The state of Oregon may decide to sell up to 3-thousand acres of the Elliott State Forest. The Land Board meets Tuesday in Salem.
The Elliott State Forest is a 93-thousand acre tract in the coast range east of Reedsport. The state manages it to generate money for the Common School Fund. Conservation groups have successfully challenged recent logging plans in the Elliott because it's home to threatened species including the Marbled Murrelet. Jim Paul with the Department of State Lands says because of reduced timber harvests…
Paul: "We are now in a position where the Elliott State Forest is actually costing The Common School Fund revenue."
Paul says last year, the cost to the Common School Fund was $3 million. Josh Laughlin is with Cascadia Wildlands, one of the groups that's successfully challenged logging on the Elliott. He welcomes the possibility of permanently restricting timber harvest.
Laughlin: "These parcels provide a real opportunity for the state land board to do the right thing, dispose of them for conservation while at the same time generating revenue for the Common School Fund."
There has been interest from conservation groups and logging companies. The State Land Board, made up of the Governor, Secretary of State and State Treasurer meets Tuesday morning in Salem.
