Forests

Oregon’s majestic forests clean our air and water, provide critical habitat for a vast array of species, remove carbon from the atmosphere, and provide incredible opportunities for recreation and respite. Unfortunately decades of clear-cut timber harvesting and other mismanagement have devastated the forests of the Pacific Northwest and created a legacy of endangered species, polluted streams, and other environmental destruction.

Background

Bird Alliance of Oregon has been working since its founding to protect forests in Oregon and throughout the Pacific Northwest. In its early years, Bird Alliance of Oregon advocated for:

  • The creation of the first national forests in Oregon including the Malheur, Umatilla, Suislaw, Umpqua, Siskiyou, Wallowa, Deschutes and Fremont. 
  • The Northern Spotted Owl and Marbled Murrelet listed under the Endangered Species Act
  • The adoption of the Northwest Forest Plan to protect federal forests 
  • An increase in protections on state and private forest lands

Today, Bird Alliance of Oregon focuses its forest work at three levels: federal forests, state forests, and private forest lands. We specifically focus on protecting and recovering the Northern Spotted Owl and the Marbled Murrelet, two species that depend on mature and old growth forests for their continued survival. Some significant progress has been made since the era of rampant industrial clearcut logging in the 1950s. 60s, 70s and 80s, especially on Federal Forest lands. However, much work remains to be done and the Spotted Owl and Marbled Murrelet continue to move closer to extinction in Oregon.