Native forests are defined as naturally regenerating forests that, unlike plantation forests, consist of a variety of tree species native to the region. Plantation forests are usually a single species, hand planted close together as a crop and cut on a short rotation of twenty five to forty years.

The native sections of the Elliott State Forest, in Oregon’s Coast Range, has been found to store more carbon per acre than virtually anywhere in the world. Old native forests can store far more carbon than young plantations and Oregon should protect this resource but the Oregon Department of Forestry continues to bow to pressure from timber operators who will not, for the most part, mill the logs in the US.

Oregon manages the Elliott State Forest under a Habitat Management Plan agreed to in 1995 when the US Fish and Wildlife Service allowed Oregon to “take” 43 of 69 remaining spotted owls, dependent upon the native Elliott for their survival, if the state promised to protect the remainder for sixty years. But, according to Cascadia Wildlands, the ODF has not kept this and other promises.

* In 1995 Oregon promised to not to log in the north and western part of the Elliott, (called long-rotation watersheds) so marbled murrelets and spotted owls could live there. But under the new plan, Oregon will clearcut some of the best forests in those reserves in just a few years.

* In 1995 Oregon promised to keep 64% of the Elliott in forests over 80 years old, and grow 29% of the Elliott into forests over 156 years old. But under the new plan, Oregon will only have to keep 30% of the forests over 60 years old, and 0% in older forests.

* In 1995 Oregon promised to protect the 26 owls (13 pairs) that Oregon was not given permission to “take”. No matter what happened to those owls, the forests around their home would remained protected. Under the new plan, those forests can be clearcut if barred owls move the spotted owls to another place.

The State of Oregon is accepting public comments until 5 PM August 1, 2011 on a new Forest Management Plan (FMP) for the Elliott State Forest. The new plan will allow Oregon to clearcut twice as much endangered species habitat every year, from 500 acres a year to about 1,000 acres a year, by clearcutting native, mature forests in Oregon’s coast range.

The new plan calls for killing black bears that eat the sweet, soft inner-bark of plantation trees. Their cubs would be removed also. The usual practice is to NOT relocate bears and their cubs, but just kill them instead. Back bears have never caused economic problems before on the Elliott, but higher timber targets means bears must now be “controlled”.

The new plan will continue the nasty practice of killing thousands of Mountain Beavers every year. The Mountain Beaver’s preferred food is poisoned by ODF when they spray herbicides on clearcuts. To prevent the Mountain Beaver from eating the only food left (tree seedlings), they are killed. About 3,000 beavers are currently killed every year. This will double if clearcut acres double.

For those who believe a few short term jobs justifies the erosion of natural habitat and the destruction of a valuable carbon sink consider that reports indicate the State will use prison labor for some of the tasks involved with administering and monitoring a new forest management plan.

The kids who blockaded the Elkhorn Ranch Timber Sale scheduled in two weeks are fighting to defend their legacy.