Elliott State Forest

Last updated

Elliott State Forest
Elliott State Forest.jpg
Elliott State Forest, November 2013
Elliott State Forest
TypeState forest, park
Location Coos and Douglas counties, Oregon United States
Nearest city Reedsport and Coos Bay
Coordinates 43°35′05″N124°01′04″W / 43.58472°N 124.01778°W / 43.58472; -124.01778 [1]
Area93,000 acres (380 km2)
Created1930
Operated by Oregon Department of Forestry

Elliott State Forest is a state forest in Coos and Douglas counties of the U.S. state of Oregon, between Coos Bay and Reedsport in the Oregon Coast Range. [2] The first state forest established in Oregon, it is named after the state's first state forester Francis Elliott. [3] Trees commonly found in this forest are the Douglas-fir, western hemlock, western redcedar, bigleaf maple, and red alder. [4]

Contents

More than 90 percent of the Elliott State Forest forms part of Oregon Common School Fund (CSF) lands devoted to supporting public education statewide. The Oregon Department of Forestry manages the CSF lands for the Oregon State Land Board, composed of Oregon's governor, secretary of state, and treasurer. Timber revenue from logging in the Elliott State Forest has generated about $284 million for schools since 1955. [3] (sourced to a dead link)

Climate

Climate data for Elliott State Forest
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Average high °F (°C)51.9
(11.1)
54.8
(12.7)
57.6
(14.2)
60.5
(15.8)
64.9
(18.3)
68.7
(20.4)
72.5
(22.5)
72.9
(22.7)
71.8
(22.1)
65.6
(18.7)
55.9
(13.3)
51.0
(10.6)
62.3
(16.8)
Average low °F (°C)36.6
(2.6)
37.5
(3.1)
38.8
(3.8)
40.4
(4.7)
44.5
(6.9)
48.2
(9.0)
51.2
(10.7)
51.2
(10.7)
47.5
(8.6)
43.4
(6.3)
39.7
(4.3)
36.2
(2.3)
42.9
(6.1)
Average precipitation inches (mm)11.80
(300)
9.13
(232)
8.08
(205)
5.20
(132)
3.49
(89)
2.29
(58)
0.57
(14)
0.91
(23)
2.13
(54)
4.77
(121)
10.10
(257)
10.52
(267)
68.99
(1,752)
Average snowfall inches (cm)0.1
(0.25)
0.6
(1.5)
0.1
(0.25)
0.1
(0.25)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0.3
(0.76)
1.2
(3.0)
Source: [5]

History

A management plan, adopted in 1995, called for 25 million board feet from 1,000 acres (400 ha), half of it clearcut. A new management plan adopted by the land board in October 2011 aimed to increase annual net revenue from the forest to $13 million, up from $8 million. This would be achieved by increasing the annual timber harvest to 40 million board feet culled from 1,100 acres (450 ha), of which about three-fourths could be clearcut. [6] [7]

The plan also changed the way in which the forest is managed to protect threatened and endangered species such as spotted owls and marbled murrelets. Supporters of the new plan say it will benefit wildlife by making more acres off-limits to logging than had been reserved for owls, murrelets, and watershed protection under the old plan. Opponents of the plan say it will damage habitat and harm wildlife. They would prefer a plan that promotes thinning of young trees, avoids clear-cutting, and seeks other ways of raising revenue from the CSF lands. [6]

At the February 2017 meeting of the Oregon State Land Board (OSLB) in Salem the board voted 2 to 1 in favor of amending the Protocol, the formalized process of sale. Additionally, the Oregon Department of State Lands (DSL) director Jim Paul was instructed to prepare a plan for retained public ownership and to present that plan at the next OSLB meeting. [8] [9]

In 2012 and prior years, Elliott State Forest timber sales contributed substantial profits to the Common School Fund, typically on the order of $5 million per year. In 2013 and 2014, timber sales were below costs. Timber sales turned around in 2015 resulting in revenue of $0.7 million in 2015 [10] for the Common School Fund. At the meeting, DSL director Jim Paul announced the Elliott generated $1.3 million in revenue for the Common School Fund as a preliminary figure.

The value of Elliott State Forest was originally assessed at between $260 and $440 million, [11] prompting the DSL set its value at the midpoint, $360 million, according to Secretary of State Dennis Richardson at the meeting. Given the February 2017 amendments to the Protocol, the purchase proposal of $221 million created by Elliott Forest, LLC will require revision. Elliott Forest LLC has two members: a company in Roseburg with international investors known as Lone Rock Timber Management Company, and the Pacific Northwest Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians.

