SALEM, Ore. –  The State Land Board today voted to move forward with next steps to keep the Elliott State Forest publicly owned.

Governor Kate Brown, Secretary of State Dennis Richardson, and Treasurer Tobias Read unanimously directed the Department of State Lands (DSL) to work with Oregon State University to develop a plan for transforming the Elliott into a research forest. Board members also noted the importance of continuing to involve tribes, local governments, other state agencies, environmental organizations, and other key stakeholders in development of a plan.

The plan is expected to include a timeline for submitting a Habitat Conservation Plan and an outline for engaging stakeholders on the range of benefits the forest provides, including recreation access, conservation, and working forest research.  

During today’s State Land Board meeting, the Board also approved a declaration to implement the statute enacted by the Oregon Legislature in 2017 that provides $100 million in bonding to decouple the Elliott State Forest from the Common School Fund or compensate the fund for preservation of noneconomic benefits.

Other Board actions included:

• Endorsement of a 2019 legislative concept to transfer administration of Oregon’s unclaimed property program to the State Treasurer’s Office.
• Approval of a resolution calling on the Oregon Legislative Assembly to pass legislation that would identify alternative funding sources and/or management options for the South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve.
• Clarification that the 3.5 percent maximum distribution to school districts from the Common School Fund does not include the distribution from the Common School Fund to the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) for school districts’ unfunded pension liability that was approved in Senate Bill 1566. DSL Director Vicki Walker also noted that the 2019 PERS distribution is $11.5 million; the distribution to the Oregon Department of Education for school districts in fiscal year 2019 will total $60.8 million. 
• Approval of rules for granting easements on state-owned lands.
• Approval of sale of .4 acres of state-owned filled lands in Coos County.

The full meeting video is available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUW4pFTkn5g

About the State Land Board and the Department of State Lands: The State Land Board consists of Governor Kate Brown, Secretary of State Dennis Richardson and State Treasurer Tobias Read. The Department of State Lands administers diverse natural and fiscal resources. Many of the resources generate revenue for the Common School Fund, such as state-owned rangelands and timberlands, waterway leases, estates for which no will or heirs exist, and unclaimed property. Twice a year, the agency distributes fund investment earnings to support K-12 public schools. The agency also administers Oregon’s Removal-Fill Law, which requires people removing or filling certain amounts of material in waters of the state to obtain a permit.