Forestry

Restoring the Land, Restoring the Human Spirit
A partnership between the BLM and the Oregon Youth Authority benefits more than streams and forests; it also helps youths at risk (Salem)
The Future of Oregon Forestry
The BLM reaches out to local communities to help usher in a future of forestry that balances social, economic, and ecological values

Photo by Marcus Kauffman

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) forests provide valuable fish and wildlife habitat, recreational opportunities, forest products and clean water. The BLM emphasizes balancing the ecological, economic and social aspects of forests, managing them to consider the needs of future generations.

Timber and other wood products
A predictable, sustainable supply of timber and other forest products help maintain the stability of local and regional economies, and contribute valuable resources to the national economy.
Wildlife and fisheries habitat
Clean water, recreation and scenic landscapes are just a few of the benefits that healthy forest ecosystems provide.
Woody Biomass
Oregon's abundant forests provide great potential to generate renewable energy from woody biomass. Wood-to-energy projects can support forest restoration and stewardship, expand economic opportunities, and encourage greater energy independence that benefits rural communities across the state.

Western Oregon Forestry

Oregon Forestry - Western OR (O&C) Forestry

Photo by Marcus Kauffman

Some of the most productive forests in the world are managed by the BLM in western Oregon. The objectives of the O&C program are to manage for a sustained yield of forest products and qualities that contribute to the economic stability of local communities, and continuing forest values and health.

O&C Lands
2010 Secretarial Pilot Projects
Forestry Pilot Project

The Secretarial Pilot Projects are intended to fulfill the Secretary of the Interior's direction to apply the principles of ecological restoration, as developed by Drs. Norm Johnson and Jerry Franklin, on BLM lands within the Roseburg, Coos Bay, and Medford Districts. The pilots are intended to help inform public dialogue on development of future management policy for BLM-managed forest in western Oregon.

Following up on the December 8, 2010 meeting in Washington, D.C. the BLM committed to immediately develop action plans for both the Roseburg Pilot Project and the Middle Applegate Watershed Pilot Project. Throughout 2011, the BLM, along with Drs. Norm Johnson and Jerry Franklin, held a series of public meetings, workshops, and field trips to discuss the pilot projects and learn more about the principles of ecological forestry. In February 2012, the BLM released a report regarding the Drs. Johnson and Franklin's observations about the Forestry Pilot Projects.
Resource Management Plans for Western Oregon
Seed Orchards

The BLM reforests areas after timber harvest and natural disturbances such as wildland fires, insect infestations, and wind and rain events. Forest development includes site preparation (such as prescribed burning, thinning, and fertilization), tree planting, and seeding. BLM's four seed orchards raise native species for reforestation and replanting in Western Oregon.
Northwest Forest Plan Accomplishments

The Northwest Forest Plan (NFP) was designed to be a balanced, long-term management plan providing a stable supply of timber and protection of fish and wildlife habitat for 22.1 million acres of federal forest in western Oregon, western Washington, and northern California (2.7 million acres of BLM-administered forests and 19.4 million acres of Forest Service-administered forest). See the BLM's previous Northwest Forest Plan Accomplishment Reports (PDF) for work completed during each fiscal year.

Annual Northwest Forest Plan Accomplishment Reports

Public Domain Forestry

Ponderosa pine, juniper, and white fir forests are intermixed with grasslands and shrubsteppe in eastern Oregon and Washington. On public domain lands, the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 requires public lands and resources to be managed under the principles of multiple use and sustained yield, without impairment of the productivity of the land and the quality of the environment, and with recognition of the Nation's need for timber from the public lands.