On May 9, 2017 the OSLB unanimously voted to cancel the sale process of the Elliott, ensuring that the forest would remain publicly owned. [12]

See also

Further reading

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Forest Service</span> Agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture

The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands covering 193 million acres (780,000 km2) of land. The major divisions of the agency are the Chief's Office, National Forest System, State and Private Forestry, Business Operations, as well as Research and Development. The agency manages about 25% of federal lands and is the sole major national land management agency not part of the U.S. Department of the Interior.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National forest (United States)</span> Classification of federal lands in the United States

In the United States, national forest is a classification of protected and managed federal lands that are largely forest and woodland areas. They are owned collectively by the American people through the federal government and managed by the United States Forest Service, a division of the United States Department of Agriculture. The U.S. Forest Service is also a forestry research organization which provides financial assistance to state and local forestry industry. There are 154 national forests in the United States.

The Department of State Lands (DSL), one of the oldest agencies of government of the U.S. state of Oregon, is principally responsible for the management of lands under state ownership, as its name implies. Unlike most other department-level state agencies, it is not headed by a sole elected official, but is the administrative arm of the Oregon State Land Board. Although established by the Constitution, subsequent statutes have added to its duties and authority, and include some provisions relating to its conduct. In addition to managing state-owned lands, the Board through the Department is responsible for the Common School Fund, off-shore lands and coastal estuarine tidelands, submerged and submersible lands of the navigable waterways, unclaimed property, estates with no heirs, and additional functions assigned by the Oregon Legislative Assembly from time to time. The Board decides cases, adopts rules, issues policy statements, and approves DSL recommendations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sustainable Timber Tasmania</span> Government of Tasmania owned enterprise

Forestry Tasmania trades as Sustainable Timber Tasmania but is still legally called Forestry Tasmania. It is a government business enterprise wholly owned by the Government of Tasmania, Australia. It is responsible for the management of public production forest in Tasmania, which is about 800,000 hectares of crown land that is classified as 'permanent timber production zone'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sustainable Forestry Initiative</span> North American forest certification standard

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) is a sustainability organization operating in the U.S. and Canada that works across four pillars: standards, conservation, community, and education. SFI was founded in 1994 by the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA). SFI is the world's largest single forest certification standard by area. SFI is headquartered in Ottawa and Washington, D.C.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Land use in Oregon</span> Laws affecting land ownership

Land use in Oregon concerns the evolving set of laws affecting land ownership and its restrictions in the U.S. state of Oregon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sun Pass State Forest</span> State Forest in Klamath County, Oregon, United States

Sun Pass State Forest is one of six state forests managed by the Oregon Department of Forestry. The forest is located 40 miles (64 km) north of Klamath Falls, Oregon near the southeastern corner of Crater Lake National Park. It is the largest single block of Oregon state forestry land east of the Cascade Mountains. The forest is managed as part of the Klamath-Lake District, comprising 21,317 acres (86.27 km2) of the 33,739 state-owned acres within the district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oregon Board of Forestry</span>

The Oregon Board of Forestry is responsible for forest policy and oversight of forest management practices within the state of Oregon. The board appoints the state forester and oversees the Oregon Department of Forestry. The board also works with private land owners and the Federal Government to promote consistent forest management policies throughout the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santiam State Forest</span> State forest in Oregon, United States

Santiam State Forest is one of six state forests managed by the Oregon Department of Forestry. The forest is located approximately 25 miles (40 km) southeast of Salem, Oregon, and includes 47,871 acres (193.73 km2) on the western slope of the Cascade Mountains in three Oregon counties: Clackamas, Linn, and Marion. It is bounded on the east by the Willamette National Forest and Mount Hood National Forest. Silver Falls State Park is located west of the forest. The rest of the land surrounding the forest belongs to the Bureau of Land Management or is privately owned. The forest is managed as part of the Department of Forestry's North Cascade District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tobias Read</span> American politician

Tobias Read is an American politician who is the current Oregon State Treasurer. He was a member of the Oregon House of Representatives, representing District 27 from 2007–2017, which comprises parts of Beaverton, southwest Portland, and unincorporated Multnomah and Washington Counties. He served as Speaker Pro Tempore and was formerly the Democratic Majority Whip.

The Montana Legacy Project is a three-phase purchase of more than 310,000 acres (1,300 km2) of land owned by Plum Creek Timber in northwestern Montana for conservation protection. The land is within the counties of Missoula, Mineral, Lake and Powell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gilchrist State Forest</span> State Forest in Klamath County, Oregon, United States

Gilchrist State Forest is the sixth and newest state forest in the U.S. state of Oregon. The forest is located in northern Klamath County near the community of Gilchrist and was officially dedicated on June 11, 2010. The forest sits along U.S. Route 97 and is 70,000 acres (28,000 ha) in size.

