Political Quotes

“The past several decades have been really hard on Oregon's forested communities as timber harvest from Federal lands dropped more than 90 percent because of, in part, litigation, lack of management, government regulation. Across the State, we have lost more than 300 forest product mills. They have closed. We have lost more than 30,000 forest-related jobs. This has left our communities in really bad shape, nearing bankruptcy in some cases in our counties, high poverty rates in our communities. Unemployment rates are high in these forested areas and, of course, we face, without active management, these enormous forest fires that contribute massively to the carbon buildup. Recently, the BLM released a proposed update to their two-decade, 20- year-old management plan in western Oregon. The vast majority of the forests covered by these plans are what are called O&C lands, which are managed by a very unique Federal statute called the O&C Act. That law calls for sustainable timber production and revenue to local counties. It is different than the other forest laws. Now, despite that clear mandate in Federal law, the BLM's proposal would allow for harvesting on about 22 percent is all, 22 percent of the land base. It would lock up the remainder in various reserves.…”