Can Wyden really end eastside timber wars?
The Oregonian
By Jeff Mapes, The Oregonian
December 16, 2009, 8:01AM
If you believe the early reaction, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., may have achieved what has eluded so many politicians before him: a pact to bring peace to at least some of the Northwest forests.Wyden unveiled his plan for managing eastern Oregon national forests in Washington, D.C. Wednesday morning and The Oregonian's Matthew Preusch has a sampling of the lavish reaction from some of the battle-scarred veterans of the timber wars:
"This is the first time that major environmental organizations and timber companies have come together on a comprehensive piece of legislation, and it indicates a joint recognition of the severity of the conditions eastern Oregon forests face," said John Shelk, managing director of the Ochoco Lumber Company in Prineville.Longtime environmentalist Andy Kerr put it more simply, calling it the "end of the timber wars" for the eastside.
Essentially the plan aims to ramp up forest thinning to reduce fire dangers and restore forest health. At the same time, mills would get a reliable supply of wood and older trees would be protected.
The American Forest Resource Council did introduce a cautionary note, saying that Congress is going to have to appropriate more money to make the plan work. There are also several environmental groups, including the Sierra Club, that are not on board.
Wyden decided to work on the eastside plan after he was unable to get agreement on a region-wide plan. Preusch notes that Wyden's chief of staff, Josh Kardon, was hissed at a timber conference in April.
afrcrelease.pdf
Now, we'll see if this agreement can succeed where so many have faltered before, starting with the Clinton administration's Northwest Forest Plan back in the mid-1990s.
If Wyden can make it work, it will continue to enhance his political power and put him in the kind of position the state hasn't seen since Sen. Mark O. Hatfield, R-Ore., was in his prime.
Wyden has already shown he is going to be a force to reckon with for many more years. Republicans have shown little interest in running against him next year and that has to help spur people to work with him.
