Named for the state's first state forester Francis Elliott, the Elliott State Forest is a state forest in the coast range regions of Coos and Douglas counties, between Coos Bay and Reedsport. The Department of State Lands and Oregon State University are working on a plan to transform the Elliott State Forest into a publicly owned research forest.

The Elliott State Forest is overseen by the three-member Oregon State Land Board, which consists of the Governor, the State Treasurer and the Secretary of State. In 2018, the State Land Board asked the Department of State Lands to look into the possibility of working with Oregon State University to make the Elliott State Forest a publicly owned research forest. Key elements of a research forest proposal have now been drafted with the help of advisory committees, Tribes, state and local governments, stakeholders, and the public. Interested persons can participate in the process by sharing thoughts on how this forest can best serve the varied needs of our state while fulfilling our constitutional obligations.

Several years ago, under heavy environmental regulations, the Elliott State Forest at one point generated negative revenue, as it cost more to maintain than it was generating in timber sales. Environmentalist backed Democrats in the state legislature have been working to "sell" the forest back to the state and to place the forest into some sort of conservation status. The research plan is widely seen as part of that process.

Article VIII, Section 2 of the Oregon Constitution says that

(1) The sources of the Common School Fund are:
. . .
(a) The proceeds of all lands granted to this state for educational purposes, except the lands granted to aid in the establishment of institutions of higher education under the Acts of February 14, 1859 and July 2, 1862
. . .
(2) All revenues derived from the sources mentioned in subsection (1) of this section shall become a part of the Common School Fund.

There will be two remote presentation and Q&A sessions about the draft plan with Department of State Lands and Oregon State University on October 26th and November 5th, as well as informal drop-in Zoom sessions that will occur on October 27th, 29th, November 4th and 6th. All of these sessions are open to the public.

Department of State Lands has created a website where you can find details for the draft proposal, information on the remote sessions, and ways to provide feedback. The Department asks that feedback be provided by November 13th in order to prepare for the State Land Board meeting on December 8th, where we will make a determination on next steps for this forest.

Photo courtesy Oregon Department of Forestry - Elliott State Forest


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2020-10-25 08:22:00

Last Update: 2020-10-23 20:03:30