Many Oregonians do not understand or appreciate the statutory role timber growth and harvest from state-owned forests have played in rural school funding for more than 160 years. Here is a short primer.
The federal government awarded Oregon 3.4 million acres of Public Domain Land when it became a State on February 14, 1859. At that time, Congress was actively promoting capital investments in budding communities and economies in the West.
Per the state constitution and subsequent legislative action, these acres were placed in a dedicated trust, known as the Common School Fund, that is still in force today. The fund distributes harvest revenue to schools and other units of county government that lay within the forest.
Managing these lands is the responsibility of a three-member State Land Board [SLB] that includes the Governor, State Treasurer, and Secretary of State, respectively and currently Kate Brown, Tobias Read, and Shemia Fagan.
Over time, a significant amount of this 3.4 million-acre award was sold, traded and/or logged for the benefit of schools. The 91,000-acre Elliott was designated in 1930 as a means of consolidating scattered parcels…
Since 1986, Evergreen Magazine has been the voice of American forestry and science-based forest policy. In the ongoing pursuit of practical, sustainable and productive forests, we’ve updated our look and expanded our reach. These improvements aren’t merely cosmetic. We’ve been delighted to discover a broad audience of reasonable, cooperative people who understand the vital importance of healthy, actively-managed forests. We’ve recruited new talents, crafted new strategies, and prepared tirelessly for what our founder Jim Petersen calls “the race to a better future”.
We hope you’ll join us. It’s people like you, people who care about our health, economy and environment, that will enable us to bring about the changes we know must be made. Looking forward, we see the opportunity for rural and urban, right and left, wealthy and poor, to unite under this common cause to the greater benefit of all. Your time, your donations, your willingness to advance this noble goal, are the proof that Americans are ready to move past rhetoric and conflict to craft solutions that strengthen and empower our communities, our children, and ourselves. Thanks for coming. We’re glad to have you.
Your tax-deductible contribution allows us to continue providing science-based forestry information with the goal of ensuring healthy forests forever.
DONATE NOWLong time Evergreen Foundation board member, Mike Newton, died August 30 at his home in Corvallis, Oregon. He was a marvelous scientist [PhD in Botany], and a beloved Professor Emeritus at Oregon State University.
Another god-awful wildfire season is winding down in the West. Forest Service Chief Randy Moore was forced to remove prescribed fire from the agency’s toolbox on May 22 after the disastrous Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire in New Mexico blew past 300,000 acres.
The usual suspects want you to believe that a mutually inclusive approach to the stewardship of our public lands is akin to heresy.
Your tax-deductible contribution allows us to continue providing science-based forestry information with the goal of ensuring healthy forests forever.
DONATE NOWStart with the rising sun and work toward the setting sun, take only the mature trees, the sick trees and the trees that have fallen. When you reach the end of the reservation, turn and cut from the setting sun to the rising sun and the trees will last forever.
Augustus Silcox was appointed Forest Service Chief in 1933. By reputation, he was a brilliant engineer with exceptional listening and organizational skills that would serve him well during his six years as Chief. In 1935, Silcox instituted the 10 a.m. fire policy.
It's time for the U.S. Forest Service to shelve prescribed burning until it learns how to use it properly.
Your tax-deductible contribution allows us to continue providing science-based forestry information with the goal of ensuring healthy forests forever.
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