Photo courtesy of Wild Salmon Center
Oregon's state forests need your voice. The timber industry is once again turning up the pressure on the Board of Forestry to weaken habitat protections for salmon and wildlife. On September 7th in Salem, the Board will consider changes to core conservation areas under the State Forest Habitat Conservation Plan that would open up thousands of acres to clearcuts, all for the benefit of the timber industry.
Take action! Send an email today and mark your calendar for the September 7th Board meeting! We need your voice to counter the industry's efforts to weaken the HCP.
You sent a strong message in June, when thousands of people sent emails and more than 50 people spoke out at the Board meeting in Sisters to advocate for a strong HCP. Now, the timber industry and its allies are trying to carve up the boundaries of the conservation areas.
This would not only undermine the HCP, but also violate Oregon law requiring all Board decisions to be supported by the best available science. Because there is NO scientific foundation for the proposed changes.
Recently, we learned that the timber industry is sitting on hundreds of millions of board feet of state forest timber sales purchased in previous years but not yet harvested. Now the industry wants more—even though its backlog exceeds Oregon's annual state forests harvest by 50 percent. We cannot allow politics and profits to derail a science-based process to protect our public forests. Enough is enough!
Can you speak up for fish and wildlife, clean drinking water, outdoor recreation, and sustainable forestry on our state forests? One of the most powerful ways to support the HCP is by testifying on September 7th.
Fill out this form to learn more about how you can show up for our state forests on September 6th.
We know that conservation wins only happen when we show up again and again. Let’s make sure the Board of Forestry and your elected officials hear the real story. Let’s keep the pressure on for our forests, for clean, cold water, for fish and wildlife, and for more resilient forests in the face of climate change.