Ding, dong, the wicked wopr is dead!
That is, the Western Oregon Plan Revision.
The Oregon and California Lands Act of 1937
The Bush administration tried to claim land for logging by using the Oregon and California Lands Act of 1937. The O&C Railroad built a line from Portland to the California border, but due to an argument between the government and the O&C, the government never paid the amount it said it would once the line was finished (and the O&C went broke, eventuallly). Counties complained that the 160 acre parcels would not bring in the taxes that they would have if left available for sale to landowners, and they wanted something in return.
The Act allowed these counties to collect "50% of the funds from Timber harvests each year on the old ‘O&C’ lands within their boundaries." (pitchfork rebellion)
Not surprisingly, county commissioners began to love the idea of increasing harvests on these lands, over 2 million acres.
The Western Oregon Plan Revision swept up much of this land into timber sales. The BLM planned "regenerative cuts" (clearcuts), logging in riparian areas, and logging in late succession reserves, gobbling up trees into what was truly a "whopper" of a plan.
The O&C Act could use a diary by itself, but it's supposed mandate to allow these kinds of cuts was challenged. 1937 was a different time, when local loggers felled trees and local mills processed them, often for local use. These days, corporations with labor from all over come in, mow down a forest, and leave.
As the DOI release below explains, the Obama administration recognized that basic environmental laws and procedures had not been followed.
Lastly, the taxpayer is left holding the bag on the federal level. On the county level, Oregon is working towards obtaining alternate revenue streams for when the timber sale revenue stops. For now, the government still helps out with payments to counties.
NR Today
and
oregon live
Everything reverts to the Northwest Forest Plan of Clinton yore, while they review the planned sales. The Northwest Forest Plan is not the best plan in the world, but at least it requires compliance with the Endangered Species Act, which in turn requires consultation with scientists. The Obama administration promised to listen to the science and incorporate it in any plan going forward, which is a huge improvement from the Bush regime in itself.
The administration will also review the Northern Spotted Owl Recovery Plan.
Shout Out to Obama and Salazar!
Update
Thanks to R. L. Miller, here's the DOI news release:
DOI
Of course, Bush ignored laws and his officials may have had "improper influence."
Salazar noted that the legal problem with the Western Oregon Plan Revisions, which was finalized in late December 2008, arose from the previous Administration’s decision not to complete consultation on the plan’s impacts on endangered species under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act. The WOPR also partially relied on spotted owl protections that have been challenged in federal court and have been called into question by Interior’s Inspector General, who determined that the integrity of the decision making process was potentially jeopardized as a result of the improper political influence of a former Bush Administration official.
Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wildlife and Parks Thomas Strickland said today that the federal government will conduct a thorough review of the 2008 Spotted Owl Recovery Plan, which informed both the WOPR and the Fish and Wildlife Service’s 2008 revision of critical habitat for the spotted owl.
(from the DOI.)
Here are some thoughts from some groups around Oregon, thanks to Siskiyou Project.
“Southwest Oregon has much of the lands that were to be clearcut under the WOPR. We are pleased that level heads have prevailed, and our old growth will be protected,” said Shane Jimerfield, Siskiyou Project.
“Instead of a sea of stumps, we will now have healthy forests, healthy streams and salmon, and a rebounding economy,” said Kristen Boyles, an attorney with Earthjustice. “We’re grateful that our citizens’ legal challenge could stop this plan until the Obama administration was in place to listen to the people and follow America’s environmental laws.”
“Today’s announcement means many important salmon protections will be preserved in what are the last, best spawning and rearing areas for salmon on public lands,” commented Glen Spain, for the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations (PCFFA), one of the co-plaintiffs and a major commercial fishing organization. “This announcement is good news for hard working commercial fishing families struggling to survive on salmon runs nearly ruined by decades of excessive logging.”
“The forests and species of northwestern California are connected to the rest of our regional old-growth forests through BLM land in southern Oregon,” said Scott Greacen of EPIC. “Today’s announcement basically restores the southern half of the Northwest Forest Plan.”
“The Obama administration’s move today signals a return to scientific management of our public forests and marks an important step towards protecting Oregon’s remaining mature and old growth forests from unsustainable logging and roadbuilding,” said Ivan Maluski, Conservation Coordinator for the Oregon Chapter of the Sierra Club. “These last wild forests protect the climate, produce clean water, and sustain world class salmon runs and recreational opportunities that contribute to Oregon’s diverse economy.”
The announcement comes in response to a lawsuit filed by Earthjustice challenging the now discredited Bush logging plan. Earthjustice represents Oregon Wild, Siskiyou Project, Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center, The Wilderness Society, Cascadia Wildlands Project, Center for Biological Diversity, EPIC, Umpqua Watersheds, American Lands Alliance, Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations, Institute for Fisheries Resources, Greenpeace, Coast Range Association, and Sierra Club.
For more quotes explaining the benefits of this decision, please go to the siskiyou project
Another group that did yoeman's work on this is cascadia wildlands.
Now let's make sure the administration hears what we would like to see in the new plan.