Report: Why Wyden’s O&C Bill Doesn’t “Double” Timber Harvests

Healthy Forests, Healthy Communities

Sen. Ron Wyden recently announced the reintroduction of his O&C (Oregon & California) federal forest legislation, pledging once again to “double” timber harvests as a way to create desperately-needed jobs in rural Oregon. However, a recent report commissioned by Oregon’s affected counties indicates that the Wyden plan would actually reduce harvest levels…The only support for Wyden’s bill came from the Portland and Washington D.C. environmental groups that helped write the legislation.

Oregon’s key O&C stakeholders do not support Wyden’s bill…(because) the Wyden plan does not increase timber harvests, would not provide certainty against excessive litigation, and would not generate revenues for counties.  In fact, Wyden’s bill doesn’t “double” timber harvests at all…

The report’s key finding was that Wyden’s plan would have resulted in long-term sustained harvests of only 85 to 171 million board feet (mmbf) per year. This is a reduction, not the “doubling” of timber harvests that Wyden promised…

The Wyden plan…will not generate the revenues O&C counties need to provide services and restore public safety agencies…

We Respond & Your Comments

“If you like your doctor you can keep your doctor. Period.” – Pres. Barack Obama

“John McCain met with Islamic State Terrorists.” – Sen. Rand Paul

“A referendum was held in Crimea in full compliance with democratic procedures and international norms.” – Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin

We could go on – and on. Our point is that politicians of all parties and nationalities tend to (and we say this diplomatically) “shade the truth.”

In fact, they tend to twist it into a pretzel, grind it up, spit on it and try to sell it to you as a fresh pretzel.

This is not to excuse Sen. Wyden’s attempt to sell you a cut in timber harvesting as a doubling of it. It’s to remind readers that almost any claim made by any politician cries out for scrutiny. Maybe especially here in Oregon.

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