Oregon Loggers Outraged Over Secretary’s Decision to Cut the WOPR

Odell lake sits along the crest of the Oregon Cascades, near Wilamette Pass. Courtesy of Flickr.com.

Not everyone is cheering Interior Secretary Ken Salazar’s decision to “withdraw” the Western Oregon Plan Revisions, which rezoned 2.6 million acres of federal public forests in Oregon as part of conserving the habitat of the northern spotted owl. The rezoning- now gone- was also a boom for the region’s logging industry.

Jim Geisinger, executive vice president of Associated Oregon Loggers, said, “We really believe what the secretary did was a breach of public trust. That Bureau of Land Management plan was five years in the making and complied with all of the requirements of the Administrative Procedures Act as well as the National Environmental Policy Act.

“There was extensive public input and for the secretary to just withdraw the record of decision arbitrarily really is unprecedented. It is unfortunate that the secretary wouldn’t even allow the plan to be presented to a court for a decision.”

Salazar explained his reasoning for the withdraw, saying, “We have carefully reviewed the lawsuits filed against the WOPR and it is clear that as a result of the previous administration’s late actions, the plan cannot stand up in court and, if defended, could lead to years of fruitless litigation and inaction.”

He elaborated that last year, the Bush administration decided that it would not complete consultation under the Endangered Species Act before finalizing a plan for the management of the forests of western Oregon.

Salazar further expressed that “the decision not to complete the consultation on the plan’s possible effects on species like the spotted owl was based on a legally indefensible process.”

Northern spotted owl. By John and Karen Hollingsworth.

The lawsuit was filed by the non-profit public interest law firm EarthJustice on behalf of thirteen conservation and fisheries protection organizations. Elated by the decision, Kristen Boyles, an attorney with the firm said, “We’re grateful that our citizens’ legal challenge could stop this plan. Instead of a sea of stumps, we will now have healthy forests, healthy streams and salmon, and a rebounding economy.”

For a little history to understand the issue a bit more, the 2008 Northern Spotted Owl Recovery Plan said that the network of 133 owl conservation areas- totaling nearly 6.9 million acres- west of the Cascade Mountains’ crest were subject to “severe natural disturbance pattern” from the east side, such as forest fires and insect damage. It was recommended to shift the spotted owl habitat patches further west.

The shift in habitat gave the logging industry millions of new viable acres of timber to harvest, but now with the withdraw of the WOPR, the BLM forests in western Oregon will again be managed under the Northwest Forest Plan, which guided timber sales from 1994 until December 2008.

Ned Farquhar, acting assitant secretary of Land and Minerals Management, stated that forest restoration and timber harvest are dual, comptaible goals.

“We can support a strong and sutainable forest industry by focusing on thinning, forest restoration projects, and certain types of regeneration harvests,” said Farquhar.

In the area of commercial thinning, the BLM is working on a number of projects, including the following:

• River Camp: In August, the Eugene District plans to offer a restoration thinning sale, called the River Camp timber sale. In addition, the 290 acres of commercial thinning is expected to result in approximately 3.8 million board feet of timber for local forest product facilities. This sale is expected to provide approximately 38 to 76 jobs while underway.
• Yamaha: In August, the Salem District intends to offer another forest enhancement project. The Yamaha project is expected to thin trees on 159 acres and produce 3.8 million board feet of timber. Following harvest operations, approximately 1.2 miles of existing road is expected to be decommissioned. The project could help create or maintain approximately 38 to 76 jobs.
• Seeley Creek South: In September, the Eugene District plans to offer the Seeley Creek South timber sale, a thinning project intended to provide economic benefits for local communities under the Northwest Forest Plan. The Riparian Reserves area contained within the sale is expected to also be thinned to develop large wood structural components within these riparian areas, with the goal of enhancing fish habitat for the long term. This sale is expected to thin approximately 379 acres of previously managed young stands, and provide 5.8 million board feet of timber for local forest product facilities. This project could help create or maintain approximately 58 to 116 jobs.