THE TOPIC — THE OREGON PRIVATE FOREST ACCORDS: Late last October history was made for Oregon forests and salmon rivers when 13 timber representatives and 13 conservation and fishing groups reached an unprecedented conservation agreement, deemed the Private Forest Accords. One of the conservation groups involved in the negotiations was the Wild Salmon Center, headquartered in Portland. The Center’s Oregon and California Policy Director, Bob Van Dyk, will discuss the negotiation process, the features of the Accord, and how the Accord is likely to impact rules and forestry practices under the Oregon Forest Practices Act.
If you would like to learn more about the Accord before the webinar, HERE is a copy of the Private Forest Accord Report, presented to the Oregon Legislature, Oregon Governor Kate Brown, and the Oregon Board of Forestry on February 2, 2022.
The agreement between the industry and environmental groups proposes an overhaul of the Forest Practices Act to better protect wild salmon streams on more than 10 million acres of private Oregon forestland. The changes are anticipated to dramatically improve the state’s forestry rules for salmon stream protection, long considered the weakest on the West Coast. And these changes represent a huge step forward for climate-smart forestry, particularly in safeguarding the cold, clean water that Oregon’s wild fish will increasingly need.
WHEN: Please join us on Monday, February 7, at 7:00 p.m. for a presentation about these Accords.
HOW TO ATTEND: >> CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE 2/7/22 FOREST ACCORDS WEBINAR. <<
WHO: Bob Van Dyk, Ph.D. | Wild Salmon Center’s Oregon and California Policy Director 
Bob first worked for Wild Salmon Center on Oregon State Forest policy in 2010, and he now leads the Center’s efforts to protect and restore salmon strongholds in Oregon and California. Bob’s background is in forest policy and in academia. He has a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Washington, and he worked for 21 years at Pacific University in Forest Grove, where he is now a professor emeritus. Bob is also trained in G.I.S., and has a passion for illustrating public policy through maps. In his spare time Bob tends a big garden, travels with his family, and explores the Pacific Northwest’s fabulous public lands.
