Oregon — The Oregon Department of Forestry will host a virtual-only informational session on Jan. 6 at 1 p.m. to discuss a proposed rule change adopting a new Forest Management Plan (FMP) for western Oregon state forest lands managed by the department.
The session will include a presentation explaining the purpose of the proposed FMP and outlining key changes, followed by a question-and-answer period. Department staff will not take official public comments during the session, which is informational only. A recording of the meeting will be posted on the department’s website.
The public comment period on the proposed rule began Nov. 1 and runs through Jan. 31 at 11:55 p.m. Comments may be submitted electronically or provided in person at one of four formal rulemaking hearings scheduled in January. No question-and-answer period will be offered at those hearings.
The proposed FMP would replace three existing plans—Northwest Oregon, Southwest Oregon, and Elliott—with a single management plan for these forest lands. As part of the update, the department’s State Forests Division is pursuing an alternative compliance approach under the federal Endangered Species Act by applying for incidental take permits from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA Fisheries. Those permits would require management of state forest lands under a habitat conservation plan.
The Western Oregon State Forests Management Plan establishes guiding principles, goals, and strategies compatible with the Western Oregon State Forests Habitat Conservation Plan and provides management direction for Board of Forestry Lands and Common School Forest Lands west of the crest of the Cascade Range.
The plan does not include the Elliott State Research Forest, which is outside the scope of the draft FMP and is managed under a separate plan overseen by the Oregon Department of State Lands. However, certain Board of Forestry and Common School Forest Lands in and around the Elliott area would transition to management under the new FMP if it is adopted.
The Oregon Board of Forestry may review, modify, or terminate the FMP at any time and is required to review it at least once every 10 years. The current Southwest and Northwest FMPs were last revised in 2010, and the Elliott FMP was last revised in 2011.
Rulemaking hearings will be held Jan. 13 (virtual), Jan. 15 in Forest Grove, Jan. 20 in Tillamook, and Jan. 22 in Eugene, each beginning at 5:30 p.m. Additional details, including proposed rule text and instructions for submitting comments or participating in hearings, are available in the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on the department’s rulemaking activity page.
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