| Press Release |
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| August 21, 2008 |
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Governor Calls for New Approach to Federal Forest Management Plan
Unhealthy forests and the absence of federal forest payments intensify urgent need for a plan that restores forest health and predictable revenue streams for rural counties
(Klamath Falls) – Governor Ted Kulongoski today examined federal and private forest land in Klamath and Lake counties where tree death is occurring on a massive scale due to insect infestation, an epidemic that is compounded by older, dense forest conditions.
The purpose of the visit was to highlight the urgent need for a federal forest management plan that restores forest health, reduces fire risk and provides a sustainable resource for Oregon’s long-term economic viability. The Governor believes forests can be sustainably managed for today, and for future generations, while also protecting old growth, endangered species and water quality.
“We have been debating the utilitarian and aesthetic functions of our forest lands for over 100 years. It is time to end this debate and find common ground. We’re a lightening strike away from a potential disaster,” Governor Kulongoski said. “Without action, insect damage and costly forest fires will continue to occur, wasting a precious natural resource that should be providing a steady stream of revenues for our rural counties that have few, if any, alternatives.”
The diseased and dying trees the Governor examined today are suffering from mountain pine beetle infestations. Several hundred thousand acres of land in Klamath and Lake Counties are affected, and some of the current outbreaks are the largest and most severe in recorded history.
The consequences of unhealthy forests include increased fire risks, the costs to taxpayers of fighting wildfires and economic losses to private landowners and Oregon counties. The acreage burned in the United States of the last twenty years is the highest on record during the past century.
“The absence of federal forest payments and the continued decline of Oregon’s timber industry have created economic distress in our rural counties,” the Governor said. “We can develop a management plan to provide sustainable, predictable streams of timber to rural communities, while also nurturing healthy forests that help us in the fight against global warming.”
According to the U.S. Forest Service, the most effective way to prevent the spreading of the insect infestation is through thinning to reduce density and diversify the age of the trees.
The Governor made it clear that Oregon is a willing partner toward developing and implementing improved management practices on federal lands, and offered the state-supported Lakeview Biomass project as a good example.
Through Oregon Solutions, a program created by the Legislature to facilitate collaboration, the Lakeview Stewardship Group is working to restore forest lands while also creating an opportunity for economic growth by bringing a biomass facility to Lakeview. Key partners include Collins Company, the U.S. Forest Service, Friends of the Fremont-Winema National Forest and Defenders of Wildlife. This project has the potential to create 140,000 tons of biomass.
“By collaborating with public and private partners using the Oregon Solutions process, the Lakeview Biomass Project has the potential to become a model for other communities across the state,” the Governor said. “It’s time to end the debate and for the U.S. Congress to join Oregon in this collaborative, solutions-oriented spirit.”
Contact:
Anna Richter Taylor, 503-378-6169
Rem Nivens, 503-378-6496
Jillian Schoene, 503-378-5040
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