The Oregon Logging Conference (OLC) urges the Governor of Oregon, the Oregon State Legislature, the Oregon Board of Forestry, and the State Forester, to support the trust land counties and adopt interim implementation plans increasing annual harvest volumes on these state lands.
WHEREAS, under the State Forest/County Forest Trust Land program, which includes the Tillamook, Clatsop, Santiam, and Sun Pass State Forests, lands deeded to 15 Oregon counties totaling an area comprising 657,000 acres to the state with the explicit purpose of an unprecedented reforestation project;
WHEREAS, the Oregon Supreme Court held that the counties retained enforceable interests in these lands;
WHEREAS, since the beginning of State Forests/County Forest Trust Lands, the conveying counties have remained collaborative and productive partners with the State Forester and Board, and Department of Forestry;
WHEREAS, the publicly held expectation has been that once these lands became fully productive, revenues from them would be essential to local public services such as schools, public health and safety, and greatly increased opportunities for employment in and development of local communities;
WHEREAS, the 15 forest trust land counties accepted with reservations the adoption by the Board of Forestry of structure-based management and the State Forest Management Plans in year 2001;
WHEREAS, the governing bodies of the 15 trust land counties have a fiduciary responsibility to their constituents;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, the members of the Oregon Logging Conference request that the Governor of Oregon, the Oregon State Legislature, the Oregon Board of Forestry, and the State Forester adopt interim implementation plans to increase the annual harvest volumes on the State Trust Lands.