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GUEST OPINION Guest Opinion: BLM management plans fail people and forests Comment By Sue Kupillas MailTribune.com By Sue Kupillas Posted May. 24, 2015 at 12:01 AM By Sue Kupillas Posted May. 24, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News Western Oregon’s rural forested communities have waited over 20 years for a solution to restore balance to the management of the Bureau of Land Management’s O&C timberlands. More active management is desperately needed to create jobs and generate county timber receipt revenues. As Oregon’s congressional delegation has tried and so far been unable to reach agreement on legislation to increase timber harvests, many hoped relief would come through the BLM’s proposed Resource Management Plans. Now that the agency’s draft plans have been released, it seems the BLM favors the status quo over any real changes that would make a meaningful and positive difference for citizens and families who reside near these lands as well as restore health and vigor of the forests. O&C lands are inextricably tied to the economic fabric of Western Oregon’s forested communities. Because of their unique history, the federal government mandated that O&C lands be managed for the benefit of the counties that host these lands. Unlike national forests that are intended to be managed for multiple uses, O&C lands are required under law to be managed for sustained-yield timber production to generate revenues for counties while supporting jobs in the local economy. Though timber must be harvested for revenues and jobs, under sustained yield principles these harvests cannot exceed what the forests can grow every year. For much of its history, the O&C lands enabled rural communities and counties to be self-sufficient and prosperous. This changed in the early 1990s as a barrage of lawsuits brought even modest timber projects to a halt. Today we harvest less than 20 percent of the forests’ 1.2 billion board feet of annual growth, resulting not only in economic decline but increased tree mortality and fuel loads for future wildfires. President Bill Clinton’s Northwest Forest Plan was supposed to balance the need for protection of the Northern Spotted Owl with the economic needs of nearby communities. Unfortunately, after 20 years it is clear that this hands-off, single-species approach to management has failed our communities, the forests and the spotted owl, whose populations continue to decline in the face of predators and catastrophic wildfire. As the BLM prepares to replace its Clinton-era plans to guide the future management of O&C forests, it’s concerning that the agency appears poised to double-down on an approach that has failed everyone as well as everything we value in these forests. None of the alternatives offered by the BLM in its draft plans would provide sufficient or predictable, sustainable supply of timber. The plans would set aside more land under the guise of environmental protection, ignoring the federal O&C Act and the failures of the past two decades. Because the plans make no effort to increase the pace and scale of forest management activities, we can only expect larger and more severe wildfires that now commonly fill our valleys with smoke. Some alternatives in the draft management plans are better than others. The BLM’s preferred alternative would set a course for harvest levels of 234 million board feet per year, which is close to current levels and still less than 20 percent of the forests’ annual growth. One alternative would increase harvest levels to 486 million board feet per year, yet it’s highly doubtful the agency would ever achieve this goal. That’s because the draft plan fails to reconcile well-intentioned but conflicting federal regulations. These conflicting regulations have been used by radical groups to litigate countless timber projects. It’s uncertain how other federal agencies such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will respond to projects under the new plan. The BLM’s draft plans are disappointing, though unsurprising considering the sum of broken federal policies that prevent the forests from being actively managed. It’s critical for citizens to get involved and urge the BLM to improve their draft plans. But only Congress can provide the relief necessary to honor the promise that was made to counties and communities through the O&C Act. We must urge Sen. Ron Wyden and all of our congressional delegation to work together and address the litigation and federal “analysis paralysis” that continue to prevent efforts to bring balance to the management of these federal lands and restore economic vitality to our local communities. Sue Kupillas is a former Jackson County Commissioner and former executive director of Communities for Healthy Forests. By Sue Kupillas MailTribune.com By Sue Kupillas Posted May. 24, 2015 at 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. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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