HB 2357 VOTE: NO
Died In Committee on 06/26/2021
Status (overview) of bill: https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2021R1/Measures/Overview/HB2357
Committee assigned to bill: https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2021R1/Committees/SFR/Overview
This bill puts Oregon Forest Resources Institute (OFRI) under magnifying glass recording all interactions with elected officials, boards and commissions, and agencies reporting to the Governor. Establishes Sound Forestry Practices Subaccount and the Family Forestlands Subaccount. Transfers authority to set privilege tax rate from OFR to the Board of Forestry. Prohibits use of privilege tax revenue from educating the public.
Fiscal Responsibility
Creates the Sound Forestry Practices Subaccount and the Family Forestlands Subaccount under the State Forestry Department Account and continuously appropriates funds to Department for specified purposes. Changes allocation of revenue from privilege tax to be deposited as follows: 50% to Sound Forestry Practices Subaccount, 33% to OFRI Fund, and 17% to Family Forestlands Subaccount. funded by the privilege harvesting tax, and the funds in the Oregon Forest Resources Institute Fund from privilege harvesting taxes will be transferred to the General Fund. It poses the question of proper use of those tax funds that had a specific purpose.
Limited Government
This bill requires the State Forestry Department to develop and apply sound forestry practices to promote forest health, incorporate regulation or monitoring of pesticide use in forests, employ adaptive resource management, advance climate science or climate policy related to forest management, and undertake projects that further such purposes.
Local Control
The primary goal of OFRI is to educate the public about forestry and responsible forest management, and intended as an advocate for the timber industry, but is now being silenced from educating on best conservation practices and advance climate science.
Free Markets
HB 2357 is an attempt to silence any practice that does not go along with the climate change agenda by the left. Be damn the best practices or real science.
The entire Forest Harvest Industry must be removed from Bureaucratic State Agencies and placed into Knowledgeable, Experienced Private Sector Groups, with minimal government oversight, with the “Goal of Renewable Natural Harvest.”