State Announces Elliott State Research Forest Manager -12/18/24

State Announces Elliott State Research Forest Manager 

Darren Goodding, whose public forest experience spans decades, will lead Oregon’s first state research forest 

SALEM, Ore. – State officials today announced Darren Goodding will serve as the first manager of the Elliott State Research Forest. 

Goodding has worked extensively in public forests, including management and on-the-ground roles with the U.S. Forest Service in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. Most recently, he oversaw planning, science application, and communications for the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. He earned a master’s degree in sustainable forest management from Oregon State University, with additional study in natural resources and recreation resource management at OSU, advanced silviculture at Colorado State University, and forest carbon management at Michigan State University. His first day is January 13, 2025. 

“Oregon’s first state research forest needed an exceptional first manager,” said Department of State Lands Director Vicki L. Walker. “Darren’s experience with many aspects of forest management and working collaboratively with communities and partners will serve our state well as the Elliott State Research Forest begins operations next year.” 

Goodding currently serves on the boards of the Oregon Tree Farm System and the Washington State Society of American Foresters, the steering committee of the Northern Blues Forest Collaborative, and is the federal liaison to the Northeast Oregon Forests Resource Advisory Committee. 

The 83,000-acre Elliott State Research Forest will be a nationally important center for forest science and management that also contributes to conservation, education, recreation, Indigenous culture, and local economies right here in Oregon. In October 2024, the State Land Board adopted an initial forest management plan for the forest. The Department of State Lands is continuing collaborative efforts to implement the plan and complete other key actions to begin forest operations in 2025.

12/5/24 Media Availability: Abandoned Hazardous Barge Removed From The Columbia River, Awaiting Dismantling In North Portland -12/05/24

Abandoned Hazardous Barge Removed from the Columbia River

Another maritime disaster averted by the state’s new ADV Program

PORTLAND, Ore. – A 100-foot vessel of peeling paint and rusting metal will now be dismantled instead of threatening the Columbia River. The Dredge Herb Anderson, once employed to remove Mount St. Helens ash from Oregon rivers, has been declining outside the community of Rainier for more than twenty years.  

“I was losing sleep over the state of the Dredge Anderson,” local dock owner and owner of Columbia River Launch Service Brett Bybee explained, “The spud, a long steel shaft keeping the vessel in place, had lost integrity and the Dredge was just one big storm away from cutting loose and floating into the main navigation channel of the Columbia River.”

The estimated $1.1 million cleanup was prioritized due to the threat of a significant incident and environmental cleanup on the Columbia River if the state did not intervene to remove the Dredge Anderson.

“People are often amazed by how many toxic substances may be on these vessels and the many precautions we must take in proper disposal,” said Scott Smith, Spill Contingency Planner for Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. “Oil, PCBs, and lead can all seriously harm our waterways.”

On November 20, after divers reinforced the hull for the journey, the Dredge was lashed to a 160-foot crane barge and pushed by tugboat from Rainier to a dismantling facility in North Portland. The vessel will undergo toxic material testing and abatement before it is cut into pieces for recycling.

“Taking these hazardous vessels off our waterways before disaster strikes is one way the state’s new Abandoned and Derelict Vessel (ADV) Program protects waterways,” said Josh Mulhollem, Waterways Stewardship Manager at Oregon Department of State Lands. “But we are also concerned with proactively preventing these situations so the state doesn’t need to intervene.”

The state is pursuing legal options for recovering costs of removal and dismantling from the owner of the Dredge. 

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Media Availability: Rare behind-the-scenes look at the Dredge Anderson 

WHAT: Media will have the opportunity to board the dry dock where the Dredge Anderson is awaiting dismantling for a rare up-close look at this large derelict vessel, and conduct interviews on the dry dock. Abandoned and Derelict Vessel (ADV) Program staff from the Department of State Lands will be available to speak about Oregon’s ADV problem, the disaster averted with removal of the Dredge Anderson, and how the vessel was removed and will be dismantled and disposed of. 

WHEN: Thursday, December 5 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. 

WHERE: Diversified Marine Inc., 1801 N Marine Dr, Portland, OR 97217. Park in the ODOT parking lot on N Pier 99 St. Google map pin. Signs/staff will guide you from the parking lot to Diversified Marine. 

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS: Please wear boots or other sturdy footwear and appropriate outdoor gear. You may be asked to wear personal protective equipment. 

ONSITE CONTACTS 

• Ali Ryan Hansen, DSL, 503-510-6860
• Katrina Scotto di Carlo, DSL, 971-719-0553 
   

Download Video/Photos

Video (includes vessel being pushed by tugboat, interior vessel shots, and b-roll of Rainier and the dock site) and still photos are available for download here.

State Land Board To Meet December 10 In Salem -12/03/24

State Land Board to meet December 10 in Salem

Agenda items include rules on leasing land for communication site facilities and annual program updates

SALEM, Ore. – The State Land Board will meet on Tuesday, December 10 at 10:00 a.m. at the Department of State Lands building in Salem.

Agenda items the Land Board will consider include: 

• Adopt new and amended rules that guide how communication site facilities are leased on State-owned land.
  Communication site facilities lease lands managed by the Department, and the leases generate revenue for the state’s Common School Fund. These facilities support wireless cellular service, internet service, emergency communications, technologies that detect wildfires or seismic activities, cable and radio broadcast, local radio users, and more. New and expanded rules are needed for this complex and rapidly evolving industry.
   
• Adopt amended rules that authorize special uses on State-owned land. 
  As a result of adopting a new division of rules specific to communication sites in OAR 141-126, it’s necessary to also amend OAR 141-125 to remove reference to those rules.
   

The Land Board will also hear the annual report of our aquatic resource management program, as well as guest presentations from the Oregon State Treasury regarding the performance of the Common School Fund investments and a presentation from the Department of Geology and Mineral Industries on geologic carbon sequestration.

Meeting Details and Agenda 

Tuesday, December 10, 2024, at 10:00 a.m.
Department of State Lands
Land Board Room
775 Summer St. NE, Salem

The full meeting agenda and materials are available on the DSL website. The meeting will be livestreamed to the DSL YouTube channel. 

The public may submit written testimony or sign up to provide spoken testimony (in person, by video, or phone) during the meeting. Advanced sign-up is required, and the deadline is 10 a.m. on Monday, December 9.

If you need assistance to participate in this meeting due to a disability, please contact Arin Smith at 503-986-5224 or arin.n.smith@dsl.oregon.gov at least two working days prior to the meeting. 

Visitors are not permitted to bring backpacks, bags, or large purses into the Department of State Lands building prior to, during, or following Land Board meetings. Purses, medical bags, and diaper bags are permitted, but may be subject to inspection by the Oregon State Police.

About the State Land Board and the Department of State Lands: The State Land Board consists of Governor Tina Kotek, Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade, and State Treasurer Tobias Read. Established by the Oregon Constitution in 1859, the Land Board oversees the state’s Common School Fund. The Department of State Lands is the Land Board’s administrative agency, managing the lands and resources that help fund Oregon’s public schools and protecting the state’s waterways and wetlands for the many benefits they provide.

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www.oregon.gov/dsl