The State of Oregon is now looking for a buyer willing to take the Elliott State Forest off its hands, following Thursday’s vote by the Land Board to move ahead with plans to sell the public forest located near Coos Bay.
The state of Oregon is under a constitutional obligation to manage the Elliott Forest to make money for public schools. But with declines in timber sales in recent years, the state has been losing money on the land.
Oregon will now look for a buyer to purchase the entire 84,000-acre forest. The next owner would be have to provide recreation access, habitat protections and community economic benefit.
Jim Paul with the Department of State Lands says the state is positioned to help bring groups together and broker a deal.
Jim Paul: “So the state’s done it in the past. It is not part of our normal type of thing that we do. I think we have the staff and we have the direction and leadership to do it.”
The Land Board wants to have all purchase offers on the table by the fall of 2016.