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Forest Management in Oregon
A guide to management of private, state, and federal forests in Western Oregon
December landslides in Coast Range have prompted questions about about the safety of clear-cuts. Find out more here.
Western Oregon is famous for the vast forests that blanket its valleys, hills, and mountains. From coastal Western hemlock-Sitka spruce forests to subalpine fir forests of the Cascades, Oregon’s forests provide habitat for wildlife, offer world-class recreational opportunities, and filter the drinking water for most cities and communities. These forests provide a home for threatened fish and wildlife, from bald eagles and coho salmon to wolverines and bull trout.
Privately-owned land comprises 53% of western Oregon forestland, while 6% is state land. Federal public land makes up the remaining 41%. Each type of land is managed differently, with the strongest conservation measures applying only to federal public lands. The Oregon Department of Forestry manages state-owned public lands, while the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management manage federal public lands. 
Western Oregon has a long history of commercial logging, from the rise of the industry in the late 1800s and the timber boom after WWII, to the resurgence of aggressive logging in the 1980s. Over a century of logging has left a patchwork of clear-cuts, thinned stands, dense plantations, and some native stands across Oregon.
Read on to find out more about:
Laws affecting all Oregon forests
A Common Sense Vision to protect and restore Oregon's public forests
