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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Emergency services Ashland alum Ann Curry to leave NBC, go independent Veteran K-9 retires after catching 91 suspects Medford man sentenced for sexually abusing incapacitated friend Historic U.S. Hotel subject of debate Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency services Veteran K-9 retires after catching 91 suspects Medford man sentenced for sexually abusing incapacitated friend Police still looking for Christopher Sellars Deputies investigate report of home-invasion rape in White City Politics and Elections Oregon Legislature convenes, session starts Feb. 12 Councilman stirs online dust-up with anti-marijuana post State certifies recount showing failure of GMO-labeling measure Education Ashland schools expand chickenpox exclusion rules Former Medford school board member Paulie Brading dies Ashland robotics team aims to build a winner Design and innovation program proposed at Talent Middle School College on the K-12 dime Environment New wandering wolf arrives in Southern Oregon OR-7 now officially the leader of his pack Ashland trails up for changes Monument expansion expected to increase tourism, protect resources Biologist resigns over LNG reporting failure State News New wandering wolf arrives in Southern Oregon Purchase will transfer large Central Oregon ranch to BLM Kitzhaber focuses on inequality in inauguration speech Oregon Legislature convenes, session starts Feb. 12 Oregon State University plans $60 million forestry complex Nation - World Obama makes Maduro’s ‘insolent Yankees’ line harder to sell Obituaries Robert (Bob) Merlyn Fasel Audrey Nyoda Kerr - Delora Lay Van Horn Donnalee Bell Norman D. 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New wandering wolf arrives in Southern Oregon ... Veteran K-9 retires after catching 91 suspects ... Ashland alum Ann Curry to leave NBC, go independent ... New wandering wolf arrives in Southern Oregon ... Veteran K-9 retires after catching 91 suspects ... GUEST OPINION Guest Opinion: Reforms needed to build upon John Day's success Comment By Nick Smith MailTribune.com By Nick Smith Posted Jan. 13, 2015 @ 12:01 am By Nick Smith Posted Jan. 13, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Social News The Mail Tribune recently highlighted the success of the Blue Mountains Forest Partners in restoring federal forests and creating rural timber jobs in John Day. It’s a unique example of how collaboration can be successful when different people share an earnest desire to find solutions for our economy and environment. After two decades of forest gridlock, many Oregonians rightfully desire a positive path forward for our forested communities. Unfortunately, collaborative efforts are undermined when those not sitting at the table sue and stop projects supported by local communities, federal agencies, and sound science. Furthermore, the costs of preparing and implementing forest projects, and defending those projects from lawsuits, are highly prohibitive. In fact, the project required extra money from Congress to make it a reality. For these reasons the success story in John Day has not been replicated elsewhere in Oregon. As long as the current system of federal forest management continues to encourage costly litigation and obstruction, the ability of the Blue Mountains Forest Partners to harvest more timber on the Malheur will be an exception to the rule. Just last month, fringe environmental groups were successful in halting Northeastern Oregon’s Snow Basin project that sought to restore over 28,000 acres on the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. The court decision invalidated a key component of the plan, reached by an ad-hoc collaborative group, allowing the removal of larger fir trees to promote the health of native pine species. While the decision hasn’t received much attention, it could have a major impact on future restoration efforts throughout the region, even on the vaunted Malheur. Closer to home, successful collaboration has been especially elusive in improving the management of Western Oregon’s O&C forests. Gov. John Kitzhaber was unable to achieve consensus through his O&C Task Force, and west-side collaboratives have produced few results. Despite efforts to bring diverse stakeholders together, timber harvest projects on O&C forests are frequently litigated. This is true even on the type of light-touch, “ecological forestry” projects promoted by Sen. Ron Wyden. Meanwhile, the absence of active management has made O&C forests more vulnerable to wildfire, insects and disease. The steep decline of timber harvests has resulted in high unemployment and poverty rates in forested communities. The possible loss of county timber payments, originally intended to compensate counties for the loss of timber receipts, threatens to completely decimate essential public services. Only Congress can provide a long-lasting solution to fix these problems. The primary factors limiting the ability to restore our rural economy and the health of federal forests are litigation, administrative appeals and the cost and time required for the federal agencies to satisfy the analysis paralysis that drives federal forest management today. Now that Congress has reconvened, it’s essential they again extend county timber payments. At the same time they must also provide a permanent solution that generates sufficient timber harvests, legal certainty against abusive lawsuits, and sufficient timber-generated revenues for counties over the long term. Congress can also support forest collaboratives where they’re successful. If consensus-building is truly a model for the future, it’s time the federal government elevated the status of local stakeholder groups to ensure their decisions are implemented and not litigated. The forest blueprint in John Day may not work everywhere, though it demonstrates a greater awareness and need to improve the health of our forests and rural communities. As we continue to encourage these collaborative efforts, congressional reforms are needed more than ever to restore forests and rural jobs on a wider basis. Nick Smith is executive director of Healthy Forests, Healthy Communities, a nonprofit organization based in Roseburg that advocates for federal forest reforms. ________________________________________ By Nick Smith MailTribune.com By Nick Smith Posted Jan. 13, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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