Counties in Western Oregon want better representation in Washington, D.C. and are banding together to pay for lobbyists and try to improve the federal government’s forest management and wildfire response.
Troy Shinn | Nov 3, 2021 | democratherald.com
The Linn County Board of Commissioners is looking to join forces with other area counties who benefit from — and suffer under, depending on whom you ask and when — federal timber policy.
Counties in Western Oregon want better representation in Washington, D.C. and are banding together to pay for lobbyists and try to improve the federal government’s forest management and wildfire response.
The move came Tuesday, Nov. 2 morning, with all the commissioners voting unanimously to enter into an agreement with other counties in western Oregon. So far, Klamath and Linn counties have made the commitment, with Marion County set to make a decision this week.
Several more counties on this side of the Cascades are expected to take up the vote soon. Benton County is not on the list of potential signatories and officials there said they are not part of the coalition at this time.
Linn County commissioners first broached the subject last week during a robust conversation in which some expressed doubts they could get more action out of Congress and the White House.
Still, they say there is a dire need for better forest management of federal lands.
“A year ago we had the most catastrophic natural disaster in the history of this state. It was due in large part to forestry practices on federal lands,” Commissioner Roger Nyquist said. “If a private landowner had conducted himself the way the federal government has in letting those fuels build up and lead to a wildfire that killed people, … they could very well be prosecuted today for negligence.”
The counties will each pay dues to the newly formed Oregon Timber Counties Coalition. Linn and other counties agree to pay $7,500, while Klamath and Douglas counties would pay $15,000 for their membership because their counties host more acreage of federal timber.
Each member county gets one representative on the board, each with a single vote for motions, Linn County Commissioner Will Tucker said.
The proceeds from these dues will go toward a lobbying firm in D.C., the agreement states. The firm is Jamison & Sullivan, which already lobbies on behalf of other states on federal forestry issues.
“Jay Sullivan is known for his work on timber issues,” Tucker said. “For the amount we’re willing to pay for him, he’s willing to take up our issues. We’re paying him to tell us about issues and to get us access (in Washington).”
The move was envisioned as a way for the county to move off of an existing policy advocacy board and form one that will more closely align with the issues facing Linn County, Tucker said.
For years, Linn County has been a part of the Federal Lands Commission, a subcommittee represented by the Association of Oregon Counties. However, that committee deals with federal lands issues that can vary greatly depending on which half of the state you live in.
“Their issues are a lot different than ours,” Tucker said of counties in Central and Eastern Oregon, where concerns about federal lands don’t necessarily align with coastal and Willamette Valley counties.
In Eastern Oregon, for example, most of their federal lands deal with grazing agreements, not protected forests.
The agreement the county entered into on Tuesday establishes the committee through an inter-county agreement, which expires in June. The coalition would then need a new approval to continue beyond that date.
The next step, should enough counties choose to join, is to establish the bylaws of the committee.