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# American Forest Resource Council

Healthy Forests, Communities & Wood for America's Needs

## Sitemaps

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## Posts

- [June 2023 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/june-2023-newsletter/) - Washington, DC Update AFRC in DC Farm Bill/Forestry Reforms BLM Conservation Rule The AFRC Podcast: NEPA Reforms in Fiscal Responsibility Act Washington Political Update Ninth Circuit Victory! AFRC and MLA Successfully Defend the Flathead Revised Forest Plan Hearing Scheduled in a Challenge to Timber Stand and Wildlife Habitat Improvement Projects on the Fremont-Winema National Forest
- [March 2026 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/march-2026-newsletter/) - Washington, DC Update Farm Bill Fix our Forests Act, Permitting Reform Montana’s Daines and Zinke Announce Retirements National Industry Leaders Launch the Federal Timber Purchasers Coalition (FTPC) The AFRC Podcast Episode 54: OSU's John Bailey talks climate, carbon and sustainable forestry Forest Service Proposes Rule to Amend the Objection Process BLM Proposes O&C Plan Revisions
- [AFRC Supports O&C Renewal Act to Restore Management of Western Oregon BLM Timberlands](https://amforest.org/afrc-supports-oc-renewal-act-to-restore-management-of-western-oregon-blm-timberlands/) - The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) today announced strong support for legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Cliff Bentz (R-Oregon) to reaffirm the original intent of the federal O&C Act and restore responsible, sustainable management of more than two million acres of federal timberlands in western Oregon. The O&C Renewal Act clarifies that timber production under
- [AFRC Applauds Interior’s Decision to Revisit Western Oregon BLM O&C Management Plans](https://amforest.org/afrc-applauds-interiors-decision-to-revisit-western-oregon-blm-oc-management-plans/) - The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) today welcomed the Department of the Interior’s Notice of Intent to initiate a revision of the Bureau of Land Management’s Resource Management Plans governing the O&C Lands in western Oregon. The action begins a long-overdue reassessment of the 2016 management plans that have constrained active forest management on more
- [Declining State Trust Land Timber Sales and Policy Decisions Are Worsening Washington DNR's Budget Situation](https://amforest.org/declining-state-trust-land-timber-sales-and-policy-decisions-are-worsening-washington-dnrs-budget-situation/) - Timber sale targets fall again as key DNR operating fund drops from $20 million to $5 million The Washington Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) growing budget shortfall is being made significantly worse by continued reductions in timber harvests on state trust lands, driven by unilateral policy decisions from Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove. Under
- [February 2026 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/february-2026-newsletter/) - Registration is Open: AFRC's 2026 Annual Meeting, Skamania Lodge, April 7-9 Washington, DC Update Appropriations Farm Bill? Boren sworn in at USDA Forest Service Proposes Nationwide Post Fire EA Oregon District Court Sets Aside the Forest Service’s Timber Stand Improvement CE Forest Service Signs Decision on the Ellis Project The Partner Paradigm- Timber Contracting in
- [Honoring the Life and Legacy of Paul Beck](https://amforest.org/honoring-the-life-and-legacy-of-paul-beck/) - The American Forest Resource Council mourns the passing of Paul Beck, a respected leader whose decades of service left a lasting mark on the forest products industry and the communities it supports. AFRC President Travis Joseph reflected on Paul’s impact: “The American Forest Resource Council mourns the passing of Paul Beck. Through his life
- [January 2026 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/january-2026-newsletter/) - Washington, DC Update Fiscal Year 2026 Appropriations Permitting Reforms, SPEED Act Forestry Reforms, Fix our Forests Act Secure Rural Schools Passing of Congressman Doug LaMalfa The AFRC Podcast Episode 52: A Conversation with U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz AFRC President Urges Congress to Reform EAJA and End Subsidized Anti-Forestry Litigation Forest Service Wraps up
- [Washington State Trust Lands, DNR Face Revenue Crisis as DNR Timber Sales Fall to 22-Year Low](https://amforest.org/washington-state-trust-lands-dnr-face-revenue-crisis-as-dnr-timber-sales-fall-to-22-year-low/) - AFRC warns historic decline in timber volume and 77,000-acre set-aside will deepen budget shortfalls for schools, counties, and essential public services The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) today raised alarms about a historic collapse in Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) timber sales on state trust lands, warning that the decline threatens funding for public
- [Tom Partin: Another Forest Project Halted While Montana Wildfire Risks Grow](https://amforest.org/tom-partin-another-forest-project-halted-while-montana-wildfire-risks-grow/) - Note: This piece was originally published in The Missoulian, December 30, 2025 Once again a federal court decision has stopped a well-designed forest management project, leaving communities and wildlife habitat more vulnerable to wildfire while a small group of anti-forestry activists declares victory. The recent ruling vacating the South Plateau Project on the Custer-Gallatin National
- [AFRC President Calls for EAJA Reform in Testimony Before House Natural Resources Subcommittee](https://amforest.org/afrc-president-calls-for-eaja-reform-in-testimony-before-house-natural-resources-subcommittee/) - American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) President Travis Joseph testified today before the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations of the House Natural Resources Committee calling on Congress to modernize the Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA). Joseph said EAJA has strayed far from its original purpose and now subsidizes litigation that delays essential forest management, wildfire
- [December 2025 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/december-2025-newsletter/) - Washington, DC Update Shutdown ends SPEED Act Senate ENR hearings The AFRC Podcast Episode 51: Sara Ghafouri and the Legal Frontlines of Forestry Virginia District Court Dismisses Plaintiffs’ Challenge to the Forest Service’s 2020 NEPA Regulations New Endangered Species Act Regulations Proposed Siuslaw National Forest and Oregon Department of Forestry Begin New Partnership AFRC Meets
- [November 2025 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/november-2025-newsletter/) - Washington, DC Update Government shutdown Fix Our Forests Act Barred Owl Removal Strategy National Historic Preservation Act Committee Hearing The AFRC Podcast Episode 50: Travis Joseph and Nick Smith BLM Proposes Rescission of the Conservation and Landscape Health Rule Colville and Okanogan Wenatchee Forests Move Quickly to Salvage Fire Areas Snowy Butte Draft EA Open
- [AFRC Defends BLM’s Blue and Gold Project Supporting Oregon Jobs, Communities, and Forest Health](https://amforest.org/afrc-defends-blms-blue-and-gold-project-supporting-oregon-jobs-communities-and-forest-health/) - The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) appeared in federal court today before United States District Judge Mustafa Kasubhai to defend the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Blue and Gold Project. AFRC, along with the Association of O&C Counties, intervened in Cascadia Wildlands v. United States Bureau of Land Management to support rural Oregon jobs, timber
- [Wildfire Smoke: A Growing Threat to Air Quality and Public Health](https://amforest.org/wildfire-smoke-a-growing-threat-to-air-quality-and-public-health/) - Wildfire smoke is now one of the largest and fastest growing sources of harmful air pollution in the United States. Emissions from severe wildfires rival many industrial and transportation sources regulated under the Clean Air Act. Unmanaged federal forests are fueling increasingly destructive fires whose smoke is erasing decades of progress in protecting air quality
- [Celebrating National Forest Products Week: Honoring Our Forests, Our People, and Our Future](https://amforest.org/celebrating-national-forest-products-week-honoring-our-forests-our-people-and-our-future/) - Each October, Americans pause to recognize an industry that touches nearly every part of our daily lives, from the homes we live in and the paper we use, to the carbon-storing forests that sustain our planet. National Forest Products Week, observed this year from October 19–25, 2025, is an opportunity to celebrate the people, forests,
- [AFRC, Associated Oregon Loggers Urge Science-Based, Active Forest Management in Blue Mountains Plan Revision](https://amforest.org/afrc-associated-oregon-loggers-urge-science-based-active-forest-management-in-blue-mountains-plan-revision/) - The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) and Associated Oregon Loggers (AOL) have submitted joint comments to the U.S. Forest Service on its Draft Land Management Plan (LMP) for the Blue Mountains Forests Plan Revision, urging the agency to strengthen its commitment to active, sustainable forest management while removing unscientific restrictions and overly complex direction that
- [October 2025 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/october-2025-newsletter/) - Washington, DC Update Government shutdown Hearing on Public Lands Bills Postponed SPEED Act Greg Hibbard joins AFRC as Staff Attorney Forest Service Fiscal Year Wrap-up BLM End-of-Year Wrap Up AFRC and Calforests Submit Joint Comments Urging Rescission of Roadless Rule The AFRC Podcast Episode 49: Amanda Kaster & Montana's Historic Stewardship Agreement Fremont-Winema Continues to
- [AFRC and Calforests Urge Forest Service to Rescind Roadless Rule to Restore Forest Health and Wildfire Resilience](https://amforest.org/afrc-and-calforests-urge-forest-service-to-rescind-roadless-rule-to-restore-forest-health-and-wildfire-resilience/) - For Immediate Release: September 18, 2025 Contact: Nick Smith (503) 515-4206 The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) and the California Forestry Association (Calforests) today submitted formal joint comments to the U.S. Forest Service in support of rescinding the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule. The two associations, representing forest products manufacturers and forest land stewards across the West,
- [USDA Takes Next Steps to Rescind the 2021 Roadless Rule](https://amforest.org/usda-takes-next-steps-to-rescind-the-2021-roadless-rule/) - Featured article from AFRC's September 2025 Newsletter. On August 27, USDA Secretary Rollins announced the next steps in a rulemaking process to rescind the 2021 Roadless Rule. The Roadless Rule has been a roadblock to science-based active management on millions of acres of Federal forests for more than a quarter-Century. Rescinding the Roadless Rule would
- [September 2025 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/september-2025-newsletter/) - Washington, DC Update Congress returns to consider spending, forest policy Trump appointees await confirmation The AFRC Podcast Episode 48: Fuel Treatments: Smart Investments, Healthy Forests Executive Orders Spur Growth of Landscape-Scale Forest Management USDA Takes Next Steps to Rescind the 2021 Roadless Rule AFRC Submits Comments on USDA Reorganization Plan Upthegrove Announces Proposal to Set
- [Commissioner Upthegrove’s Set-Aside of Public Working Forests Threatens $300 Million in School and Community Revenues](https://amforest.org/commissioner-upthegroves-set-aside-of-public-working-forests-threatens-300-million-in-school-and-community-revenues/) - The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) today expressed concerns with Washington Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove’s order to immediately set aside 10,300 acres of state trust lands from sustainable timber harvests, as part of an effort to "conserve" 77,000 acres of these working forests. “Removing these acres from sustainable harvest will mean less revenue
- [Roadless Rule Restrictions Are Leaving Montana’s Forests at Risk](https://amforest.org/roadless-rule-restrictions-are-leaving-montanas-forests-at-risk/) - Montana’s National Forests are among the most celebrated public lands in the United States, offering unmatched wildlife habitat, clean water, recreation, and scenic beauty. They also face some of the most severe wildfire threats. These threats are worsened, not reduced by current restrictions under the Clinton-era 2001 Roadless Rule. Approximately 6.4 million acres of National
- [Counterpoint: Keeping Washington’s State Trust Lands Working for the Public Good](https://amforest.org/counterpoint-keeping-washingtons-state-trust-lands-working-for-the-public-good/) - In his recent Soapbox opinion, John Talberth calls for ending all timber harvests on Washington’s state trust lands and proposes replacing this revenue with a new tax on forest landowners, new fees on recreation, and selling speculative carbon offsets to investors and multinational corporations. This argument fundamentally misunderstands how Washington’s forest sector works and what’s
- [August 2025 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/august-2025-newsletter/) - Washington, DC Update Appropriations Trump Appointees Reconciliation Bill Implementation Permitting reform The AFRC Podcast Episode 47: Rescinding the Roadless Rule- Myth vs. Reality USDA, Forest Service Announce Major Reorganization, Opens Comment Period AFRC Comments on USDA/DOI Revise NEPA Regulations Judge DeSoto Denies Preliminary Injunction Request Against the Round Star Vegetation Management Project State of Montana
- [Job Announcement: AFRC Seeks Staff Attorney](https://amforest.org/job-announcement-afrc-seeks-staff-attorney/) - About AFRC The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) is seeking a full-time staff attorney. AFRC is an Oregon nonprofit corporation that represents the forest products industry throughout Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, California, and Nevada. AFRC’s mission is to advocate for sustained-yield timber harvests on public timberlands throughout the West to enhance forest health and resistance
- [July 2025 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/july-2025-newsletter/) - Washington, DC Update: Senate Passes Reconciliation Bill AFRC Leads National Coalition Letter on Timber Priorities in Reconciliation Bill USDA Moves to Rescind the Roadless Rule The AFRC Podcast Episode 46: John Culclasure, Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation Trump Administration Unveils Executive Order Aiming to Reshape Federal Wildfire Policy Wood Duck Project Win: Judge Christensen Denies Preliminary Injunction
- [June 2025 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/june-2025-newsletter/) - Washington, DC Update Budget Reconciliation FY26 Budget Request USDA announces $200 million for expanded timber production Tribal Co-Management Gets Bipartisan Support The AFRC Podcast Episode 45: U.S. Senator Steve Daines Supreme Court Clarifies Courts’ Role in NEPA in Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County, Colorado Federal Agencies Rescind the Definition of “Harm” under the
- [Supreme Court Restores Common Sense to NEPA in Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County](https://amforest.org/supreme-court-restores-common-sense-to-nepa-in-seven-county-infrastructure-coalition-v-eagle-county/) - Today, the Supreme Court made clear that the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) does not require agencies to chase every speculative possibility, nor to paralyze progress under the weight of endless litigation brought by “anti-everything” groups. This ruling is a critical step toward restoring sanity to a system that has long turned environmental review into
- [May 2025 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/may-2025-newsletter/) - AFRC Concludes 2025 Annual Meeting, “The Time is Now” Washington, DC Update Reconciliation Senate Fix our Forests Act The AFRC Podcast Episode 44: Travis Joseph on Annual Meeting, Trump EO's and more USDA Secretary Issues Memorandum on Timber Production AFRC Leads Coalition in Challenge to FWS’s Northern Spotted Owl Critical Habitat Designation Services Release Proposed
- [AFRC Joins County Coalition in Challenging Federal Overreach in Northern Spotted Owl Critical Habitat Designation](https://amforest.org/afrc-joins-county-coalition-in-challenging-federal-overreach-in-northern-spotted-owl-critical-habitat-designation/) - The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) along with a coalition of counties in Washington, Oregon and California and the Association of O&C Counties filed a legal challenge in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) November 2021 decision to withdraw critical habitat exclusions for the
- [April 2025 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/april-2025-newsletter/) - Register Now: AFRC Annual Meeting Welcomes Keynote Speaker USFS Associate Chief Chris French Washington, DC Update AFRC submits comments on President Trump's Executive Orders on timber and lumber production Senate Hearing on Fix Our Forests Act AFRC makes trip to DC. Settlement Reached in Challenge to the Pintler Face Project The AFRC Podcast Episode 43:
- [March 2025 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/march-2025-newsletter/) - President Trump Signs Historic Executive Orders on U.S. Timber Production, U.S. Lumber Register Now: AFRC Annual Meeting Washington, DC Update Tom Schultz appointed USFS Chief Kathleen Sgamma appointed BLM Director Forestry Legislation CEQ Withdraws NEPA Regulations Federal Workforce Cuts The AFRC Podcast Episode 41: Forestry for the Future, Part 2, Blake Manley Northwest Forest Plan
- [AFRC Responds to President Trump’s Executive Orders on U.S. Timber and Lumber Production](https://amforest.org/afrc-responds-to-president-trumps-executive-orders-on-u-s-timber-and-lumber-production/) - The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) today voiced its strong support for two Executive Orders signed by President Trump on March 1, aimed at expanding U.S. timber production and strengthening the domestic lumber industry. The Executive Orders address key challenges facing federal forest management, wildfire prevention, and the economic sustainability of the nation’s wood products
- [AFRC Welcomes Tom Schultz as 21st Chief of the U.S. Forest Service](https://amforest.org/afrc-welcomes-tom-schultz-as-21st-chief-of-the-u-s-forest-service/) - American Forest Resource Council President Travis Joseph has the following to say regarding the appointment of Tom Schultz as the 21st Chief of the U.S. Forest Service: "Tom Schultz recognizes the vital role of active forest management on federal lands in supporting rural communities, strengthening local economies, and protecting the environment. With a distinguished career
- [February 2025 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/february-2025-newsletter/) - Washington, DC Update Trump Transition House Passes Fix our Forests Act Reconciliation Registration Open: AFRC Annual Meeting at Skamania Lodge, April 22-24 Fish & Wildlife Service Retains Threatened Status for Grizzly Bear Video: Why it’s Time to Delist the Grizzly Bear Parties Settle in the Challenge to the Bulldog Restoration Project The AFRC Podcast Episode
- [Supreme Court Hears Arguments on Critical Case on NEPA’s Scope And Application](https://amforest.org/supreme-court-hears-arguments-on-critical-case-on-nepas-scope-and-application/) - Today, the United States Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case of Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County, Colorado. This case presents a crucial opportunity to address the extensive and often overreaching applications of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which have significant implications for infrastructure and environmental law. Seven County Infrastructure Coalition
- [January 2025 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/january-2025-newsletter/) - Washington, DC Update Key Committee Assignments Announced Save the Date: AFRC Annual Meeting Set for April 22-24, 2025 The AFRC Podcast: The AFRC Podcast: New government, opportunities for forestry and wood products Northwest Forest Plan Committee Meets in Bellingham, Washington AFRC Successfully Intervenes in the Challenge to BLM’s Blue and Gold Project AFRC Successfully Intervenes
- [December 2024 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/december-2024-newsletter/) - Washington, DC Update Lame Duck Session Committee leadership changes Trump Transition D.C. Circuit Court Holds that CEQ Has No Legal Authority to Issue NEPA Regulations The AFRC Podcast: Dr. Nate Anderson, USFS Rocky Mountain Research Station on forestry and wood products as climate solutions Forest Service Moving Forward to Amend Northwest Forest Plan Malheur National
- [November 2024 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/november-2024-newsletter/) - Proposed Sáttítla National Monument Raises Wildfire Risk Concerns in Northern California The AFRC Podcast: Episode 38- Forester/Author Ethan Tapper on How to Love a Forest Tenth Circuit Hears Arguments in Challenges to Two National Monuments Federal Timber Purchaser Committee Meets in Bend Oregon Western Oregon BLM 2024 End-of-Year Summary Lassen National Forest Expands Use of
- [Proposed Sáttítla National Monument Would Increase Wildfire Risks in Northern California](https://amforest.org/proposed-sattitla-national-monument-would-increase-wildfire-risks-in-northern-california/) - California forest sector leaders today cautioned President Joe Biden that using Antiquities Act authorities to create a new Sáttítla National Monument will significantly complicate efforts to mitigate severe wildfires, protect communities, and restore forest health in northern California. The monument proposal spans over 200,000 acres of federal land within the Klamath, Modoc, and Shasta-Trinity National
- [October 2024 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/october-2024-newsletter/) - Washington DC Update Fix Our Forests Act Continuing Resolution Upcoming Lame Duck Session Forest Service Budget Woes The AFRC Podcast: Episode 37- Understanding the impacts of NEPA litigation Northwest Forest Plan Amendment DEIS Now Expected in November AFRC Submits Comments on National Old-Growth Amendment DEIS Ninth Circuit Upholds Three Forest Health Projects on the Fremont-Winema
- [Over $100M in Climate Funds Spent on Forestry Projects That Don’t Reduce Net Carbon Emissions - Explainer](https://amforest.org/over-100m-in-climate-funds-spent-on-forestry-projects-that-dont-reduce-net-carbon-emissions-explainer/) - The fate of Washington’s cap-and-trade law, the Climate Commitment Act (CCA), will be decided by voters this November. Proponents of the law often claim that repealing the CCA would eliminate critical funding to improve forest health, reduce wildfire risk, and make forests more resilient to climate change. However, these claims don’t square up with how
- [Forest Health Projects on Fremont-Winema National Forest Can Proceed After Ninth Circuit Decision](https://amforest.org/forest-health-projects-on-fremont-winema-national-forest-can-proceed-after-ninth-circuit-decision/) - Today the American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) announced a significant legal victory in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit concerning three critical forest management projects—Baby Bear, Bear Wallow, and South Warner—on the Fremont-Winema National Forest. The Ninth Circuit upheld the U.S. Forest Service’s use of the timber stand and/or wildlife habitat categorical
- [AFRC Comments Raise Concerns Over National Old-Growth Amendment and U.S. Forest Service’s Ability to Reduce Wildfire Risks](https://amforest.org/afrc-comments-raise-concerns-over-national-old-growth-amendment-and-u-s-forest-services-ability-to-reduce-wildfire-risks/) - On Friday, the American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) will formally submit comments to the Forest Service highlighting how the proposed National Old-Growth Amendment undermines the agency’s ability to address the primary threats to old-growth forests including severe wildfires that have already devastated nearly 700,000 acres of old-growth forests on federal lands over the past two
- [Brief for SCOTUS Railway Case Filed by Forestry, Oil and Natural Gas Associations](https://amforest.org/brief-for-scotus-railway-case-filed-by-forestry-oil-and-natural-gas-associations/) - Today, the American Forestry Resource Council (AFRC) and Western Energy Alliance (Alliance) submitted an amicus brief to the Supreme Court in support of the petitioners in Seven County Infrastructure Coalition and Uinta Basin Railway, LLC v. Eagle County, Colorado et al. Mountain States Legal Foundation, led by counsel Ivan London and Grady J. Block, prepared
- [September 2024 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/september-2024-newsletter/) - Northwest Forest Plan Amendment DEIS Pushed to October Washington Primary Election Results The AFRC Podcast: Episode 36- Explaining the Barred Owl Strategy Updates on BLM’s Public Lands Rule—Committee, Litigation, and Guidance AFRC Files Amicus Brief in Support of the Twisp Project and Condition-Based Management Lonerock Fire on Umatilla National Forest Destroys Thousands of Acres of
- [Pacific County Judge Rejects Anti-Forestry Lawsuit Targeting Washington DNR Timber Sale](https://amforest.org/pacific-county-judge-rejects-anti-forestry-lawsuit-targeting-washington-dnr-timber-sale/) - Pacific County Superior Court Judge Donald J. Richter last week rejected a lawsuit by anti-forestry groups claiming the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) violated state laws in approving a timber sale in mature forest stands, also politically labeled as "legacy forests," on public working forests known as state trust lands. This case on the
- [August 2024 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/august-2024-newsletter/) - Washington DC Update Appropriations Permitting legislation 6th Emerging Leaders Program, Sept 12-13, Springfield The AFRC Podcast: Travis Joseph on finding consensus to modernize the Northwest Forest Plan Report: Pacific Northwest Anti-Forestry Groups Dominate NEPA Litigation Nationwide U.S. Supreme Court Overrules Chevron Deference and Redefines When the Statute of Limitations to Bring Actions under the Administrative
- [Federal Judge Allows Pintler Face Project on Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest to Proceed](https://amforest.org/federal-judge-allows-pintler-face-project-on-beaverhead-deerlodge-national-forest-to-proceed/) - The Pintler Face Project on the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest can proceed with commercial timber harvest activities after U.S. District Court Judge Dana Christensen today denied, in part, a motion for a preliminary injunction sought by anti-forestry groups. The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) became involved in the litigation due to its potential impacts on AFRC
