Stand up for the Northwest Forest Plan!

Oregon’s federal forests are slowly recovering. The clearcutting epidemic of the 1970s and 1980s left our state with severely degraded water quality, decimated wildlife habitat, and what little old growth that remained in jeopardy. However, for the last 20 years, an agreement called the Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP) has attempted to strike a new balance between logging and providing habitat for wildlife dependent on old growth forests. The US Forest Service is now considering revisions to this plan and is looking for public input. 

Join us in Portland on March 17th to participate in this important public listening session.

Listening session information

When: 
March 17, 2015, 5:30-8:30 pm
Where: 
Sheraton Portland Airport Hotel
St. Helens Ballroom 8235
Northeast Airport Way
Portland, OR, 97220

(Driving directions. Parking is free.)
RSVPs are appreciated but not required.  

The NWFP defined areas for protecting and restoring old-growth habitat, set aside streamside areas to protect water quality and salmon habitat, and created strong standards for restoring forests and watersheds. This has led to great progress restoring damage done by the unsustainable logging of previous decades. Water quality and salmon habitat has improved, old-growth logging has come to a halt, and the agencies are largely meeting their timber production targets by thinning in previously clearcut plantations with little controversy.

Please consider attending the listening session on Tuesday to weigh in on how the public would like to be engaged in the plan revision process, how important using sound science is in the process, and other important considerations as the Forest Service moves forward.

Suggested talking points to consider:

  • The Northwest Forest Plan continues to be instrumental in keeping Oregon a special place through the restoration of watersheds, recovery of economically valuable salmon runs, protection of wildlife habitat and old-growth forests, and fostering the stunning vistas that are so iconic to our state.

  • There is no need for any radical revision of the plan – we’re only 20 years into a 100 year restoration plan. We knew that it would take decades to restore the damage done during the clearcutting binge that occurred prior to the Northwest Forest Plan. Let’s stay on course.

  • Enhance and strengthen the NWFP reserve network by protecting all mature and old-growth forests and unroaded areas to provide for wildlife habitat needs in a changing climate and increasing pressure from habitat fragmentation and invasive species.

  • The strong objectives and buffers for streams and riparian areas in the NWFP should be retained and built upon.

  • Continue to build on the restoration begun under the Northwest Forest Plan – from adding diversity to young plantations, to reducing impacts from the extensive road system, to improving fish and wildlife habitat.
  • The science synthesis conducted to inform plan revisions should ensure peer review and public participation.

The Northwest Forest Plan was always much bigger than the northern spotted owl. The plan protects drinking water, keeps other wildlife off of the endangered species list, restores salmon runs, stabilizes the climate, provides recreation, and improves quality of life which is the foundation of the growing regional economy.

Let’s show the Forest Service that the public cares about this very important process, and the forests it will impact.

Photo Credits
Kristian Skybak