The Oregon Board of Forestry voted 5-2 on July 22, to approve a new long-term management plan for 640,000 acres of western Oregon state forests, including land in the Santiam State Forest used by Salem-area hikers, mountain bikers, and horseback riders.
The 168-page Western Oregon State Forests Management Plan replaces three older plans dating to 2010 and 2011. It has been in development since 2018.
"This plan, when implemented along with the HCP, will provide economic certainty for timber harvests, environmental protections and enhancements, and continued recreational opportunities for all who depend on, use, and care about Oregon's state forests," Mike Wilson, chief of the Oregon Department of Forestry's State Forests Division, said in a statement after the vote.
What changes
Overall logging on western state forests is projected to decline by about 20% over the next 70 years, according to plan projections. About half of the 640,000 acres will be restricted from harvest, deemed either off-limits, inoperable, or too expensive to log.
Another 40% of the remaining operable acres must be maintained to support Northern spotted owl migration and carbon storage.
The plan also opens a path for the state to enter acreage into a voluntary carbon market, generating revenue by letting trees grow older rather than cutting them.
It applies only to state-owned land, not private or federal forests.
The vote
State Forester Kacey KC spoke in favor of the plan before the vote, saying the board has a responsibility to balance economic, social, and ecological benefits for future generations.
She noted the plan represents eight years of work and should not be abandoned over potential federal policy shifts.
Board members Heath Curtiss, vice president for Hampton Lumber, and Joe Justice, director of Associated Oregon Loggers, cast the two dissenting votes.
Both argued that recent Trump administration changes to the federal Endangered Species Act could expose Oregon to lawsuits under the new plan. Curtiss said it would be a mistake to conclude the debate is over.
What happens next
The plan won't take effect until the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA Fisheries approve a companion Habitat Conservation Plan, which would grant incidental take permits for 15 species of wildlife and fish.
ODF expects federal approval by the end of 2026 or early 2027, with the management plan set to take effect by July 1, 2027.
Once that happens, ODF will begin crafting new implementation and annual operating plans for fiscal year 2028.
Local connection
The Santiam State Forest, the closest ODF-managed state forest to Salem, falls within the western Oregon geography covered by the plan.
ODF manages hiking, biking, and equestrian trails in the Santiam, and many trails have reopened following damage from the 2020 wildfires and windstorms.
Residents who want to learn more can visit ODF's state forests page.
