Conservation Update Winter 2024
by Janice Reid…
The Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP), completed in 1994 and implemented during the Clinton Administration, was the result of extensive scientific collaboration. Its goal was to create a scientifically credible, ecological approach to conserving western forests within the range of the Northern Spotted Owl. Unlike species-specific strategies, the NWFP focused on protecting ecosystems critical to species reliant on older forests.
Over time, however, key provisions of the NWFP have been ignored or weakened by some agencies responsible for its implementation. For example, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which oversees federal lands in Oregon’s Coast Range, Cascade foothills, and Klamath Mountains, has removed survey and management provisions, diluted the Aquatic Conservation Strategy, and ultimately decoupled its management plans from the NWFP.
The Forest Service is now revisiting the NWFP, proposing updates to address emerging challenges. Some proposed positive changes include incorporating strategies to mitigate climate change and integrating traditional Native American cultural knowledge to enhance resilience in fire-prone areas. With the plan now 30 years old, these updates present an opportunity to strengthen protections for older forests against the increasing threats they face.
The BLM’s 2016 departure from the NWFP significantly weakened protections for older forests in lower-elevation areas of western Oregon. As we continue to advocate for these forests on BLM lands, Forest Service lands have become even more critical for maintaining carbon-rich old-growth forests that help mitigate climate change. Increased logging in mature and old-growth forests now would be disastrous. The landscape already has abundant early- and mid-seral forests due to catastrophic fires, ongoing private clear-cut logging, and federal harvests. Aerial photos reveal that the “blanket” of forest cover has more gaps than fabric.
The NWFP revision process has faced delays. Originally set to conclude in summer 2024 with a 90-day public comment period, the process would have allowed for a decision under the Biden Administration. However, with the comment period extended to 120 days and opening on November 15, the final decision now falls to the next administration.
Umpqua Watersheds will provide detailed comments before the March 15 deadline and invites the community to join us in discussing the amendment alternatives at our Conservation Committee meetings on the first Wednesday of the month at 6pm. Email janice@umpquawatersheds.org if you are interested in attending. For more information on the Forest Service’s proposed amendment, visit the Forest Service project page at
https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=64745
