Oregon Public Broadcasting

Gov. John Kitzhaber advised the Oregon Board of Forestry Thursday to look at new ways of managing state forests. He spoke at the board’s meeting in Forest Grove.

The governor told the board he wants state forests to become a model for managing federal forests in Oregon. He says the board should consider separating sections of forest land for conservation, and for timber harvest.

"I think you need to examine and consider acting on the authority vested in the board and the department to establish areas areas that would be managed primarily for conservation purposes. Consider ways of establishing and managing those areas to provide certainty and improve habitat and species recovery outcomes and restoration jobs and other benefits that would come from active management or for things like recreation," Kitzhaber said.

The governor also says he's worried that more raw logs on private land are being exported from Oregon to Asia. He says he will work on finding ways to turn those logs into products that can be manufactured in Oregon, to keep jobs here.