Oregon Board of Forestry
2600 State Street
Salem, Oregon 97310
Dear Chair Kelly and Members of the Board:
We wish to express our concern for the direction you may be giving to the Oregon Department of Forestry in drafting the Western Oregon State Forest Habitat Conservation Plan. Any deviation on forward progression in implementing a strong HCP compromises the recovery of depleted wild salmon and steelhead species our community depends on, that are grown on state forest lands.
Last year, the take of wild fall Chinook salmon was CLOSED in the entire Tillamook Basin, due to depressed numbers of adults returning to the watershed, and we’re facing ANOTHER CLOSURE for the fall 2023 season as well. These closures in the Tillamook and constraining opportunities in other north coast watersheds severely compromised a $200 million dollar a year industry that depends on abundant fish and wildlife in Tillamook and Clatsop Counties. Furthermore, the adult steelhead returns of 2022 and clearly this year, are severely down, causing concern for the long-term viability of this species and the recreational opportunity our community once enjoyed. In the last two decades, we’ve never witnessed so little opportunity to pursue salmon and steelhead on the North Coast, it’s an indication that we have a critical problem.
The North Coast’s wild salmon and steelhead are a forest product too, a product that seems to be
disappearing off of the land and waterscape. We believe Alternative 3 of the Habitat Conservation Plan will address the needs of these fish, and give them a chance to recover, along with the North Coast recreation economy. Sportanglers are deeply frustrated that our community is forced to sit on the sidelines when solutions to recovery repeatedly fail to get implemented. We are facing yet another petition for the listing of Chinook salmon under the ESA on the north coast, why would we perpetuate such a listing when we have a solution at our fingertips? We are at a crossroads with the Habitat Conservation Plan.
It is for this reason, we urge the board and agency to continue forward momentum in implementing the HCP and to seek the maximum protections modeled under Alternative 3 providing “increased conservation” for species of concern. Long gone are the 40, 50 and 60-pound Chinook the Tillamook State Forest used to produce, and in many cases, we’re failing to meet minimum spawning escapement goals for several runs of wild salmon.
In Gratitude,
Bob Rees, professional fishing guide, Bay City, Oregon
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Keep up the good work TGF, i’m behind your cause 100%
We need to do more to protect our rivers and wildlife. A buffer zone alone all waterways is one step in protecting them. I am in favor of putting the restrictions into law.
Ken
I worked summers in the Forest Service in the Clackamas Ranger District helping to map out timber sales during my college years. This was late 60’s early 70’s. The first 2 years we “laid out” clear cuts. Mapping/grading the timber for future sales. The later years all of the sales units were “partial cuts” and there were always buffers along the creeks. I’ve assumed all these ensuing years that watershed protection was built in. I cannot believe that these streams and fish runs are not being protected this day and age.
We need to do more to protect our rivers and wildlife. A buffer zone alone all waterways is one step in protecting them. I am in favor of putting the restrictions into law.
I’m a 70 year sports angler who has fished for Salmon in the entire Tillamook Bay watershed my entire adult life. Please support the HCP under Alternative 3. The entire fishery has suffered due to poor timber practices. Pleases listen to the Sport anglers, they have an outstanding proposal that needs your full support!
Act now to save our salmon. I want my grandkids to be able to enjoy this precious commodity for many years to come.
I’m in the Forest Products Industry and I’m also a strong advocate for sustainable, conservation minded logging practices. This is a no brainer to help keep our watersheds vibrant and healthy enough to not only sustain current populations of salmon and steelhead but to grow them. This will ensure that future generations get to enjoy the fishing opportunities that we’ve all obviously taken for granted.
Salmon and Steelhead are forest products too. Adequate riparian buffers is simply appropriate resource management.
Typical TimberUnity
This is a good first step and something we can easily do to help keep the waters clean and give the fish a chance of surviving. We need to start this ASAP.
It is way past time for us to do more for our multi year declining sea run fisheries up and down the whole PNW coast range. We are currently experiencing obvious hints from Mother Nature , that we are not doing enough to save us and them from extinction . Extinction is forever and is a selfishly act from our current generation which will rob our up and coming future generations from the healthy outdoor experiences that’s available to all and specifically the ones lucky enough to live and work here in the area. Unfortunately our forestry industries are not the only problem, but let’s start here maybe and become a large force of leadership , and hopefully the rest will follow suit and fix the rest or at least almost the rest.. Let’s start a positive change for the fisheries , we owe it to them . I believe that specifically the Chinook salmon and our water quality are a spiritual indicator of the earth’s wellness for us all on this rotating sphere. Any doubt just ask a native how it used to be back in the day , we need to strive for those numbers again the earth can repair itself it just needs a lil help …. Let’s get involved please support the HCP / Alt 3
All of our sport fisheries are in serious trouble. Government policies are not working to support or enhance our fish stocks. Ocean stocks are depleted as well. We need large buffer zones along all of our streams and spawning beds as well. Timber Industry needs to act on these matters. I am sure there are plenty of fisherman in the timber industry. As for the Columbia System if it were not for native american taking a stand and producing salment that river would be a bust as well. Gill Netters are another problem as well as all the commercial fisherman on our oceans. I am talking about foreign fleets mostly that strip mine fish stocks all over the ocean. We need representation with a backbone.
Our fishing resources are in dire straits , if we as a society do not manage these returns properly their will be no fish for future generations .
Buffer zones along the coastal rivers are a must to limit silt and rising water temperature. It’s sad to see the downward spiral of the salmon, steelhead and sea run cutthroat trout in the northwest.
Sure the timber is a renewable resource, but the impact on wildlife is not. These timber companies are just like big tech companies. They are rich and want to be richer at the expense of our future fishing and hunting. I support any efforts to save our Salmon, Steelhead, and sturgeon. They are more important than the unnecessary need to be a millionaire. Also gillnetting is a bad idea. I know many of these gillnetters are just summer income for people like Evenson who are rich enough.
stop logging next to a stream
Keep our local populations growing, provide forfuture generations to have this opportunity to learn about living and supporting families in a personal ability using God givin resources
.
From the beginning of early Timber harvesting on the North Coast of Oregon, the splash dam era spanned 8 decades which did not provide adequate fish passage of salmon and steelhead into our coastal rivers and streams. This practice damaged precious spawning grounds, removed spawning gravel beds and reshaped the natural flow of the rivers on the coast. By the mid 1950’s it was clear that habitat degradation due to logging operations played a major factor which contributed to additional depletion of salmon and steelhead runs in the Pacific Northwest. To this day landscape continues to change not for the better within the logging industry and the land itself. With extensive road systems, saws, and bulldozers the industry has carved out along our rivers and streams small forest patches with little or no protection of the buffer zones along the streams and rivers. This action has raised the temperatures in our rivers, increased silt in the spawing areas, and left little natural organic debris in our streams that have a major influence on the ecosystems in our streams for salmon and steelhead. There is still time to repair the damage and please support HCP/ALT 3.
Doug and all, thanks for staying with this issue and getting out the word.
Stop the staying of poison on are forests, waurhauser!
Sustainability and cooperation are the pathway forward. Otherwise we will all lose. Stronger communities have healthy forests and healthy streams and happy families.