Elliott State Research Forest Begins First Timber Harvests Since Research Forest Designation - 09/14/26

Elliott State Research Forest Begins First Timber Harvests Since Research Forest Designation

Sale marks major milestone for Oregon’s working research forest

Read the full news release.

SALEM, Ore. – Oregon’s Elliott State Research Forest has begun its first timber harvests since its designation as a research forest. This marks another significant milestone in operating the Elliott as a world-class research forest that contributes to multiple public benefits.  

“This harvest, with both restorative and regenerative practices, is the next step in delivering on the promise of the Elliott State Research Forest,” said Governor Tina Kotek. “It shows that Oregon can produce timber, protect wildlife habitat, and generate world-class research all on the same landscape." 

Guided by the Forest Management Plan, operations on the Elliott aim to balance society’s need for wood products with the preservation of water quality and quantity across the watershed, carbon sequestration, climate resilience, and other forest ecosystems services – achieved through the practice and testing of ecological forestry. With a contiguous land base of nearly 83,000 acres, the Elliott is uniquely positioned to study the viability of ecological forestry by comparing the ecological and economic outcomes of harvest types within the same watershed.   

Treasurer Elizabeth Steiner said, “the Elliott State Research Forest continues to embody the collaborative spirit of Oregonians. This milestone took years of cooperation between scientists, timber communities, and tribal nations to build a plan that works for the land and the people who depend on it.” 

Timber harvests are among the many management activities covered by the approved Habitat Conservation Plan, which supports operation of the Elliott as a working research forest. The plan ensures compliance with the federal Endangered Species Act by identifying management activities that may impact protected species, paired with conservation commitments that 

protect those species and their habitat over time. 

“The Elliott’s future has always been tied to Oregonians coming together and designing a path forward that represents our state. We fulfill our obligations to school kids. We protect public lands. We do research that benefits rural communities, and we provide access to timber off the Elliott,” said Secretary of State Tobias Read. 

Harvest Details 

The Elliott’s first timber harvests will occur across 501 acres at two sites and will include a restoration thin and a regenerative harvest. The restoration thin will support the creation of complex older forests to improve long-term forest health, while the regeneration harvest will provide sustainable wood production that supports local economies and research. The estimated $4 million sale from this timber harvest will go back into the Elliott to fund operations—from research and local partnerships to education and recreation planning, conservation, and associated community and economic benefits. Future timber sales will be a mix of regeneration harvests, restoration thinning, and ecological forestry approaches. 

Advancing Research 

As a research forest, the Elliott is advancing a business model and social, economic, and ecological research for how forest management can support many public benefits. These harvests help advance the Elliott’s working research forest model, providing both practical and scientific information for use by forest scientists and managers. DSL will be collecting baseline economic and ecological data, which helps us better understand the viability of ecological forestry. Harvest operations occur alongside research projects foundational to the forest’s mission and management goals. 

Protecting Species 

The Elliott is operating under conservation measures to protect threatened and endangered species. To ensure compliance with the Endangered Species Act, the Elliott’s Habitat Conservation Plan requires habitat buffers and daily logging time restrictions during nesting seasons of the marbled murrelet and spotted owl. 

About the Elliott State Research Forest 

The Elliott State Research Forest is Oregon’s public research forest—a working landscape where science and management meet to support climate resilience, biodiversity, rural economic vitality, and sustainable timber—all under transparent oversight. For more information about Elliott State Research Forest news and programs, please visit www.oregon.gov/dsl/Pages/Elliott.aspx. 

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Comment Opportunity Extended: Undersea Infrastructure Easements In Oregon’s Territorial Sea - 09/04/26

The Oregon Department of State Lands (DSL) is extending the comment period for proposed changes to administrative rules (OAR 141-083) that guide how easements are issued for uses of the territorial sea.

DSL wants to allow time for more input before the proposed rules are presented to the State Land Board for a decision. This rulemaking seeks to strengthen protections for Oregon’s marine ecosystems, streamline permitting, and ensure fair public compensation for use of the seafloor.

The extended comment period is now open until Monday, September 21, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. (Pacific).

How to Comment

Comments may be submitted in writing by:

• Online form
• emailed to dsl.rules@dsl.oregon.gov
• mailed to DSL (Attn: Rules Coordinator) at 775 Summer Street NE, Suite 100, Salem, OR 97301

Visit the DSL website for all rulemaking materials, including a draft of the proposed rules, all related materials from the rulemaking advisory committee, prior public hearings, and comments DSL received through the original close date of August 3. Comments received during the extended comment period will be available online after the close of public comment on September 21.

What Happens Next?

After the comment period closes and comments are addressed, proposed rules will be presented at an upcoming meeting of the State Land Board for a decision. The public may provide additional testimony at that time.

DSL anticipates presenting these rules at the December 8, 2026 meeting of the Land Board, visit the DSL website for current meeting information and testimony guidance.

If adopted, these proposed rules and fees are anticipated to go into effect in January 2027.

Additional Background

Why are Changes Needed?

For decades, cables have been installed on the bottom of Oregon’s territorial sea—the area of the Pacific Ocean extending from the shoreline to three nautical miles offshore. These cables, often called “undersea” or “submarine” cables, carry global data through optical fibers and are placed on, attached to, or buried beneath the seafloor. In the future, similar infrastructure may also include power transmission cables and pipelines to serve purposes like carrying electricity from offshore wind turbines to shore.

DSL, with approval from the State Land Board, issues easements for use of the territorial sea. DSL is one of several agencies with a regulatory role in the territorial sea, but the administrative rules guiding DSL’s work are out of date.

Oregon’s administrative rules governing these easements have not been comprehensively updated in 25 years. Since then, undersea infrastructure technology has evolved significantly, including the development of SMART cables that support both data transmission and sensors for ocean monitoring. In addition, Oregon’s Territorial Sea Plan Part Four was updated in 2023, and Senate Bill 793 now requires DSL to set application and compensation fees for easements associated with water, gas, electric, and communication infrastructure in the territorial sea. These changes in technology, policy, and state law make updates to the rules necessary.

What’s Proposed

• Alignment with Oregon’s ocean resource management goals. Proposed updates align DSL’s easement review and authorization processes with Oregon’s Territorial Sea Plan Part Four and other applicable state policies governing uses of the seafloor.
• Enhanced application requirements. Applicants would be required to provide additional information during project planning and review, including resource and use inventories, effects evaluations, decommissioning plans, emergency response plans, and information about potential encroachments. Early coordination through pre-application meetings and the Joint Agency Review Team would help identify information needs and potential issues before applications are submitted.
• A cooperative review framework. Updates would support collaboration among applicants, state and federal agencies, Tribal governments, and local communities. Clearer requirements and review procedures would provide greater transparency and predictability throughout the process.
• New fee structure. A new structure for application fees will support sustainable funding for the interagency application review. New compensation fees allow use of Oregon’s territorial sea while compensating Oregonians for the usage of this public resource. Revenues go to the Common School Fund.

See the notice of rules filing and the proposed rules, as well as a summary of proposed fees.

Learn more about the Rulemaking Advisory Committee

A rulemaking advisory committee was convened from February through June 2026 to inform the proposed changes, and a summary of RAC input can be found here.