Bill is in full Ways &  Means before going to both house floors for a vote.

The Act renames a state forest and transfers the running of the forest to a different state agency. The Act makes the forest a research forest and sets forth the duties, powers and conditions for managing the forest.

Renames the Elliott State Forest as the Elliott State Research Forest. Authorizes the State Land Board to manage, control and protect the forest as a world-class research forest. Restricts the ability of the board to sell land in the forest, but authorizes the board to expand or exchange land or timber to further the purposes of the forest as a research forest. Authorizes certificates of participation financing to finance capital projects or purchases related to the forest. Transfers the duties, functions, powers, rights and obligations related to the forest from the State Board of Forestry to the State Land Board.

It was under the State Land Board, a board that has no vested interest or experience in forestry, the board that passed HCP, and basically stopped harvesting in violation of ORS 530.520 and the common school forest revolving fund.

Changing the Elliot back to a Research Forest will allow their plan to lockdown harvesting and use it to sell carbon credits, even though it does nothing to reduce green house gas emissions.

BILL HAS PASSED WAYS & MEANS SUBCOMMITTE AND IS IN THE FULL WAYS& MEANS FOR ACTION.

EMAIL ALL LEGISLATORS FOR FLOOR VOTES