Final chapter written for the Elliott

 Final chapter written for the Elliott

 

The State Land Board, SLB, on December 13, 2022, formally put an end to the once great Elliott State Forest. Now the Elliott formally becomes the Elliott State Research Forest, ESRF, co-owned by a new government entity and Oregon State University.

 

Governor Kate Brown, Treasurer Tobias Read and Secretary of State Shemia Fagan, who make up the current SLB, officially decoupled the Elliott from its 90-year obligation to the Common School Fund. No longer will there be a mandate on managing the Elliott for schools with the payment of $221 million from Oregon taxpayers to compensate the CSF.

 

This ends a long and sordid history of the Elliott that was prompted by environmentalists’ lawsuits challenging timber sales that were purported to be in habitat of Marbled Murrelets. The seabird can fly from the ocean inland for 60 miles to find an appropriate nest tree. However, advocates deemed that flying over a small timber harvest would doom the bird to extinction.

 

Rather than challenge the legal and factual basis of the suit, the State of Oregon, under the direction from Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum, surrendered all future management opportunity for the Elliott and paid the plaintiffs nearly $400,000 in attorneys’ fees.

 

This lack of a strong legal defense led to several proposals for the future of the Elliott, including selling the 80,000-acre forest to a local forest management company. Governor Brown and Treasurer Read wilted in the face of the outcry from preservationists so the sale was pulled, and new options were sought.

 

It was Read’s idea to give the Elliott to OSU. OSU balked at that idea when they realized the potential liability involved in owning a large block of forest land. A large stakeholder’s group and the Division of State Lands developed the notion of turning the Elliott into a research forest.

 

The 2022 legislature adopted laws that created the Elliott State Research Forest and created an entity to manage it in conjunction with OSU. They also appropriated $121 million to pay the balance owed the CSL.

 

The new statutes led to the SLB’s actions on December 13, 2022, thereby ending any requirement to manage the forest, although the new ESRF plans to sell limited timber sales to keep the forest afloat without the continual need for subsidies.

 

Don’t be surprised to see the preservationists throw a fit over any proposed timber harvesting. In other words, you haven’t heard the last of the Elliott…

Major change coming for the 90-year-old Elliott State Forest

 

The Oregon legislature, on the first day of the 35-day short session, heard testimony on Senate Bill 1546-1 a bill to convert the Elliott State Forest into the Elliott State Research Forest. The ESRF would be managed by a new state entity, with ties to Oregon State University. OSU previously turned down the offer from the State Land Board to own the ESF 

 

The ESRF would also be de-coupled with the Common School Fund that was supported by timber revenues since the ESF was established in in 1930 as Oregon’s first State Forest. Governor Kate Brown has designated $127 million to compensate the CSF. Fortunately, Oregon is flush with billions of dollars from federal pandemic relief and unexpected tax revenue due to Oregon’s strong economy.

 

The new ESRF Board of Directors and Executive Director will oversee the 84,000-acre forest that will be, by far, the world’s largest research forest. SB 1546 will need to move rapidly through the legislative process due to the tight timelines for the session. A public hearing on the bill will be held virtually on February 3^rd. 

 

The long sordid history for the ESF is entering a new phase. The ESF was once the quintessential multiple use managed forest producing upwards of 50 Million Board Feet per year while providing a verdant scenic and recreational spot amongst the most productive Douglas fir forestland in the world.

 

Now, after a new Forest Management Plan and Federally approved Habitat Conservation Plan, the ESRF is expected to produce timber harvests of 17 MMBF/year. The multi-party committee that developed the concept to turn the ESF into a research forest anticipated limited timber harvests as part of the research. It will be interesting to see if these science-based timber harvests are challenged by folks who can’t accept that proper forest management requires periodic harvests.

 

Here are links to supporting documents from the legislative hearing on February 1, 2022:

State Land Board Letter

ESRF Advisory Committee Letter 

OSU’s ESRF Proposal

 

Elliott Saga Continues

Elliott Saga Continues

State Treasurer Tobias Read’s 2019 idea to turn the Elliott State Forest over to Oregon State University for a research forest has hit numerous roadblocks, none bigger than OSU deciding that the risks of ownership due to expected legal challenges over any timber harvests are too great. Read is now running for Governor and would like to see his idea go forward.

 

A Department of State Lands Advisory Committee, made up of stakeholders, OSU and DSL representatives has been overseeing a process that would keep the ESRF in public hands. The Committee is now developing Legislative Concepts for the February 2022 short legislative session. Legislation is needed to create an entity that governs the Elliott State Research Forest, where OSU will conduct the research on the massive 84,000 acre forest.

 

Still to be determined is where or how  the $121 million will come from to decouple the ESRF from its Constitutional tie to the Common School Fund. Also, the Committee decided a new appraisal would be timely. Since timber values have increased dramatically since the Pandemic it’s likely the price tag will increase.

 

DSL is overseeing the development of an Endangered Species ACT Habitat Conservation Plan for the Elliott that will determine the allowable timber sale quantity. Previous attempts by the Department of Forestry to develop an HCP failed to get Federal Agency buy-in during both Republican and Democratic Administrations. Good luck this time.

 

The ESRF will need to generate funds for research projects, road maintenance and fire protection. Not to mention maintaining public access to the forest.

 

Likely next steps include approval of legislative concepts for creating the ESRF and a governing body for this new public entity. Just as important is securing $121 million. Stay tuned.

 

The Elliott State Forest is a step closer to becoming an 80,000-acre research forest after the State Land Board voted in favor of Oregon State University’s proposal.

 

Controversial forestry experiment will be largest-ever in United States