Oregon Board of Forestry
Oregon Department of Forestry seal
|
|
Board of Forestry tour in 2009
|
|
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1911 |
| Jurisdiction | State of Oregon |
| Headquarters | Salem, Oregon |
| Agency executive |
|
| Website | http://www.oregon.gov/ODF/BOARD |
The Oregon Board of Forestry is responsible for forest policy and oversight of forest management practices within the state of Oregon. The board appoints the state forester and oversees the Oregon Department of Forestry. The board also works with private land owners and the Federal Government to promote consistent forest management policies throughout the state.
Oregon began to centralize its forest management in 1905, when the state authorized local fire rangers to patrol Oregon counties and enforce the newly created fire protection laws. Two years later, the state established a temporary board to make recommendations to Oregon legislature regarding forests practices. As an advisory board, it had little power beyond its reports to the legislative assembly.
In 1911, the Oregon legislature formally established a state Department of Forestry with the Board of Forestry as its oversight body. Together these institutions were made responsible for enforcing forestry laws, managing state forest lands, preventing forest fires within the state, encouraging reforestation, and educating the public about good forestry practices.
Prior to 1939, the Board of Forestry shared the responsibility for state parks with the Oregon Highway Commission. In 1939, the Oregon Legislative made the Highway Commission solely responsible for state parks. At the same time, the Board of Forestry was given administration jurisdiction over the Forest Development Fund.
The first version of the Forestry Program for Oregon was published in 1977. It outlined a vision for Oregon´s forests and established strategies priorities to guide the board´s decisions. Since then, the board has periodically published new versions of the document to update management policies and refine forestry programs.
Today, the Board of Forestry’s mission is "to lead Oregon in implementing policies and programs that promote environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable management of Oregon’s 28,000,000 acres (110,000 km2) of public and private forests." To achieve this, the Oregon legislature has empowered the board to establish forest policy within the state. The board adopts rules for the use of state and private forest lands consistent with Oregon statute. It regulates forest practices and oversees forestry programs within the state. The board appoints the state forester, and through state forester, oversees the state’s Department of Forestry.
...
Wikipedia