Oregon state forest logging targets proposed to improve certainty

By Mateusz Perkowski
Capital Press
March 7, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

SALEM — Annual logging targets would be established for Oregon’s state forests under a bill meant to provide more certainty for timber companies and county governments. However, opponents of House Bill 3103 argue the proposal would constrain the authority of state forestry officials and undermine environmental protections. The bill’s supporters counter that state and federal regulations would be factored into the “sustainable timber harvest level” calculated by the Oregon Department of Forestry. …Under the latest version of HB 3103, the ODF would estimate the volume of planned timber harvest from state forests at least once a decade, separated into annual increments. If the actual amount of logging falls below those targets, the ODF would have to make up that volume later, unless the shortfall is due to wildfires, diseases or winter storms. …The bill would also allow lawsuits seeking to compel the agency to establish logging targets and abide by harvest volumes if it doesn’t comply with those requirements.

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