February 25, 2022

Help Pass Bill to Protect the Elliott State Forest

We are almost there! The Elliott State Research Forest Bill (SB 1546-2) has cleared several committees and is now heading to floor votes in the Oregon House and Senate. As the 2022 legislative session heads into its final week, it is important that legislators in both chambers hear from you that you want them to pass SB 1546-2 which would turn the Elliott into a Research Forest with durable protections for its older forests and imperiled species.

The Elliott State Forest is one of the crown jewels of the Coast Range providing critically important habitat for Northern Spotted Owls, Marbled Murrelets and coho salmon. For years, Bird Alliance of Oregon and its members have worked to permanently protect the Elliott State Forest. Over the past decade we have been a plaintiff on three lawsuits to prevent illegal logging and successfully fought an effort to privatize the Elliott. Bird Alliance of Oregon members have played a critical role in ensuring that the Elliott is protected—thank you for your efforts!

A Northern Spotted Owl perches on a mossy branch, while looking up towards the upper tree canopy. — Northern Spotted Owl by Scott Carpenter

For the past three years, Bird Alliance of Oregon and other conservation organizations have served on an Elliott State Stakeholder Advisory Group charged with charting a new path forward for the Elliott. We now have the opportunity to put in place strong, durable protections for the Elliott, its older forests, and its imperiled species.

We are strongly supporting Senate Bill 1546-2 which would create a new Elliott State Research Forest publicly owned by the State of Oregon, with a board appointed by the Oregon Land Board, strong accountability mechanisms, and managed by Oregon State University. This legislation has strong support from the environmental community. It is also unanimously supported by the diverse members of the stakeholder committee which included tribes, educational interests, recreational interests, and timber interests. SB 1546-2 creates the opportunity to move the Elliott from decades of conflict into a new era of consensus based conservation.

We need your help to ensure that SB 1546-2 passes. Please send an email to the legislature today and let them know that you support SB 1546-2 and the accompanying funding request from Governor Kate Brown. Key talking points include the following:

Talking Points:

I strongly support passage of SB 1546 (-1) and the accompanying funding request from the Governor which would create a new Elliott State Research Forest owned by the State of Oregon and managed by Oregon State University with strong environmental protections and strong accountability mechanisms;
This legislation is the product of years of work by diverse stakeholders including conservation groups, tribes, recreational interests, educational interests, timber interests and counties and will advance the Elliott into a new era of consensus driven conservation and research.

Marbled Murrelet chick in an Elliott State Forest, photo by Aaron Allred

Creation of a new Elliott State Research Forest would secure strong environmental protections including:
- - Creation of a 34,000 acres reserve, the largest reserve in the Oregon Coast Range.
  - Protection for more than 90% of the Elliott’s older forests.
  - Strong protections for Northern Spotted Owls, Marbled Murrelets and coho salmon.
  - A management structure that would ensure that the Elliott increases in both age and complexity over time.
This is a unique opportunity to end decades of conflict over the Elliott and advance legislation that will ensure strong environmental protections, important research, strong accountability, and public ownership.

Please address emails as soon as possible to: “Dear Oregon Legislators” and send to the following:

Help Pass Bill to Protect the Elliott State Forest

Talking Points:

Please address emails as soon as possible to: “Dear Oregon Legislators” and send to the following:

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