Oregon State Forests Advisory Committee (SFAC) April meeting

Well, it looks like there is some good news and bad news in regards to our Oregon State Forests. Because of the uncertain economy, managers at all levels of the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) are scrambling to prepare budgets for the remaining fiscal year (2008-2009) and for the next two years. ODF managers have been asked by the Governor’s office to cut about 30% of their budgets. The Governor’s budget request also includes raiding ODF’s account from timber sales, money that keeps ODF functioning, to help fill the shortfall of the State General Fund.  This means cuts across the board for all activities, programs, functions, and includes ODF staff layoffs. We are meeting again in May to discuss more details of the budget where I should be able to get a better understanding of the impacts to recreation.

For mountain bikers it means that we will likely have to step up even more than we have in the past to conduct trail maintenance and construction if we want to ride in the State Forests. Thanks goes out to Wayne Nailon and Ryan Kilgren for all of the work parties that they have led so far this year. ODF will be reaching out more to recreation user groups to fill the gaps over the next two years.

The good news is that the FEMA funds for reconstruction of the Gales Creek trail and grant funds for new construction of the Wilson River trail are still in the budget for recreation. That means that no one has raided those funds. I spoke with Forest Grove ODF staff and they have been distracted by the budget process, so there is no definitive schedule in place for Gales Creek construction at this time.

The other bright spot is FEMA will soon fund trail maintenance on the lower reaches of the Wilson River trail. ODF staff stated that FEMA was very helpful and eager to fund the maintenance projects to get the money flowing. I will be tracking that schedule and reporting back as I learn more.