The Oregon Department of Forestry provides active integrated forest management of five state forests (
http://tiny.cc/oregonstateforests). These are the Clatsop, Santiam, and Tillamook State Forests in northwest Oregon, and the Gilchrist and Sun Pass, located east of the Cascades. In addition to these state forests, ODF manages scattered forestlands in the vicinity of Philomath, Veneta, Grants Pass and Coos Bay. State-owned forestlands represent about three percent (approximately 745,000 acres) of the total amount of forestland in Oregon.
Starting March 21 through May 5, Oregonians can weigh in on draft Annual Operations Plans (AOPs) for state forests, which lay out on-the-ground activities expected to take place in the coming fiscal year. State forests by law must provide social, economic, and environmental benefits to Oregonians. To achieve the legal mandate, these lands are managed to create healthy productive forests, high-quality habitat for native fish and wildlife, clean water, benefits and revenues to rural communities and timber-related economies, as well as recreation and educational opportunities.
Overall management policies and management goals are established in long-range Forest Management Plans and Implementation Plans. Annual Operations Plans describe activities to achieve the policies and goals laid out in the longer-range plans. All of these documents are available at
http://tiny.cc/oregonstateforests.
ODF is seeking input on the draft AOP summary documents, which can be viewed on the ODF website and are also available at district offices upon request.
If you would like to view the operations on a map and access reports on individual operations, please visit the ODF Annual Operations WebApp by visiting
http://tiny.cc/stateforestaopmap. Reports can then be accessed by clicking on an operation, then clicking "More Info."
Common topics covered in an AOP include:
• Timber harvest operations
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Forest road construction, maintenance, and improvements
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Reforestation/replanting and young stand management activities
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Habitat improvement for native species
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Invasive species management
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Recreation improvement and maintenance projects
What kinds of comments are most helpful during the Annual Operations Plan public process?
The most useful input speaks to specific activities and how they relate to FMP and IP goals and strategies:
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Ensuring the annual plan is consistent with the implementation plan and/or forest management plan
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Suggestions to improve efficiency or effectiveness
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Clarifying how planned operations are described
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Providing additional information or correcting an error
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Are solutions-oriented, with the understanding that state forests must meet a suite of social, environmental and economic goals and offering how the department can meet those goals
How are comments used?
ODF staffers review all comments. Comments related to a district’s operations receive district attention; comments that extend beyond single-district issues are considered by regional area staff and statewide program staff.