Federal budget bill would boost logging — but cut funds to Oregon timber counties

By April Ehrlich
Oregon Public Broadcasting
July 1, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

The Republican-backed budget bill that passed in the U.S. Senate Tuesday authorizes dramatic increases to logging on federal lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management. But Oregon counties won’t see most of those revenues if the bill clears the U.S. House unchanged. “Rural counties, all counties that receive timber revenue from the Forest Service and the BLM will lose,” said Doug Robertson, executive director of the O&C Counties Association, a group that supports Oregon timber counties. …Counties can’t collect property taxes from federal lands that are within their boundaries, which leaves many counties with limited options to raise local taxes to pay for schools, law enforcement and public infrastructure. …Oregon counties have typically gone with Secure Rural Schools, since it provides more funding. That funding expired in 2023. …Counties wouldn’t see any of the revenues from those long-term sales.

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