Private Forest Accord
A BETTER WAY FORWARD FOR OREGON
10,000,000
Acres of Forestland Protected
$10,000,000
Annually for Conservation Efforts Throughout the State
Accord Marks New Dawn for Forestry in Oregon
After nearly a year of scientific review and negotiations, timberland owners and environmental groups reached an historic agreement to overhaul Oregon’s forest laws. The Oregon Private Forest Accord marks a new chapter for conservation of salmon and other aquatic species in Oregon and the role the timber industry can play in that effort going forward.
That Oregonians could come together and resolve difficult issues through dialogue and compromise is certainly worth celebrating. What was made clear throughout this process is that while we each might have different ideas on how to effectively maintain and protect forest waterways, all parties to the Accord share the twin goals of achieving both healthy ecosystems and productive forestlands.
CREATING A SCIENCE-BASED COLLABORATIVE PROCESS
Larger Stream Buffers
New rules will protect fish where they live, reduce sediment, and create continuous habitat and conservative temperature buffers in the face of climate change.
Forest Road Improvements
Road building and maintenance standards will ensure all forest roads allow for fish migration and don’t result in stream sedimentation. The PFA introduces new standards for maintenance, and management as well as culvert replacement prioritization.
Protections for Unstable Slopes
Forestland owners will employ a state-of-the-art unstable slopes management program that allows land managers to identify and improve characteristics of natural landslides to create quality fish habitat.
Enhanced Habitat Protection for Iconic Species
New protections for fish (salmon, steelhead, bull trout) and amphibians (coastal giant salamander, Cope’s giant salamander, coastal tailed frog) and reporting requirements for beaver management.
Science-based Adaptive Management
The PFA introduced an adaptive management framework that will ensure future changes to Oregon’s forest practice laws are science-based and outcome oriented.
New Funding for Habitat Conservation
The agreement establishes a new fund for projects that contribute additional ecological benefits beyond expanded stream buffers. The forest products industry will contribute $5 million per year for mitigation, the State $10 million.
Forests at Work for a Greener Future
Climate change solutions
Getting to net zero emissions by 2050 is ambitious, necessary & achievable. We all know that our forests are a natural climate solution. But not all forests are the same.
Renewable Energy
Oregon can reduce its reliance on fossil fuels, improve the health of overly dense federal forests by expanding the way we use a huge and sustainable resource called “woody biomass.”