coos
may
Where: Honey Bear Campground, Ophir
Date: Thursday, May 22
Time: 6:00 social time, 6:30 dinner, 7:00 Program
Speaker: Ellen Goheen, USDA Forest Service
Topic: Sudden Oak Death
RSVP: Monday, May 19, Rick Spring (), 756.4669.
Ellen Goheen is a plant pathologist with USDA Forest Service. She is stationed at the Southwest Oregon Forest Insect and Disease Service Center at the J. Herbert Stone Nursery in Central Point, Oregon.
The Southwest Oregon Forest Insect and Disease Service Center (SWOFIDSC) provides on-the-ground forest insect and disease-related assistance to federal resource managers in southwestern Oregon. Our clients include the Rogue River, Siskiyou and Umpqua National Forests, the Medford, Roseburg and Coos Bay Bureau of Land Management Districts, and the Oregon Caves National Monument. Services we provide include training, technical assistance, field consultations, modeling, risk assessments, and historical information. The Center was established in 1994 when pathology and entomology assistance was moved to Central Point from the USDA Forest Service Regional Office in Portland.
Ellen has worked on forest health protection in the Pacific Northwest since 1983. She is the lead plant pathologist for the US Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region's Sudden Oak Death program.
april meeting recap
Our April speakers were George Swanson with Oregon State University College of Forestry, Adam Nay an OSU Senior Forest Management Student, and Lisa Perry with Humboldt State University.
George gave an impressive and motivational presentation on the preparation for obtaining a degree in forestry. He went over several different occupations within the field and talked about the variable benefit packages, salary potentials, and specifications for these various careers. He touched on the current economics of working with a GED or high school diploma and the current salaries associated with those numbers. George pointed out the option of taking classes at a junior/ community college in preparation for a university education and referred to scholarship opportunities at OSU. Lastly, he mentioned the level of income that is currently classified as poverty level and the annual income that falls into that economic bracket.
Adam Nay spoke about his experiences in college, and really appealed to these young folks in how starting at the community college level helped him, and gave some information about student loans and grants.
Lisa Perry closed the show with a wonderful and inspiring talk on how much there will actually be a need for foresters in the near future in several different careers. She described the employment opportunities and scholarship opportunities available to students. She also covered some of the same material as George Swanson such as core classes, salary potential, benefit packages, and career paths.
natural resource days
Once again the Natural Resource Educations Days for the local 5th graders was a great success. The near perfect weather allowed 210 students to engage in natural resource activities such as measuring tree heights, tree identification, wildlife populations, soils and much more. The NR planning group wanted to give big thanks to all the volunteer instructors from the Coos SAF Chapter. We could not have done it with out your support and enthusiasm to help educate students about the importance of our surrounding natural resources. Hope to see you again next year!
THANKS TO:
Gloria Clary
Dick Heaney
Darren Mahr
Estella Morgan
Ron Ray
Craig Richards
Bruce Schlaebitz
Rick Spring
Matt Wells
employment opportunities
There is a job opening at BLM for a forest technician to work as a cruiser/appraiser. The announcement is for a GS-5/6/7, but full performance level is GS-9. For more information go to www.usajobs.gov and search job announcement OR-DEU-2008-0178 or call Estella Morgan at 751.4422. Announcement closes May 19.
Starker Forests Inc. is hiring a Forester in Corvallis, Oregon. Interested and qualified individuals should submit a resume and cover letter to Marc Vomocil, Starker Forests Inc., PO Box 809, Corvallis Or 97339, or the process closes June 6.
2008 chaper officers
Chair Craig Richards (), 267.2872
Chair-Elect Eric Gerkhe (), 267.9328
Secretary: Jerry Phillips (), 267.6178
Treasurer: Bruce Schlaebitz (), 267.1853
Delegate-at-Large: Rick Spring (), 756.4669 or 670.8679 (c)
Please send articles for the newsletter and/or comments to Estella Morgan (), newsletter editor.
----------------------------------Timber Harvest on Federal Forests: A Positive Response to the Expiration of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 (PL 106-393)
A position of the Coos Chapter, Oregon Society of American Foresters (OSAF) (pdf version)
With the expiration of PL 106-393, the Coos Chapter of the OSAF advocates increases in timber harvests on federal forest lands (BLM and USFS) to promote a stronger and better integrated balance between social, economic and environmental values in the management of these lands. This approach will provide funds needed by counties to support schools, roads and services such as law enforcement; it will emphasize active management to promote forest health and provide the multiple values Congress intended to achieve on federal forests; it will support the local milling and manufacturing infrastructure, provide family wage jobs, and promote long term intergenerational community stability. The U.S. is now experiencing very large trade and budget deficits. Increases in timber harvest from federal lands can help reduce the import of foreign wood products and these deficits. Increasing the timber supply from federal lands can enhance the forest products industry, employment, and favorably affect local economies through the economic multiplier effect, and reduce or eliminate county dependency on federal appropriations.
Issue
On January 3, 2007 the Coos County Commissioners announced that, because the federal Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act (PL 106-393) had expired and its mandated payments to counties lost, the county would be forced to layoff nearly one-quarter of its work force. This reduction is expected to severely impact most government services provided by the county, including law enforcement, social services and many others. Congressional representatives are actively trying to renew this federal program but it may only be restored at a lower funding level or for a short period of time. These serious developments are occurring at a time when local federal forests have an increasing amount of standing timber that could benefit from active management to promote forest health, diverse habitats, and reduced wildfire hazards.