- [Proposed Closure of 77,000 Acres of Public Working Forests Threatens Critical Washington State Services and Jobs](https://amforest.org/proposed-closure-of-77000-acres-of-public-working-forests-threatens-critical-washington-state-services-and-jobs/) - Washington faces significant social and economic risks if anti-forestry groups are successful in pushing the Board of Natural Resources and candidates for Commissioner of Public Lands to close an additional 77,000 acres of public working forests in western Washington, known as Department of Natural Resources (DNR) state trust lands. These public working forests also provide
- [July 2024 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/july-2024-newsletter/) - Washington DC Update Fix our Forests Act Wyden’s River Democracy Act Congressional reaction to Biden Administration Old Growth Rule 6th Emerging Leaders Program, Sept 12-13, Springfield The AFRC Podcast: Blending Indigenous knowledge and western science in forest management Forest Service Releases Draft EIS for Old Growth Amendments U.S. Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Case to
- [Supreme Court To Hear Critical Case On NEPA’s Scope And Application](https://amforest.org/supreme-court-to-hear-critical-case-on-nepas-scope-and-application/) - On a matter of vital importance, the Supreme Court of the United States today granted certiorari in the case of Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County, Colorado. This case presents a crucial opportunity to address the extensive and often overreaching applications of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which have significant implications for infrastructure
- [Politically Driven Nationwide Old Growth Amendment Fails to Address Primary Threats to Old Forests, Harms Efforts to Address Wildfire Crisis](https://amforest.org/politically-driven-nationwide-old-growth-amendment-fails-to-address-primary-threats-to-old-forests-harms-efforts-to-address-wildfire-crisis/) - The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) today said the U.S. Forest Service's Draft Environmental Impact Statement for its proposed nationwide old growth amendment will not address the primary threats to old growth forests on National Forest System lands, including severe wildfires, insect infestations, and disease that have already devastated nearly 700,000 acres of old growth
- [June 2024 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/june-2024-newsletter/) - Washington DC Update Farm Bill Committee Hearings 6th Emerging Leaders Program, Sept 12-13, Springfield The AFRC Podcast: U.S. Forest Service Invests in Wood Innovation Research Assesses Constraints on Mechanical Treatment to Reduce Wildfire Threat The Council on Environmental Quality Finalizes NEPA Phase 2 Revisions U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Finalizes Critical Habitat for Coastal Marten
- [Science Says: Wildfires, Aging Forests Are Contributing to Climate Change](https://amforest.org/science-says-wildfires-aging-forests-are-contributing-to-climate-change/) - Managing Forests, Using Wood Products Deliver Sustained Climate Benefits A new report by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should question the narrative the United States is running out of old growth, and “protecting the last remaining” old growth is the only solution to combatting climate change. Research suggests forests are aging and severe wildfires and
- [May 2024 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/may-2024-newsletter/) - AFRC Wraps up 2024 Annual Meeting, “The Future of Public Forest Management” Washington DC Update Forest Service Budget Hearings House Natural Resources Hearing on Westerman Forestry Legislation BLM Conservation Rule Mature and Old Growth The AFRC Podcast: NWTF and Tackling the Nation's Wildfire Crisis BLM Finalizes Conservation and Land Health Rule EPA Report Echoes Concerns
- [Mountain States Legal Foundation and American Forest Resource Council fight NEPA abuse](https://amforest.org/mountain-states-legal-foundation-and-american-forest-resource-council-fight-nepa-abuse/) - In America, checks and balances serve a critical purpose: they prevent the concentration of power in any single branch of government. They also keep the people’s expression of the “public interest” at the forefront of federal laws and regulations. However, recent actions by the D.C. Circuit Court—now pending before the U.S. Supreme Court in a
- [King County 'Wishbone' Ruling Got it Wrong: Why Using Timber from DNR State Trust Lands is a Net Positive for Our Climate](https://amforest.org/king-county-wishbone-ruling-got-it-wrong-why-using-timber-from-dnr-state-trust-lands-is-a-net-positive-for-our-climate/) - Does permanently setting aside mature forests on Department of Natural Resources (DNR) managed state trust lands provide a larger carbon benefit than harvesting and storing that carbon in Washington-made wood products? This question is relevant after anti-forestry activists sued and convinced a King County Judge to halt the Wishbone timber sale in late March, ordering
- [Explainer: Anti-Forestry Groups Protesting Effort to Thin Fire-Prone Forests in Southern Oregon](https://amforest.org/explainer-anti-forestry-groups-protesting-effort-to-thin-fire-prone-forests-in-southern-oregon/) - As anti-forestry groups prepare to protest the Bureau of Land Management’s Integrated Vegetation Management plan at federal court on April 2, the American Forest Resource Council offers the following explainer on the plan and why it’s important for improving forest health and reducing the risks of wildfire and smoke in Southern Oregon. Integrated Vegetation Management
- [April 2024 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/april-2024-newsletter/) - Washington DC Update Federal government avoids shutdown Congressional hearings Congress Weighs in on Mature and Old Growth Rule The AFRC Podcast: Why Timber Supply Matters in Public Lands Management Mid-year Federal Timber Program Update The U.S. Supreme Court Denies AFRC’s Petition for Writ of Certiorari on its O&C Act Lands Case The Ninth Circuit Rules
- [AFRC and AOCC Comment on U.S. Supreme Court’s Denial of Petition for Writ of Certiorari on O&C Lands Case](https://amforest.org/afrc-and-aocc-comment-on-u-s-supreme-courts-denial-of-petition-for-writ-of-certiorari-on-oc-lands-case/) - The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to review the Obama-era expansion of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument and the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) 2016 Resource Management Plans for Western Oregon O&C lands. The case posed legal questions of national interest around Executive Branch overreach and the use of the Antiquities Act to nullify Congressional intent
- [Pacific Northwest Faces Critical Timber Supply Shortage: A Call to Action for Congress](https://amforest.org/pacific-northwest-faces-critical-timber-supply-shortage-a-call-to-action-for-congress/) - The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) today urged the Pacific Northwest’s Congressional Delegation in Washington, DC to take action to address challenges to the region’s forest and wood products sector that supports more than 150,000 private sector jobs in Oregon and Washington and provides critical infrastructure for the federal government to improve forest health, reduce
- [AFRC-AOCC Reply Brief Counters Claims on O&C Act, Monument Expansion in Supreme Court Case](https://amforest.org/afrc-aocc-reply-brief-counters-claims-on-oc-act-monument-expansion-in-supreme-court-case/) - Today, the American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) and the Association of O&C Counties (AOCC), along with a coalition, filed a reply brief in AFRC et al. vs. United States of America et al, No. 23-524, in support of the petition for a writ of certiorari pending before the U.S. Supreme Court challenging the Obama-era expansion
- [Ninth Circuit Once Again Rules in Favor of Tecuya Ridge Shaded Fuelbreak Project on Los Padres National Forest](https://amforest.org/ninth-circuit-once-again-rules-in-favor-of-tecuya-ridge-shaded-fuelbreak-project-on-los-padres-national-forest/) - An effort to reduce wildfire risks on the Los Padres National Forest and protect nearby communities can proceed after the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals today ruled in favor of the U.S. Forest Service’s Tecuya Ridge Shaded Fuelbreak Project located above Frazier Park, California. The Tecuya Project has been tied up in federal courts for
- [March 2024 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/march-2024-newsletter/) - Washington DC Update Farm Bill prospects look dim Vilsack appears before House Agriculture Committee The AFRC Podcast: Rep. Cliff Bentz on the U.S. Supreme Court, Antiquities Act, O&C Timberlands Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez Added to AFRC Annual Meeting Agenda New Lawsuit Challenges Forest Service Timber Targets AFRC Argues Before the Ninth Circuit Defending the Tecuya
- [AFRC Submits Comments on Northwest Forest Plan, National Old Growth Amendments](https://amforest.org/afrc-submits-comments-on-northwest-forest-plan-national-old-growth-amendments/) - The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) today submitted formal comments to the U.S. Forest Service on amending the 30-year-old Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP) governing the management of 17 national forests and over 24 million acres in Northern California, Oregon, and Washington. Separately, AFRC submitted formal comments in response to the Forest Service’s Notice of Intent
- [February 2024 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/february-2024-newsletter/) - Speaker Update; Register and Book Your Room Today for the 2024 AFRC Annual Meeting Washington DC Update AFRC Submits Comments on Multiple Forest Service Plan Amendments The AFRC Podcast: Biden Old Growth Policy - What Does It Mean for Forest Management? Northwest Forest Plan Advisory Committee Meets in Eugene Forest Service Publishes Old Growth Threat
- [Working Forest Carbon Blueprint Unveils Comprehensive Strategy for Carbon Management and Sustainable Forestry](https://amforest.org/working-forest-carbon-blueprint-unveils-comprehensive-strategy-for-carbon-management-and-sustainable-forestry/) - The Washington Forest Protection Association (WFPA) proudly announces the Working Forest Carbon Blueprint website launch. This comprehensive resource extends beyond the use of wood in construction to encompass a broader range of carbon forestry issues. This initiative represents a collaborative effort among industry leaders, including the Washington Farm Forestry Association, Washington Friends of Farms &
- [December 2023 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/december-2023-newsletter/) - Registration for AFRC’s Annual Meeting is Now Open The AFRC Podcast: Travis Joseph Previews 2024 Timber, Lumber and Public Lands Issues Washington DC Update Continuing Resolution Wilderness bills advance in Senate Committee Congressional reaction to Forest Service Old Growth rulemaking Members of Congress and National Organizations Show Strong Support for AFRC’s Petition in the United
- [AFRC Comments on U.S. Forest Service’s Notice of Intent on Old-Growth Forests](https://amforest.org/afrc-comments-on-u-s-forest-services-notice-of-intent-on-old-growth-forests/) - American Forest Resource Council President Travis Joseph had the following to say regarding the U.S. Forest Service’s Notice of Intent (NOI) on Old Growth forests: “The American Forest Resource Council is reviewing the Forest Service's NOI and will submit substantive comments. On the surface, however, the proposed policy fails to take meaningful steps to address
- [Members of Congress, National Organizations Support Supreme Court Review of O&C Lands Case, Limits on Antiquities Act](https://amforest.org/members-of-congress-national-organizations-support-supreme-court-review-of-oc-lands-case-limits-on-antiquities-act/) - The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) announced today that 29 members of the U.S. Congress and six organizations have filed amicus curiae briefs in support of AFRC's and the Association of O&C Counties' (AOCC) joint petition for a writ of certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court. AFRC and AOCC are asking the Court to review
- [Washington DNR’s Set Aside of State Trust Lands under Climate Commitment Act Driven by Politics, Not Climate Science](https://amforest.org/washington-dnrs-set-aside-of-state-trust-lands-under-climate-commitment-act-driven-by-politics-not-climate-science/) - Today the American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) questioned the politics and science behind the use of funding from Washington’s controversial Climate Commitment Act (CCA) to set aside 2,000 acres of Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) trust lands that will no longer serve as working forests to provide climate benefits, nor to provide funding for counties,
- [November 2023 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/november-2023-newsletter/) - Washington DC Update Continuing Resolution Forest Service Mature and Old Growth Threat Assessment Senate ENR Markup The AFRC Podcast: Montana's Bruce and Chas Vincent- Adaptive Management, Grizzlies, and Overcoming Anti-Forestry Litigation Northwest Forest Plan Advisory Committee Meets in Seattle, Amendment on the Horizon AFRC and AOCC Ask the U.S. Supreme Court to Reconsider the Expansion
- [Is Power Plant Timber Controversy More About Politics Than Science?](https://amforest.org/is-power-plant-timber-controversy-more-about-politics-than-science/) - The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) today filed a public records request with the City of Port Angeles to shed light on how city officials determined its opposition to the Power Plant timber sale on trust lands managed by the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Local activists and some local elected officials, including City
- [AFRC Asks Supreme Court to Clarify: Who Makes Public Land laws, Congress or the President?](https://amforest.org/afrc-asks-supreme-court-to-clarify-who-makes-public-land-laws-congress-or-the-president/) - Should a U.S. President enjoy unfettered authority to indefinitely suspend or cancel the operation of a federal law established by Congress? That’s a question the American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to answer. Today, AFRC and the Association of O&C Counties (AOCC) filed a joint petition for a writ of
- [October 2023 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/october-2023-newsletter/) - Washington DC Update Fiscal Year 2024 Appropriations Senate Energy & Natural Resources Hears Forestry Bills The AFRC Podcast: Western Forest Products and Why Japan Loves PNW Wood Forest Service Fiscal Year 2023 Wrap-up BLM Fiscal Year 2023 Wrap-up Umatilla National Forest: 'Anthropogenic Landscapes' Need Management Colville National Forest Hits Reset On Several Projects WA DNR
- [September 2023 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/september-2023-newsletter/) - Washington DC Update Government Shutdown Looming Forestry Bills Advance in U.S. House Senator Diane Feinstein Passes The AFRC Podcast: Forest Management at Work During 2023 Wildfire Season Federal Wildfire Commission Releases Report Forest Service Ramps Up Fuel Break Projects Magistrate Judge Issues Findings & Recommendations in Challenge to the Eastside Screens Amendment Washington Court of
- [August 2023 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/august-2023-newsletter/) - Washington DC Update: August Recess Provides Opportunities to Interact with Members, Congressional Staff The AFRC Podcast: Separation of Powers, O&C Lands and the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument Fuel Reduction Supports Firefighters, Protects Communities During Oregon’s Flat Fire Favorable Decision Upholding Three Projects on the Fremont-Winema National Forest Forest Service awards first G-Z Service Contract AFRC and
- [July 2023 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/july-2023-newsletter/) - AFRC President Travis Joseph Appointed to NWFP Advisory Committee The AFRC Podcast: U.S. Senator Steve Daines Washington, DC Update House Interior Appropriations Federal wildland firefighter salaries Manchin and Barrasso weigh in on Forest Service ANPR AFRC Provides Blueprint for Climate Smart Forestry D.C. Circuit Court Reverses Judge Leon’s Rulings Regarding the O&C Act’s Sustained-Yield Mandate
- [AFRC Comments on D.C. Circuit Opinion on O&C Lands, Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument](https://amforest.org/afrc-comments-on-d-c-circuit-opinion-on-oc-lands-cascade-siskiyou-national-monument/) - American Forest Resource Council President (AFRC) Travis Joseph had the following to say regarding the D.C. Circuit’s opinion on the Obama-era expansion of the Cascade Siskiyou National Monument (CSNM) and the 2016 Resource Management Plans for Western Oregon O&C Lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM): “Our litigation regarding Western Oregon O&C Lands
- [Ninth Circuit Upholds Flathead Revised Forest Plan, Allowing Forest Management Projects to Proceed](https://amforest.org/ninth-circuit-upholds-flathead-revised-forest-plan-allowing-forest-management-projects-to-proceed/) - The Ninth Circuit today upheld the Flathead National Forest's Revised Forest Plan, allowing forest management projects that were developed under the new plan to proceed. The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) and the Montana Logging Association participated in the litigation as Intervenors in support of the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
- [May 2023 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/may-2023-newsletter/) - Washington, DC Update Fiscal Responsibility Act Senate Energy and Natural Resources Markup House Natural Resources Committee Hearings and Markup The AFRC Podcast: BLM Conservation Rule Judge Christensen Holds that the Forest Service May Continue to Use Aerial Fire Retardants to Fight Wildfires Ninth Circuit Holds Oral Argument in the Challenge to the Revised Flathead National
- [Federal Court Sides with Counties, Cities, and Forestry Groups, Ruling USFS May Continue Use of Aerial Fire Retardants to Fight Wildfires](https://amforest.org/federal-court-sides-with-counties-cities-and-forestry-groups-ruling-usfs-may-continue-use-of-aerial-fire-retardants-to-fight-wildfires/) - Today, the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana (Court) issued a ruling in a case brought by Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics (FSEEE) against the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) seeking to enjoin the USFS’ use of aerial fire retardants during firefighting activities. The Court ruled that USFS may continue using aerial fire
- [April 2023 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/april-2023-newsletter/) - AFRC Wraps up 2023 Annual Meeting, “Telling Your Story” The AFRC Podcast: Roseburg's Historic Investment in Southwest Oregon Washington DC Update AFRC Washington Legislative Recap The Ninth Circuit’s Divided Panel Upholds the Expansion of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument BLM Proposes New Conservation Rule BLM’s Integrated Vegetation Management Programmatic and Late Mungers Project Challenged District Court
- [AFRC Comments on Ninth Circuit Opinion on Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument](https://amforest.org/afrc-comments-on-ninth-circuit-opinion-on-cascade-siskiyou-national-monument/) - American Forest Resource Council President (AFRC) Travis Joseph had the following to say regarding the Ninth Circuit opinion on the Obama-era expansion of the Cascade Siskiyou National Monument (CSNM) on Western Oregon O&C Lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM): “We’re pleased the Ninth Circuit affirmed that the president, regardless of political affiliation,
- [Biden Administration Report on Mature and Old Growth Forests Underscores Need for Proactive Forest Management](https://amforest.org/biden-administration-report-on-mature-and-old-growth-forests-underscores-need-for-proactive-forest-management/) - American Forest Resource Council President Travis Joseph had the following to say regarding the Biden Administration’s announcement on policies relating to mature and old growth forests on federal lands: “This announcement and year-long effort confirms what we’ve known: we’re not lacking old growth, we’re lacking common sense in stewarding our forests. Our national forests and
- [March 2023 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/march-2023-newsletter/) - AFRC Annual Meeting: Bipartisan and Focused on Solutions. Register Today! The AFRC Podcast: Rep. Cliff Bentz - Forestry, Water and Wildfire Washington DC Update Washington Legislative Update Coalition Seeks to Defend the Forest Service’s Use of Aerial Fire Retardant AFRC Legal Win! Judge McShane Upholds the BLM’s 2020 Rule Eliminating the Protest Process Ninth Circuit
- [Federal Judge Upholds BLM Rule Ending ‘Paperwork Protests’ of BLM Forest Management Projects](https://amforest.org/federal-judge-upholds-blm-rule-ending-paperwork-protests-of-blm-forest-management-projects/) - On March 27, U.S. District Judge Michael J. McShane granted summary judgment in favor of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and upheld a 2020 Rule eliminating the agency’s protest process which previously resulted in unnecessary and bureaucratic delays to timber harvests and fuel reduction projects on BLM-managed lands, including more than two million acres
- [Ninth Circuit Dismisses Challenge to Forest Project on Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest](https://amforest.org/ninth-circuit-dismisses-challenge-to-forest-project-on-mt-baker-snoqualmie-national-forest/) - On March 27, the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the district court’s decision on summary judgment regarding a challenge the South Fork Stillaguamish Vegetation Management Project on the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, allowing the project to proceed. The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) intervened in the litigation on behalf of Hampton Lumber Mills-Washington,
- [February 2023 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/february-2023-newsletter/) - Washington DC Update AFRC Annual Meeting – Register and Book Your Room at Skamania Lodge The AFRC Podcast: Todd Payne and Sierra Pacific Industries expansion in Oregon Washington Legislative Update Forest Service Announces FY23 Timber Targets U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Announces Proposal to List the California Spotted Owl under the Endangered Species Act AFRC
- [AFRC, Eastern Oregon Counties Defend U.S. Forest Service’s ‘Eastside Screens’ Amendment](https://amforest.org/afrc-eastern-oregon-counties-defend-u-s-forest-services-eastside-screens-amendment/) - Today, the American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) and Eastern Oregon Counties Association filed an opposition brief in a federal lawsuit seeking to vacate the U.S. Forest Service’s “Eastside Screens” Amendment that improves the agency’s ability to reduce wildfire risks and restore forest health on national forests in eastern Oregon and southeastern Washington. Last year, AFRC
- [AFRC Statement on Reintroduction of River Democracy Act](https://amforest.org/afrc-statement-on-reintroduction-of-river-democracy-act/) - AFRC President Travis Joseph had the following to say on the reintroduction on the River Democracy Act: "We appreciate Senator Wyden’s changes to the River Democracy Act (RDA) that reduce the overall footprint of the original bill from 3 million acres to 2 million acres and his help to clarify the intent of the RDA
- [January 2023 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/january-2023-newsletter/) - Registration for AFRC’s Annual Meeting is Now Open! The AFRC Podcast: Montana DNRC's Amanda Kaster and Success with Cross-Boundary Forestry Washington DC Update Biden Administration Announces New Priority Landscapes to Reduce Wildfire Risk in West CEQ Issues Interim NEPA Guidance on Greenhouse Gas Emissions Washington Legislative Update Washington DNR Continues Work on Eastside Sustainable Harvest
- [Brief: Senate Committee Considers Bill Ensuring Transparency, Accountability in Leasing of State Trust Lands](https://amforest.org/brief-senate-committee-considers-bill-ensuring-transparency-accountability-in-leasing-of-state-trust-lands/) - The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Water, Natural Resources & Parks today held a hearing on SB 5254, a bipartisan bill to ensure transparency, accountability and public involvement in the leasing of state trust lands managed by the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR). What does the bill do? SB 5254 ensures that major DNR lease
- [December 2022 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/december-2022-newsletter/) - Save the Date: AFRC’s Annual Meeting, April 11-13 Washington DC Update The AFRC Podcast: Duane Vaagen and "A to Z" NWFP Monitoring Report: Wildfires Leading Cause of Old Growth Forest Loss Flat Country Project Decision Withdrawn District Court Once Again Upholds the Tecuya Ridge Shaded Fuelbreak Project on the Los Padres National Forest Industry Coalition
- [November 2022 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/november-2022-newsletter/) - Washington DC Update The AFRC Podcast: Heath Heikkila, 2022 Mid-Terms, What to Expect in New Congress Federal Timber Purchasers Committee Convenes for Fall Meeting D.C. Circuit Court Holds Oral Argument on AFRC’s O&C Act Cases Judge Tigar Changes Course and Remands, Without Vacating, 2019 ESA Rules Okanogan-Wenatchee Timber Program Positioned for Consistency BLM Releases Instructional
- [District Court Rules in Favor of Tecuya Ridge Shaded Fuelbreak Project on Los Padres National Forest](https://amforest.org/district-court-rules-in-favor-of-tecuya-ridge-shaded-fuelbreak-project-on-los-padres-national-forest/) - An effort to reduce wildfire risks on the Los Padres National Forest and protect nearby communities can proceed after U.S. District Court Judge Virginia Phillips today ruled in favor of the U.S. Forest Service’s Tecuya Ridge Shaded Fuelbreak Project above Frazier Park, Calif. The Tecuya Project has been tied up in federal courts for the
- [Anti-Forestry Rally in Downtown Portland: Misguided Policy Will Lead to More Wildfire and Smoke](https://amforest.org/anti-forestry-rally-in-downtown-portland-misguided-policy-will-lead-to-more-wildfire-and-smoke/) - Under the guise of "protecting" mature and old growth forests, several anti-forestry groups today are holding a rally in downtown Portland to pressure the Biden Administration and the U.S. Forest Service to issue new regulations restricting active forest management on overstocked and fire-prone national forests in Oregon and throughout the West. This policy would be
- [October 2022 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/october-2022-newsletter/) - Vote: The 2022 Elections Will be Critical to Industry’s Future The AFRC Podcast: Travis Joseph discusses the Pacific Northwest's timber supply squeeze Fiscal Year 2022 Wrap-up: Pacific Northwest (USFS Region 6 and BLM) Fiscal Year 2022 Wrap-up: Region 1 Fiscal Year 2022 Wrap-up: Region 5 Fiscal Year 2022 Wrap-up: Region 4 AFRC Hosts Regional Membership
- [Washington DNR fails to disclose environmental, social impacts of carbon scheme](https://amforest.org/washington-dnr-fails-to-disclose-environmental-social-impacts-of-carbon-scheme/) - The Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is rushing to approve a project to lease state trust lands to a private interest without conducting a thorough environmental review, and the agency is failing to consider the project’s impacts on funding for schools and other public services as required by the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA).
