The Tillamook and Clatsop State Forests in the northern Oregon Coast Range are an unappreciated wonder. Surrounded by clearcut logging plantations, the Tillamook and Clatsop provide a possible refuge for the wild plants, fish, and animals that were once abundant throughout the Oregon Coast Range but whose presence has been diminished by corporate tree farms. It is also an incredible place for hiking and exploring, offering opportunities for solitude where so many other places in Oregon feel like they’re bursting at the seams.
This Wild Wednesday Webcast features a presentation on hiking the Tillamook and Clatsop State Forests! Coast Range resident and naturalist Kira Taylor touches on some of the more well-known hikes in the Tillamook State Forest, then share other less well-known spots while discussing the region’s unique history, flora, and fauna.
The Oregon Supreme Court has firmly established that the Tillamook and Clatsop State Forests are public lands managed for the benefit of all Oregonians. Despite this, logging lobbyists and their allies are fighting tooth and nail to establish the management of these forests as logging-first, public-last. Oregon Wild’s State Forest Policy Coordinator Casey Kulla gives an update on the campaign to keep these state forests public (in more than just name), their conservation value, and how you can take action to protect these incredible landscapes!
