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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 Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW RVTD will add routes, restore service ... Jackson County assessor race will go to November run-off ... Strosser takes big lead over Breidenthal in Jackson County commissioner race ... RVTD will add routes, restore service ... Jackson County assessor race will go to November run-off ... Strosser takes big lead over Breidenthal in Jackson County commissioner race ... LAND MANAGEMENT Groups protest BLM plan for 2.5 million acres of Oregon forest Fishing advocates say reduction in streamside logging buffers endangers salmon habitat Comment By Andrew Selsky The Associated Press MailTribune.com By Andrew Selsky The Associated Press Posted May. 16, 2016 at 5:04 PM By Andrew Selsky The Associated Press Posted May. 16, 2016 at 5:04 PM » Social News SALEM — Conservation and fishing groups and an Indian tribe announced Monday they have filed protests against a draft federal proposal to manage 2.5 million acres of land in western Oregon — a plan that would allow logging to increase by more than a third and for trees to be felled closer to streams. Earthjustice and the Western Environmental Law Center, which filed a formal protest on Monday on behalf of 22 conservation and fishing groups, charged that the plan would increase clear-cutting and harm streamside forests. In its four-volume, 2,010-page proposal, the Bureau of Land Management said a revised plan is needed because of changes in timber management. Under the plan, timber that can be harvested will be increased by about 75 million more board feet to 278 million board feet, BLM spokesman Jim Whittington told Jefferson Public Radio. Whittington emphasized that the acreage available for timber harvest would not increase. The protesting groups said the 37 percent increase in logging levels "will boost carbon emissions and make the forest less resilient to climate change and other disturbances." Whittington said trees could be cut closer to streams under the plan, with the buffer shortening from double the height of an average tree in the area to the height of a single tree. A fishermen's group blasted that aspect of the plan. "The last, best salmon habitat in Oregon is within these BLM-managed forests," Glen Spain of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations, among the 22 groups, said in a statement. "Productive salmon streams are far more valuable for the salmon-related jobs they create than for the market value of the lumber you could generate from logging them." The BLM said the new plan will provide a sustained yield of timber while protecting threatened and endangered species. For its part, the Coquille tribe said it fears the plan threatens its ability to manage its own forest, linked under federal law to BLM lands. "We are very proud of how we manage our lands," tribal chairman Brenda Meade said in a telephone interview. She said her tribe, of just over 1,000 members, was the only one in the United States that is required to manage its lands by the same standards as adjacent federal lands, a situation the tribe hopes will end under a bill that passed the U.S. House of Representatives last year and is before the Senate. By Andrew Selsky The Associated Press MailTribune.com By Andrew Selsky The Associated Press Posted May. 16, 2016 at 5:04 PM » 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. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events 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 Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site 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. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501