Oregon Public Broadcasting

The oversight panel for Oregon’s forests voted, 4-to-2, Wednesday to expand timber harvests on state lands.

Ethan Lindsey reports the vote allows more clear-cut logging on 3-percent of the forestland in Oregon.

Despite the relatively small acreage, the decision by the Oregon Board of Forestry could have a significant impact on Northwest forest policy in general.

The state’s previous forest plan has not generated as much timber and timber revenue as expected.

So this vote allows more -- 196-million board feet harvested every year from the forests.

Logging advocates say that’s not enough. Environmentalists say too much.

Donald Fontenot is the state forest coordinator for the Sierra Club.

Donald Fontenot:  “We don’t take any solace in what this very timber-industry dominated Board of Forestry did, at all. They made the wrong decision at the wrong time.”

Until this year, the board had only made decisions on consensus.

Governor Kulongoski publicly asked for actual vote counts – and faster decision-making – his office says he applauds this vote.