Elliott State Forest

Elliott State Research Forest

CURRENT DIRECTION OF THE ELLIOTT STATE RESEARCH FOREST (ESRF)

In December 2023, the State Land Board advanced a pathway for establishing the Elliott State Research Forest under Department of State Lands management. Planning for the establishment of the Elliott State Research Forest is now being guided by Oregon’s Department of State Lands. Refer to their website for current updates.

OSU’S ROLE IN EXPLORING AN ELLIOTT STATE RESEARCH FOREST

Beginning in 2019, Oregon State University (OSU) and the Oregon Department of State Lands (DSL) worked collaboratively to explore transforming the Elliott State Forest into a publicly owned state research forest. The ESRF presents the opportunity to address some of the most pressing issues facing forest management and resilience. OSU remains supportive of the ESRF potential as a long-term research forest. However, our involvement remains unclear given the response to recent developments.

For the reasons outlined in her letter dated November 13, 2023, OSU President Murthy decided against asking the OSU Board of Trustees to consider our participation in the ESRF at the time. It is important to note that the Board of Trustees has not said “no” to OSU involvement. President Murthy chose not to ask the Board of Trustees to authorize OSU participation in management of the forest due to Tribal concerns about the overarching plans for the forest that were brought directly to the Board of Trustees, concerns raised by OSU regarding plans to sell carbon offsets, and increasing constraints being placed on the forest’s management and research activities that we believe compromise achieving the mutually agreed goals.

In February 2024, College of Forestry Dean Tom DeLuca spoke to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means Natural Resources Subcommittee as part of a panel on the ESRF. During his testimony, he explained changes to the proposed operational structure of the Elliott that OSU felt were necessary to ensure the success of the research forest based on the collective expertise of scientists at both OSU and other institutions.

 

A Collaborative Planning Process

Prior to the State Land Board’s shift in approach for management of the Elliott, the OSU College of Forestry had submitted a collaboratively developed research framework for the ESRF. This proposal was developed from 2019-2021, guided by the State Land Board and a 15-member advisory committee established by the state representing diverse perspectives on conservation, timber, schools, recreation, local governments and more. Their input and insight, along with engagement of Tribal Nations, community stakeholders and the public, helped resolve many challenging issues. The research proposal was formally approved by the Oregon Department of State Lands, the advisory committee and the State Land Board in April 2021.

Alongside these efforts, the Department of State Lands advanced a Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) through consultation with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Marine Fisheries Service, OSU and others. The purpose of this plan is to establish clear boundaries for management and harvest on the forest in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act and to ensure conservation of at-risk species such as coastal salmon, northern spotted owls, and marbled murrelet. 

From 2021-2023, first the ESRF Advisory Committee and then a prospective nine-member ESRFA Board of Directors guided development of a forest management plan led by OSU.

The December 2023 Elliott State Research Forest FMP, developed with input from more than 100 contributors, has a direct connection to the ESRF Research Proposal that was approved by the State Land Board in April 2021. The plan is based on the overarching research design from the ERSF Research Proposal, the Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) at the time, and from a perspective of OSU managing the forest. The December 2023 FMP also acknowledged that there was more work to be done, particularly in partnering with Tribal Nations whose ancestral lands the Elliott State Forest lies within. Based on new direction from the State Land Board, the Department of State Lands is advancing a new FMP that uses the December 2023 FMP as a foundation but includes additional changes.

Read the ESRF Forest Management Plan OSU submitted to the State Land Board on Dec. 21, 2023.

FMP cover letter to DSL

December 2023 FMP

ESRF Watershed Atlas