Oregon Dept. of Forestry begins public comment period on 2014 annual operations plans for state-owned forests

Audrey Dixon

SALEM, Oregon , April 8, 2013 (press release) – A public comment period on nine annual operations plans for state-owned forests managed by the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) begins April 8.

Written comments on the 2014 plans will be accepted until 5 p.m. May 23. Annual operations plans identify and describe specific projects such as timber sales, reforestation, stream enhancement, and recreation projects on state-managed forests.
Annual operations plans will be available April 8 at each district offices and at the ODF Salem headquarters. They also will be posted on the ODF Web site:
http://www.oregon.gov/odf/Pages/state_forests/2014_AOP_Draft.aspx

Comments may be sent to ODF’s headquarters in Salem or to any of the nine ODF districts with state forestland. Comments can be emailed to: SFAOPLANS@ODF.STATE.OR.US.

(Note: The nine districts and their contact information appear later in this news release.)

After public comments have been considered and any changes made, district foresters will approve the annual operations plans for their districts. The annual operations plans under review are for the period from July 2013 through June 2014.

Total 2014 fiscal year harvest volume for all nine districts is projected to be 250 million board feet. A board foot is a unit of wood that measures a foot square and an inch thick. There are about 13,000 board feet of framing lumber in an average house.

All state-managed public forests are actively managed as working forests under management plans adopted by the Board of Forestry to provide economic, environmental, and social benefits to Oregonians.

Most of the revenue from timber sales is distributed to county governments and local taxing districts, and to the Common School Fund to benefit schools throughout the state. From July 2011 to June 2012, timber revenue from state forestlands produced $37.4 million for counties, local school and local taxing districts, and $11 million for the Common School Fund.

The objectives in district annual operations plans are based on the goals and strategies found in the long-range forest management plans.

The Northwest Oregon State Forests Management Plan provides guidance for the 616,000 acres in the following districts: Astoria (Clatsop State Forest), Tillamook (western two-thirds of the Tillamook State Forest), Forest Grove (eastern one-third of the Tillamook), North Cascade (Santiam State Forest), West Oregon (scattered tracts in Benton, Polk and Lincoln counties), and Western Lane (scattered tracts in Lane County).

The Southwest Oregon State Forest Management Plan covers 18,000 acres of blocked and scattered lands in Josephine, Douglas, Curry and Jackson counties.

The Coos District manages the 93,000-acre Elliott State Forest in Coos and Douglas counties under the Elliott State Forest Management Plan.

Each district covered by the Northwest Oregon State Forests Management Plan, Southwest Oregon State Forest Management Plan, and Elliott State Forest Management Plan has a 10-year implementation plan that describes how the management activities will achieve the goals of the forest management plans. The implementation plans are posted on the ODF web site at: www.oregon.gov/ODF/Pages/state_forests/District_Implementation_Plans.aspx.

The Klamath-Lake District uses the Eastern Region Long-range Forest Management Plan to manage 77,000 acres in Klamath County, including the 21,000-acre Sun Pass State Forest and 43,000-acre Gilchrist State Forest.

The comment period on annual plans is part of an ongoing public involvement process; the forest management plans and the implementation plans were open to public comment prior to approval. It provides an opportunity for ODF districts to share their annual plans with the public. It also is a time for the public to ask questions and offer comments on the planned activities on state forestlands.

Public participation on state-managed forest issues – other than on annual plans – occurs throughout the year. Regularly scheduled meetings of the Board of Forestry, Forest Trust Land Advisory Committee and State Forests Advisory Committee have time set aside for public comments. At any time, questions or concerns may be directed to field and Salem staff.

Written comments providing the most useful suggestions for annual plans should focus on one or more of the following: enhancing consistency with the forest management plan and implementation plan, improving clarity of the annual operations plan, providing new information related to the activities described in the annual operations plan, and improving efficiency and effectiveness of the management activities.

Comments and questions may be sent to ODF district offices or the Salem headquarters. They also may be e-mailed to Salem (specific district should be identified) to: SFAOPLANS@ODF.STATE.OR.US.

Addresses and fax numbers follow:

State Forests Division, Oregon Department of Forestry, Attn: Robert Nall, 2600 State St., Salem, OR 97310. Phone: 503-945-7514. Fax: 503-945-7376.

Astoria District (Clatsop State Forest), 92219 Hwy 202, Astoria, OR 97103. Phone: 503-325-5451. Fax: 503-325-2756.
North Cascade District (Santiam State Forest), 22965 North Fork Road SE, Lyons, OR 97358. Phone: 503-859-2151. Fax: 503-859-2158.

Forest Grove District (eastern one-third Tillamook State Forest), 801 Gales Creek Road, Forest Grove, OR 97116. Phone: 503-357-2191. Fax: 503-357-4548.

Tillamook District (western two-thirds Tillamook State Forest), 5005 East 3rd St., Tillamook, OR 97141. Phone: 503-842-2545. Fax: 503-842-3143.
West Oregon District (scattered parcels), 24533 Alsea Hwy, Philomath, OR 97370. Phone: 541-929-3266. Fax: 541-929-5549.

Western Lane District (scattered parcels), PO Box 157 (87950 Territorial Road), Veneta, OR 97487. Phone: 541-935-2283. Fax: 541-935-0731.

Southwest Oregon District (blocked and scattered parcels), 5375 Monument Drive, Grants Pass, OR 97526. Phone: 541-474-3152. Fax: 541-474-3158.

Coos District (Elliott State Forest), 63612 Fifth Road, Coos Bay, OR 97420. Phone: 541-267-4136. Fax: 541-269-2027.

Klamath-Lake District (Sun Pass State Forest), 3200 DeLap Road, Klamath Falls, OR 97601. Phone: 541-883-5681. Fax: 541-883-5555.

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