- [The Facts About Flat Country](https://amforest.org/the-facts-about-flat-country/) - After organizing a kayak “flotilla” to protest the Willamette National Forest’s Flat Country project, anti-forestry activists continue to make false and misleading statements about the project. Here are the facts: The Flat Country would implement roughly 950 acres of regeneration harvest as well as over 1,500 acres of thinning- not "the thousands of acres of
- [AFRC, Eastern Oregon Counties Seek to Intervene to Defend Forest Health, Wildfire Mitigation](https://amforest.org/afrc-eastern-oregon-counties-seek-to-intervene-to-defend-forest-health-wildfire-mitigation/) - The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) and the Eastern Oregon Counties Association (EOCA) have moved to intervene in a federal lawsuit challenging the U.S. Forest Service's "Eastside Screens" Amendment that affects forest management on six national forests in Eastern Oregon, including the Malheur, Umatilla, Wallowa-Whitman, Deschutes, Ochoco, and Fremont-Winema. In June 2022, six anti-forestry groups
- [September 2022 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/september-2022-newsletter/) - Washington DC Update Senate hearing on forestry, public lands bills Congress Passes Continuing Resolution Two Beaverhead-Deerlodge Projects Moving Forward BLM Timber Salvage Wrap-up The AFRC Podcast: CalForests' Matt Dias- A comprehensive approach to fighting wildfires Anti-Forestry Groups Settle Archie Creek Salvage Project Update on DNR Carbon Project, Agency Opens Brief Public Comment Period Cottonwood Threatens
- [Washington Board of Natural Resources Should Reject Bully Tactics Over Management of State Trust Lands](https://amforest.org/washington-board-of-natural-resources-should-reject-bully-tactics-over-management-of-state-trust-lands/) - Beneficiaries of Washington state trust lands urged the Board of Natural Resources (BNR) to follow the State Supreme Court's opinion in Conservation Northwest v. Commissioner of Public Lands and meet its obligations to continue managing these working forests to fund critical public services. Representatives of the beneficiary community sent a letter to the BNR as
- [Oregon's Rum Creek Fire Reveals Risks of New Wilderness Proposals](https://amforest.org/oregons-rum-creek-fire-reveals-risks-of-new-wilderness-proposals/) - As of this writing, the Rum Creek Fire in southwest Oregon has burned nearly 12,000 acres along the iconic Rogue River northwest of Grants Pass. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown has declared an emergency as “Level 3 - Go Now” evacuations are in place for homes near the rural communities of Rand and Galice. The fire
- [August 2022 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/august-2022-newsletter/) - AFRC Submits Comments on Federal Old Growth and Mature Forests The AFRC Podcast: FFRC's Bill Imbergamo- Defining "Old Growth" when our forests are burning Oregon's Rum Creek Fire Reveals Risks of New Wilderness Proposals Washington DC Update Inflation Reduction Act Washington Primary Election Results McMorris Rogers and Westerman Visit Northeast Washington DTO Report: Build-up of
- [Background and Message Points for Federal Old Growth Definition and Inventory](https://amforest.org/background-and-message-points-for-federal-old-growth-definition-and-inventory/) - Request for Information: Federal Old-Growth and Mature Forests The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) are seeking public input to define and inventory "old-growth and mature forests" on federal lands in their first step toward complying with President Biden’s 2022 Earth Day executive order that identified "climate impacts, catastrophic wildfires, insect
- [July 2022 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/july-2022-newsletter/) - Washington DC Update Appropriations U.S. Senate ENR Committee Mark-Up Cottonwood River Democracy Act Root and Stem Project Authorization Act DeFazio Rogue Wilderness, National Recreation Area Legislation Must Read: Why timber is essential to the Biden Administration’s wildfire strategy The AFRC Podcast: Kent Duysen- Saving Our Sequoias and Southern Sierra Forests Forest Service, BLM Respond to
- [MYTH vs. FACT:  Washington State Supreme Court Affirms DNR Trust Mandate](https://amforest.org/myth-vs-fact-washington-state-supreme-court-affirms-dnr-trust-mandate/) - On July 21, 2022, the Washington State Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision in Conservation Northwest v. Franz affirming the trust mandate that applies to Department of Natural Resources (DNR) state trust lands. This is a major legal victory for DNR, public schools, counties, and many other community service providers, and the forest products sector.
- [Washington State Supreme Court Affirms DNR Management of State Trust Forest Lands](https://amforest.org/washington-state-supreme-court-affirms-dnr-management-of-state-trust-forest-lands/) - The American Forest Resource Council today joined beneficiaries of Washington state trust lands in applauding the Washington State Supreme Court's opinion in Conservation Northwest v. Hilary Franz, a case where Conservation Northwest attempted to undermine the Washington Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) fiduciary duty to manage these working forests, known as state trust lands. The
- [AFRC Responds to 'Climate Forests Campaign' Report](https://amforest.org/afrc-responds-to-climate-forests-campaign-report/) - AFRC has the following to say regarding a report by the “Climate Forests Campaign,” an anti-forestry effort to halt forest management throughout the nation: Old and mature trees are not “worth more standing” if they are dead and emitting carbon. This “report” by anti-forestry lobbyists was released at the same time firefighters are working
- [Why timber is essential to the Biden Administration’s wildfire strategy](https://amforest.org/why-timber-is-essential-to-the-biden-administrations-wildfire-strategy/) - By Travis Joseph, AFRC President The Forest Service and BLM timber sale programs are essential to preserving and growing the physical and human forest infrastructure that is not only critical to providing carbon-friendly wood products to meet society’s needs but is essential to helping the Forest Service and BLM accomplish their respective federal forest management
- [June 2022 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/june-2022-newsletter/) - Telling Your Story – We are all in this Together The AFRC Podcast: 100 years of Freres, Innovation and Sustainability Washington DC Update Secretary Vilsack issues Secretarial Memorandum Forest Service budget hearing DeFazio Wild Rogue legislation receives hearing PERC Report: Red tape is making wildfires worse 2021 Eastside Screens Amendment Challenged Ninth Circuit Denies Rehearing
- [AFRC Statement on Secretary Vilsack Memorandum on 'Bold Action' to Restore Forests, Improve Resilience, and Curb Climate Change](https://amforest.org/afrc-statement-on-secretary-vilsack-memorandum-on-bold-action-to-restore-forests-improve-resilience-and-curb-climate-change/) - The American Forest Resource Council had the following to say regarding U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack's memorandum directing the U.S. Forest Service to take "bold actions to restore forests, improve resilience, and address the climate crisis." "Wildfires are converting overstocked federal forests in the West from carbon sinks to carbon sources. The U.S. Forest
- [May 2022 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/may-2022-newsletter/) - Washington DC Update Updates on wilderness bills in Congress Prescribed Fire direction from Forest Service Chief Randy Moore The AFRC Podcast: AFRC's Travis Joseph to appear with Montel Williams on 'Balancing Act' Federal Timber Purchasers Committee Meets in Sacramento Basin Creek Project Developed to Protect Water Supply Near Butte, Montana Judge Christensen Grants Preliminary Injunction
- [April 2022 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/april-2022-newsletter/) - AFRC Wraps up 2022 Annual Meeting – “The Crossroads” The AFRC Podcast: Can Forest Carbon Offsets and Forest Products Co-Exist? Washington, DC Update Biden Executive Order No Timber from Tyrants Act Washington DNR Carbon Project Met with Opposition, Skepticism Forest Service Releases Infrastructure Funding for Selected Landscapes AFRC Legal Update Environmental Groups Settle Their Challenge
- [March 2022 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/march-2022-newsletter/) - AFRC Annual Meeting: See You Soon at Skamania Lodge Washington, DC Update Congress: Fiscal Year 2022 Appropriations Biden Admin: Fiscal Year 2023 Budget Request AFRC in DC for meetings with Forest Service, Congress AFRC Legal Update Judge Aiken Denies Preliminary Injunction on Bear Grub and Round Oak Projects. Grays Harbor Superior Court Upholds the About
- [Washington DNR ‘Carbon Project’ Undercuts Washington’s Climate Goals](https://amforest.org/washington-dnr-carbon-project-undercuts-washingtons-climate-goals/) - American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) President Travis Joseph had the following to say regarding the Washington Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) ‘carbon project’ on public working forests known as state trust lands: “DNR should follow the recommendations of the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that the best way to mitigate climate change is through
- [February 2022 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/february-2022-newsletter/) - U.S. Forest Service Chief Randy Moore Confirmed for AFRC Annual Meeting Washington, DC Update AFRC, Congressman Bentz Visit “River Democracy Act” Gulches Forest Service Receives Disaster Relief Funding; Timber Outputs Continue to Diminish Washington DNR Under Pressure on Mature Forests, Trust Mandate and Past Promises Region 1 Completes Two Forest Plan Revisions AFRC Legal Update
- [AFRC comments on Ninth Circuit decision regarding Cuddy Valley and Tecuya Ridge Projects on the Los Padres National Forest](https://amforest.org/afrc-comments-on-ninth-circuit-decision-regarding-cuddy-valley-and-tecuya-ridge-projects-on-the-los-padres-national-forest/) - AFRC General Counsel Sara Ghafouri had the following to say regarding the Ninth Circuit's decision today on the Cuddy Valley Forest Health/Fuels Reduction and Tecuya Ridge Shaded Fuel Break Projects on the Los Padres National Forest: "We are pleased with aspects of the Ninth Circuit’s ruling that support reducing wildfire risks and protecting nearby communities,
- [January 2022 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/january-2022-newsletter/) - Registration Now Open for 2022 Annual Meeting (In-Person) Washington, DC Update Ninth Circuit Vacates Denial of Preliminary Injunction Projects Overlapping with Southern Sierra Nevada Fisher Population Forest Service Begins Eastside Screens Monitoring Region 1 Looks to Ramp Up Management Despite Obstacles AFRC Weighs in on Washington State’s “Climate Commitment Act” Plan Washington Legislative Update AFRC
- [December 2021 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/december-2021-newsletter/) - Washington, DC Update OSHA Vaccine Mandate Heads to U.S. Supreme Court, While Federal Contractor/Subcontractor Vaccine Mandate Remains Enjoined Judge Molloy Rejects Plaintiffs’ Attempt to Revisit Flathead Forest Plan Litigation Judge Aiken Enjoins Hwy 46 and Lang Dam Projects on Willamette National Forest AFRC Comments on Proposed Critical Habitat for the Coastal Marten AFRC and CalForest
- [November 2021 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/november-2021-newsletter/) - Washington, DC Update Judge Leon Finally Issues O&C Lands/Resource Management Plans Challenge Remedy Decision FWS Publishes Replacement Rule for Northern Spotted Owl Critical Habitat AFRC, Kootenai Forest Stakeholders Coalition, and Lincoln County Intervene to Defend Ripley Project Region 1 Moving Forward with Fire Salvage AFRC, FFRC Comment on Phase 1 of CEQ’s NEPA Reform Franz
- [AFRC Joins Kootenai Forest Stakeholders Coalition, Lincoln County to Defend Ripley Project](https://amforest.org/afrc-joins-kootenai-forest-stakeholders-coalition-lincoln-county-to-defend-ripley-project/) - The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) has formally joined the Kootenai Forest Stakeholders Coalition (KFSC) and Lincoln County in defending the Ripley Project on the Kootenai National Forest. On November 22, U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto granted the entities’ joint motion to intervene in litigation against the project to reduce wildfire risks near Libby.
- [U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s Northern Spotted Owl Critical Habitat Designation Fails Our Forests, Communities and the Species Itself](https://amforest.org/u-s-fish-wildlife-services-northern-spotted-owl-critical-habitat-designation-fails-our-forests-communities-and-the-species-itself/) - The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) today said the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s (FWS) critical habitat designation for the Northern Spotted Owl (NSO) illegally designates over a million acres of federal land that are not NSO habitat. This designation restricts active forest management and fuels activities designed to mitigate risk of catastrophic wildfire. In
- [October 2021 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/october-2021-newsletter/) - Washington, DC Update Washington State Supreme Court Holds Oral Argument in Case Challenging Timber Management on DNR Trust Lands USFS and BLM FY 2021 wrap-up Biden Administration Regulatory Update Judge Leon Declines to Enjoin Rules Delaying Effective Date of 2021 Northern Spotted Owl Critical Habitat Designation AFRC Holds Fall Meeting in Missoula National Conservation Legacy
- [September 2021 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/september-2021-newsletter/) - New! The AFRC Podcast Washington, DC Update Biden Administration Issues Sweeping COVID-19 Mandates for Federal Contractors AFRC Submits Comments on the Northern Spotted Owl Critical Habitat Rule AFRC Moves for a Preliminary Injunction in its Challenge to NSO Critical Habitat Delay Rules Biden Administration Repeals Trump Era Migratory Bird Treaty Act Rules Report Details Economic
- [Diverse Groups, Counties Defend Timber Management on State Trust Lands in Washington State Supreme Court Case](https://amforest.org/diverse-groups-counties-defend-timber-management-on-state-trust-lands-in-washington-state-supreme-court-case/) - Counties, educators, labor and business groups and others are defending timber management on state-owned working forests against a legal attack in the Washington State Supreme Court. The entities filed separate amicus curiae briefs in Conservation Northwest v. Hilary Franz, a case that would undermine the Washington Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) fiduciary duty to manage
- [August 2021 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/august-2021-newsletter/) - Our August 2021 newsletter includes updates from Washington DC, commentary from Tom Partin, a legal win for BLM timber management and more.
- [July 2021 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/july-2021-newsletter/) - AFRC Annual Meeting: See You in Stevenson Washington DC Update Hazard Tree Removal Litigated Roadside Hazard Removal and Public Access is Under Attack AFRC Staff and Members Tour Developing Montana Projects Montana-DNRC, Custer Gallatin Working Group Members Defend Forest Projects Judge Denies Industry Coalition Intervention to Defend Wolf Delisting
- [U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Puts Politics Over Science, Wildfire Risks in Proposal to Reverse 2021 Northern Spotted Owl Critical Habitat Rule](https://amforest.org/u-s-fish-wildlife-service-puts-politics-over-science-wildfire-risks-in-proposal-to-reverse-2021-northern-spotted-owl-critical-habitat-rule/) - The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) today said the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's (FWS) decision to withdraw the 2021 critical habitat designation for the Northern Spotted Owl (NSO) prioritizes politics over science-based solutions to conserve the species as it continues to lose habitat to severe wildfires. AFRC also says the decision illegally restricts active
- [June 2021 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/june-2021-newsletter/) - Our June 2021 newsletter includes an announcement on our annual meeting's keynote speaker, updates from Washington DC, new post-fire Spotted Owl research, legal updates and more.
- [U.S. Senate 'Wild & Scenic' Bill Makes Oregon Vulnerable to More Wildfire and Smoke](https://amforest.org/u-s-senate-wild-scenic-bill-makes-oregon-vulnerable-to-more-wildfire-and-smoke/) - Oregon would be less safe from wildfire and smoke under congressional legislation to restrict forest thinning and management activities on approximately 3 million acres of federal lands under the Wild & Scenic Rivers Act, according to testimony from the American Forest Resource Council (AFRC). The bill, S.192, is co-sponsored by Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and
- [Magistrate Judge rejects key claims against Bureau of Land Management’s Thurston Hills Project](https://amforest.org/magistrate-judge-rejects-key-claims-against-bureau-of-land-managements-thurston-hills-project/) - U.S. Magistrate Judge Mustafa Kasubhai today issued a preliminary ruling on the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Pedal Power timber sale near Springfield, determining the BLM adequately analyzed and disclosed how the trail development, timber harvest, and reforestation efforts would affect the level of fire hazard and risk to the local community. The Magistrate Judge’s
- [May 2021 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/may-2021-newsletter/) - Our May 2021 newsletter includes an updates on the AFRC annual meeting agenda, forest management discussions in Congress, demand for timber salvage, NSO critical habitat, legal win on Shasta-Trinity National Forest and more.
- [Agriculture and forestry coalition moves to defend gray wolf delisting](https://amforest.org/agriculture-and-forestry-coalition-moves-to-defend-gray-wolf-delisting/) - WASHINGTON (May 21, 2021) — This week, a coalition of agriculture and forestry groups — including the American Farm Bureau Federation, the American Forest Resources Council, the American Sheep Industry Association, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, and the Public Lands Council — filed motions in court in defense of delisting of the gray wolf under
- [U.S. District Court Decision Allows Shasta-Trinity National Forest Project to Proceed After Long Delay](https://amforest.org/u-s-district-court-decision-allows-shasta-trinity-national-forest-project-to-proceed-after-long-delay/) - The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) applauds a federal court's May 17 decision allowing the U.S. Forest Service to proceed with the long-delayed Pettijohn Late Successional Reserve Habitat Improvement and Fuels Reduction Project on the Shasta-Trinity National Forest near Weaverville, CA. AFRC intervened to defend the project in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of
- [CORRIM: The Plant a Trillion Trees Campaign to Reduce Global Warming –Fleshing Out the Concept](https://amforest.org/corrim-the-plant-a-trillion-trees-campaign-to-reduce-global-warming-fleshing-out-the-concept/) - The following is a press release from the Consortium for Research on Renewable Industrial Materials (CORRIM). The full study can be accessed here. CORRIM: The Plant a Trillion Trees Campaign to Reduce Global Warming –Fleshing Out the Concept Bruce Lippke, Maureen Puettmann, Elaine Oneil & Chadwick Dearing Oliver Global warming is an environmental risk linked
- [April 2021 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/april-2021-newsletter/) - Our April 2021 newsletter includes an update on the AFRC annual meeting, developments in Washington DC, Illegal delay to NSO critical habitat rule, AFRC begins field review of River Democracy Act and more!
- [Less than five percent of burned BLM lands will be salvaged after Holiday Farm Fire](https://amforest.org/less-than-five-percent-of-burned-blm-lands-will-be-salvaged-after-holiday-farm-fire/) - Dead and dying trees will be removed on less than five percent of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands impacted by the Holiday Farm Fire, according to a plan released by the agency on April 27. The BLM’s plan calls for area salvage on just 910 acres. Though the agency is also removing hazard trees
- [AFRC Welcomes Montana’s RY Timber as New Member](https://amforest.org/afrc-welcomes-montanas-ry-timber-as-new-member/) - The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) proudly welcomes RY Timber as its newest member. The company currently operates a stud mill in Livingston, Montana, and is one of the top structural lumber manufacturers in the state. In the spring of 2020, RY idled its Townsend, Montana sawmill citing a lack of timber to run at
- [January 2021 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/january-2021-newsletter/) - The January 2021 newsletter includes a Washington, DC update; New NSO Rule Is a Step to Restoring the Promise of the Northwest Forest Plan; Forest Service Signs Final Decision on Eastside Screens Amendment; and more.
- [AFRC Welcomes Montana's F.H. Stoltze Land & Lumber Co. as New Member](https://amforest.org/afrc-welcomes-montanas-f-h-stoltze-land-lumber-co-as-new-member/) - The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) proudly welcomes F.H. Stoltze Land & Lumber Co. as its newest member. This fully integrated forest products company operates a sawmill near Columbia Falls, MT and sustainably manages a 39,000+/- acre tree farm. According to Stoltze, the company also sources up to 60 percent of its timber from U.S.
- [March 2021 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/march-2021-newsletter/) - Our March 2021 newsletter includes a Washington DC update, an overview of Spotted Owl lawsuits, a Barred Owl removal update, developments in the U.S. Supreme Court, and a look at how Lincoln County, Montana is working to improve forest health.
- [February 2021 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/february-2021-newsletter/) - Our February 2021 newsletter includes a Washington DC update, the latest on President Biden's 30 by 30 Executive Order and regulatory review process. Also, Western Oregon wildfire data has been published, Ninth Circuit upholds denial of injunction against Brebner Flat Project, and more.
- [AFRC, Counties Challenge Delay to 2021 Northern Spotted Owl Critical Habitat Rule](https://amforest.org/afrc-counties-challenge-delay-to-2021-northern-spotted-owl-critical-habitat-rule/) - The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) today joined the Association of O&C Counties and counties in Washington, Oregon, and California in challenging the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) illegal delay in implementing its 2021 critical habitat designation for the Northern Spotted Owl (NSO). The 2021 critical habitat designation removed areas that are not habitat
- [Ninth Circuit Upholds Denial of Injunction Against Brebner Flat Project on Idaho Panhandle National Forest](https://amforest.org/ninth-circuit-upholds-denial-of-injunction-against-brebner-flat-project-on-idaho-panhandle-national-forest/) - The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on February 22 refused to halt the Brebner Flat Project on the Idaho Panhandle National Forest. The ruling affirms a U.S. District Court’s previous denial of a preliminary injunction against this project, which seeks to improve forest health on federal lands in the Wildland Urban Interface
- [AFRC Welcomes Woodgrain as New Member](https://amforest.org/afrc-welcomes-woodgrain-as-new-member/) - The American Forest Resource Council proudly welcomes Woodgrain as it newest member. With sawmills in Idaho and Oregon, the company joins a growing trade association of logging and milling operations across the West. “AFRC is proud to serve Woodgrain. We are committed to helping this company obtain the wood fiber it needs to manufacture world-class
- [NSO Critical Habitat: Myths and Facts](https://amforest.org/nso-critical-habitat-myths-and-facts-2/) - On January 13, 2021 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service published a rule designating more than 6.1 million acres of critical habitat for the Northern Spotted Owl (NSO). Anti-forestry groups are making false claims about what the rule means for owls and our forests. Learn the truth. MYTH: This rule reduces protections for the Northern
- [Northern Spotted Owl “Critical Habitat” Rule Aligns Policy with Law and Science](https://amforest.org/northern-spotted-owl-critical-habitat-rule-aligns-policy-with-law-and-science-2/) - The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) today said a new rule finalized by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) will better align Northern Spotted Owl (NSO) critical habitat with federal law and modern forest science at a time when unprecedented and severe wildfires threaten both owls and people from Northern California to Washington State.
