July 3, 2017 — On July 3 during a work session in Salem, the Capital Construction Subcommittee of the Joint Ways and Means Committee unanimously advanced $100 million in state bonding revenue to protect the 82,500-Elliott State Forest and keep it from being privatized. The vote followed a May 9 State Land Board meeting, where Governor Kate Brown, Treasurer Tobias Read, and Secretary of State Dennis Richardson voted 3-0 to keep the Elliott in public ownership through the use of state bonding capacity and the development of a Habitat Conservation Plan for the Coast Range forest. The full Ways and Means Committee is expected to pass the bill any day.
Battle for the Elliott State Forest Won! Land Board Votes to Keep Forest Public!
May 9, 2017 — In a 3-0 vote today, the Oregon State Land Board, made up of Governor Kate Brown, Treasurer Tobias Read and Secretary of State Dennis Richardson, terminated the protocol that led to the timber industry proposal to privatize the 82,500-acre Elliott State Forest in the Oregon Coast Range.
Press Release: Conservation Organizations Enthusiastic about Governor’s Plan for the Elliott
May 4, 2017 — The Oregon Conservation Network (OCN) is pleased to see the plan released today from the Governor’s office regarding the Elliott State Forest. As a coalition, we care deeply about Oregon’s wildlands, and believe the state has an obligation to protect and enhance our vast forests, wildlife, and habitats. This is why the issue of the Elliott State Forest is such an important one to our members.
Conservation Groups Decry Vote by State Treasurer, Secretary of State to Sell Elliott State Forest
February 15, 2017 — A broad coalition of conservation, hunting, and fishing groups across Oregon decried a state land board vote pushing the Elliott State Forest to brink of privatization yesterday.
Response to Governor Brown’s Plan for the Elliott State Forest
February 13, 2017 — Just days before the quarterly meeting of the State Land Board, Governor Brown released a framework for her plan for the Elliott State Forest. Though not an action item on the agenda for the Tuesday, February 14, 2017 Land Board meeting, the Board is set to hear an update on the potential sale of the forest from the Department of State Lands. The DSL staff report on the issue again asks the Board for direction on whether and how to proceed with privatizing the Elliott State Forest as described in a proposal submitted by Lone Rock Timber in December 2016.
Press Release: Lawsuit Filed to Protect Threatened Marbled Murrelet from Logging on Former Elliott State Forest
August 25, 2016 — Cascadia Wildlands, the Center for Biological Diversity and Portland Audubon filed a lawsuit in federal court today seeking to block Scott Timber Company from logging a portion of a 355-acre parcel of land that until 2014 was part of the 93,000-acre Elliott State Forest and provides habitat for the threatened marbled murrelet. The Endangered Species Act strictly prohibits “take” (harm, harassment or killing) of threatened species like the murrelet, which, unlike any other seabird, nests on the wide branches of large, old trees, making a daily trip of up to 35 miles inland to bring fish to its young.
Blog: Summer Interning with Cascadia Wildlands
by Legal Intern Kat Fiedler This week I am wrapping up my legal internship with Cascadia Wildlands. I have spent my summer conducting legal research and drafting memos and … Continue reading Blog: Summer Interning with Cascadia Wildlands
Explore the Elliott State Forest with Cascadia Wildlands
We’ll be offering a couple of public hikes into the Elliott State Forest the spring/summer of 2016. The Elliott State Forest is between Reedsport and Coos Bay, and goes as far … Continue reading Explore the Elliott State Forest with Cascadia Wildlands
Letter Sent to Prospectors Interested in Acquiring Elliott State Forest
by Robin Meacher, Cascadia Wildlands' Wildlands Campaign Director The Oregon Department of State Lands (DSL) continues to forge ahead with the sale of the 93,000-acre Elliott State Forest located … Continue reading Letter Sent to Prospectors Interested in Acquiring Elliott State Forest
Exciting Leadership Transition at Cascadia Wildlands
Dear Cascadia Wildlands Supporters, Bushwacking through head-high ferns to find the elusive Devil’s Staircase waterfall. Watching salmon thrash upstream to their natal grounds. Hearing the pre-dawn keer of the marbled … Continue reading Exciting Leadership Transition at Cascadia Wildlands