A Resolution Supporting State-Wide Laws Governing the Legal and Responsible Use of Forest Herbicides for Sustainable Forest Management in Oregon’s Forest. By the Oregon Logging Conference. February 25, 2016
WHEREAS, the Pacific Northwest has a natural advantage when it comes to growing forests. Deep soil, temperate climate, and an abundance of rain make this one of the best places in the world to cultivate trees, especially the sturdy evergreens we use to build our homes and office buildings, and
WHEREAS, the Pacific Northwest is one of the few places on Earth where this can be done with fast growing plantations consisting of native species. It is the job of professional foresters and loggers to ensure that we grow and harvest these trees in a responsible manner, respecting the ecological niche in which we live and the needs of society, and
WHEREAS, controlling weeds and unwanted vegetation reduces competition with young trees. Professionally trained and licensed applicators use herbicides to control invasive plants in a legal, responsible manner to protect young forests, to promote healthy forest growth, and to help control invasive species such as ivy, blackberry, and Scotch broom that rob nutrients and sunlight from native trees, and
WHEREAS, young trees are the most vulnerable to competition from unwanted vegetation, and without herbicide use they take much longer to grow. Foresters and loggers use herbicides sparingly in the first few years of tree growth to give seedlings the best chance to thrive, and then not again until the next generation of forest is planted, and
WHEREAS, The Oregon Forest Practices Act governs the use of forest herbicides at the state-wide level across all private forestland ownerships, and requires protecting water quality by buffering all forest streams and domestic water sources. And, with the recent passage of HB 3549 by the 2015 Legislative Assembly, schools and dwellings in a forest setting are protected by a 60 foot buffer during aerial applications of herbicides.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Oregon Logging Conference go on record in support of state-wide laws that govern the legal and responsible use of forest herbicides for sustainable forest management in Oregon’s forests.