Salem, Ore. -- The Oregon Department of Forestry is inviting public comment on planned projects, timber sales and other management activities in state-owned forests in fiscal year 2020.
Starting today, March 18, through 5 p.m. on May 2, 2019, Oregonians can weigh in on draft Annual Operations Plans (AOPs) for state forests, which lay out on-the-ground activities expected to take place in the coming fiscal year. State forests by law must provide economic, environmental and social benefits to Oregonians, and are managed under long-range Forest Management Plans and Implementation Plans. Annual Operations Plans implement activities towards goals and strategies laid out in these longer-range plans. The draft AOP summary documents can be viewed online at https://www.oregon.gov/ODF/Working/Pages/StateForests.aspx and are also available at district offices upon request.
Common topics included in an Annual Operations Plan include:
The most useful input speaks to these specific activities and whether they are consistent with longer-range plans, offers suggestions to improve efficiency or effectiveness, corrects errors, provides additional information, and is solution-oriented, understanding that state forests are working forests and by law must provide a variety of economic, environmental and social benefits. Activities that affect fish and wildlife habitat are reviewed by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, while operations that may influence threatened and endangered species are shared with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
ODF is offering several convenient avenues to comment on AOPs: