An iconic swathe of old growth forest in west Polk County is among the 2.5 million acres the Bureau of Land Management has proposed for a logging ramp-up meant to expand domestic timber production. The Valley of the Giants, home to some of the largest and oldest trees on Oregon’s Coast Range, is renowned for the titanic Douglas firs and Western Hemlocks that compose its canopy. It was recognized as an Outstanding Natural Area and an Area of Critical Environmental Concern by the BLM in 1976. …Now, the agency has identified Valley of the Giants as one of several old growth forests that may fall under President Trump’s logging expansion… The announcement has drawn support from the state timber industry and the ire of environmental groups, but the expansion of logging rights is not a done deal. The BLM is accepting public comment on the proposal via email and on the federal register until March 23.
