On forest issues, Oregon must break free

 By The Oregonian Editorial Board 


To get their economy flowing again, Oregonians must carve a fresh path around the barriers that have blocked productive management of public lands 

One sunny day last August, the Rogue River lost patience with the pace of progress in removing Gold Ray Dam. The river suddenly surged through a sand bar, stranded frightened workers atop the remnants of the old dam and blasted a new channel, opening 157 miles of river for migrating fish. 

That marked one of the great moments in the Oregon outdoors last year. An antiquated barrier collapsed, a bitter, decades-long debate ended and, the Rogue, one of the state's great natural resources, ran wild all the way to the sea. 

Gold Ray's removal was a significant event not only because a dam fell, but because it showed that Oregonians can come together and break through difficult, contentious debates over natural resources. 

It's that spirit, that collaboration, that Oregonians must summon this year to finally push through the barriers that have blocked progress on the management of public forests and rivers. 

Like the Rogue, Oregonians should follow promising paths wherever they lead. Here's one: Conservationists and timber industry executives have signed on to an eastside forest compromise brokered by U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden. The deal protects old-growth trees while freeing up tens of thousands of acres of sick, overstocked, fire-prone forests for logging. The plan would save forests, jobs and the last few mills east of the Cascades in Oregon. By year's end, it ought to be law. 

Here's another path: Rep. Peter DeFazio recently met with Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to urge a plan from widely respected foresters Jerry Franklin and Norm Johnson to increase logging and improve forest health on Bureau of Land Management forests in southwestern Oregon. By year's end, these large test projects ought to be under way, too. 

There's more common ground out there, if Oregonians, elected officials and interest groups are willing to stray from their hard lines. For instance, conservation groups seek to expand the protected wilderness around the Rogue River. The timber industry doesn't object. 

Clearly, these areas will never be logged. Again, let's get it done. By year's end, Congress should approve the new Rogue wilderness. 

There's broad agreement, too, in the Klamath Basin, where Oregonians have fought for decades over water. The Klamath Basin Resource Agreement worked out last year would sweep most of these differences away, guaranteeing reliable irrigation water and removing four fish-killing dams. It's a bold new path to more predictable conditions for more Klamath farmers, healthier fish runs and more stable fishing seasons for coastal fishermen. By year's end, this vital compromise must still be on track. 

Wherever you live, you need to care about how and when these issues on Oregon's vast public forest and rivers are resolved. Every one affects the delicate balance between economy and environment. Every one affects the future of the state. 

Oregon is not going to flourish with rural unemployment pushing 20 percent and counties struggling to maintain the most basic services, including public safety. It can't get stronger with families moving away from rural communities and their schools. 

It can't build a strong economy or a healthy environment around public forests that get ever more crowded and vulnerable to disease and wildfire. It can't strengthen its coastal economy if commercial salmon fishing is shut down every other year. 

These issues are barriers standing between Oregon and better days. They're blocking our progress. It's time to take those new paths, and break free.