- [December 2020 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/december-2020-newsletter-2-2/) - Save the Date: AFRC Annual Meeting Set for August 2-4Washington DC UpdateHow the Biden Administration Could Influence Federal Forest PolicyScientific Rebuttal on Spotted Owls and Wildfire PublishedMission Restoration Project on the Okanogan-Wenatchee Gets the GreenlightKootenai Wildland Urban Interface Shared StewardshipCollaboratives Creating Momentum for Management on the Caribou-TargheeAFRC is Hiring – Southwest Oregon Field Forester
- [AFRC Supports New BLM Rule to Reduce Wildfire Risks, End ‘Paperwork Protests’](https://amforest.org/afrc-supports-new-blm-rule-to-reduce-wildfire-risks-end-paperwork-protests-2/) - The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) today applauded the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for finalizing a new rule streamlining the process for active forest management on BLM-managed lands. The new rule closes a loophole in the public engagement process that has significantly delayed, and in some cases stopped, timber harvests and fuel reduction projects
- [New BLM Policy Supports Post-Fire Forest Recovery and Reforestation](https://amforest.org/new-blm-policy-supports-post-fire-forest-recovery-and-reforestation/) - The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) today applauded the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for finalizing a new rule expediting post-fire recovery and reforestation efforts on federal lands. Specifically, the rule creates a new 3,000-acre categorical exclusion (CX) under the National Environmental Policy Act to help expedite the removal and sale of dead and dying
- [Tree Removal Necessary to Ensure Public Safety at Walton Lake](https://amforest.org/tree-removal-necessary-to-ensure-public-safety-at-walton-lake/) - The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) and Crook County today applauded the Ochoco National Forest’s decision to move forward once again with the Walton Lake Restoration Project, an effort to improve forest health, ensure public safety and mitigate wildfire danger immediately surrounding Walton Lake, the national forest's most heavily-used developed recreation site. The Ochoco National
- [November 2020 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/november-2020-newsletter/) - Washington, DC UpdateForest Service Final NEPA Rule Published in Federal RegisterNew Data Illustrates Wildfire Impacts to BLM LandsFederal Timber Purchasers Committee MeetingThe Middle May Timber Sale and Reiter Foothills Saga ContinuesWashington State Political UpdatesAFRC’s Forest Products and Carbon CommitteeCuster-Gallatin Conducts Forest Plan Resolution MeetingsAdvocates Press for Government Transparency Before the Supreme Court
- [October 2020 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/october-2020-newsletter/) - Washington, DC UpdateForest Service Proposes Updates to its Handbook and ManualAFRC Submits Data and Exclusion Request on Critical Habitat for the Spotted OwlLegal Victory: Challenge to DNR’s Management of State Trust Lands DismissedMontana Forest Action Plan Seeks to Increase Pace, Scale of ManagementWashington State Releases New Forest Action PlanRoadside Hazards Persist in Light of Ninth
- [Replace Clinton-Era Rule to Accelerate Science-based Eastside Forest Restoration](https://amforest.org/replace-clinton-era-rule-to-accelerate-science-based-eastside-forest-restoration/) - The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) today submitted comments in support of amending the Clinton-era “Wildlife Standard of the Eastside Screens,” also known as the “Eastside Screens” governing the management of national forests in Eastern and Central Oregon. AFRC joins diverse organizations- ranging from counties to hunting and recreation groups to forestry groups- urging the
- [State Trust Land Beneficiary Coalition Wins Key Legal Victory in Thurston County](https://amforest.org/state-trust-land-beneficiary-coalition-wins-key-legal-victory-in-thurston-county/) - A coalition of Washington state counties, schools, fire districts and others won a key legal victory on Oct. 2 when Thurston County Judge Erik D. Price dismissed a lawsuit filed by anti-forestry groups against the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The anti-forestry groups’ lawsuit sought to undermine the DNR’s fiduciary obligations to manage Washington
- [September 2020 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/september-2020-newsletter/) - A Message from AFRC President Travis Joseph Wildfires Bring Unprecedented Devastation to the West Washington, D.C. Update Forest Service Region 6 Hits 2020 Target Court Allows New NEPA Rules to Go Into Effect AFRC Comments on Proposed Definition of “Habitat” Under the ESA AFRC Provides Creative Solutions on the Wild Rivers Coast Forest Collaborative Idaho
- [August 2020 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/august-2020-newsletter/) - Washington, DC Update U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Issues Two Proposed Rules for Critical Habitat Forest Service Publishes Eastside Screens Amendment EA Washington State Update – Board of Natural Resources “Retreat” DNR Lands in Snohomish County’s Reiter Foothills Forest Service Region 1 Reaches Timber Targets Despite Obstacles District Court Upholds the Tecuya Ridge Project on
- [U.S. District Court Upholds Tecuya Ridge Shaded Fuelbreak Project on Los Padres National Forest](https://amforest.org/u-s-district-court-upholds-tecuya-ridge-shaded-fuelbreak-project-on-los-padres-national-forest/) - An effort to reduce wildfire risks on the Los Padres National Forest and protect nearby communities can proceed after U.S. Magistrate Judge Patrick Walsh ruled in favor of the Tecuya Ridge Shaded Fuelbreak Project above Frazier Park, California. The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC), joined by the California Forestry Association (CalForests) and Associated California Loggers
- [July 2020 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/july-2020-newsletter/) - AFRC Supports Modernizing BLM Forest Management Rules Washington, D.C. Update New NEPA Regulations Finalized; A Hundred Lawsuits Bloom Forest Service Releases Bioregional Assessment DNR Litigation Update: A Significant Early Victory Brebner Flat Project is Cleared to Proceed with Operations The Crystal Clear Restoration Project Litigation Battle Continues Post-Fire Management Science Published New Forest Plans Shape
- [Federal Judge Denies Request to Halt Brebner Flat Project on Idaho Panhandle National Forest](https://amforest.org/federal-judge-denies-request-to-halt-brebner-flat-project-on-idaho-panhandle-national-forest/) - On July 13, Judge B. Lynn Winmill of the U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho denied a motion for preliminary injunction against the Brebner Flat Project on the Idaho Panhandle National Forest, allowing the forest health project to proceed. With support from the American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) and its attorneys, AFRC member
- [June 2020 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/june-2020-newsletter/) - A Message from AFRC President Travis Joseph AFRC 2020 Annual Meeting Postponed Washington, D.C. Update SCOTUS Opinion Protects Forest Service Jurisdiction Over NFS Lands Tenth Circuit Upholds the Hyde Park WUI and Pacheco Canyon Forest Resiliency Projects Under the Farm Bill Insect and Disease CE Montana Logging Association and AFRC Unite to Defend the Flathead
- [AFRC Joins Forest Collaborative and Adams County to Defend Lost Creek-Boulder Creek Landscape Restoration Project on Southwest Idaho’s Payette National Forest](https://amforest.org/afrc-joins-forest-collaborative-and-adams-county-to-defend-lost-creek-boulder-creek-landscape-restoration-project-on-southwest-idahos-payette-national-forest/) - The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) has once again intervened on behalf of the Payette Forest Coalition (PFC) and Adams County, Idaho in the latest round of litigation aimed at blocking the Lost Creek-Boulder Creek landscape project on the Payette National Forest. The U.S. district court formally granted intervention to the Coalition and County,
- [U.S. Supreme Court Opinion Protects Forest Service Jurisdiction Over National Forest System Lands](https://amforest.org/u-s-supreme-court-opinion-protects-forest-service-jurisdiction-over-national-forest-system-lands/) - The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) today applauded the U.S. Supreme Court's Cowpasture opinion relating to the construction of a pipeline on federal lands. AFRC joined 16 forestry associations in filing an amicus brief in the Court last December, urging Justices to reverse the Fourth Circuit's decision due to the case's potential implications to active
- [AFRC Applauds U.S. District Court Decision Allowing North Hebgen Project to Proceed](https://amforest.org/afrc-applauds-u-s-district-court-decision-allowing-north-hebgen-project-to-proceed/) - The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) applauds the U.S. District Court of Montana's decision lifting its injunction and allowing the U.S. Forest Service to proceed with the North Hebgen Multiple Resource Project on the Custer-Gallatin National Forest. AFRC intervened in litigation on behalf of Sun Mountain Lumber of Deer Lodge, Montana, who purchased two of the
- [AFRC to Defend Habitat Improvement, Fuels Reduction Project on Shasta-Trinity National Forest](https://amforest.org/afrc-to-defend-habitat-improvement-fuels-reduction-project-on-shasta-trinity-national-forest/) - The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) has been granted intervention in a lawsuit aimed at blocking the Pettijohn Late Successional Reserve Habitat Improvement and Fuels Reduction Project on the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. AFRC supports the implementation of this project and will seek to defend this effort to improve forest health, mitigate wildfire risks and provide
- [May 2020 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/may-2020-newsletter/) - Washington DC Update BLM Seeks to 'Modernize" Rules Relating to Admin. Protests; Proposes expanded Salvage CE Eastside Screens Plan Amendment Ninth Circuit Speedily Rejects Challenge to BLM’s Resource Management Plan Split Populations Create Split Listing Determinations for Pacific Fisher Industry Coalition Submits Comments on Oregon Coast Coho 5-Year Status Review Washington State DNR Update Colville
- [April 2020 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/april-2020-newsletter/) - An Industry That Cares About Its Employees and Communities COVID-19: Advocating for Our Members Washington DC Update Court Approves Historic Critical Habitat Agreement NSO Research Sheds Light on Impact of Barred Owls Ninth Circuit Upholds Moose Creek Project Ninth Circuit Remands Crystal Clear Restoration Project AFRC Welcomes New Forest Supervisors Fighting Fire During a Pandemic
- [Federal Government Agrees to Reevaluate Northern Spotted Owl “Critical Habitat” After Supreme Court Ruling](https://amforest.org/federal-government-agrees-to-reevaluate-northern-spotted-owl-critical-habitat-after-supreme-court-ruling/) - A coalition representing counties, business and labor has reached an agreement with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service that will initiate a public regulatory rulemaking process for revaluating critical habitat designated for the Northern Spotted Owl (NSO) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The agreement was filed today in the U.S. District Court for the
- [Ninth Circuit Upholds Moose Creek Project to Improve Forest Health on Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest](https://amforest.org/ninth-circuit-upholds-moose-creek-project-to-improve-forest-health-on-helena-lewis-and-clark-national-forest/) - On April 7 a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued a decision upholding the Moose Creek Vegetation Management Project on the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest. The project restores 2,200 acres northeast of White Sulphur Springs, Montana that have been adversely affected by severe infestations of spruce budworm
- [March 2020 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/march-2020-newsletter/) - AFRC’s Service Continues Washington DC Update Wash. State Policy Updates WA Working Forests are Carbon Mitigators WA DNR Timber Sale Updates Injunction Denied on Miller West Fisher Project Mixed Ruling on North Hebgen Project BLM Timber Program Update Willamette NF Monitoring Report AFRC Weighs in on Regulatory Reforms USFS Region 1 POD Approach Showing Results
- [Gov. Inslee approves Washington forest industry carbon bill](https://amforest.org/gov-inslee-approves-washington-forest-industry-carbon-bill/) - Note: This is a joint press release with the Washington Forest Protection Association Today, Gov. Jay Inslee signed into law ESSHB 2528, legislation acknowledging the essential role Washington state’s forestry industry and working forests play in removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, and establishing it is in the public’s interest to support all aspects of
- [AFRC: Forest Products, Workers Are Critical Infrastructure in COVID-19 Response](https://amforest.org/afrc-forest-products-workers-are-critical-infrastructure-in-covid-19-response/) - The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) is working to ensure the forest products industry and its employees can continue to operate and help meet the nation's needs as local, state and federal governments respond to the global COVID-19 epidemic. On March 18, AFRC joined the Federal Forest Resource Coalition in urging the U.S. Department of
- [Global warming mitigating role of working forests in Washington state](https://amforest.org/global-warming-mitigating-role-of-working-forests-in-washington-state/) - Washington is the second largest producer of wood products in the United States, including sawn lumber and plywood. This study from the University of Washington sets out to understand the role of Washington’s working forests in mitigating global warming. A comprehensive analysis of the region-specific private forestland is performed, taking into account current growth and
- [February 2020 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/february-2020-newsletter/) - AFRC Annual Meeting: Rooms going fast Washington, D.C. Update Washington State legislative update AFRC Goes to U.S. Supreme Court Eastside Screens Amendment Comment on Nez Perce-Clearwater Forest Plan 82nd Oregon Logging Conference
- [Wild Olympics’ Fails to Protect Working Forests and Working Families](https://amforest.org/wild-olympics-fails-to-protect-working-forests-and-working-families/) - American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) President Travis Joseph had the following to say regarding today’s U.S. House passage of the “Wild Olympics” legislation included in HR 2546: “AFRC represents Washington forest products manufacturers, family-owned logging companies and the thousands of workers they employ on the Olympic Peninsula. For years, we have provided substantial feedback
- [January 2020 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/january-2020-newsletter/) - 2020 AFRC Annual Meeting Washington, D.C. Update Washington State DNR Update Industry Carbon Bill in WA Legislature Court Weighs Remedy in O&C Litigation AFRC Appeals BLM’s Protest Denial to IBLA Ninth Circuit Leaning More Conservative CEQ Proposes Changes to NEPA Regulations Small Successes for SW Oregon Tahoe National Forest Plan Amendment Colville Forest Planning Second
- [2019 Ross Report Now Available](https://amforest.org/2019-ross-report-now-available/) - The 2019 Ross Report is now available. Compiled by AFRC Federal Timber Program Director Andy Geissler, the annual report includes details and analyses of the U.S. Forest Service Region 6 Timber Sale Program. An overview of the 2019 report can be found here.
- [December 2019 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/december-2020-newsletter/) - DC Update Legal Challenge to DNR Management Plans Hazard Tree Removal Project Upheld ESA Protections for Red Tree Vole Unwarranted Forestry Groups File U.S. Supreme Court Brief Coalition Support for New ESA Rules BLM Sales Generate High Volume, Value GNA, Shared Stewardship in Idaho, Montana Save the Date: AFRC 2020 Annual Meeting
- [AFRC Joins Firefighters, Schools, and Counties in Legal Challenge to Washington DNR Management Plans](https://amforest.org/afrc-joins-firefighters-schools-and-counties-in-legal-challenge-to-washington-dnr-management-plans/) - Today four Washington counties and a coalition including school and fire districts filed a legal challenge to two management plans for state trust lands adopted by the Board of Natural Resources (BNR) in December that will adversely harm the delivery of critical public services. The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) is joining with these beneficiaries
- [November 2019 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/november-2019-newsletter/) - AFRC, Western Oregon Counties Secure Major O&C Legal Victories Washington, D.C. Update Washington State DNR Update Ninth Circuit Agrees that Seiad-Horse Project Is In the Public Interest Federal Timber Purchasers Committee Meeting Undersecretary Hubbard Visits Colville Firefighters, Forest Service Join AFRC to Tour Tecuya Project Idaho Tussock Moth Mitigation West Coast Fisher Proposed for Listing
- [AFRC Letter to Rep. Derek Kilmer and Sen. Patty Murray on Wild Olympics legislation](https://amforest.org/afrc-letter-to-rep-derek-kilmer-and-sen-patty-murray-on-wild-olympics-legislation/) - AFRC sent a letter to Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-WA) and Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) with recommendations on improving proposed Wild Olympics legislation.
- [Washington DNR Timber Harvest Reductions Will Hurt Rural Jobs, Public Schools, Community Services](https://amforest.org/washington-dnr-timber-harvest-reductions-will-hurt-rural-jobs-public-schools-community-services/) - Today, the Washington Board of Natural Resources adopted two new management plans for state forest trust lands that will reduce timber harvests on Department of Natural Resources (DNR) managed trust lands. As an advocate for DNR trust land management, the American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) is concerned that the harvest reductions will directly harm rural
- [Federal Court Decisions on O&C Lands Deliver Major Victories for Rural Oregon](https://amforest.org/federal-court-decisions-on-oc-lands-deliver-major-victories-for-rural-oregon/) - A federal court today issued two major decisions relating to the management of Western Oregon O&C lands. In one decision Judge Richard Leon invalidated President Barack Obama's proclamation expanding the Cascade Siskiyou National Monument on O&C lands, finding no President has the unilateral authority to override Federal law and an Act of Congress. Specifically, the
- [Federal Court Decisions on O&C Lands Deliver Major Victories for Rural Oregon](https://amforest.org/federal-court-decisions-on-oc-lands-deliver-major-victories-for-rural-oregon-2/) - A federal court today issued two major decisions relating to the management of Western Oregon O&C lands. In one decision Judge Richard Leon invalidated President Barack Obama's proclamation expanding the Cascade Siskiyou National Monument on O&C lands, finding no President has the unilateral authority to override Federal law and an Act of Congress. Specifically, the
- [October 2019 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/october-2019-newsletter/) - Washington DC Update DC Court Issues Favorable Ruling Enforcing O&C Sale Mandate Landscape-Wide Injunction Issued in New Mexico and Another is Threatened in Idaho/Montana AFRC Moves to Intervene in Tecuya Project DNR Update Forest Service Approves Final Colville Forest Plan Chetco Bar Fire Salvage OWIT Educates the Public During Forest Products Month AFRC Dedicates Third
- [Why AFRC is Defending the Tecuya Ridge Shaded Fuelbreak Project](https://amforest.org/why-afrc-is-defending-the-tecuya-ridge-shaded-fuelbreak-project/) - As an organization promoting active management of public lands to ensure public safety, protect forest health, and provide a sustainable timber supply, the American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) supports the proposed Tecuya Ridge Shaded Fuelbreak Project on the Los Padres National Forest. That's why AFRC, joined by the California Forestry Association (CalForests) and Associated California Loggers (ACL), is seeking to intervene in a lawsuit that would overturn this important forest management project.
- [Vancouver Family Realizes Dream of Home Ownership, Thanks to AFRC Partnership with Evergreen Habitat for Humanity](https://amforest.org/vancouver-family-realizes-dream-of-home-ownership-thanks-to-afrc-partnership-with-evergreen-habitat-for-humanity/) - Vancouver, WA – A deserving family will soon receive the keys to their own home in Vancouver’s McKibbin Commons neighborhood, thanks to a partnership between Evergreen Habitat for Humanity and the American Forest Resource Council (AFRC), a trade association representing the forest products industry. AFRC’s members and staff donated building materials and cash, as well
- [September 2019 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/september-2019-newsletter/) - DC Update Murrelet LTCS FEIS Released Judge Remands Sale Back to BLM Sierra/Sequoia Plan Comments Submitted GNA Projects Reworked BLM 2019 Wrap-up Willamette Hits 100 mmbf Save the Date: 2020 Annual Meeting
- [August 2019 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/august-2019-newsletter/) - Washington DC Update AFRC Comments on Proposed Revised NEPA Regulations ESA Regulations Released Washington State and DNR Updates Ninth Circuit Dismisses Bull Run Appeal on Mootness Grounds AFRC and Industry Coalition Urge Supreme Court to Fix Mistaken Trail Administration Ruling FWS Rejects Petition to List Siskiyou Mountain Salamander Region 1 Rounds Out Leadership Team Save the Date! AFRC's Annual Meeting: Celebrating 20 Years in 2020
- [Ninth Circuit Backs Expedited Forest Management](https://amforest.org/ninth-circuit-backs-expedited-forest-management/) - Ninth Circuit Court Backs Expedited Forest Management On June 24, setting legal precedent for nine western states, the Ninth Circuit ruled in favor of the Sunny South Project on the Tahoe National Forest. This is an important legal victory for active forest management on public lands and confirmation of a new bipartisan Congressional tool passed in the
- [Sweet-Ione Integrated Resources Project](https://amforest.org/sweet-ione-integrated-resources-project/)
- [Honey Badger Pre-Scoping Comments](https://amforest.org/honey-badger-pre-scoping-comments/)
- [Gold Butterfly Objection Support](https://amforest.org/gold-butterfly-objection-support/)
- [Black Ram Draft EA Comments](https://amforest.org/black-ram-draft-ea-comments/)
- [July 2019 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/july-2019-newsletter/) - DC Update Lower Grave Remanded Back Progress on Environmental Analysis DNR Timber Sale Program Oregon Federal Forest Restoration Program Study Objection Resolution on the Colville Idaho Identifies Shared Stewardship Areas
- [Big Weekly Elk Comments](https://amforest.org/big-weekly-elk-comments/)
- [Deadman's Folley EA](https://amforest.org/deadmans-folley-ea/)
- [Kew Project Objection](https://amforest.org/kew-project-objection/)
- [Mt. Hull Objection](https://amforest.org/mt-hull-objection/)
- [Swamp Creek GNA CE](https://amforest.org/swamp-creek-gna-ce/)
- [Seiad-Horse Injunction Lifted](https://amforest.org/seiad-horse-injunction-lifted/)
- [North Yamhill EA Comments](https://amforest.org/north-yamhill-ea-comments/)
- [Shotcash EA Comments](https://amforest.org/shotcash-ea-comments/)
- [Two Eagle Comments](https://amforest.org/two-eagle-comments/)
- [Upper Touchet Comments](https://amforest.org/upper-touchet-comments/)
- [Upper Pataha Comments](https://amforest.org/upper-pataha-comments/)
- [Shasta Agness EIS](https://amforest.org/shasta-agness-eis/)
- [Law Seminar](https://amforest.org/law-seminar/)
- [Seneca Brief](https://amforest.org/seneca-brief/)
- [Ecotonal Habitat Project](https://amforest.org/ecotonal-habitat-project/)
- [Cruzane Project](https://amforest.org/cruzane-project/)
- [English Point Project](https://amforest.org/english-point-project/)
- [Gold Hill Project](https://amforest.org/gold-hill-project/)
- [Judge Green-Lights Important Restoration Project on Mt. Hood National Forest, Pushing Aside Challenge from Activist Groups](https://amforest.org/judge-green-lights-important-restoration-project-on-mt-hood-national-forest-pushing-aside-challenge-from-activist-groups/) - For Immediate Release: July 1, 2019 Contact: Asha Aiello, 503-222-9505 Portland, Ore. - On June 18, Judge Michael Mosman, Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court in Oregon, issued a ruling rejecting environmental groups’ challenge to an important thinning project on the Mt. Hood National Forest to improve forest health and reduce wildfire risk.
