Author: Neva Knott

Publisher:

Published: 2012

Total Pages: 103

ISBN-13:

Oregon forests need regulatory protection to live beyond the century of over logging that occurred in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Regulatory actions of the past 20 years that limited logging in Oregon, primarily on federally owned land, which covers about half of the state. These limits have helped the forests regenerate, but have significantly hurt small, rural logging towns. Because so much of the geography of the state is forest land, this problem is a communal one that ubiquitously affects governance and economics of the state. Environmental regulations most likely will not be removed. Solutions are needed that allow for both environmental and economic sustainability in terms of how Oregonians use public forest lands. At the same time, science is advancing the understanding of all of the services trees provide. This emergent knowledge can serve in development of a new forest economy for Oregon. Forest management that allows for sustainable harvest is practiced around the globe. To understand the structure of the concept, I conducted an extensive study of the literature on the subject in peer-reviewed journals. I also read several histories of actual projects. I then turned my attention to Oregon's specific economic problems. I read the Northwest Forest Plan and the various subsidy programs that fund forestry work on public lands. I was able to correlate Oregon's situation with many of the international examples. Secondly, I read emergent research on carbon sequestration and journal articles on carbon offsets marketing and corresponded with Oregon's leading scientist on the subject. The third tier of my research was to attend meetings for programs at work in community forestry. I lead tree-planting crews for Friends of Trees which allowed me to see how urban forestry is an important part of community forestry management. Urban forestry educates people about the ecosystems services provided by trees. There are many similarities between the Oregon situation of dependence on forestry income and the situations of such places as British Columbia, Tanzania, and Mexico. I began to see a pattern in how the use of community based forestry management creates strong rural communities. The core element of a success is the giving over of management to the local community. When the people who live in and around the forest manage it, sustainability is attainable for both the environment and economic aspects. The sustainability comes from a shift in thinking and practice. It cannot happen with the mindset that all natural resources are there for the taking at high-yield rates of harvest. Oregon has several programs in place, as does the US Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management that can be accessed to create change in the forestry operations. Oregonians have to move beyond the conflict of environmentalist versus loggers. The environmental and economic conditions of the state's forests are concerns that affect every citizen. Community based forestry management provides a model that moves practice and dialog well beyond that conflict and into a new forest economy.