Representative Cyrus Javadi (R-Tillamook) spearheads opposition to Department of Forestry's Habitat Conservation Plan initiating a letter signed by seven Representatives and Senators of rural and coastal communities. The letter, sent to Governor Kotek and the Department of Forestry (ODF), details opposition to the proposed Western Oregon Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP). Read the entire letter here.

"The HCP, as currently proposed, would devastate the North Coast," said Representative Javadi. "It would cost good-paying timber jobs and vital revenue that supports public safety services in Tillamook, Clatsop, and Columbia counties."

As proposed, the HCP would decrease harvest timber in North Coast forests by up to 35%. In a February 15 meeting, the Board of Forestry rejected a proposal that would have taken the plan back to the drawing board to balance the community's economic needs better.

The proposed reduction in timber harvest would gut local government budgets, with a total impact of nearly $8.5 million – the hardest hit being local school districts ($4.5 million) and Clatsop County ($3 million). That is equivalent to 12 full-time employees in local government public safety programs. According to the Oregon Forest Resources Institute, eleven (11) jobs are created for every million board feet of timber harvested. Thus, the HCP could instantly kill up to 275 family-wage jobs, putting local businesses that serve those forestry workers at risk.

"My first priority is to protect the North Coast from harmful policies from Salem and Portlandcentric policymakers," Javadi continued. "I have drafted priority legislation requiring ODF to do a full economic analysis and engage with various alternative plans before adopting one. This will ensure that the public knows how the ODF's actions impact their community."

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

LC 4295, as drafted, would require the ODF to consider other HCP Alternative plans and issue a detailed analysis of how ODF regulations impact local jobs. It will be formally introduced in the coming days.

The letter states, “We urge the ODF to explain and address the shortcomings of the recently released State Forest IPs and suggest removing the HCP constraints from the IPs until an HCP is adopted by the Board of Forestry (BOF). As representatives of the impacted communities, our view is that an alternative plan that achieves the harvest levels ODF claimed their HCP would produce would more appropriately consider the economic impacts of the HCP while also addressing conservation issues that must be rectified.”

“In conclusion, we urge you to direct ODF to improve the HCP to increase timber harvest volumes before it is too late. We believe that by working together, we can develop a plan that better serves our communities while providing adequate protection for sensitive wildlife.”


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2023-03-07 13:22:46

Last Update: 2023-03-07 23:47:33