State Land Board to consider Elliott State Forest recommendation
Aug. 13 public meeting will address process for seeking new ownership
After more than a year of research, public input and technical analyses, the Department of State Lands (DSL) will present the State Land Board with the final results of the Elliott State Forest Alternatives Project, and a detailed process to transfer ownership of the forest in Coos and Douglas counties.
Approximately 84,000 acres of the 92,000-acre forest are Common School Trust lands overseen by the Land Board to fund K-12 public schools in Oregon. Revenue from timber management of these lands is deposited in the Common School Fund. In recent years, policies adopted to assure compliance with the Endangered Species Act have resulted in the forest producing a net deficit to the fund of about $5 million since 2013.
DSL staff will present the board with a structure and process for seeking qualified buyers and for reviewing plans submitted for new ownership of the Elliott.
Key elements of any transfer plan must include:
Ownership of the entire property
Compensating the Common School Fund for the fair market value of the forest
Retaining other values such as recreational access, older forest stands and watersheds for species habitat, and local economic benefits from the forest
“Our hope is that diverse interests will come together to present creative ownership scenarios to make the Common School Fund whole, while also addressing other values provided by the forest that are important to the public,” said Mary Abrams, DSL director.
In December 2014, the Land Board asked staff to further explore three options – 1) hiring a new manager for the forest; 2) managing the forest under a new habitat conservation plan; and 3) transferring the Elliott out of Common School Fund ownership. In June 2015 the board asked staff to further develop a process for transferring ownership that would also address the public values provided by the forest.
This work included a second round of meetings in July with education beneficiaries of the Common School Fund, conservation groups, timber interests, tribal representatives, local and state officials, and economic development organizations. Staff included information from these discussions as they developed and refined the transfer protocol.
The Aug. 13 staff recommendation will present the Land Board with the protocol and findings to support it.
The meeting will be held:
August 13, 2015
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Department of State Lands
775 Summer St. NE, Salem
Land Board Room
The meeting agenda also includes a recap of the 2015 legislative session and a request to initiate rulemaking to amend DSL's ocean renewable energy rules.
Public Comments:
Comments on agenda items may be presented to the Land Board at the meeting either orally or in writing. People interested in presenting oral input will need to sign in. A maximum of 3 minutes will be given to each speaker. Due to potential time limitations, people are encouraged to bring written copies of comments for the official record.
The meeting is in a facility that is accessible for persons with disabilities. If you need assistance to participate in this meeting due to a disability, please notify Lorna Stafford at (503) 871-4323 or lorna.stafford@state.or.us at least two working days prior to the meeting.
Meeting agenda: http://www.oregon.gov/dsl/SLB/Pages/2015_slb_meeting_schedule.aspx
The State Land Board consists of Governor Kate Brown, Secretary of State Jeanne P. Atkins and State Treasurer Ted Wheeler. 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 inwaters of the state to obtain a permit.
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www.oregonstatelands.us
