Wednesday's decision threatens to create further divisions between rural and urban Oregon that have arisen over clashes over logging. In 1998, the state board that oversees forest management policy adopted a rule stating that although timber harvest could be a valuable use of the forest, the term “greatest permanent value” also includes other beneficial uses that provide social and economic benefits. But the forests have now recovered and comprise some of the best timber stands in the state. The law was originally enacted when hundreds of thousands of acres of Oregon forests were logged or burned by wildfire and the counties turned them over to the state in exchange for a share of revenue generated by the land. The appeals court, in its decision, wrote that the language and intent of that act in its history and context - and without any “useful” legislative action on the issue - “does not clearly and unmistakably create a contractual obligation."
“Today’s decision by the Oregon Court of Appeals is a validation of the fact that a balanced, science-based approach to public forest management will produce the greatest long-term outcomes for all Oregonians, including the counties and taxing districts that receive revenue from state forests," she said. Kate Brown applauded the reversal and said in a statement that Oregon manages its forests sustainably “not only for the benefit and prosperity of this generation but those to come.” The counties have said Oregon must manage more than 700,000 acres (28,327 hectares) of state forestland for maximum timber revenue, while the state Department of Forestry believes it has the discretion to manage the land for wildlife and recreation. (AP) - The Oregon Court of Appeals on Wednesday overturned a $1.1 billion verdict against the state over its forest management practices, the latest development in a decades-long dispute over the best use of vast tracts of forestland that cover much of the state's rural areas.Ī Linn County jury found in 2019 that Oregon breached its contract with 13 rural counties and 151 local taxing districts by failing to maximize timber harvests on state forests over the last two decades.