Oregon Gov. Brown Signs Into Law Private Forest Accord Package

On Wednesday (5-18-22), Oregon Governor Kate Brown signed into law the bipartisan Private Forest Accord package, Senate Bills 1501 and 1502 and House Bill 4055, at World Forestry Center. She was joined by representatives from 25 private forestry, small forestland, conservation, and fishing organizations who negotiated the historic agreement.

The Private Forest Accord is the most comprehensive update to the Forest Practices Act since 1971, establishing new protections for salmon and other sensitive species on over 10 million acres of forestland in Oregon. The proposal seeks to meet the federal standards for a statewide Habitat Conservation Plan.

In a statement prepared for the signing, Gov. Brown said:

“The package of bills I signed today is built on the understanding that, through science-based forest management, we can strike the right balance between protecting the health of our forests and creating jobs and economic growth in our rural communities at the same time. And it did not happen overnight. It took months of painstaking work, up until the very last day possible. To build relationships, to establish trust, to find common ground and a path forward that will maintain our vibrant Oregon forests and the communities that depend on them for generations to come.”

Echoing Gov. Brown’s statement and expressing their appreciation in prepared remarks for the legislative effort were: Cal Mukumoto, the State Forester; Bob Van Dyk, Oregon policy director at Wild Salmon Center; Ken Nygren, Oregon Small Woodlands Association President; Sean Stevens, Executive Director of Oregon Wild; and Chris Edwards, President of the Oregon Forest and Industries Council.

Organizations joining the governor from the conservation and fishing negotiators were: Wild Salmon Center, Oregon Wild, Trout Unlimited, Portland Audubon, Klamath Siskiyou Wildlands Center, Aquatic Scientist, Beyond Toxics, Cascadia Wildlands, Northwest Guides and Anglers, the Oregon League of Conservation Voters, the Oregon Stream Protection Coalition, the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations, Rogue Riverkeeper, and Umpqua Watersheds.

Organizations from the forest industry sector were: Rayonier, Weyerhaeuser, Seneca Sawmill/Sierra Pacific Industries, Hampton Lumber, Roseburg Forest Products, Oregon Small Woodlands Association, Hancock Natural Resource Group, Lone Rock Resources, Nuveen Nature Capital, Campbell Global, Starker Forests, and Port Blakely.