Representatives Peter DeFazio, Kurt Schrader and Greg Walden released the O&C TRUST, CONSERVATION, AND JOBS ACT this afternoon. The bill proposes to convert 1.5 million acres of O&C lands to a committee managed “public trust” to provide some revenue to cash strapped counties. What is immediately notable about the bill is the proposed handling of the Coos Bay Wagon Road lands which proposes giving management of stands less than 125 years old not to the Coquille Tribe but rather to the county. The county may choose to contract with the tribe or any other public or private timber management but may opt to use its own forester. Evidently, Parry’s lobbying didn’t benefit the tribe at all.
The bill is not well received by environmental groups.
Title III- Coos Bay Wagon Road Lands
Sec.301. Transfer of management authority over certain Coos Bay Wagon Road lands to I Coos County,Oregon
I
Transfers management authority of timber stands on the Coos Bay Wagon Road lands under 125 I years old to Coos County excluding all federal lands within the National Landscape Conservation System, Areas of Critical Environmental Concem, National Wildemess
Preservation System, National Wild a¡d Scenic Rivers System, national monument, paxk, or other developed recreation areas.
Transfers management authority oftimber sta¡ds older than 125 years, and all excluded lands above, found on the Coos Bay Wagon Road lands to the United States Forest Service.Requires Coos County to abide by all management restrictions described in Section 214 of this title.
Directs Coos County to assume all management and administrative costs of the lands transfened
to the county.
Authorizes Coos County to contract the management and administration of the transferred lands to a public, private, or tribal entity substantially based in Coos or Douglas counties and requires the contract to be competitively bid.
Authorizes revenues generated from the transfer¡ed Coos Bay Wagon Road lands to be deposited in the general fund ofCoos County.
Requires Coos County to make eight annual payments of$400,000 to the United States Treasury beginning in year three.
Requires Coos County to make annual payments to Douglas County beginning the first fiscal year for which management of the transferred lands generate net positive revenues and requires that the annual payment to Douglas County be based on the proportion of Coos Bay Wagon Road lands in Douglas County bears to all Coos Bay Wagon Road lands in the State.
Sec.302. Transfer of Certain Coos Bay Wagon Road Grant Lands to US Forest Service
Transfers administrative jurisdiction of all timber stands on the Coos Bay Wagon Road Grant lands over 125 years and excluded in Section 301 to the United States Forest Service.
Sec. 303. Land exchange authority
Provides authority for Coos County to recommend changes to the Forest Service to improve management efficiencies and for conservation purposes.
Sec.304. Continued treatment of Coos Bay Wagon Road Grant lands as Federal land for certain purposes.
Exempts the Coos Bay ‘Wagon Road Grant lands from State and local property taxes and severance taxes in the same manner as other federal lands.
Could a county administrator make it any easier to cut the deals, to cut the forest?
There’s ample opportunity for the tribe to share in the benefits of the harvest to come, so Cam should be able to relax a bit, his lobbying for tribal control seems possible with this deal.
Just make sure its got “JOBS” in the title, and exempt the lands from paying taxes, and everyone looking to make a buck on this deal will be happy.
Peter’s got their back. Just like his concern about coal and LNG 7 or 8 years from when it all started..
So let me get this straight. The Democrat Rep. for Oregon is proposing to basically “privatize” public lands now? And the destruction thereof, by the timber barons?
Is that the eventual result of this move by Peter?
So much for Democratic Principles, huh? Just give em what they want mentality, thanks Dems. And he attends every “debut” the Rusted Railroad to Nowhere, he secures funding for.
D or R, isn’t much choice anywhere, is there?