+ Oregonians have called for long-
term protection of the Kilchis & Wilson watersheds and the Kings Mountain Recreation Area. These common sense, positive proposals would go a long way to ensuring balance on the north coast. If you haven’t yet, add your name to the list here!

The North Coast State Forest Coalition put on a number of great events with our supporters in 2015. Over 100 of you gathered with us at the Fort George in Astoria, another 50 talked forestry with us in Nehalem twice, Others have joined for presentations on clearcutting and film screenings, hikes and outings, and a fun day of activities on the Wilson River over Labor Day weekend.

Our Coalition grew! Nearly 2000 Oregonians joined our cause this year and we welcomed new partners, Pacific Rivers and Native Fish Society.

Wild Salmon Center hosted a photo contest to see how people could capture the magic of Fall in the Tillamook—there were many beautiful entries! Sierra Club continues to work on rewriting 50 Hikes in the Tillamook State Forest and designed a state forest water bottle.

It hasn’t all been play, though. Despite an outpouring of public comments, the Department of Forestry is moving forward on clearcutting rare old growth near Jewell via the Homesteader timber sale, and we have yet to see conservation improvements coming from the Forest Management Planning process.

The Department analyzed what it would look like to clearcut 70% of the forest, and the results aren’t good for anyone. But some county commissioners and representatives of the timber industry continue to call for that type of unbalanced approach.

So, our work is far from over. As a coalition, we are resolute in achieving balance on these public treasures and hope that you will continue to help us do this. Our work is only possible because of the strength of our grassroots supporters.

Through the end of the year, you can support our work to protect Oregon’s north coast state forests by giving to Wild Salmon Center through Give!Guide. Your contribution will go a long way to protecting our forest legacy!

Blog, Board of Forestry, State Forests

Clearcutting 70% of State Forests: Not a Great Idea

October 20, 2015

On October 19th, a subcommittee of the Board of Forestry met to discuss alternative management plans for the Tillamook & Clatsop state forests. Any new plan needs to improve conservation AND make the Department of Forestry financially viable. This ongoing process has been dominated by a timber industry proposal to manage the forest as two zones: 70% for industrial clearcutting and 30% for conservation.

The Board directed the Department to model this proposal and the results are…not good.

Conservation: Under the current plan, 51% of the forest is open to clearcutting, 18% is thinned to create complex forest habitat, roughly 27% is not logged because it buffers streams, provides habitat to endangered species, or is too steep. The remaining 4% is roads, campgrounds, rock quarries, and power-line right-of-ways.

Photo by Francis Eatherington — Industrial Timber Land (photo by Francis Eatherington)

The new model shows 69% of the forest open to private industrial style clearcutting, and 27% of the forest protected. This alone is a drastic reduction in conservation acres. On top of that, the private industrial model would have very negative impacts on habitat compared to the current plan, which leaves more standing live trees, standing dead trees, and downed wood. The industrial model also involves more aerial pesticide application.

See what the model looks like on the Tillamook district and on the Clatsop forest (Astoria district).

Financial Viability: It turns out that when you liquidate your asset by intensive clearcutting, the returns don’t last long. The model showed that the plan would pay for itself for about 25 years, after which costs far outpace revenue, leaving the Department worse off than it is now.

There are additional concerns. Based on district level groundtruthing, Department staff hinted that implementing this plan would result in less harvest than predicted. Moreover, there is a likelihood that counties and forest district would face drastic boom/bust cycles rather than steady, predictable income.

What’s next? Some timber industry modeling experts hope that there is more inventory than is currently assumed and that the forest will grow faster in the future with better stocks of wood. However, there is also reason to be pessimistic as the recent modeling didn’t account for likely forest disturbances such as wind storms or floods.

The Department is moving forward to refine their model, but so far it seems that a 70/30 fails to improve financial viability and drastically reduces conservation on our state forests.

#salmon, #orforest, #steelhead, #Tillamook, #Clatsop, #logging, #clearcut