Oregon forests face renewed logging threats under BLM plan
Deadline Dates:
- Draft EIS: June 12
- Final Decision: November 6, 2026
About the Coast Range Association (CRA)
The Coast Range Association is an Oregon-based nonprofit working to protect public forests, defend old-growth and mature habitats, and advance climate-safe forestry practices. CRA leads grassroots campaigns and organizes community engagement to challenge industrial logging and promote sustainable forest management.
BLM Announces Plan for Managing Forest Lands for “maximum productive capacity”
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has announced plans to scrap its 2016 forest management plan and dramatically increase logging across 2.4+ million acres of public lands in Oregon. Their stated goal: return timber harvests toward historically high levels — managing lands for “maximum productive capacity.”
What this means:
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75% reduction in stream protections (Riparian Reserves)
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Potential logging in areas currently protected for mature and old-growth forests
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Increased carbon emissions at a time of accelerating climate instability
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Greater fire risk from industrial logging practices
Climate scientists, including researchers at Oregon State University, warn we are approaching dangerous tipping points. This isn’t about one person in power — it’s about a system that prioritizes short-term extraction over long-term resilience.
Why This Matters:
Oregon’s wet forests are among the most carbon-dense in the world. Destroying them moves us backward environmentally and economically, while reducing their ability to stabilize the climate.
What We Can Do:
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Submit scoping comments to the BLM (logging worsens climate risk, reducing stream buffers harms water quality, forest destruction does not fix rural economies)
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Contact Senators and Representatives — demand protection of stream buffers and mature forests
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Organize locally; build community resilience and forest defense networks
This is a pivotal moment for Oregon forests. Silence will be interpreted as consent — we must respond clearly, strategically, and together.
Support the Coast Range Association (CRA)
Your donation supports CRA’s leadership in grassroots forest defense and climate action:
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Donate online (consider monthly recurring donations)
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Include CRA in your estate plan
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Contribute stock donations
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Mail a check to PO Box 1001, Corvallis, OR 97339, payable to Coast Range Association
Questions? Email chuckw@coastrange.org
Links:
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Climate report: Oregon State News
- Keep a watch on this Forest Watch post!