We would like to share the following action alert from Wild Salmon Center and urge you to sign up to speak online or in-person at one of the upcoming Department of Forestry listening sessions — the last opportunity for you to let Oregon’s State Forester know that you support a strong Habitat Conservation Plan (Alternative 3 in particular) for state forests in western Oregon:
“Oregon’s State Forester Cal Mukumoto and the Board of Forestry need to hear more from you! They’ve scheduled three listening sessions to gather public comments on the Habitat Conservation Plan and broader management of Oregon’s state forests. But they didn’t give us much time to prepare...
Due to weather delays and power outages, the Oregon Department of Forestry only announced dates last Friday for these listening sessions. This is likely your last chance to make formal comments on the plan and the long-term management of 634,000 acres of state forests.
The 65 spots for testimony on Jan. 29 are filling up fast, so we urge you to sign up right away to tell the State Forester and the Board that you want a strong plan finalized without further delay. A Zoom link and other details will be provided by email following registration. More information on the listening sessions is provided on the Department of Forestry website.
Can't make the Jan. 29 virtual session? There are also two in-person listening sessions coming right up:
Eugene: Jan. 25 at the Lane Events Center, Room #4, W. 13th Ave.
Astoria: Jan. 31 at the Loft at the Red Building, 20 Basin St.
For both in-person sessions, speaking slots are first-come, first-serve. Doors open at 5 p.m. and both meetings starts at 5:30 p.m., with speakers allowed a maximum of 2 minutes. NOTE: These meetings will be well attended, so get there early for onsite registration!
Need some inspiration for your comments? Here are key points to make to the State Forester:
The Board of Forestry must finalize a strong Habitat Conservation Plan without further delay.
State forests have been overharvested for decades. We must restore balance to state forests by protecting fish and wildlife habitat along with the clean, safe drinking water on which our communities depend.
The Board must base decisions on the best science available, as the law requires. This includes larger buffers from clearcuts near small streams.
The Board needs to implement ODF’s Climate Change and Carbon Plan. We can increase carbon absorption and storage by reducing clearcut logging and instituting longer time periods between logging.
Once again, thank you for your tireless work to ensure that our state forests are managed for all Oregonians, not just the timber industry. That means healthy wild salmon runs, cold, clean water, the recovery of endangered wildlife, and the establishment of Oregon as a national leader in climate-smart forestry.
Sincerely,
Michael Lang
Oregon Senior Policy Manager
Wild Salmon Center”
Photo by dawn villaescusa