- [June 2019 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/june-2019-newsletter/) - DC Update FFRC Update Sunny South Upheld Seiad-Horse Injunction Lifted Smokey Project Greenlit Crystal Clear Project to Move Ahead GNA Reporting Bill Passed Forest Products Modernization Updates “Restoration” on the Malheur Early Seral Workshop New Forest Supervisors in R1 and R6 Emerging Leaders 2019 Evergreen Habitat Volunteer Day
- [French Executive Order](https://amforest.org/french-executive-order/)
- [FPM Low Value Letter](https://amforest.org/fpm-low-value-letter/)
- [SNW Shelf Stock](https://amforest.org/snw-shelf-stock/)
- [CCR Opinion](https://amforest.org/ccr-opinion/)
- [Sunny South Opinion](https://amforest.org/sunny-south-opinion/)
- [Jackson County Commissioners ORE Act Letter](https://amforest.org/jackson-county-ore-act-letter/)
- [Glacier Loon](https://amforest.org/glacier-loon/)
- [Moose Creek](https://amforest.org/moose-creek/)
- [Medford Salvage Letter](https://amforest.org/medford-salvage-letter/)
- [Teal Creek Comments](https://amforest.org/teal-creek-comments/)
- [Lake of the Woods Scoping Comments](https://amforest.org/lake-of-the-woods-scoping-comments/)
- [Thomas Creek Comments](https://amforest.org/thomas-creek-comments/)
- [Revised Deadman's Folley Comments](https://amforest.org/revised-deadmans-folley-comments/)
- [Taneum Draft EA Comments](https://amforest.org/taneum-draft-ea-comments/)
- [Colville Monitoring Meeting Recap](https://amforest.org/colville-monitoring-meeting-recap/)
- [Okanagan-Wenatchee Monitoring Meeting Recap](https://amforest.org/okanagan-wenatchee-monitoring-meeting-recap/)
- [Willamette Monitoring Meeting Recap](https://amforest.org/willamette-monitoring-meeting-recap/)
- [Miles Fire Salvage Comments](https://amforest.org/miles-fire-salvage-comments/)
- [Western Oregon Tribal Fairness](https://amforest.org/western-oregon-tribal-fairness/)
- [Taylor Creek EA Comments](https://amforest.org/taylor-creek-ea-comments/)
- [Bi-County EA Comments](https://amforest.org/bi-county-ea-comments/)
- [Upper Briggs Project Comments](https://amforest.org/upper-briggs-project-comments/)
- [Lowell Country EA Project Comments](https://amforest.org/lowell-country-ea-project-comments/)
- [Horsefly Project Comments](https://amforest.org/horsefly-project-comments/)
- [Idaho Five Year Action Plan](https://amforest.org/idaho-five-year-action-plan/)
- [Seiad-Horse Litigation](https://amforest.org/seiad-horse-litigation/)
- [CCR Opposition Brief](https://amforest.org/ccr-opposition-brief/)
- [Communication Tools: Diane Dealey Neill](https://amforest.org/communication-tools-diane-dealey-neill/)
- [Leadership Tools: Chris Chase](https://amforest.org/leadership-tools-chris-chase/)
- [AFRC Letter to Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on ORE Act](https://amforest.org/afrc-letter-to-senate-energy-and-natural-resources-committee-on-ore-act/) - AFRC sent a letter to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee expressing our concerns and recommendations regarding S. 1262, the Oregon Recreation Enhancement (ORE) Act. The legislation proposes a 60,000-acre expansion of the Rogue Wilderness, a new 98,000 acre Rogue National Recreation Area, and a new 30,000 acre Molalla National Recreation Area. These same
- [Communication Tools: Nick Smith](https://amforest.org/communication-tools-nick-smith/)
- [Communication Tools: Andrea Howell](https://amforest.org/communication-tools-andrea-howell/)
- [Tools in the Woods: US Forest Service](https://amforest.org/tools-in-the-woods-us-forest-service/)
- [Tools in the Woods: Steve Brink](https://amforest.org/tools-in-the-woods-steve-brink/)
- [May 2019 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/may-2019-newsletter/) - Washington, DC Update Federal Timber Purchasers Committee Meeting AFRC/Montana Logging Association Weigh in With Support of Glacier Loon Project Montana Governor Appoints Forest Action Advisory Council AFRC Participates in Forests Today & Forever Field Days
- [Brief - Glacier Loon](https://amforest.org/brief-glacier-loon/)
- [Skagit County Presentation](https://amforest.org/skagit-county-presentation/)
- [Fandango Project](https://amforest.org/fandango-project/)
- [Michigan Bluff Project](https://amforest.org/michigan-bluff-project/)
- [GNA Panel](https://amforest.org/gna-panel/)
- [North Clack EA Comments](https://amforest.org/north-clack-ea-comments/)
- [Deadwood Scoping Comments](https://amforest.org/deadwood-scoping-comments/)
- [Brebner Flat Project Comments](https://amforest.org/brebner-flat-project-comments/)
- [CCR Brief](https://amforest.org/ccr-brief/)
- [Ninth Circuit Brief in Seiad Horse](https://amforest.org/ninth-circuit-brief-in-seiad-horse/)
- [Motion in Seiad Horse](https://amforest.org/motion-in-seiad-horse/)
- [Soldier Butler EA Comments](https://amforest.org/soldier-butler-ea-comments/)
- [FS Success Panel](https://amforest.org/fs-success-panel/)
- [Legal Panel Presentation](https://amforest.org/legal-panel-presentation/)
- [Buckskin Saddle Project Comments](https://amforest.org/buckskin-saddle-project-comments/)
- [Boulder Park Draft EA Comments](https://amforest.org/boulder-park-draft-ea-comments/)
- [Kraus Ridge Scoping Comments](https://amforest.org/kraus-ridge-scoping-comments/)
- [April 2019 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/april-2019-newsletter/) - 2019 AFRC Annual Meeting DC Update Washington Legislative Update O & C Monument Rulings Cottonwood Colville Objection Meetings Rogue Forest Restoration Initiative Forum Member Profile: Rosboro
- [Letter to Inslee](https://amforest.org/letter-to-inslee/)
- [Success Panel 2019](https://amforest.org/success-panel-2019/)
- [DC and Policy Annual Meeting 2019](https://amforest.org/dc-and-policy-annual-meeting-2019/)
- [GNA Panel Annual Meting 2019](https://amforest.org/gna-panel-annual-meting-2019/)
- [AFRC Legal Annual Meeting 2019](https://amforest.org/afrc-legal-annual-meeting-2019/)
- [Bringing Change Through Grassroots Organizing](https://amforest.org/bringing-change-through-grassroots-organizing/)
- [AFRC Comments on Fisher Candidate Conservation Agreement](https://amforest.org/afrc-comments-on-fisher-candidate-conservation-agreement/)
- [AFRC Comments on Fisher](https://amforest.org/afrc-comments-on-fisher/)
- [5 Year Program Monitoring](https://amforest.org/5-year-program-monitoring/)
- [Lolo/Bitterroot Monitoring Meeting](https://amforest.org/lolobitterroot-monitoring-meeting/)
- [Kootenai Monitoring Meeting](https://amforest.org/kootenai-monitoring-meeting/)
- [Idaho Panhandle Monitoring Meeting](https://amforest.org/idaho-panhandle-monitoring-meeting/)
- [2018 Ross Report](https://amforest.org/2018-ross-report/)
- [West Fork Smith River EA](https://amforest.org/west-fork-smith-river-ea/)
- [South Siuslaw Project EA](https://amforest.org/south-siuslaw-project-ea/)
- [Patrick Vegetation Management Project](https://amforest.org/patrick-vegetation-management-project/)
- [Upper Wenatchee Pilot Project](https://amforest.org/upper-wenatchee-pilot-project/)
- [Swauk Pine Project Objection](https://amforest.org/swauk-pine-project-objection/)
- [Wilson Fire Salvage](https://amforest.org/wilson-fire-salvage/)
- [Maglia Fire Salvage](https://amforest.org/maglia-fire-salvage/)
- [Concow Fire Salvage](https://amforest.org/concow-fire-salvage/)
- [Trapper Project Proposed Action](https://amforest.org/trapper-project-proposed-action/)
- [Rancho Deluxe GNA Project](https://amforest.org/rancho-deluxe-gna-project/)
- [Stonewall Project Draft EIS](https://amforest.org/stonewall-project-draft-eis/)
- [Three Mile GNA Project](https://amforest.org/three-mile-gna-project/)
- [March 2019 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/march-2019-newsletter/) - AFRC Annual Meeting DC Update O & C Act Blue Mountain Forest Plan Pulled East Reservoir Project Proceeds Severe Weather and Timber Sales Clean Water Act Review Swanson Mill Closure Region 1 Honored Women in the Woods
- [USDA and DOI Letter](https://amforest.org/usda-and-doi-letter/)
- [AFRC Comments on Community Forests](https://amforest.org/afrc-comments-on-community-forests-2/)
- [AFRC Comments on Community Forests](https://amforest.org/afrc-comments-on-community-forests/)
- [Colville Timber Sale Plans](https://amforest.org/colville-timber-sale-plans/)
- [Ok-Wen Timber Sale Plan](https://amforest.org/ok-wen-timber-sale-plan/)
- [North Central Washington Forest Health Collaborative Meeting](https://amforest.org/north-central-washington-forest-health-collaborative-meeting/)
- [Malheur Forest Supervisor Recommendation Letter](https://amforest.org/malheur-forest-supervisor-recommendation-letter/)
- [B and O Taxation](https://amforest.org/b-and-o-taxation/)
- [Whaleback Fire Salvage EA](https://amforest.org/whaleback-fire-salvage-ea/)
- [Wild Goose EA Comments](https://amforest.org/wild-goose-ea-comments/)
- [Ramsey Canyon Fire Salvage Comments](https://amforest.org/ramsey-canyon-fire-salvage-comments/)
- [Sanpoil Draft EA Comments](https://amforest.org/sanpoil-draft-ea-comments/)
- [Mt. Hull Draft EA Comments](https://amforest.org/mt-hull-draft-ea-comments/)
- [AFRC Comments on Three Mile GNA](https://amforest.org/afrc-comments-on-three-mile-gna/)
- [O & C Lands Letter](https://amforest.org/o-c-lands-letter/)
- [O & C Lands Letter](https://amforest.org/o-c-lands-letter-2/)
- [BLM Timber Target Letter](https://amforest.org/blm-timber-target-letter/)
- [February 2019 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/february-2019-newsletter/) - AFRC Annual Meeting DC Update BLM 2019 Timber Sale Program Washington Legislative Update Lower Grave Inyo Resolution Meeting Regulatory Review Montana Forests in Focus 2.0 Little Naches Watershed Member Profile: Hampton
- [B & O Tax Letter](https://amforest.org/b-o-tax-letter/)
- [B & O Tax Letter](https://amforest.org/b-o-tax-letter-2/)
- [Letter to Appropriations](https://amforest.org/letter-to-appropriations/)
- [Letter to Interim Director McClear](https://amforest.org/letter-to-interim-director-mcclear/)
- [Cultivating Change Foundation Reception](https://amforest.org/cultivating-change-foundation-reception/) - Have you heard of the Cultivating Change Foundation? Come celebrate the diversity and love of Oregon’s agriculture and natural resources industries tomorrow night, 5-7 pm, at the OSU Portland Center! Learn more by downloading the invite.
- [Oregon Congressional Letter](https://amforest.org/oregon-congressional-letter/)
- [Letter to Purdue and Bernhardt](https://amforest.org/letter-to-purdue-and-bernhardt/)
- [Oregon Wildlands Advocacy 2019](https://amforest.org/oregon-wildlands-advocacy-2019/)
- [Black Mountain DEIS Comments](https://amforest.org/black-mountain-deis-comments/)
- [King Mosby Scoping Comments](https://amforest.org/king-mosby-scoping-comments/)
- [London Road EA Comments](https://amforest.org/london-road-ea-comments/)
- [Calapooya EA Comments](https://amforest.org/calapooya-ea-comments/)
- [Lowell EA Comments](https://amforest.org/lowell-ea-comments/)
- [Stukel Mountain Scoping Comments](https://amforest.org/stukel-mountain-scoping-comments/)
- [Sweet-Ione Project Pre-Scoping Comments](https://amforest.org/sweet-ione-project-pre-scoping-comments/)
- [Pre-Scoping Comments on Kaniksu Connections Project](https://amforest.org/pre-scoping-comments-on-kaniksu-connections-project/)
- [Sunrise Project Objection](https://amforest.org/sunrise-project-objection/)
- [Comments and Objection on Glass Project](https://amforest.org/comments-and-objection-on-glass-project/)
- [Scoping Comments on Ellis Project](https://amforest.org/scoping-comments-on-ellis-project/)
- [January 2019 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/january-2019-newsletter/) - DC Update AFRC Rebrand Washington Legislative Update Seiad-Horse Opinion Issued Lowell Country Project Salvage in Record Time Montana GNA Update Member Profile: Sierra Forest Products
- [Letter to Bernhardt Regarding the Shutdown](https://amforest.org/letter-to-bernhardt-regarding-the-shutdown/)
- [Industry Timber Sale Memo](https://amforest.org/industry-timber-sale-memo/)
- [AFRC Comments on the Scoping Phase of the Poor Windy Project](https://amforest.org/afrc-comments-on-the-scoping-phase-of-the-poor-windy-project/)
- [AFRC Comments on Ragged Ruby RDEIS](https://amforest.org/afrc-comments-on-ragged-ruby-rdeis/)
- [AFRC Comments on Little Crow Project](https://amforest.org/afrc-comments-on-little-crow-project/)
- [AFRC Comments on Mesa Fire Salvage](https://amforest.org/afrc-comments-on-mesa-fire-salvage/)
- [AFRC Comments on Granite Meadows Project](https://amforest.org/afrc-comments-on-granite-meadows-project/)
- [AFRC Government Shutdown White Paper Memo](https://amforest.org/afrc-government-shutdown-white-paper-memo/)
- [AFRC Comments on Upper Applegate Watershed Restoration Project](https://amforest.org/afrc-comments-on-upper-applegate-watershed-restoration-project/)
- [AFRC Comments on Grave Creek Salvage Project](https://amforest.org/afrc-comments-on-grave-creek-salvage-project/)
- [AFRC Submits Comments on Rattlesnake HFRA](https://amforest.org/afrc-submits-comments-on-rattlesnake-hfra/)
- [AFRC Comments on Black Gold Project](https://amforest.org/afrc-comments-on-black-gold-project/)
- [Montana Court Upholds Moose Creek Project and Montana Landscape Designation, In Big Step Forward for Wildfire Prevention](https://amforest.org/montana-court-upholds-moose-creek-project-and-montana-landscape-designation-in-big-step-forward-for-wildfire-prevention/) - Montana Court Upholds Moose Creek Project and Montana Landscape Designation, In Big Step Forward for Wildfire Prevention Portland, OR - On November 19, 2018, Judge Molloy of the United States District Court, District of Montana, issued a strong decision upholding the Moose Creek Vegetation Management Project (Moose Creek Project) on the Helena-Lewis and Clark National
- [Letter to BLM Medford District Regarding Timber Salvage](https://amforest.org/letter-to-blm-medford-district-regarding-timber-salvage/) - AFRC partnered with the Southern Oregon Timber Industry Association to send a letter to the Medford District of the Bureau of Land Management regarding timber salvage on fire-devastated areas.
- [AFRC Expresses Concern On Oregon Wildlands Act](https://amforest.org/afrc-expresses-concern-on-oregon-wildlands-act/) - AFRC sent the attached letter to the Oregon Delegation and Congressional leaders urging action on a bipartisan, comprehensive forest management approach instead of setting aside hundreds of thousands of acres for no-management designations like wilderness. In the wake of one of the most devastating and costly wildfire years in Oregon, members of the Oregon Delegation
- [Oregon Wildlands Letter](https://amforest.org/oregon-wildlands-letter/)
- [AFRC Calls on Congress to Do the Right Thing and Protect the People of Crooked River Ranch](https://amforest.org/afrc-calls-on-congress-to-do-the-right-thing-and-protect-the-people-of-crooked-river-ranch/) - AFRC Calls on Congress to Do the Right Thing and Protect the People of Crooked River Ranch Portland – Today, AFRC President Travis Joseph responded to an alarming Bend Bulletin Editorial that highlights Congress’ failure to act on consensus measures urgently needed to protect rural Oregon communities and public forests. Congressman Greg Walden proposed carefully
- [December 2018 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/december-2018-newsletter/) - DC Update Pine Marten Comments Submitted Seiad-Horse Project Idaho Shared Stewardship Agreement MM LCTS Comments Submitted BLM Timber Update DNR Timber Update Region 1 Staff Update Waters of the United States Rule Change AOL/OFRI Workforce Seminars Ross Mickey Retires Member Profile
- [Representative Gary Leif Letter to Senator Wyden](https://amforest.org/representative-gary-leif-letter-to-senator-wyden/)
- [AFRC Submits Comments on U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s Proposal to List the Coastal Marten as Threatened Under the Endangered Species Act](https://amforest.org/afrc-submits-comments-on-u-s-fish-and-wildlifes-proposal-to-list-the-coastal-marten-as-threatened-under-the-endangered-species-act/)
- [AFRC Comments on the Revised Draft Environmental Impact Statement (RDEIS) for Long-Term Conservation Strategy for the Marbled Murrelet](https://amforest.org/afrc-comments-on-the-revised-draft-environmental-impact-statement-rdeis-for-long-term-conservation-strategy-for-the-marbled-murrelet/) - On December 6, AFRC submitted comments to the Washington Department of Natural Resources regarding the Revised Draft Environmental Impact Statement (RDEIS) for Long-Term Conservation Strategy for the Marbled Murrelet.
- [Whaleback Fire Salvage Comments](https://amforest.org/whaleback-fire-salvage-comments/)
- [Haskell Forest Health Project Comments](https://amforest.org/haskell-forest-health-project-comments/)
- [Spencer Creek Hazard Tree Removal Project](https://amforest.org/spencer-creek-hazard-tree-removal-project/)
- [Miles Fire and Hazard Tree Removal Scoping Comments](https://amforest.org/miles-fire-and-hazard-tree-removal-scoping-comments/)
- [North Yamhill Project Scoping Comments](https://amforest.org/north-yamhill-project-scoping-comments/)
- [Evans Creek Project Scoping Comments](https://amforest.org/evans-creek-project-scoping-comments/)
- [Bear Creek Project Scoping Comments](https://amforest.org/bear-creek-project-scoping-comments/)
- [AFRC Willoughby Project Objection](https://amforest.org/afrc-willoughby-project-objection/)
- [Okay Salvage Project Comments](https://amforest.org/okay-salvage-project-comments/)
- [West Surprise Scoping Comments](https://amforest.org/west-surprise-scoping-comments/)
- [Colville Forest Plan Objection](https://amforest.org/colville-forest-plan-objection/)
- [November 2018 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/november-2018-newsletter/) - Gopher Frog Win Murrelet LTCS Update DC and Election Update Moose Creek Upheld Pioneer Project PI Denied FTPC Meeting AFRC Intervenes in North Hebgen and CCR AFRC Objects to Colville Plan Region 1 Salvage Success Panhandle Fire and Recovery Member Profile: Mountain Western Log Scaling
- [Washington State Trust Lands HCP and Background](https://amforest.org/washington-state-trust-lands-hcp-and-background/)
- [Key Points Related to MMLTCS Process and Impacts](https://amforest.org/key-points-related-to-mmltcs-process-and-impacts/)
- [AFRC General Counsel Remarks on Environmental Litigation Reforms](https://amforest.org/afrc-general-counsel-remarks-on-environmental-litigation-reforms/)
- [AFRC Comments on Wyoonchee Restoration and Road Management Project](https://amforest.org/afrc-comments-on-wyoonchee-restoration-and-road-management-project/)
- [AFRC Forest Service Modernization Plan Comments](https://amforest.org/afrc-forest-service-modernization-plan-comments/)
- [AFRC Files Objection to Inyo Forest Plan](https://amforest.org/afrc-files-objection-to-inyo-forest-plan/)
- [AFRC Comments on Nails Creek EA](https://amforest.org/afrc-comments-on-nails-creek-ea/)
- [AFRC Comments on Purple Marten Scoping Project](https://amforest.org/afrc-comments-on-purple-marten-scoping-project/)
- [AFRC Comments on Emerald Sale Scoping Project](https://amforest.org/afrc-comments-on-emerald-sale-scoping-project/)
- [AFRC Comments on Rocky Project Draft EA](https://amforest.org/afrc-comments-on-rocky-project-draft-ea/)
- [AFRC Comments on Re-Initiation of Scoping on the Prescribed Burning Program](https://amforest.org/afrc-comments-on-re-initiation-of-scoping-on-the-prescribed-burning-program/)
- [AFRC Comments On Bear Creak Thinning Project](https://amforest.org/afrc-comments-on-bear-creak-thinning-project/)
- [AFRC Comments on Patterson Thinning Project](https://amforest.org/afrc-comments-on-patterson-thinning-project/)
- [AFRC Third Rock EA Comments](https://amforest.org/afrc-third-rock-ea-comments/)
- [October 2018 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/october-2018-newsletter/) - Forest Products Modernization Carbon Study Released Marbled Murrelet Plan Released Supreme Court Hears Gopher Frog Case Quartz Project Suit Dismissed BLM Timber Salvage Colville Plan Released New Ninth Circuit Judge Deschutes Thinning Projects SAF Convention Member Profile: Starfire Lumber
- [DNR Response to AFRC Letter on Economic Impact of MMLTCS](https://amforest.org/dnr-response-to-afrc-letter-on-economic-impact-of-mmltcs/)
- [Representative Walsh Letter to DNR on MMLTCS](https://amforest.org/representative-walsh-letter-to-dnr-on-mmltcs/)
- [AFRC Letter to DNR on Economic and Fiscal Impact of MMLCTS](https://amforest.org/afrc-letter-to-dnr-on-economic-and-fiscal-impact-of-mmlcts/)
- [A Victory for Responsible Forest Management on the Umpqua National Forest: Challengers Give Up Suit Against Quartz Project](https://amforest.org/a-victory-for-responsible-forest-management-on-the-umpqua-national-forest-challengers-give-up-suit-against-quartz-project/) - Environmentalist groups have dropped their challenge to the Quartz Project on the Umpqua National Forest after failing to obtain an injunction against the project in federal court. On October 11, United States District Court Judge Michael McShane denied the groups’ motion for a preliminary injunction. This is a significant victory for active forest management on
- [AFRC Final Comments on Proposed ESA Regulation Changes](https://amforest.org/afrc-final-comments-on-proposed-esa-regulation-changes/)
- [Lost Creek-Boulder Creek Project - Payette National Forest](https://amforest.org/lost-creek-boulder-creek-project-payette-national-forest/)
- [Inyo National Forest Plan Objection](https://amforest.org/inyo-national-forest-plan-objection/)
- [Quartz Project Denying PI](https://amforest.org/quartz-project-denying-pi/)
- [Quartz Project](https://amforest.org/quartz-project/)
- [A to Z Project Summary Judgement Order](https://amforest.org/a-to-z-project-summary-judgement-order/)
- [AFRC General Counsel Lawson Fite Testifies on Reforming Environmental Litigation](https://amforest.org/afrc-general-counsel-lawson-fite-testifies-on-reforming-environmental-litigation/) - AFRC General Counsel Lawson Fite Testifies at the House Committee on Oversight & Investigations Subcommittee on the Interior, Energy, and Environment Hearing on “Restoring Balance to Environmental Litigation”.
