Concerns About Lawsuits Lead to Defeat of Oregon Timber Accountability Legislation

Supporters of Oregon House Bill 4106, including timber companies and some county governments, are expressing disappointment after the defeat of the proposal, The Capital Press reported (2-27-24).

Proponents argue that the measure—requiring state officials to set and meet logging targets on state forestlands—would have simply required transparency and accountability in state forest management without weakening environmental protections.

Under the proposal, the Oregon Department of Forestry would create an inventory of timber on state forestlands and calculate a “sustainable harvest level” of anticipated logging levels, according to The Capital Press. If timber production is less than forecasted, the agency would have to increase logging in future years to make up for the shortfall. Timber companies and county governments that rely on logs or revenues from state forestland could also seek court injunctions to enforce compliance with these harvest requirements or to challenge certain forest management rules.

Environmental groups have a much different view of the legislation, warning the proposal would have spurred court challenges against state officials for falling short of timber harvest projections, undermining their ability to adjust to shifting on-the-ground circumstances.

Proponents of the bill hope to see some form of the legislation reintroduced in the next session, The Capital Press reported.