03-19-26 AOCC Leaders Convene In Cottage Grove As Federal Actions Signal New Era For O&C Timberlands (Photo) - 03/19/26
March 19, 2026
AOCC Leaders Convene in Cottage Grove as Federal Actions Signal New Era for O&C Timberlands
(Douglas County, Ore) – Douglas County Commissioner Tim Freeman, who serves as President of the Association of O&C Counties (AOCC), recently gathered with fellow AOCC board members, comprised of county commissioners representing member counties for the quarterly AOCC meeting at Starfire Lumber in Cottage Grove. The meeting featured special guest, Kim Prill, Acting State Director for Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Oregon/Washington, as well as a tour of the stunning new Starfire Lumber timber-built administration building, along with the log yard, planning facilities, and longtime thriving lumber mill.
The quarterly meeting and tour come following significant federal actions regarding O&C timberlands.
- In January, U.S. Congress passed the FY26 Interior Appropriations Bill, which corrects revisions made four decades ago and returns O&C counties to their historic share of timber receipts from federally managed O&C timberlands. This ‘Act of Congress’ is expected to increase annual O&C shared timber receipts revenue to O&C counties by approximately 50 percent.
- In February, the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) issued a “Notice of Intent” to initiate the development of a revised Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Resource Management Plan (RMP) governing the 2.5 million acres of O&C timberlands (Oregon and California Revested Grant Lands) in western Oregon.
- In March, the BLM invited Douglas County to be a cooperating agency for the upcoming revision to the Resource Management Plan which governs O&C timberlands. Douglas County has historically been invited to be a cooperating agency. In fact, Douglas County was the first county to be granted cooperating agency status by the BLM for the revision process. Additionally, in its role as a cooperating agency, AOCC will represent its member counties. The first RMP revision cooperators meeting took place on Wednesday, March 18, 2026.
The discussion of these major federal actions at the quarterly AOCC meeting alongside the attendance of the new Acting State Director for the BLM marks an important milestone for AOCC. It reflects ongoing efforts to increase timber receipts, strengthens collaboration with the BLM, and advances a more balanced and reasonable management plan for the O&C timberlands.
“These three actions are some of the most exciting achievements the Association of O&C Counties has had in many decades. For the last ten years, working with the Board of Directors of the AOCC and our amazing staff, with these series of actions we have accomplished the opportunity for a solution that will save the western Oregon O&C counties facing insolvency. At the same time, recovering the local economy, creating family wage jobs, and putting Douglas County and the other O&C Counties back in the position of being the ‘Timber Capital’ of the world!” stated Douglas County Commissioner and AOCC President, Tim Freeman.
For Douglas County, the trifecta of actions - restoring historic timber receipts, the revision to the BLM’s Resource Management Plan and being granted cooperating agency status represents an important step toward strengthening the financial stability of county departments that rely on O&C timber receipts to support critical services for residents such as Public Safety, Veteran Services, Senior Services and Infrastructure. The additional revenue created by these federal actions could not come at a more critical time for counties as they face continuing strains on their budgets with inflation, rising costs, and the reduction of other revenue streams. These actions will help all of the 18 O&C counties to maintain the critical services they provide day in and day out for their residents.
The term “O&C” originates from federal land grants made between 1866 and 1870 to the Oregon and California Railroad Company to support construction of a rail line from Portland to the Ashland, Oregon. After the railroad failed to meet the terms of the grant, the checkerboard-patterned lands were later revested to the federal government and became known as the O&C timberlands. Members of AOCC advocate for sustained yield management of O&C timberlands, as required by federal law under the 1937 O&C Act,, to protect and support jobs, local economies, county services, and healthy timberlands. The 1937 O&C Act is widely regarded as the first Congressional Conservation Act and was enacted to solely regulate the management of the Federal timber resources in western Oregon.
AOCC, now more than a century old, represents the unique O&C timberlands in 18 western Oregon counties that host the O&C timberlands managed by BLM. The AOCC advocates for sustained yield management of O&C timberlands, as required by federal law under the 1937 O&C Act, to protect and support jobs and local economies, county services, and healthy timberlands. The 1937 O&C Act is widely regarded as the first Congressional Conservation Act. It was enacted to regulate the management of the Federal timber resources. The O&C Act signaled an end to the cut-and-run policies in the early years of the 20th century. By requiring management under the principle of Sustained Yield, timber harvest cannot outpace the annual growth of the forest, resulting in a perpetual supply of timber while concurrently providing quality habitat for wildlife, watershed protection, and recreational opportunities for the public. For more information on AOCC click here: http://www.oandc.org/.
Media Contact: Tamara Howell, Douglas County Emergency Communications & Community Engagement Specialist, Douglas County Public Affairs Office | Office: (541) 957-4896 | Cell: (541) 670-2804 | Email: tamara.howell@douglascountyor.gov
Photos:
- AOCC President, Douglas County Commissioner Tim Freeman discusses new federal actions with Kim Prill, Acting State Director for the BLM in Oregon & Washington.
- AOCC members gather for quarterly meeting at Starfire Lumber in Cottage Grove.
