Forest Practices on State and Private Lands
State and private forestlands in the Northwest encompass stream habitats essential for the recovery of endangered salmon, trout and other native aquatic species. As the number of federally protected species and degraded waters on these forestlands grows, it has become clear that many of the state policies governing logging on state and private forestlands are inconsistent with the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the Clean Water Act (CWA).
Oregon's Tillamook State Forest
The rivers that run through Oregon's Tillamook State Forest are threatened by the Oregon Board of Forestry's recent decision to increase timber harvest on the Forest and by a proposed bill in the Oregon Legislature to change the purpose of the Forest and the values that it will provide to Oregon residents.
Oregon's Elliott State Forest Habitat Conservation Plan
Oregon is proposing to revise its Habitat Conservation Plan for the 97,000-acre Elliott State Forest to include Oregon Coast coho, and 15 other unlisted species including the following aquatic species and riparian-associated species: coastal cutthroat trout, Pacific lamprey, river lamprey, Western brook lamprey, Chinook salmon, chum salmon, steelhead, red-legged frog, southern torrent salamander and coastal tailed frog. The draft EIS for the new HCP was released August 21, 2008. We submitted comments November 20, 2008.
Forest Practices on Private Lands in Oregon
Improvements to Oregon's forest practice rules seriously lag behind the more protective standards used on federal forestlands and the recently adopted improvements to the Washington State Forest Practices rules.
Forest Practices on Nonfederal Lands in Washington State
Washington state recognized the need to improve industrial timber harvest in light of the slew of salmon and steelhead listings in 1999. The new state forest practices regulations are the product of a landmark negotiation known as the Forests and Fish Report (FFR), in which the federal government granted the state immunity from prosecution for logging-related impacts on aquatic species under the Endangered Species Act. The FFR has been the subject of controversy and litigation because, though the new rules are a vast improvement (as compared to Oregon for instance), they are still inadequate to prevent continued harm to the species they purport to protect. Washington's Forest Practices Habitat Conservation Plan was approved by the federal government in June 2006.
Forest Practices on Nonfederal Lands in Idaho
The FWS and NMFS are proposing to exempt Idaho's Forestry Program from take protections that are currently provided to species listed under the ESA. Rather than pursuing an HCP, the usual process for permits to incidentally take listed species, the State is attempting to circumvent that process using other provisions of the ESA that were designed to enhance species conservation, not encourage timber harvest.
Private Industrial Forestlands/HCPs
Industrial timber corporations increasingly are electing to use the habitat conservation planning provisions of the Endangered Species Act to negotiate long-term conservation agreements with federal regulators. PRC's strategic participation in these plans is essential to ensure that private landowners do not receive immunity from prosecution for harm to protected species that is not justified by strong conservation commitments.
Related Publications
PRC produced a publication discussing recommended forest practices to protect anadromous fish on private forestry lands.