Background (See Selected References 3 and 4)
Congress enacted in 1908 and subsequently amended a law (35 Stat. 251, 260) that requires 25 percent of the revenues derived from National Forest System lands be paid to local counties in which the lands are situated, for the benefit of public schools and roads. Similarly, in 1937, Congress enacted and subsequently amended a law (O&C Act) that requires that 75 percent of the revenues from O&C lands in western Oregon managed by the BLM and USFS be distributed to the counties based on the (counties) proportionate assessed land value in 1915. These funds were not considered a "gift" but rather reflected the recognition by Congress that extensive federal lands deprived local counties of property taxes and other revenues they would otherwise receive if the lands were in private ownership.
For over half a century, Coos and other counties received significant revenue from the sale of timber from the lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management. These funds thus were an established and important part of the budget foundation for county services to its citizens. Beginning in the 1990s, however, legal decisions and appeals involving the Endangered Species Act and other policies dramatically reduced federal timber harvest in the region. In the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993, Congress recognized this trend and ameliorated its adverse effects with an alternative annual "safety net" payment to 72 counties in Oregon, Washington, and northern California where Federal timber sales had been restricted or prohibited by administrative and judicial decisions.
Also in the1990s, the Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP) was developed under five key guiding principles: "never forget human and economic dimensions of issues; protect long-term health of forests, wildlife and waterways; focus on scientifically sound, ecologically credible and legally responsible strategies and implementation; produce a predictable and sustainable level of timber sales and non-timber resources; ensure that Federal agencies work together". After 10 years of application, however, there remains a high degree of dissatisfaction with this plan. Some have disagreed with efforts to modify or reduce management restrictions under the NWFP while others have been concerned that the continued lawsuits, appeals and rigid requirements have led to only about one-third of the planned timber harvest volume of 1 billion board feet per year. Clearly, the Northwest Forest Plan has not produced the balanced integration of social, economic and environmental values that was its original goal. The fiscal crisis that many counties are now experiencing is an obvious reflection of this failure.
The 1993 Act (above) that provided payments to counties was scheduled to expire in 2000, Congress then passed PL 106-393 - The Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000. This legislation directed $1.3 billion over a 6 year period to be paid to Oregon counties for education, roads and county services, but it was allowed to expire in 2006 and with no replacement legislation these payments to the counties have ended.
Conclusion
The expiration of PL 106-393 precipitated the current funding crisis for Coos county, but the root cause of this situation has been the dramatic reduction in federal timber harvests from the 1980's to the present in Oregon (i.e., from an average of 4 billion board feet to less than 400 million board feet). Complicating the renewal or replacement of PL 106-393 is the very large budget deficit our country is now experiencing, which is a critical and much broader issue. In the near term, the Coos SAF chapter supports new legislation similar to PL 106-393 to alleviate the immediate crisis. Over the long term, however, new federal legislation is needed to establish timber harvest levels that balance social, economic and environmental values in a much more effective and sustainable manner.
Selected References
1. Oregon SAF. 2007. Commercial timber harvest on public lands in Oregon - A position of the Oregon Society of American Foresters. Adopted February 1, 2007. 2 p.
2. Oregon SAF. 2003. Active management to achieve and maintain healthy forests - A position of the Oregon Society of American Foresters. Adopted September19, 2003. 2 p.
3. Public Law 106 - 393, 106th Congress. October 30, 2000. Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000. Section 2 - Findings And Purposes.
4. Regional Ecosystem Office Website. 2006. Northwest Forest Plan Overview.
Adopted by the Executive Committee of the Coos Chapter, OSAF. August 7, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: To Help Solve The Current Fiscal Crisis in Coos County, the Coos Chapter of the Society of American Foresters Proposes a Balanced Increase in Timber Harvest From Federal Forest Land.
With the expiration of PL 106-393 (Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000), the Coos Chapter of the Oregon Society of American Foresters advocates increased timber harvests on federal forest lands (BLM and USFS) to promote a strong integrated balance of social, economic and environmental values in the management of these lands.
This approach will provide funds needed by counties to support schools, roads and services such as law enforcement. It will emphasize active management to promote forest health and provide the multiple values Congress intended to achieve on federal forests. It will support the local milling and manufacturing infrastructure, provide family wage jobs, and promote long term forest health along with inter generational community stability.
The U.S. is now experiencing very large trade and budget deficits. Increases in timber harvest from federal lands can help reduce the need for importing foreign wood products that contribute to an imbalance in trade. Increasing the timber supply from federal lands can sustain the forest products industry, employment, and favorably affect local economies through the economic multiplier effect, and reduce or eliminate county dependency on federal appropriations and the budget deficit.
To learn more about the Coos Chapter's Position Statement proposing increases in federal timber harvest visit the chapter's web site.
The Society of American Foresters (SAF) is the national scientific and educational organization representing the forestry profession in the United States. Founded in 1900 by Gifford Pinchot, it is the largest professional society for foresters in the world. The mission of the Society of American Foresters is to advance the science, education, technology, and practice of forestry; to enhance the competency of its members; to establish professional excellence; and, to use the knowledge, skills, and conservation ethic of the profession to ensure the continued health and use of forest ecosystems and the present and future availability of forest resources to benefit society.
For Further Information Contact: Darren Mahr (), Chapter Chair at or Jim Nielsen (), Chapter Policy Chair.