- [AFRC Comments on Indian Creek Project](https://amforest.org/afrc-comments-on-indian-creek-project/) - AFRC Submits Objection to Orient Project on the Siuslaw National Forest.
- [AFRC Submits Objection to Orient Project](https://amforest.org/afrc-submits-objection-to-orient-project/) - AFRC Submits Objection to Orient Project on the Colville National Forest.
- [AFRC Comments on Panther Creek EA](https://amforest.org/afrc-comments-on-panther-creek-ea/) - AFRC Comments on Panther Creek EA on the BLM Northwest District.
- [AFRC Comments on Row River EA](https://amforest.org/afrc-comments-on-row-river-ea/) - AFRC Comments on Row River EA on BLM Northwest District.
- [AFRC Comments on Glass Draft EA](https://amforest.org/afrc-comments-on-glass-draft-ea/) - AFRC Comments on Glass Draft EA on the Umatilla National Forest.
- [AFRC Comments on Potter's Wheel Draft EA](https://amforest.org/afrc-comments-on-potters-wheel-draft-ea/) - AFRC Comments on Potter's Wheel Draft EA on the Idaho Panhandle National Forest.
- [AFRC Beaver Salvage Comments](https://amforest.org/afrc-beaver-salvage-comments/) - AFRC Comments on Beaver Salvage CE on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest.
- [Federal Judge Dismisses Lawsuit and Approves ‘A to Z’ Forest Health Project in NE Washington](https://amforest.org/federal-judge-dismisses-lawsuit-and-approves-a-to-z-forest-health-project-in-ne-washington/) - A federal judge on Oct. 4 issued a summary judgment ruling dismissing an environmental group’s lawsuit against the North Fork Mill Creek “A to Z” forest health project on the Colville National Forest. The decision marks another legal victory for the collaborative project, and the unique public-private partnership that is working to improve forest health
- [September 2018 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/september-2018-newsletter/) - Washington, D.C. Update Collaborative Group Pushes Ninth Circuit to Take Another Look BLM 2018 Timber Sale Wrap-up Salvage Moving in Region 1 AFRC Comments on ESA Modernization Proposal Christine Dawe Accepts Washington Office Position Member Profile: Freres Lumber Pacific Logging Congress AFRC Welcomes Law Clerk Greg Hibbard
- [AFRC Submits Final Comments on Endangered Species Act Proposed Revisions](https://amforest.org/afrc-esa-final-comments/) - The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) submitted these comments in response to the Department of Commerce and Department of Interior’s Notices of Proposed Rulemaking regarding Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants.
- [R1 Post Fire Repsonse](https://amforest.org/r1-post-fire-repsonse/) - Fire Salvage Progress on Region 1 National Forests.
- [Tahoe National Forest Buckeye Project Review](https://amforest.org/tahoe-national-forest-buckeye-project-review/)
- [Plumas National Forest Monitoring Meeting and Field Trip](https://amforest.org/plumas-national-forest-monitoring-meeting-and-field-trip/)
- [Mt. Hood National Forest Monitoring Meeting and Field Trip](https://amforest.org/mt-hood-national-forest-monitoring-meeting-and-field-trip/)
- [Mill Creek Field Trip on the Fremont-Winema National Forest](https://amforest.org/mill-creek-field-trip-on-the-fremont-winema-national-forest/)
- [Malheur National Forest Monitoring Meeting and Field Trip](https://amforest.org/malheur-national-forest-monitoring-meeting-and-field-trip/)
- [Colville National Forest Monitoring Meeting and Field Trip](https://amforest.org/colville-national-forest-monitoring-meeting-and-field-trip/)
- [AFRC Comment Letter on Wallace Falls CAMP Planning Process](https://amforest.org/afrc-comment-letter-on-wallace-falls-camp-planning-process/)
- [AFRC Objection to East Hills DEIS on Fremont-Winema](https://amforest.org/afrc-objection-to-east-hills-deis-on-fremont-winema/)
- [AFRC Comments on Waucoma-Huckleberry Enhancement Project](https://amforest.org/afrc-comments-on-waucoma-huckleberry-enhancement-project/)
- [AFRC Comments on Black Ram Project Scoping](https://amforest.org/afrc-comments-on-black-ram-project-scoping/)
- [AFRC Protests on Griffin Half Moon Project](https://amforest.org/afrc-protests-on-griffin-half-moon-project/)
- [AFRC Comments on Cliff Knox Scoping Project](https://amforest.org/afrc-comments-on-cliff-knox-scoping-project/)
- [AFRC Comments on Horse Prarie Recovery Plan EA](https://amforest.org/afrc-comments-on-horse-prarie-ea/)
- [AFRC Camp Robin Draft EA Comments](https://amforest.org/afrc-camp-robin-draft-ea-comments/)
- [August 2018 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/afrc-news-august-2018/) - In this edition: DC Update AFRC Comments to CEQ on NEPA Habitat Location Announced Region 6 Regional Forester Selected AFRC Objects to BMFP Ninth Circuit Undercuts Collaboration Lostine Project Upheld Mt. Hood Timber Funded Projects Oregon Forestry Toolbox
- [FFRC Letter to Undersecretary Jim Hubbard](https://amforest.org/ffrc-letter-to-undersecretary-jim-hubbard/)
- [AFRC Objection to Blue Mountain Forest Plan](https://amforest.org/afrc-objection-to-blue-mountain-forest-plan/)
- [AFRC Response to Wild Olympics Legislation](https://amforest.org/afrc-response-to-wild-olympics-legislation/) - On August 22, the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining held a hearing on numerous public lands bills, including Senator Patty Murray’s Wild Olympics legislation (S. 438). The legislation last received a hearing in the Senate in April of 2016. The House version of the legislation sponsored by Rep.
- [AFRC Final Comments on Council on Environmental Quality Advanced Notice of Proposed Rule Making](https://amforest.org/afrc-final-comments-on-council-on-environmental-quality-advanced-notice-of-proposed-rule-making/) - The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) submits these comments in response to the Council on Environmental Quality’s (CEQ) Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) regarding CEQ’s regulations for implementing the procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (40 C.F.R. Part 1500). See 83 Fed. Reg. 28591 (June 20, 2018).
- [July 2018 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/july-2018-newsletter/) - Habitat Home Dedicated The West is on Fire DC Update Bull Run Victory Collaborative Project Moves Forward ESA Reforms Carbon Storage AFRC Letter to BNR Virginia Ridge Field Trip Region 1 Meetings NWFP Synthesis Kennedy Retires Kavanaugh Nominated
- [AFRC and Partners Call for Strong Forestry Title in Farm Bill](https://amforest.org/afrc-and-partners-call-for-strong-forestry-title-in-farm-bill/) - AFRC Federal Forest Resource Coalition sent a letter to the conferees of the House and Senate calling for a strong forestry title in Farm Bill.
- [AFRC Prevails for Public Safety and Forest Health](https://amforest.org/afrc-prevails-for-public-safety-and-forest-health/) - In a win for public safety and forest health, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California yesterday, July 9, approved a roadside hazard tree removal project on the Sequoia National Forest.
- [June 2018 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/june-2018-newsletter/) - Washington, D.C. Update Legal Victories Wildfires are Emergencies Joey/Bald Mountain Suit Dismissed Magistrate Rules on Collaboration Monument Litigation Continues WA Marbled Murrelet DNR and GNA Western Oregon Timber Salvage Hope on the Okanogan-Wentachee AFRC Welcomes Sun Mountain
- [Magistrate Judge Smacks Down Enviros’ Arguments on Collaboration](https://amforest.org/magistrate-judge-smacks-down-enviros-arguments-on-collaboration/) - Magistrate Judge Smacks Down Enviros’ Arguments on Collaboration Portland, Ore. – Yesterday, Magistrate Judge Sullivan offered a strong rebuke of a dubious legal challenge to an important public safety project on the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest in Northeast Oregon. Judge Sullivan called out the plaintiffs’ – Greater Hells Canyon Council and Oregon Wild –
- [AFRC Letter to Washington Department of Natural Resources - Marbled Murrelet Long Term Conservation Strategy](https://amforest.org/afrc-letter-to-department-of-natural-resources-marbled-murrelet-long-term-conservation-strategy/) - AFRC crafted an open letter to the Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz and the Board of Natural Resources regarding the Marbled Murrelet Long-Term Conservation Strategy (MMLTCS) and “Alternative F.” Our letter explains why Alternative F is not “reasonable” and thus should be dropped from further consideration in the Revised Draft Environmental Impact Statement.
- [Ninth Circuit Rules in Favor of Common Sense: Wildfires are Emergencies](https://amforest.org/ninth-circuit-rules-in-favor-of-common-sense-wildfires-are-emergencies/) - Portland, Ore. – Last week, the Ninth Circuit ruled in favor of logic and common sense: massive wildfires on public lands are emergencies that often threaten lives, property, and natural resources. The Court’s ruling backed a decision by the Forest Service to build a community protection line – a fuel break – to safeguard
- [May 2018 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/may-2018-newsletter/) - The May 2018 Edition of the AFRC Newsletter. D.C. Update FTPC Recap Frog Project Conclusion Trump Reshapes Appeals Courts Victory in Lava Case Forest Health Advisory Committee Meets R1 Salvage Preparation Moving Forward Economic Viability in Forest Restoration Keith Olson: Congratulations/Thank You AFRC Communications Director Update
- [H.R. 2 Farm Bill Forestry Title](https://amforest.org/h-r-2-farm-bill-forestry-title/) - Farm Bill. H.R. 2, the Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018, included a robust forestry title that would provide the Forest Service additional forest management authorities, including many new Categorical Exclusions (CEs) for federal forest management activities for early seral, critical response, and salvage activities, as well as provisions to streamline interagency consultations under the
- [The Project Old Enough to Vote: AFRC Secures Affirmative Decision on Frog Project Needed to Restore Forest Health](https://amforest.org/the-project-old-enough-to-vote-afrc-secures-affirmative-decision-on-frog-project-needed-to-restore-forest-health/) - In a landmark decision after a long history, The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC)’s legal team, working with the Forest Service, obtained a victory on the Frog Project in Southern California. In September of 2017, Judge Anthony Ishii of the Eastern District of California issued an order permitting the Frog Project to proceed. The Ninth
- [AFRC Responds to Forest Service Plans for Chetco Fire](https://amforest.org/afrc-responds-to-forest-service-plans-for-chetco-fire/) - AFRC RESPONDS TO FOREST SERVICE PLANS FOR CHETCO FIRE Portland, Ore. – The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) submitted comments this week regarding the Chetco Bar Fire Salvage Environmental Assessment (EA), a document describing the Forest Service’s plans for responding to last year’s Chetco Bar Fire. The Chetco Bar fire, which ranked
- [AFRC Response to Forest Service Plans for Chetco Fire](https://amforest.org/afrc-response-to-forest-service-plans-for-chetco-fire/) - AFRC submitted comments to the US Forest Service offering forest products industry’s perspective on valuable timber salvage and economic benefit from the Chetco Fire Salvage Project.
- [April 2018 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/april-2018-newsletter/) - 2018 Annual Meeting Showcases Success Washington, D.C. Updates AFRC Presses Its Case Against the Unlawful Expansion of Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument Chetco Bar Fire Salvage EA Released Oregon Society of American Foresters Annual Meeting Payette Holds Solutions Meeting AFRC Welcomes Communications Director
- [March 2018 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/march-2018-newsletter/) - President Signs Fire Borrowing "Fix," Management Reforms Washington Legislative Recap Oregon Legislative Recap Westside Fire Recovery Litigation Settles Remainder of Tower/Grizzly Case Dismissed after 9th Circuit Win AFRC Lends Support in Moonlight Fire Petition to Supreme Court Forest Service Use of Pod or Zone Concept Changes to Forest Service Bid Form and New Contract Provisions Forest Health in Oregon: State of the State 2018 Reminder: AFRC/HFHC Emerging Leaders Program Last Chance to Register for AFRC's Annual Meeting
- [AFRC Applauds Bipartisan Agreement on Federal Wildfire Funding, Forest Management Solutions](https://amforest.org/afrc-applauds-bipartisan-agreement-on-federal-wildfire-funding-forest-management-solutions/) - The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC), a trade association representing Pacific Northwest logging and milling companies, today applauded a bipartisan agreement to include federal wildfire suppression and forest management reforms in the omnibus spending package. “This agreement recognizes that fixing our broken system of forest management is not a partisan issue,” said AFRC President Travis
- [Case Dismissed Against Post-Fire Projects on the Idaho Panhandle National Forests](https://amforest.org/case-dismissed-against-post-fire-projects-on-the-idaho-panhandle-national-forests/) - A lawsuit, challenging two post-fire projects on the Idaho Panhandle National Forests (IPNF), has been dismissed by the plaintiff after courts refused its requests for an injunction. The group attempted to stop work on both the Tower Fire Salvage Project and Grizzly Fire Salvage Restoration Project, which the U.S. Forest Service brought to implementation within
- [Oregon Legislature Approves Bill Promoting ‘Good Neighbor Authority’ to Improve Management of Federal Forest Lands](https://amforest.org/oregon-legislature-approves-bill-promoting-good-neighbor-authority-to-improve-management-of-federal-forest-lands/) - In the final hours of the 2018 session the Oregon Legislature overwhelmingly approved legislation to prioritize the use of “Good Neighbor Authority” (GNA), a federal policy allowing the state to increase the pace, scale, and quality of forest management activities on federally-owned forest lands. The legislation (HB 4118) was passed after Oregon experienced a severe
- [February 2018 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/february-2018-newsletter/) - AFRC Annual Meeting - April 3-5 Washington State Legislative Update Supreme Court Slams Door on White Castle Sale AFRC Appeals Elk Camel Protest Denial Region 6 Holds Environmental Analysis & Decision-making Roundtable AFRC Staff Attorney Sara Ghafouri Testifies in Support of Oregon's GNA Bill Region 1 Salvage Update AFRC Welcomes New Field Forester Amanda Astor
- [January 2018 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/january-2018-newsletter/) - Save the Date: AFRC's Annual Meeting, April 3-5 Washington, D.C. Updates Washington State Legislative Update New Marbled Murrelet Habitat Assessment Chetco Bar Fire Salvage AFRC's Request Granted to Appear in the Lostine Public Safety Project Litigation High Court to Decide Important Critical Habitat Questions in Gopher Frog Case Okanogan-Wentachee National Forest Update
- [Join Team AFRC: Communications Director](https://amforest.org/join-team-afrc-communications-director/) - Opportunity: AFRC Communications Director Is this the right job for you? Are you looking for a challenging – but rewarding – job that is different every day and exposes you to new learning opportunities? Are you passionate about the local forest products industry and its contributions to economic and environmental sustainability in the Pacific Northwest?
- [December 2017 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/december-2017-newsletter/) - Washington, D.C. Updates Congress Passes Western Oregon Tribal Fairness Act Changes Coming to Olympia as 2018 Legislative Session Approaches AFRC Files Brief in Challenge to BLM's Illegal Management Plan for Western Oregon AFRC Asks Supreme Court to Review White Castle Decision President's Monument Revisions Bring a Cascade of New Litigation Secretary Recommends Modifications to Cascade-Siskiyou Billy Williams Nominated as Permanent US Attorney for Oregon AFRC Files Ninth Circuit Amicus Brief in the Wolverine Fire Case NEPA Efficiencies on the Willamette National Forest Deschutes Project Receives Honor Join our Team: AFRC is Hiring a Communications Director
- [AFRC Applauds Interior's Recommendation on Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument Expansion](https://amforest.org/afrc-applauds-interiors-recommendation-on-cascade-siskiyou-national-monument-expansion/) - The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) today applauded the Department of the Interior’s (Interior) recommendation to modify the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. AFRC President Travis Joseph says the recommendation, if accepted by President Donald Trump, will help correct past overreach and ensure O&C lands within the expansion are managed as Congress originally intended. “The administration's reconsideration
- [November 2017 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/november-2017-newsletter/) - Washington DC Updates New Video Celebrates AFRC Support of Habitat for Humanity Build in Springfield AFRC Launches Second Habitat for Humanity Home in Lacey, WA Loggers Suppressing Wildfires Fire Salvage Planning Underway in Western Oregon Fire Salvage Efforts Move Forward in Region 1, Region 6 Judge Denies Attempt to Stop Bull Run Project Judge Denies TRO on Vital Southern Idaho Fire Recovery Projects Board of Natural Resources Makes Decisions on Murrelets and Sustainable Harvest Work Session on Murrelets Forest Service Makes Changes to KV and Stewardship AFRC Member Spotlight: Freres Lumber's Veneer Plant Reconstructed, Back Online AFRC is Growing - Join Our Team!
- [New video celebrates forest-sector support of Habitat for Humanity build](https://amforest.org/new-video-celebrates-forest-sector-support-of-habitat-for-humanity-build/) - After some less-than-ideal living situations, Springfield resident Nayeli Navarrete Bravo and her daughter, Alitza, recently became homeowners thanks to a partnership between Habitat for Humanity and the Oregon forest products industry. A new video produced by the Oregon Forest Resources Institute (OFRI) tells their story. Build a House – Frame a Future highlights the
- [Judge Denies Attempt to Halt Roadside Hazard Tree Removal on Sequoia National Forest](https://amforest.org/judge-denies-attempt-to-halt-roadside-hazard-tree-removal-on-sequoia-national-forest/) - November 20, 2017 A U.S. District Court judge for California has denied a request for a preliminary injunction seeking to halt the removal of dead and dying trees on some roads within the Sequoia National Forest. The 2016 Cedar Fire burned in the project area, killing or damaging trees and causing public safety concerns along
- [Restraining Order Denied, Timber Salvage on Boise National Forest Can Continue](https://amforest.org/restraining-order-denied-timber-salvage-on-boise-national-forest-can-continue/) - A U.S. District Court judge for Idaho has denied a request for a temporary restraining order to halt timber salvage projects on the site of the 2016 Pioneer Fire.
- [Forest Products Industry, SPS Habitat for Humanity Partner to Make Dream of Homeownership Come True for Lacey, WA Family](https://amforest.org/forest-products-industry-sps-habitat-for-humanity-partner-to-make-dream-of-homeownership-come-true-for-lacey-wa-family/) - WHAT: South Puget Sound Habitat for Humanity “Wall Raising” for Ahmed and Townes Family Home WHEN: Friday, November 10, 2017 at 2:30 pm WHERE: 4405 37th Ave. SE, Lacey WA MEDIA CONTACTS: Shawna Dutton, South Puget Sound Habitat for Humanity shawna@spshabitat.org, 360-859-4842 Travis Joseph, President, American Forest Resource Council tjoseph@amforest.org, 503-222-9505 Forest Products Industry, SPS Habitat for Humanity Partner
- [Progress Under Chief Tony Tooke: Forest Service Phoenix Workshop](https://amforest.org/progress-under-chief-tony-tooke-forest-service-phoenix-workshop/) - Chief Tony Tooke recently assembled agency leadership in Phoenix to focus on the key issues facing the agency, particularly the forest health crisis that threatens 80 million acres of Federal forests, communities, and neighboring landowners.
- [October 2017 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/october-2017-newsletter/) - Washington, D.C. Updates BLM Denies AFRC Protest National FTPC Meets in Duluth Status of GNA and Farm Bill CE Implementation Chetco Bar Fire BAER Report Region 1 Tackles Fire Salvage and Restoration AFRC Intervenes in Bull Run Project Challenge President Trump Will Shrink Bears Ears and Grande Staircase-Escalante National Monuments Judge Leon Grants Additional Stay in Cascade-Siskiyou Monument Litigation Black-Backed Woodpecker and N. Rocky Mountains Fisher Listings Not Warranted DNR Launches 20 Year Forest Health Strategic Plan AFRC is Growing - Join our Team!
- [Sixty-Five Groups Urge Congress to Reform Federal Forest Management and Fix Wildfire Funding](https://amforest.org/sixty-five-groups-urge-congress-to-reform-federal-forest-management-and-fix-wildfire-funding/) - Sixty-five groups representing forestry, agriculture, wildlife conservation and local government sent a letter to Congressional leadership urging swift action on federal forest management and wildfire suppression funding reforms.