The Coos Bay Wagon Road Lands is land managed by the United States Bureau of Land Management. The land was originally granted to the Oregon & California Railroad to create a road between Coos Bay, Oregon, and Roseburg, Oregon. The land was reconveyed to the United States in 1937.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oregon and California Railroad Revested Lands</span> 2 million acres of land managed by the US BoLM

The Oregon and California Railroad Revested Lands, are approximately 2,600,000 acres (1,100,000 ha) of land located in eighteen counties of western Oregon. Originally granted to the Oregon & California Railroad to build a railroad between Portland, Oregon and San Francisco, California, the land was reconveyed to the United States government by act of Congress in 1916 and is currently managed by the United States Bureau of Land Management.

State trust lands were granted by the United States Congress to states upon entering the Union. These lands were designated to support essential public institutions which are primarily public schools. State trust land managers lease and sell these lands to generate revenue for current and future designated beneficiaries. Predominantly found in the western United States, 46 million acres of land are currently designated as trust lands and the proceeds from the lease and sale of these lands are distributed into a state's permanent fund and used for many purposes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barry Point Fire</span> Wildfire

The Barry Point Fire was a wildfire that burned over 92,977 acres (376.26 km2) of Oregon and California forest land during the summer of 2012. The fire began on 5 August 2012, the result of a lightning strike. The fire consumed public forest and rangeland as well as private forest and grazing land located in Lake County, Oregon and Modoc County, California. The public lands effected by the fire are administered by the United States Forest Service and the Oregon Department of Forestry. The largest part of the private land was owned by the Collins Timber Company. At the peak of the firefighting effort, there were 1,423 personnel working on the fire. It took 22 days to fully contain the fire and then an additional three weeks to mop it up.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Idaho Department of Lands</span>

The Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) is a state-level government agency of Idaho that manages State Trust Lands. IDL oversees forestry practices on state lands and some regulation of mining practices, as well as administering forestry programs and providing fire protection and prevention on state lands. IDL operates under the Idaho State Board of Land Commissioners and is the administrative arm of the Idaho Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.

The Southeast Alaska Conservation Council (SEACC) is a non-profit organization that focuses on protecting the lands and waters of Southeast Alaska. They promote conservation and advocate for sustainable natural resource management. SEACC is located in the capital city of Alaska, Juneau. The environmental organization focuses on concerns in the Southeast region of Alaska, including the areas of the Panhandle, the Tongass National Forest, and the Inside Passage.

The Victorian Plantations Corporation (VPC) of Victoria, Australia, was established under the State Owned Enterprises Act in May 1993, and by June 1993 was declared a State Business Corporation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sitka Sedge State Natural Area</span> Natural area in Tillamook County, Oregon, United States

Sitka Sedge State Natural Area is an estuary and beach on the north coast of the U.S. state of Oregon in Tillamook County. Sitka Sedge consists of 357 acres (144 ha) of tidal marsh, mudflats, dunes, forested wetlands, and uplands at the south end of the Sand Lake estuary, north of Tierra Del Mar.

References

  1. "Elliott State Forest". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. November 28, 1980. Retrieved February 29, 2012. These are the coordinates for the part of the forest within the Trail Butte map quadrangle.
  2. "Elliott State Forest". Oregon Department of Forestry. December 21, 2011. Archived from the original on March 2, 2011. Retrieved February 28, 2011.
  3. 1 2 "20092011 Backgrounder: Elliott State Forest" (PDF). Oregon Department of Forestry. Retrieved February 29, 2012.
  4. "Elliott State Forest, Oregon". Public Lands Information Center. Retrieved February 29, 2012.
  5. "Zipcode 97467". www.plantmaps.com. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  6. 1 2 Eric Mortenson (October 11, 2011). "Forest Plan OK'd Amid Hisses". The Oregonian. Portland.
  7. Andrew Theen (November 16, 2016). "Elliott State Forest: Timber company bands together with tribe for lone bid" . Retrieved February 15, 2017.
  8. "Land Board approves modification to potential sale of Elliott State Forest" (PDF). Oregon Dept State Lands. February 14, 2017. Retrieved February 15, 2017.
  9. "Land Board approves modification to potential sale of Elliott State Forest". KCBY. February 14, 2017. Retrieved February 15, 2017.
  10. "Elliott State Forest sale: Timber, threatened species and politics collide". Oregonian (newspaper). November 15, 2016. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  11. "Who's In The Mix To Buy Oregon's Elliott State Forest?". Oregon Public Broadcasting. December 16, 2015. Retrieved February 15, 2017.
  12. Gordon, Tim (April 16, 2022). "Oregon's oldest state forest will remain in public hands with compromise deal". KGW8. Retrieved April 18, 2022.