Ways and Means Co-Chairs Release Updated 2017-19 Target Reduction Lists – Natural Resources Programs on the List

The Co-Chairs of the Joint Ways & Means Committee, Senator Richard Devlin and Representative Nancy Nathanson, released their second 2017-19 Target Reduction Lists, based on the March 2017 Revenue Forecast.

The original target lists were based on the December 2016 revenue forecast, and showed a “continuing service level” shortfall of $1.8 billion in the coming biennium. March brought news of a slight improvement to the deficit to $1.6 billion.

The Co-Chairs explain that the reduction targets exercise is necessary to be ready to balance the budget if there is no additional revenue available. They will go through this exercise again after results of the May forecast, the one traditionally used as the basis for the upcoming budget.

In budget terms, natural resources agencies represent the proverbial village weakling. The program area encompasses the work of 14 agencies across 30 programs, but make up two percent of the state’s combined general fund and lottery funds budget.

In addition to some fund shifts and administrative savings, the natural resources reduction target list includes:

– A 50 percent reduction in grant funding for water development feasibility studies ($400,000).
– Reduction of support for the Watershed Research Cooperative Trask Study ($300,000 for pass-through funding to cooperative partners; but retains internal Department of Forestry support). This ongoing work has been particularly meaningful to management policy decision-making for the County Forest Trust Lands.
– $400,000 less for salmon id monitoring by ODFW.
– Elimination of the Western Oregon Stream Restoration program ($1.1 million), which provides technical support to coastal watershed councils. Most of the program was eliminated in 2015-17.

Notably, the Federal Forest Restoration Program, which is the subject of a separate article, is once again not on the list for reduction.

Contributed by: Gil Riddell | AOC Public Lands & Natural Resources Policy Manager