AFRC, Associated Oregon Loggers Urge Science-Based, Active Forest Management in Blue Mountains Plan Revision

The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) and Associated Oregon Loggers (AOL) have submitted joint comments to the U.S. Forest Service on its Draft Land Management Plan (LMP) for the Blue Mountains Forests Plan Revision, urging the agency to strengthen its commitment to active, sustainable forest management while removing unscientific restrictions and overly complex direction that provide little to no forest health benefits, but rather undermine forest resilience and rural economies.

The proposed plan governs future management on the Malheur, Umatilla, and Wallowa-Whitman National Forests, covering more than five million acres in eastern Oregon and southeastern Washington. These forests, their management, and their derived products are vital to the health of local communities and the regional economy, supporting thousands of family-wage jobs through the mills, contractors, and small, family-owned logging businesses that make forest restoration possible.

"The forest products industry is indispensable to the health of the Blue Mountains forests," said Andy Geissler, AFRC's Federal Timber Program Director. "Local mills, logging companies, and contractors provide the expertise and capacity the Forest Service depends on to restore forest resilience, reduce wildfire risks, and maintain wildlife habitat. A successful plan must empower-not restrict-these efforts."

AFRC and AOL commended the Forest Service for identifying roughly 2.7 million acres as suitable for timber production but cautioned that arbitrary limits on tree harvest size and restrictions carried over from the outdated Clinton-era Eastside Screens rule could prevent the agency from meeting its own forest health and timber targets. The so-called "21-inch rule," they note, has failed to achieve its intended outcomes for three decades.

"The 21-inch rule is not based on science, and it's counterproductive to restoring historic forest conditions," said Amanda Sullivan-Astor, Forest Policy Manager for AOL. "The Forest Service's own research shows that focusing on tree diameter alone is a poor substitute for managing forests based on structure and species composition."

The joint comments highlight multiple peer-reviewed studies from Oregon State University and the Forest Service's Pacific Northwest Research Station showing that rigid diameter limits hinder restoration efforts, perpetuate overstocked stands, and increase susceptibility to drought, insects, and catastrophic wildfire. The organizations called for the Forest Service to replace these outdated restrictions with a science-based approach that allows foresters to manage for a diversity of forest ages and structures across the landscape, consistent with the Historical Range of Variability.

AFRC and AOL also urged the Forest Service to support responsible management in riparian areas, noting that selective thinning can improve water quality, enhance habitat, and reduce wildfire risks along streams. They further encouraged the agency to maintain realistic harvest levels and suggested the allowance to utilize innovative and safer harvesting technology in forests to achieve these objectives such as tethered ground-based equipment on steep slopes. These modest changes would help sustain local jobs, provide a stable supply of wood products, and ensure that rural communities can continue supporting the forest restoration infrastructure that federal forests rely upon.

"Rural communities in the Blue Mountains depend on predictable, science-based forest management," Geissler said. "The final plan must move beyond outdated political compromises and empower professional foresters to use the best available science to care for these forests."

Sullivan-Astor added, "We must allow proven technologies to be used to meet forest objectives. The Forest Service must keep pace with equipment and safety innovations for forest operators allowing the full suite of harvest systems across its forested landscapes."

The Blue Mountains Forests Plan Revision will guide management decisions for decades to come. AFRC and AOL urged the Forest Service to incorporate their recommendations in the final Land Management Plan and accompanying Environmental Impact Statement to ensure resilient forests, vibrant communities, and a sustainable forest products economy.

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Contact: Nick Smith, AFRC (503) 515-4206 or Amanda Sullivan-Astor, AOL (503) 983-4017

About the American Forest Resource Council

AFRC is a regional trade association representing over 50 forest product businesses and forest landowners whose purpose is to advocate for sustained yield timber harvests on public timberlands throughout the West to enhance forest health and resistance to fire, insects, and disease. We do this by promoting active management to attain productive public forests, protect adjoining private forests, and assure community stability. We work to improve federal and state laws, regulations, policies, and decisions regarding access to and management of public forest lands and protection of all forest lands. AFRC strongly believes that healthy managed forests are essential to the integrity of both ecosystems and communities. For more information, visit amforest.org

About the Associated Oregon Loggers

Established in 1969, AOL is the state trade association representing loggers and forest contractors across Oregon. Our membership includes nearly 1000 member companies who participate in reforestation, firefighting, road building, logging, trucking, restoration, and harvest operations. These companies are comprised of approximately 23,000 Oregonians and migrant workers who rely on forest based work. Our vision is to foster success for Oregon's forest operators and ensure they are respected and celebrated for the indispensable role they play in keeping our communities, forests, and economy healthy and vibrant. For more information, visit oregonloggers.org.