- [World Forestry Center Discovery Museum Opens New Exhibit About the Mass Timber Phenomenon](https://amforest.org/world-forestry-center-discovery-museum-opens-new-exhibit-about-the-mass-timber-phenomenon/) - With high-rise mass timber buildings springing up all over Portland, the United States, and the world, it only makes sense for the World Forestry Center to bring to light the amazing story of the mass timber phenomenon in its newest exhibit, The Future of Tall. On view through summer 2018, The Future of Tall tells of the strength,
- [September 2017 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/september-2017-newsletter/) - Wildfires and Forest Management Reform Fite Completes a Doubleheader Court Decides Challenges to Western Oregon RMP Can Stay in D.C. Frog Project Finally Cleared Singletary Sale Overturned, More Process to Come A New Nominee for the Ninth Circuit AFRC Joins Amicus Brief on Value of Timber in Eminent Domain Cases Ninth Circuit Lets Sunny South Project Operations Begin Monument Report Includes Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument AFRC Intervenes in Challenge to Joey and Bald Mountain Projects Ninth Circuit Ruled That an EIS is Not Required to Put Up Parking Lot Murrelet Long Term Conservation Strategy Planning Grinds On Note of Thanks
- [AFRC Statement Regarding Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument Review](https://amforest.org/afrc-statement-regarding-cascade-siskiyou-national-monument-review/) - Portland, Ore. - Travis Joseph, President of the American Forest Resource Council (AFRC), issued the following statement regarding media reports about Secretary of the Interior Zinke’s review of national monuments, including the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument: “We simply don’t know if this leaked document accurately reflects the findings and recommendations in the final report to the
- [After The Fire Is Out](https://amforest.org/after-the-fire-is-out/) - What happens after the fires are out? What happens to the forests when the media goes away? Is the landscape replanted, salvaged, or rehabilitated? The answer may surprise you. The actions we take today determine our forests of tomorrow. Thank you to Communities for Healthy Forests for producing this video! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upOFnYHfJgk&feature=youtu.be
- [August 2017 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/august-2017-newsletter/) - Washington, D.C. Updates Interior Secretary Zinke Submits Monument Report to President Trump AFRC Submits Protest to BLM Project In Landmark Decision, Ninth Circuit Upholds A to Z Project AFRC Files an Amicus Brief in the U.S. Supreme Court Farm Bill CE Survives First Test in Sunny South Case A New Runway Doesn't Need an EIS. Why Should a Timber Sale? Board of Natural Resources Holds Retreat Region 1 on Fire Oregon is on Fire National Fire Statistics Summer Forest and Mill Tours Job Opportunity: Executive Director, Douglas Timber Operators
- [Letter to Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke Regarding Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument Expansion](https://amforest.org/letter-to-interior-secretary-ryan-zinke-regarding-cascade-siskiyou-national-monument-expansion/) - In this letter, the American Forest Resource Council provides Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke with background information on the clear Congressional mandate of the O&C Act, and how that relates to the illegal expansion of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument.
- [U.S. District Court Upholds Use of Insect, Disease 'CE' to Expedite Forest Health Project on Tahoe National Forest](https://amforest.org/u-s-district-court-upholds-use-of-insect-disease-ce-to-expedite-forest-health-project-on-tahoe-national-forest/) - A forest health project on California’s Tahoe National Forest can proceed after a U.S. District Court judge ruled the U.S. Forest Service appropriately used a special categorical exclusion (CE) under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to expedite the removal of timber. The case is the first to challenge the use of this CE that
- [Major NE Washington Forest Health Project Can Proceed After Court Victory](https://amforest.org/major-ne-washington-forest-health-project-can-proceed-after-court-victory/) - Portland, Ore. – The American Forest Resource Council applauded the unanimous decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to allow the historic "A to Z" forest health project to proceed on the Colville National Forest in Northeastern Washington. AFRC intervened in the case on behalf of Stevens County, Pend Oreille County
- [July 2017 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/july-2017-newsletter/) - Washington, DC Updates Full Ninth Circuit Declines to Hear White Castle Appeal: On to the Supreme Court? AFRC Attorneys to Defend Singletary DNR Sale at August Court Hearing Judge Upholds Use of Emergency NEPA Authority to Construct Wolverine Firebreak AFRC Comments on Streamlining BLM's Planning and NEPA Processes Lolo Beefing Up Sale Program Colville Forest Update Implementation Challenges of BLM's New Plan DNR FY17 Timber Sale Program Wrap Up Washington Legislature Update AFRC Welcomes New Member: Southport Forest Products
- [Summary of the Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2017](https://amforest.org/summary-of-the-resilient-federal-forests-act-of-2017/) - Condensed section by section summary of H.R. 2936, the Resilient Federal Forests Act.
- [Court Upholds Forest Service Emergency Response Authority](https://amforest.org/court-upholds-forest-service-emergency-response-authority/) - Decision by Eastern Washington District Court Judge Rice upholding the Forest Service's use of emergency response authority for the Wolverine Fire.
- [AFRC Comments on Oregon Wildlands Act](https://amforest.org/afrc-comments-on-oregon-wildlands-act/) - AFRC sent a letter to leaders on the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee offering the forest products industry's perspective on S. 1548, the Oregon Wildlands Act introduced by U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley.
- [BLM Streamlining Planning & NEPA Input](https://amforest.org/blm-streamlining-planning-nepa-input/) - BLM Streamlining Planning & NEPA Input
- [How New Management Tools Are Leading to Success](https://amforest.org/how-new-management-tools-are-leading-to-success/) - James Rudisill of the Willamette National Forest-McKenzie River Ranger District provided this PowerPoint presentation at the 2017 AFRC Annual Meeting. "What's in that Silvicultural Toolbox?" demonstrates several management strategies- old and new- the district uses to fulfill its mandate.
- [June 2017 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/june-2017-newsletter/) - •To Ann Forest Burns: Congratulations and Thank you •AFRC Dedicates Springfield Habitat for Humanity Home to Deserving Family •Children's Film Festival to Highlight Oregon's Forests/Award Scholarship •Washington D.C./Congressional Updates •Secretary Zinke Reshuffles BLM •Court Denies Injunction on Orogrande Project, Opponents Give Up •In Win for Forest Health and Economics, Smokey Project May Proceed in Limited Areas •AFRC Asks Full Ninth Circuit to Hear White Castle Appeal •AFRC Files an Amicus Brief on the Wolverine Fire Case •Ten Cent Project Lessons Learned •Cooper King Salvage Auctioned •Idaho Ramping Up Use of GNA •Good Neighbor Agreements in Washington •DNR Launches Rural Communities Partnership Initiative •Workshop Examining Current Science in Active Management of Riparian Areas
- [Oregon Forest Products Industry, Habitat for Humanity Partner to Make Dream of Homeownership Come True for Local Family](https://amforest.org/oregon-forest-products-industry-habitat-for-humanity-partner-to-make-dream-of-homeownership-come-true-for-local-family/) - WHAT: S/E Habitat House Dedication Ceremony WHEN: Saturday, June 24, at 10:00 AM WHERE: 4869 A Street, Springfield, OR Springfield, Ore – Single mom Nayeli and her twelve-year-old-daughter Alitza will be joined by Springfield Mayor Lundberg, partners from the forest products industry, and Springfield/Eugene Habitat for Humanity (S/E Habitat) supporters as they are handed the
- [AFRC General Counsel Lawson Fite Testimony to Federal Lands Subcommittee](https://amforest.org/afrc-general-counsel-lawson-fite-testimony-to-federal-lands-subcommittee/) - Highlights of AFRC's Lawson Fite's Testimony to the Federal Lands Subcommittee
- [May 2017 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/may-2017-newsletter/) - •Washington, D.C./Congressional Updates •National Monument/Antiquities Act Review •Ninth Circuit Denies White Castle Appeal •Singletary Auctioned, Litigation Follows •District Court Rejects Injunctive Relief for Tower/Grizzly Projects •AFRC Supports ESDs for North and South Pioneer Fire Projects •FTPC Spring Meeting •BLM Timber Sale Generates Impressive Value •New 5-Year Review of Marbled Murrelet •New Marten Finding Due in October 2018 •Upper Wenatchee Pilot Project
- [AFRC's Letters of Support for Pioneer Fire ESD's](https://amforest.org/afrcs-letters-of-support-for-pioneer-fire-esds/) - On May 22, AFRC wrote letters to Chief Tidwell to support the Boise National Forest's request for Emergency Situation Determinations for the North and South Pioneer Fire Salvage and Restoration Projects.
- [Build a House; Frame a Future Trailer](https://amforest.org/build-a-house-frame-a-future-trailer/) - The Oregon Forest Resources Institute is producing a special video, Build a House; Frame a Future, highlighting the American Forest Resource Council's partnership with Springfield/Eugene Habitat for Humanity to build a new home for the Navarette-Bravo family.
- [Congressman Bruce Westerman Letter to President Trump](https://amforest.org/congressman-bruce-westerman-letter-to-president-trump/) - Congressman Bruce Westerman sent a letter to President Trump outlining federal forest management priorities, including steps to improve forest health, increase domestic production of building materials, invigorate rural economies, and reduce the federal deficit.
- [Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument Myths and Facts](https://amforest.org/cascade-siskiyou-national-monument-myths-and-facts/) - There are myths. And there are facts. Learn the truth about the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument expansion in Southern Oregon and Northern California.
- [AFRC Asks Interior Secretary to Review Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument Expansion](https://amforest.org/afrc-asks-interior-secretary-to-review-cascade-siskiyou-national-monument-expansion/) - Today, AFRC President Travis Joseph sent a letter to Secretary of the Interior Zinke requesting that he review the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument designation as part of Executive Order 13792 entitled, “Review of Designations Under the Antiquities Act.” The April 26 Executive Order requires the Secretary to review certain national monuments made under the Antiquities Act
- [April 2017 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/april-2017-newsletter/) - •Washington, D.C. Updates •New Oversight of the Antiquities Act •AFRC 2017 Annual Meeting - Building Success •Big Win! D.C. Circuit Finds AFRC Has Standing, Restores Challenge to NSO Critical Habitat •AFRC Files Amicus Brief on Supreme Court Intervention Case •Ninth Circuit Affirms Win on the Porcupine Project •AFRC Moves to Intervene in Lava Project •Idaho Panhandle and Colville Forest Updates •Siuslaw National Forest Annual Report •Washington Hardwoods Annual Symposium - June 15 •New AFRC Executive Officers and Board Members
- [AFRC Submits Testimony to Congress on Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument](https://amforest.org/afrc-submits-testimony-to-congress-on-cascade-siskiyou-national-monument/) - AFRC President Travis Joseph submitted testimony for the May 2nd House Natural Resources Committee oversight hearing, “The Consequences of Executive Branch Overreach of the Antiquities Act.”
- [March 2017 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/march-2017-newsletter/) - •Updates from Washington, D.C. •AFRC Files Suit Against Illegal Cascade-Siskiyou Monument Expansion •Court Overturns Decision Not to List Coastal Marten •Does One Owl Nest Equal an EIS? •Marbled Murrelet DEIS Comments Filed •DNR Sustainable Harvest DEIS Comments Submitted •Busy Month for Oregon BLM •Kootenai and Region 1 Update •AFRC Annual Meeting: April 18-20 •Paul Ehinger Passes •Submit Your Forest Photos by April 22!
- [Joint Forest Industry Letter Federal Forest Restoration Program](https://amforest.org/joint-forest-industry-letter-federal-forest-restoration-program/) - Oregon's forest products industry offers perspective on state's Federal Forest Restoration Program.
- [AFRC Challenges Illegal Monument Expansion in Southern Oregon and Northern California](https://amforest.org/afrc-challenges-illegal-monument-expansion-in-southern-oregon-and-northern-california/) - AFRC filed a legal challenge to Presidential Proclamation 9564, an order signed by President Obama in his final days of office nearly doubling the size of the Cascade Siskiyou National Monument in Southern Oregon and Northern California.
- [Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument Challenge](https://amforest.org/cascade-siskiyou-national-monument-challenge/) - On March 10, 2017, AFRC filed its legal challenge to the unlawful expansion of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument.
- [AFRC Comments to WDNR on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (“DEIS”) for Alternatives for Establishment of a Sustainable Harvest Level](https://amforest.org/afrc-comments-to-wdnr-on-the-draft-environmental-impact-statement-deis-for-alternatives-for-establishment-of-a-sustainable-harvest-level/) - The American Forest Resource Council provided comments to the Washington Department of Natural Resources on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement on Alternatives for Establishment of a Sustainable Harvest Level for Forested State Trust Lands in Western Washington (the DEIS).
- [AFRC Comments to WDNR on Draft Environmental Impact Statement on Long-Term Conservation Strategy for the Marbled Murrele](https://amforest.org/afrc-comments-to-wdnr-on-draft-environmental-impact-statement-on-long-term-conservation-strategy-for-the-marbled-murrele/) - American Forest Resource Council's comments on the draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) on a Long-Term Conservation Strategy for the Marbled Murrelet, which was jointly prepared by Washington Department of Natural Resources (“DNR”) and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (“USFWS”).
- [February 2017 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/february-2017-newsletter/) - •Save the Date: AFRC's Annual Meeting, April 18-20 •Washington, D.C. Updates •Deadline Near for WA DNR DEIS Comments •AFRC Exposes D.C. Officials' Involvement in Flawed BLM RMPs •Mixed Decision on Smokey Project Leaves Door Open for 2017 Operations •Region 1 and Lolo Update •AFRC Welcomes Staff Attorney Sara Ghafouri •AFRC Job Opening: Southwestern Oregon Field Forester •Forestry Essay Contest for Oregon High School Students
- [January 2017 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/january-2017-newsletter/) - Trump Administration Makes Early Personnel Moves Legislative Session Underway in Olympia Andy Geissler: Strong economy built on timber industry Western Oregon Timber Sale Outlook Colville Plan and Salvage Update DNR Sustainable Harvest Calculation DEIS Public Meetings Update Take Action: Will Congress Address the Cottonwood Decision? Gorsuch Nominated to Supreme Court Job Opening: AFRC Seeks Southwestern Oregon Field Forester
- [Industry Coalition Letter Urges Congressional Action on Cottonwood Decision](https://amforest.org/industry-coalition-letter-urges-congressional-action-on-cottonwood-decision/) - Forest products industry leaders sent a letter to congressional leaders urging bipartisan action on a legislative fix to the "Cottonwood" decision.
- [Andy Geissler: Strong economy built on timber industry](https://amforest.org/andy-geissler-strong-economy-built-on-timber-industry/) - AFRC Field Forester Andy Geissler writes guest column in Register Guard.
- [AFRC Responds to Controversial Cascade Siskiyou National Monument Expansion](https://amforest.org/afrc-responds-to-controversial-cascade-siskiyou-national-monument-expansion/) - This decision was not about conservation. It was not about collaboration or public involvement. It was not about doing the right thing for the next generation. This top-down, last-minute decision was about serving special interests over the objections of hard-working Oregonians who have cared for these lands for generations.
- [December 2016 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/december-2016-newsletter/) - •Trump Transition Announces Natural Resources Picks •114th Congress Adjourns Sine Die •Horngren Honored by Oregon State Bar •Ninth Circuit Affirms Win on Westside Recovery Project •Ninth Circuit Dismisses Johnson Bar Intervention Appeal •Forest Planning Rule Amended •Pioneer Fire Salvage Efforts •Lakeview BLM Program Post Cascade-Siskiyou Monument Expansion •AFRC Begins Work on Lolo •Washington DNR Sustainable Harvest Calculation DEIS •Thank you, Bill Wickman •Welcome to AFRC, Scott Stawiarski •AFRC's Habitat Home Nearing Completion •CLASS Changes Name to ASTL
- [2016 Ross Report Now Available](https://amforest.org/2016-ross-report-now-available/) - The 2016 Ross Report is now available. Compiled by AFRC Federal Forest Manager Ross Mickey, the annual report includes details and analyses of the U.S. Forest Service Region 6 Timber Sale Program.
- [October 2016 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/october-2016-newsletter/) - •AFRC Welcomes New Members •AFRC Weighs in on Cascade Siskiyou National Monument •Forest Service Preliminary National Outputs •Region 6 2016 Timber Accomplishments •A to Z Project Clears First Legal Hurdle •AFRC Spearheads Support in Tower/Grizzly Litigation •GNA Working in Idaho •Another Fisher Lawsuit •Forest Planning Rule Amendment Proposed •2017 Wood Innovations Program Request for Proposals •AFRC Launches Blog
- [November 2016 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/november-2016-newsletter/) - •Congress Returns for Post-Election Lame Duck •WA Election Results •USFS R6 Science Synthesis •DNR Marbled Murrelet Long Term Conservation Plan •Ninth Circuit Lets A to Z Work Continue •AFRC Steps Up to Defend CE in Sunny South Litigation •Legal Outlook for the New Administration •Learn About AFRC's Legal Program •Okanogan-Wenatchee Forest Update •Forest Planning Rule Amendment Comments •Maximizing Treatment Acres Through NEPA Efficiencies •Growing Stewardship Program on Medford BLM
- [Natural Resource Users Comment on Proposal to Amend 2012 Planning Rule](https://amforest.org/natural-resource-users-comment-on-proposal-to-amend-2012-planning-rule/) - AFRC and 31 other associations and groups of natural resources users commented on the Forest Service’ proposal to amend the 2012 Forest Planning Rule.
- [Manufacturers: We Are the Solution](https://amforest.org/manufacturers-we-are-the-solution/) - AFRC today joined manufacturers from across the nation in sending an important message to President-Elect Trump and Congress. It is important that all of our elected leaders do the right thing by pursuing solutions and working in good faith for all Americans. Representing forest products manufacturers throughout the Northwest, AFRC will seek to be part
- [Authorities to Maximize Forest Restoration: Some Western Oregon Examples](https://amforest.org/authorities-to-maximize-forest-restoration-some-western-oregon-examples/) - AFRC Field Forester Andy Geissler prepared this helpful presentation highlighting how existing authorities are advancing forest restoration projects in Western Oregon.
- [September 2016 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/september-2016/) - Washington, D.C. Updates Another Lost Creek-Boulder Creek Win Ninth Circuit Halts East Reservoir Project OESF Land Plan Signed DNR MM LTCS Update BLM "Declares" O&C ASQ's BLM Issues New Stewardship Guidance High Severity Wildfires Are Bad For Spotted Owls Panhandle Completes Post-Fire Restoration Program ESA Petition Rule Changes Daugherty Named OR State Forester ALC Celebrates
- [Court Allows Lost Creek-Boulder Creek Project](https://amforest.org/court-allows-lost-creek-boulder-creek-landscape-restoration-to-begin/) - After contentious litigation, a judge has denied a request for a temporary restraining order of the Lost-Creek-Boulder Creek landscape restoration project.
- [AFRC Asks Supreme Court to Take Up Case on Forest Plan Consultation](https://amforest.org/afrc-asks-supreme-court-to-take-up-case-on-forest-plan-consultation/) - ARFC and its allies recently filed an amicus brief in support of the Solicitor General's petition for certiorari asking the US Supreme Court to decide whether Forests Plans are ongoing actions subject to a continuous requirement to initiate ESA consultation.
- [AFRC Comments on the Wildfire Budgeting, Response, and Forest Management Act of 2016](https://amforest.org/afrc-comments-on-the-wildfire-budgeting-response-and-forest-management-act-of-2016/) - The following represents AFRC's comments to the Senate ENR on the Wildfire Budgeting, Response, and Forest Management Act of 2016.
- [County Concerns Over New BLM Plan](https://amforest.org/county-concerns-over-new-blm-plan/) - The Association of O&C Counties' issues and uncertainties regarding the BLM's proposed resource management plan.
- [AFRC Concerns Over New BLM Plan](https://amforest.org/afrc-concerns-over-new-blm-plan/) - AFRC's summary and concerns regarding the Western Oregon BLM proposed resource management plan for 2016.
- [AFRC Calls for Increased Funding for Oregon BLM](https://amforest.org/afrc-advises-increased-funding-for-oregon-blm/) - AFRC is calling on the Congress and the Oregon Congressional Delegation to adequately fund the Oregon BLM.
- [July 2016 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/july-2016-newsletter/) - Updates in the world of the timber products industry from July 2016.
- [BLM Finalizes Disastrous Plan for Western Oregon, Congressional Leadership Needed](https://amforest.org/blm-finalizes-disastrous-plan-for-western-oregon-congressional-leadership-needed/) - Oregon’s forest products industry expresses deep disappointment and frustration over the Bureau of Land Management’s decision to finalize resource management plans (RMP) for the statutorily unique O&C Lands in Western Oregon.
- [O&C Litigation Complaint](https://amforest.org/oc-litigation-complaint/) - AFRC, the Carpenters Industrial Council, Douglas Timber Operators and six timber products companies filed a lawsuit in Washington DC challenging the BLM’s adoption of the Western Oregon Resources Management Plans
- [Idaho Governor’s Response to Forest Service Inaction](https://amforest.org/idaho-governors-response-to-forest-service-inaction/) - Recently, and in response to the Pioneer Fire currently razing through the state, Idaho Governor Butch Otter and Lt. Gov. Brad Little penned a letter addressed to current Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell.
- [August 2016 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/august-2016-newsletter/) - Congressional Forest Tours Idaho Actions on Pioneer Fire AFRC Habitat for Humanity Update BLM Issues New RMPs Operations Begin on A to Z Project Washington Primary Election Results Washington Candidate Forum Robert Chamberlain Passing
- [AFRC Weighs in on Proposed Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument Expansion](https://amforest.org/afrc-weighs-in-on-proposed-cascade-siskiyou-national-monument-expansion/) - The following is AFRC's comments on the Proposed Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument Expansion
- [Olympic Experimental Forest Plan Completed Timber Companies Congratulate DNR](https://amforest.org/olympic-experimental-forest-plan-completed-timber-companies-congratulate-dnr/) - During a ceremony held in Forks, Washington, AFRC congratulated the Washington State Department of Natural Resources on the completion of the Olympic Experimental State Forest land plan.
