BLM considers request by Stimson Lumber for right-of-way to build private road on federal land west of Forest Grove, Oregon, to help it access company owned timberland; public comment period closes today

Wendy Lisney

LOS ANGELES , June 24, 2014 (Industry Intelligence Inc.) – Stimson Lumber Co. is seeking the right-of-way to build a 590-ft. private road on federal land west of Forest Grove in Oregon, The Oregonian reported on June 21.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is seeking public comment on the plan, which would facilitate access to one of Stimson’s properties to harvest timber.

Stimson Lumber would need access to an existing 2,510-ft. BLM road and would have to remove about 50 trees on BLM property that it would buy from the federal agency, a division of the U.S. Dept. of the Interior.

The project would amend a reciprocal right-of-way agreement established in 1981. It is similar to other agreements BLM has with timber companies in Oregon, where BLM-controlled land is often scattered or “checkerboard”, hampering access for both BLM and private landowners to their respective land, a BLM spokesperson said.

An alternative option, for Stimson to build a road on its own land, would be more costly and have a greater environmental impact, a BLM report found.

Today, June 24, is the final day for public comments to be accepted.


The primary source of this article is The Oregonian, Portland, Oregon, on June 21, 2014. To view the original article, click here .

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