Among other things, House Bill (HB) 3226, heard by the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee on April 30th, would radically revise by statute the private forest management standards of the Oregon Forest Practices Act (FPA). The requirements that would be imposed include growth of late successional reserves, wide riparian areas off-limits to logging, an expanded list of resources to be maintained and inventoried, and other standards more suitable to parks or public lands reserved for wildlife. AOC believes that different ownerships of forestlands serve different purposes within Oregon, each type of forestland having its place of value to the state. HB 3226 would seek to change the purpose and character of privately owned forestlands operating productively and responsibly under the Oregon Forest Practices Act. Standards under the FPA should be improved after careful study and consideration, as they are currently under the Board of Forestry procedures, not by sweeping legislative fiat.
Contributed by: Gil Riddell | AOC Policy Director