"On Feb. 19, the BLM published a notice stating that it wants to revise how it manages some 2.5 million acres in western Oregon, ramping up timber harvest to "historically higher levels of production." The acreage in question includes special places like the Valley of the Giants. The agency said the revision is necessary to address wildfires and comply with President Donald Trump's executive orders boosting domestic timber production."
"The BLM's order stated that it will reevaluate areas of critical environmental concern - scenic landscapes with important habitat, unique geology and the like - across western Oregon's checkerboard of public lands, which the agency has managed for timber production since 1937. Logging peaked in the 1960s, with over 1 billion board feet harvested a year."
"Harvesting fell abruptly in the 1990s, when the Northwest Forest Plan was enacted to protect endangered species like the spotted owl and marbled murrelet, a seabird that nests in old-growth forests."
The Bureau of Land Management announced plans to revise management of 2.5 million acres in western Oregon, increasing timber harvest to historically higher production levels. This revision affects special areas including Valley of the Giants, an old-growth forest with trees over 400 years old that provides critical habitat for wildlife. The BLM cited wildfire management and presidential executive orders promoting domestic timber production as justification. The agency will reevaluate areas of critical environmental concern across western Oregon's public lands, which have been managed for timber since 1937. Harvesting peaked in the 1960s at over 1 billion board feet annually but declined sharply in the 1990s following the Northwest Forest Plan, which protected endangered species like spotted owls and marbled murrelets.
#timber-harvesting-policy #old-growth-forest-protection #blm-land-management #environmental-conservation #wildlife-habitat
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