By Karen Richards, KLCC
December 10, 2013
Tuesday the Oregon State Land Board gave the green light to sell five scattered tracts in the Elliott State Forest east of Coos Bay.
The 27-hundred acres have been managed by the state for almost a century. Earnings from timber sales go to the state's Common School Fund. Due to restricted harvests, the School Fund lost money in 2013, reducing payments to all Oregon school districts. Jim Paul is with the state land board. He says this sale may set a precedent for future state land sales.
Paul: "It'll actually give us the first real data, so to speak, on what these forest lands are actually worth."
In the next few months, Mary Abrams, the Land Board Director, will set an appraised value and put the parcels up for bid. Conservation groups and logging companies have expressed interest. Paul says the land will likely go to the highest bidder.
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First id like to thank u for your passion for justice & the work that you do every moment I am hoping to find out how to become Active helping fowith the Elliot please
This is what happens when environmental activist groups go too far. The land will now be sold off to a timber company at the loss of Oregon state and public schools. The state implements greater environmental protections than many companies in the business. Cascadia wild and other groups needs to re-examine the implications of their actions, and work collaboratively with all stakeholders to meet objectives.
There is a valid and defensible alternative thesis: This is what happens when the state bails out of a habitat conservation plan (agreement) and writes a new plan that increases logging 40% with a lot of it in areas critical to the marbled murrelet while largely ignoring restoration thinning (which employs more people) and is better for all of us. Moreover, when talking about education what lessons is the state teaching students by their actions? That timber industry profits are more important than some birds, salmon, clean water and holding to agreements (i.e., keeping your word)? Went too far? The court did not feel that was the case and neither did the state when they thought about defending their actions and then voluntarily withdrew 26 timber sales. There is a problem when you cut too much for too long and then try to “cut and run” when the consequences of your actions catch up with you. It is a little like placing blame on the traffic cop when you are caught speeding–you really want to do it but the action lacks honesty in terms of cause and effect.