The Western Oregon State Forests Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) to protect critical animal habitat in nearly 640,000 acres of forestland west of the Cascades is moving towards final stages.
The drafts of the HCP and the Environmental Impact Statement prepared by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have been released for public comment. The process includes a 60-day public comment opportunity, and Oregonians may submit their insights and concerns with written comment March 18 until May 17, and verbal testimony at the virtual meeting on April 6.
The 70-year plan is designed to better protect 17 species identified as threatened under the Endangered Species Act such as the Northern spotted owl, marbled murrelet, coastal marten, red tree voles,and the Oregon Coast and Lower Columbia River coho. These animals live in the state’s western forests where logging occurs, summarizes the Oregon Capital Chronicle.
Logging Protection
The plan would offer some legal protections to logging companies, giving them more assurance about where they could harvest trees and help them to avoid being sued under the Endangered Species Act.
Currently, the state Forestry Department determines where logging can occur by spot surveying areas to see if any threatened species are present. This costs the agency a lot of time and money and upends some logging operations, according to Michael Wilson, a manager at the department who worked on the habitat conservation plan.
Under the new plan, which took nearly four years to develop, the agency will focus on the protection of critical habitat in areas where the species are known to or prone to gather, spawn or forage, rather than surveying spots of western state forests for nests and animals.
In newly protected habitat areas, there would be wider no-logging zones on land abutting rivers and streams to protect threatened coho and chinook salmon from sediment and heat. It also would prohibit or enact seasonal logging bans against areas known to be nesting and foraging grounds for threatened birds.
Balanced Plan
In an interview with OPB, ODF’s Deputy Division Chief of Policy and Technical Support Michael Wilson said he believes this is the agency’s best effort to come up with a plan that provides a balance of conservation, species protection, recreation, and continued timber harvest in state forests.
“It’s essential that we provide a foundation that provides certainty that we can still make the forest accessible in all those ways going forward,” he said.
ODF spokesman Jason Cox said the plan is designed to provide cleaner water and high-quality habitat conservation while allowing for timber harvest, which also funds the agency’s state forest programs, and benefits local counties and rural communities. 
Cox said the plan represents a “middle-of-the-road approach” because of how much input there’s been from conservation groups, the timber industry, and residents in counties where the state forests are located.
Conservation groups agree the plan does strike a balance, but more could have been done to increase environmental protection. On the other hand, Benton County Commissioner Nancy Wyse said, “Several county commissioners have expressed concern that their revenues could be negatively impacted because of reduced timber harvests.”
Wyse said the state has an “ethical” obligation to prioritize conservation and the protection of species and ultimately she hopes the plan will help guide the state through the challenge of finding a balance that works for everyone.
Next Steps After Plan Presentation
The state Forestry Department hopes to have its final environmental impact statement done by early 2023 and to have the Western Forests Habitat Conservation Plan ready by next spring for approval by the state Board of Forestry.
Once implemented, the plan and the health of the threatened animals would be monitored by the state Forestry Department and enforced by NOAA and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
By Stacey Newman Weldon
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