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
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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