- [January 2012 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/january-18th-2012-newsletter/) - Interior Appropriations Bill Passed Spotted Owl Critical Habitat Delayed Survey & Manage Settlement Appeal Congressional Redistricting & Retirements Planning Rule Advisory Committee Court Vacates Boiler MACT Stay DNR Timber Program Report Kootenai & Panhandle Forest Plans NOAA to Interior? FWS Considers Humboldt Marten Black-backed Woodpecker Protection Sought New DNR Asst. Division Manager Dahlman New OFS
- [February 2012 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/february-23rd-2012-newsletter/) - Timely DC Trip Forest Planning Rule Salazar Visits Medford 2004 Sierra Framework Decision DNR Timber Program Report CFLRP Projects Colville Forest Vision 2020 Blue Mountains Forests Plan Revisions Agencies Settle Riparian Buffer Width Suit Are Targets Taken Seriously? New Board of Forestry Members Wood Solutions Fairs 2012 Annual Meeting
- [March 2012 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/march-23rd-2012-newsletter/) - AFRC Annual Meeting Near FWS Obsures Habitat Issues BLM Plans Again BLM Ignores Process Senate Votes to Reauthorize County Payments DNR Marbled Murrelet Strategy Stay in NPDES Case Court Complicates Water Regulatory Review DNR Biomass Study DNR Timber Program Report Ponderosa Pine Utilization Standards & Indexing Idaho Environmental Forum IFA Executive Norm Bjorklund
- [April 2012 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/april-20th-2012-newsletter/) - 2012 AFRC Annual Meeting Recap County Payments Reauthorization Murrelet Long-Term Conservation Strategy Balance of Powers House Ag/Forestry Hearing H.R. 4089-Interesting Dicks to Retire Ed Shepard to Step Down New Forest Supervisors Hawkinson to FRA Ellen Engstedt Simpson
- [May 2012 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/may-22nd-2012-newsletter/) - EPA on NPDES Permits Congressional Hearing on Federal Forests SRS Reauthorization & Forestry Legislation 2013 Interior Appropriations DNR Murrelet Interim Strategy DNR Murrelet Long Term Strategy Another Thinning Project Challenged Stewardship Contract Reauthorization BLM Planning Owl Comment Period Extended FS Issues Interim Directives National FTPC Meets in Denver Idaho Panhandle Forest Plan Comments Consequences of
- [June 2012 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/june-22nd-2012-newsletter/) - Interior Approps Bill Passed Wildfire Update Victory on Mudflow Project Labrador Bill Lynx Mapping Halts Project DNR Sued Over Murrelet EPA Forest Roads Response Owl Critical Habitat Hearing Roadless Amicus Brief Sustainable Forest Action Coalition Save our Forests Video Kitzhaber's Natural Resource Team
- [July 2012 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/july-23rd-2012-newsletter/) - Supreme Court Takes Forest Roads Case SPI Settles Fire Damage Case Farm Bill Forestry Provisions Spotted Owl Critical Habitat Comments Counties Granted Extension Suit Filed on Murrelet Take Beaverslide Victory DNR Timber Program Report Western Governors Letter to Congress New Planning Process on Willamette Snow Basin Project National Forest System Rework Betsy McGreer Honored Maness
- [August 2012 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/august-28th-2012-newsletter/) - Planning Rule Lawsuit Filed Focus on Forest Health Bills Litigation and Fire Impacts Owl CH Economic Impact Underestimated Forest Service Issues Objection Rule Williamette Ecological Forestry Colville Blowdown Perez Named State Director New Wallowa-Whitman Supervisor
- [September 2012 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/september-24th-2012-newsletter/) - Congress Passes Continuing Resolution Forest Roads Case Legal Victory on EAs Farm Bill Stalls 2012 Fire Statistics AFRC Protests BLM Sale Lawsuits Coming Fast and Furious Big Game Foraging Habitat DNR Timber Program Report Sequestration Impacts Cal Joyner Promoted
- [October 2012 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/october-22nd-2012/) - Election Update Kitzhaber's O&C Discussion Group AFRC Withdraws Protest Preliminary FY12 Sale Accomplishments Forest Service Regeneration Harvests Management vs. Fire Funding Okanogan/Wenatchee Update OFRI Issues Economic Report
- [November 2012 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/november-16th-2012-newsletter/) - 113th Congress Congressionals Want Forest Health Help NSO Critical Habitat Delayed Forest Service Acres Harvested N. CA Target Accomplishments Court Denies Cottonwood Injunction Mendocino Challenges Continue SOPI Issued China Illegally Dumping Plywood
- [December 2012 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/december-21st-2012-newsletter/) - Forest Roads Case New Spotted Owl Critical Habitat Forest Health Assessment Committee Chairmanships Sizing Up Restoration Treatments DNR Timber Program Report BLM Awards Regeneration Sale Shasta Trinity Defends Projects FWS Reviewing Caribou Listing Stoel Rives Honored
- [January 2013 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/january-23rd-2013-newsletter/) - Forest Roads Case Subcommittee to Review NEPA Hidden Cost of Wildfire Victory for Idaho Roadless Rule Coho and Steelhead CH Proposed Polar Bear CH Thrown Out Malheur 10-Year Stewardship Contract Vilsack in, Salazar Out Kitzhaber on Federal Forests Western Oregon Sales Update Rasure Named Regional Forester EPA Releases Boiler MACT Rules 2013 Annual Meeting
- [February 2013 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/february-22nd-2013-newsletter/) - State Trust Forest Management Hearing Senators Advocate Payment Reauthorization Commentary on O&C Solution Congressionals Want O&C Hearing Kitzhaber and Eastside Funding Wilderness Reintroduced Stewardship, Good Neighbor Authority Forest Planning Rule Directives Jewell Nominated 2013 Annual Meeting
- [March 2013 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/march-22nd-2013-newsletter/) - Supreme Court Victory in Forest Roads Case Spotted Owl Critical Habitat Challenged Sequestration and FY13 Forest Management Budget Resolutions and Federal Forests Recent House and Senate Hearings Supreme Court Grants Petition on Framework New Blue Mountain Strategy Northern California Province Salvage Update The Bybee Project AFRC in DC Jewell Nomination and Hearing 2013 Annual Meeting
- [April 2013 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/april-26th-2013-newsletter/) - Survey & Manage Settlement Rescinded Rough & Ready Announces Closure Annual Meeting a Success Hearing on Forest Management Bills President's Timber Budget Insect/Disease Bill Introduced Associations Weigh in on Wilderness Forest Service Adopts Objection Rule Planning Rule Correction WGA Weighs in on National Forest Management EIS Ordered on Goose Project Preliminary Injunction Filed on Snow
- [May 2013 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/may-24th-2013-newsletter/) - Forest Roads Bill Reintroduced Wyden O&C Framework Farm Bill Forestry Titles FY14 Appropriations Outlook New Washington Manager DNR Murrelet Long Term Strategy Social Services Support Zones Merkley Letter to Commissioners A to Z Stewardship Malheur 10-year Stewardship R-1 Litigation - Epidemic Levels Eastside Restoration Strategy Heath Named Deputy RF
- [June 2013 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/june-26th-2013-newsletter/) - House Votes Down Farm Bill Helium, County Payments, Goods Neighbors & Wilderness Committee Hears Forest Management Issues DNR MM Strategy Comments Due Ninth Circuit Affirms Mudflow Supreme Court Vacates Sierra Framework Ninth Circuit Halts Medford BLM Sales Groups Challenge Thinning BLM Publishes Purpose & Need Statement Wilderness, River & Energy Bills Pass Senate Healthy Forest
- [July 2013 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/july-22nd-2013-newsletter/) - Double Court Victory Snow Basin Injunction Denied DNR MM Interim Strategy Turned Back Farm Bill Passes House Call for Fire Funding Reform Wildfire and Forest Management Hearing Malheur 10-Year Stewardship Wyden Reintroduces Eastside Legislation Shortfalls on the Umpqua DNR Management Fee Increase State Funds Eastside Forestry Efforts Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie Sustainable Roads Initiative DeFazio Wins Ranking
- [August 2013 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/august-27th-2013-newsletter/) - Fire Money Runs Out Western Oregon Wildfire Update N. California Fires Continue The Slow Wheels of Justice Rio Climax Project Upheld Lawsuit Against SPI Dismissed Forest Management Reform Urged Counties Say Bill Falls Short Eastside Restoration Strategy Field Hearing on Collaboratives Timber Contract Liability Creep Forest Service Money Returned Pilot Thompson Decision Elliott Parcels Sale
- [September 2013 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/september-27th-2013-newsletter/) - Federal Forest Legislation Passes House Administration Threatens 1526 Veto Helium Reserves Rescue Counties Forest Service and the CR Debt Limit Letter Malheur 10-year Stewardship Awarded A to Z Awarded Bybee Decision Forest Roads Case Resuscitated Barred Owl Decision Signed Logger Safety Initiative Kootenai/Panhandle Management Plans Molinelli Joins AFRC
- [October 2013 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/october-18th-2013-newsletter/) - Contract Suspensions Overturned AFRC in DC Farm Bill to Conference Yosemite Rim Fire Salvage Bill Gifford Pinchot Collaboration Paul Cole: 1926-2013
- [November 2013 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/november-27th-2013-newsletter/) - Wyden O&C Legislation Senate Constituent and Colleague Letters Committee Examines Budgets/Wildfire Southwest Oregon Fire Salvage D-Bug Project Update Challenged Thinning Project Charred OESF Draft EIS Released Boise Innovative Appeal Resolution Forest Service FY13 Timber Sales Results Hearing on Public Lands Bills Appropriations Committee Reshuffling BLM Hosts Community Listening Sessions
- [December 2013 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/december-20th-2013-newsletter/) - ENR Markup of Key Forestry Titles No O&C Data Yet Baucus to China AFRC Files Amicus Brief Temporary Flooding Ruled a Taking N. California FY13 Target Accomplishments House Looks at ESA Again Committee Considers Nominations
- [January 2014 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/january-24th-2014-newsletter/) - Omnibus Spending Bill Passes AFRC Wins Ruling in South George Wild Olympics Wilderness Legislation Wyden-Crapo Wildfire Funding Bill County Payments Hearing SW Oregon Salvage Update BLM Regeneration & the Murrelet Collins Company Honored Federal Forests Work Plan Adopted O&C Bill Hearing 2014 Annual Meeting
- [February 2014 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/february-21st-2014-newsletter/) - Hearing on O&C, Barrasso Bills Barrasso Bill Introduced Farm Bill Signed Court Issues New Order on Survey & Manage Lawsuit Seeks Additional Volume Kelsey Peak Objection Bonnie Announces Partnership Projects Stewardship Contract Seminar Forest Management a Priority Hastings to Retire Milt Herbert Honored 2014 Annual Meeting Eco-Terrorist Sentenced
- [March 2014 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/march-25th-2014-newsletter/) - Hearing on O&C, Barrasso Bills Barrasso Bill Introduced Farm Bill Signed Court Issues New Order on Survey & Manage Lawsuit Seeks Additional Volume Kelsey Peak Objection Bonnie Announces Partnership Projects Stewardship Contract Seminar Forest Management a Priority Hastings to Retire Milt Herbert Honored 2014 Annual Meeting Eco-Terrorist Sentenced
- [April 2014 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/april-30th-2014-newsletter/) - Skamania Meeting a Success House Letter to Senate on Forestry Bills Governors Request HFRA Designations BLM O&C Budget Efforts Jazz Project to go Forward AFRC Argues Planning Rule Case DNR Timber Sales Challenged SW Oregon Update ESA Hearing Monument Designation Transparency Bill Blue Mountain Plan Comment Period Extended Federal Timber Purchasers to Meet Connaughton to
- [May 2014 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/may-19th-2014-newsletter/) - Forest Service Water Quality Directives Proposed Critical Habitat Rule Changes Snow Basin Ninth Circuit Decision Algoma Project to go Forward DNR Timber Sale Program Update Fuel Treatments Make Economic Sense GAO NEPA Report More Management Under Farm Bill Siuslaw Audit Results Siuslaw Pre-solicitation and Stewardship Meetings SAF Hires EVP
- [June 2014 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/june-27th-2014-newsletter/) - Judge Refuses to Enjoin Logging Primary Election Results Send Mixed Messages Senators Request Wildfire/Forest Health Review Senators Call for Wildfire Funding Reform Vote High and Dry DNR Timber Program Update Sustainable Roads Process in W. Washington Payette CFLRP Review Walden Forest Access Bill Bill to Accelerate Land Exchanges Additional Lynx Habitat Proposed FWS Extends Comment
- [July 2014 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/july-30th-2014-newsletter/) - House Passes ESA Reform Bill Efforts Increase to Move Forestry Bills Interior Appropriations Marked-up Wildfires Rage in the NW FS Inexplicable K-V Policy A Shift in Direction Forest Service Water Quality Directives BLM Project Update Western Governors on ESA Dr. Larry Irwin Retires
- [August 2014 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/august-28th-2014/) - Wyden Tries End Run on O&C Bill Fire Borrowing Again? Want Water? Manage our National Forests Siuslaw Designation by Prescription DNR Trust Land Transfer Program WA Water Quality Standards Litigation Proposed Blue Mountain Forest Plan AFRC Welcomes Jim Pena Six Rivers New Forest Supervisor
- [September 2014 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/september-30th-2014-newsletter/) - Judges Give Green Light to Salvage Congress Stalls and Goes on Recess SRS/PILT/LWCF 2015 BLM Timber Targets Wyden Input on O&C Plans Fire Statistics Klamath Fires Continue Burning Shasta Trinity Project Challenges Continue Forest Service Groundwater Proposal Washington Forest Collaborative Summit Forestry Leaders Pass On Oregon Board of Forestry Forest Service Personnel Changes James L.
- [October 2014 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/october-31st-2014-newsletter/) - Vilsack Report-Spot On! Western Regions Timber Performance YTD Wildfire Statistics Western Oregon Wildfire Summary Moist Mixed Conifer Publication Wood Innovation Funding Grants Hal Salwasser
- [November 2014 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/november-24th-2014/) - Senate Committee Passes Flawed Wyden O&C Bill 2014 Election and the 114th Congress EPA Vision for Biomass Improves Summer of Fire Final USFS Sales Numbers Status of the Rogue Study Shows Restoration Needed
- [December 2014 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/december-19th-2014-newsletter/) - Congress Passes Key Bills - Exits DC Region 6 Timber Purchasers Meeting Forest Service Objection Process Ninth Circuit Upholds Beaverslide Project Concerning Verdict on Snow Basin Plaintiff Assessed Costs in Algoma Case Senate Announces Committee Assignments Erica Rhoad Takes Staff Director Job DNR State Aquatic Lands HCP Umpqua Road Rules Report Critcizes ESA Listing Process
- [January 2015 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/january-30th-2015-newsletter/) - SRS, Wildfire, O&C and Forestry Bills Committee Leadership Named Kitzhaber's Plan for Federal Forests Washington DNR State Lands DNR Scoping Sustainable Harvest Calculation Forest Plan Updates Pinchot Partners Receive Award New Fish and Wildlife Bosses Rod Swanson 2015 Annual Meeting
- [February 2015 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/february-25th-2015-newsletter/) - FS and BLM 2016 Budgets SRS Bill Introduced Ninth Circuit Upholds Landscape Scale Project Designation by Prescription Debacle Federal Forests an Early Focus for Daines Will Kitzhaber's Forestry Legacy Continue? Sustainable Harvest Update and Arrearage Scoping Washington Legislature Spotted Owl Consultation Gets Silly Forest Planning Rule Directives Northwest Forest Plan Revision Begins Jordan Cove Pipeline
- [March 2015 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/march-30th-2015-newsletter/) - Walden Secures Reauthorization of County Payments Duane Vaagen Testifies Before Senate Committee AFRC's Tom Partin Testifies on Appropriations Northwest Forest Plan Revision Project Challenge to DNR Salvage Sale Insect and Disease CE Signed Goose EIS and Analysis Paralysis CEQ GHG Guidance Comments Divided Lands Region 6 Forest Supervisors New Faces on the Mendocino Last Chance
- [April 2015 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/april-30th-2015-newsletter/) - BLM Releases Draft Resource Management Plans 2015 Annual Meeting - All About Successes Jazz Decision Affirmed Carlton Complex Salvage Goes Forward Forest Planning Rule Case Decided Budget Cuts Looming? Hearings Look at Wildfire and LWCF SRS Extended Groundwater Directives Withdrawn Forest Planning Listening Sessions Continue Blue Mountains Forest Plan Revision Redux Eugene BLM Invests in
- [May 2015 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/may-28th-2015-newsletter/) - BLM Plan Falls Short Litigation Impacts to Federal Forest Management New Section 7 Consultation Regulations New DxP Direction Issued Carlton Complex Harvest Moves Forward National Forests Failing Wildlife ODF Budgets Aid to Federal Forests Busy 4th Quarter in SW Oregon NWFP Forum Marten Named to Head Region 1
- [June 2015 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/june-29th-2015-newsletter/) - H.R. 2647 on a Fast-track Barrasso Introduces Federal Forest Legislation More Concerns with BLM's RMPs RMP Timber/Wildlife Workshop BLM Volume Case Stumbles Action on FS/BLM 2016 Budget Small Movement on Fire Borrowing Issue Porcupine Injunction Denied DNR FY15 Timber Sale Program NWFP 20-Year Monitoring Reports YTD Wildfire Statistics Laura Jo West to Coconino
- [July 2015 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/july-31st-2015-newsletter/) - AFRC Names Next President Forestry Bill Moving Hearing on Barrasso and Wyden Bills Interior Appropriations Fremont-Winema Volume Pulled Intimidation Trumps Science Oregon Coast Coho 5-Year Review 2014 Oregon Timber Harvest Report States Invest in Forest Health Francis D. Engle
- [August 2015 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/august-18th-2015-newsletter/) - Congress Moves on Fire Borrowing Comment Period on BLM Draft RMP's Ends Wildfires Ravage Western Communities Western Oregon Wildfire Update New Year, Same Results Latest Fire Statistics Washington DNR Arrearage DNR Management Fee Increase OFRI Hires Director of Forest Products
- [September 2015 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/september-29th-2015-newsletter/) - Congressional Updates Forest Management Reforms Fire Borrowing and Related Impacts House Passes Tribal Bill Action on DC Cases Future of Klamath in Limbo FWS to Look at More Listings New Mt. Baker Snoqualmie Supervisor New Colville Supervisor New AFRC Staff Attorney Announced Ward Armstrong
- [November 2015 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/november-30th-2015-newsletter/) - Omnibus Appropriations, Fire Funding and Forest Management Another Fire and Forest Management Hearing Westside Fire Recovery Project Smokey Project Litigation Fires Keep Timber Programs in Limbo Report on Idaho Forest Health N. California FY15 Target Accomplishments Blue Mountains Forest Plan Revision Update Pinchot Partners Receive Grant Washington State Forest Sector Lead
- [December 2015 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/december-22nd-2015-newsletter/) - Forest Management and Fire Funding Package Dies in Senate Congress Passes Omnibus Bill Region Six Timber Purchasers Meeting Western Lumber Snapshot New Study on Owls Court Upholds French Fire Project DNR Withdraws Aquatics HCP Omak Wood Products Closing Oregon Federal Forest Health Program Projects Selected Stouts Fire Restoration Idaho Governor Promotes Adaptive Management Rabot and
- [October 2015 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/october-30th-2015-newsletter/) - Wilfire and Management Hearings FTPC Meetings in Montana Washington DNR Special Meeting Proposed New Murrelet Protection Secretary Vilsack Visit Pinchot Partners Field Tour New Homes Up, Lumber Price Down Montana East Reservoir Litigation Court of Appeals Stays WOTUS Rule Snow-Basins Intervenors Cannot Appeal French Fire Litigation Injunction Avoided Region 1 Litigation Impacts New Assistant Resource
- [January 2016 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/january-28th-2016-newsletter/) - AFRC Welcomes New Members 2016 Annual Meeting Western Governors' ESA Initiative AFRC Intervenes in Lost Creek/Boulder Creek Case Pacific Marten Case Supreme Court Declines on Critical Habitat Designations Pacific Fisher Listing Update Barred Owl Causing Spotted Owl Decline E. Washington Post Fire Restoration 2016 Washington Legislative Session Senator Knopp Introduces Wildfire Plan
- [February 2016 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/february-29th-2016-newsletter/) - Fiscal Year 2017 Budget Request Round up of Congressional Hearings Justice Scalia's Passing Movement on Applegate AMA Colville Forest Plan Released New Critical Habitat Regulations New Tool Connects Forestry Needs to Services AFRC to Build Habitat for Humanity Home AFRC 2016 Annual Meeting
- [March 2016 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/march-24th-2016-newsletter/) - AFRC Goes to Washington Washington State 2016 Election Region 6 Timber Sale Targets Finalized 2015 Medford BLM Monitoring Montana National Forest Health Report Colville Plan Comment Period Extended Westside Fire Recovery Project Merrick Garland Nominated to Supreme Court Use of State Conservation Agreements Upheld Giustina and Hull-Oakes Honored OSHA Penalties Increase
- [April 2016 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/april-29th-2016-newsletter/) - Washington D.C. Updates Geyer Testifies in D.C. FTPC Spring Meeting BLM Releases Final RMPs 20-Year Thinning Study Dr. Goldmark Withdraws from Race Candidates for Public Lands Commissioner WA Legislature Funds Prescribed Fire Collaboratives WA Dept. of Commerce Funds Darrington Collaborative Fisher Will Not be Listed FWS Reopens Caribou Comments AFRC/Habitat Project Launches 2016 Annual Meeting
- [May 2016 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/may-26th-2016-newsletter/) - Legislative Updates from Washington, D.C. AFRC Files Protest of BLM’s “Lose-Lose-Lose” Plan for Western Oregon AFRC Calls on Oregon Delegation to Lead on O&C AFRC Weighs in on Oregon’s Good Neighbor Agreement Board of Natural Resources Update Another Candidate for Public Lands Commissioner DeLuca to Leave UW Courts Allow Westside Fire Recovery to Move Forward
- [June 2016 Newsletter](https://amforest.org/june-2016-newsletter/) - •Member Profile: Roseburg Forest Products •AFRC Breaks Ground on Habitat Home •Legislative Updates from Washington DC •Court Win: Lost Creek-Boulder Creek Landscape Restoration Begins •AFRC Asks Supreme Court to Take Up Forest Plan Consultation Case •Idaho Panhandle Salvage Moves Forward •Murrelet Update •Public Lands Commissioner Candidate Forums •New Acting State Director for Oregon BLM •Ben Kessler Joins AFRC
- [AFRC letter to the Oregon Delegation on BLM’s Western Oregon plan](https://amforest.org/afrc-letter-to-the-oregon-delegation-on-blms-western-oregon-plan/) - AFRC calls on the Oregon Congressional Delegation to work together to find a balanced, bipartisan compromise to the O&C Lands crisis.
- [Post-Fire Logging a Boon to Future Fire Prevention](https://amforest.org/post-fire-logging-a-boon-to-future-fire-prevention/) - A new study from the journal of Forest and Ecology Management suggests an evidenced correlation between timber harvesting in recently burned forest stands and a reduction of woody fuel during subsequent decades. This decrease in fuel loading can lessen the impact and frequency of catastrophic wildfires for up to 40 years in some cases.
- [Local Forest Products Industry Builds Habitat Home in Springfield](https://amforest.org/local-forest-products-industry-builds-habitat-home-in-springfield/) - On Saturday, June 25th, 2016, AFRC and Habitat for Humanity will celebrate the groundbreaking of a brand new home construction project.
- [BLM Plan Underscores Urgent Need for Oregon Delegation to Find a Balanced, Bipartisan Solution to O&C Lands Crisis](https://amforest.org/blm-plan-underscores-urgent-need-for-oregon-delegation-to-find-a-balanced-bipartisan-solution-to-oc-lands-crisis/) - Today, AFRC sent a letter to Senators Wyden and Merkley and the Oregon House Delegation raising serious concerns about the BLM’s Proposed Resource Management Plan for Western Oregon and calling on the delegation to revive efforts to find a balanced, bipartisan solution to the O&C Lands crisis.
- [Background on the O&C Lands](https://amforest.org/background-on-the-oc-lands/) - The O&C Lands are statutorily unique. Read about why responsible management of these lands is so important.
- [FAQs on the BLM’s Plan for Western Oregon](https://amforest.org/faqs-on-the-blms-plan-for-western-oregon/) - Confused by what you are hearing about BLM’s plan? Us too. So, we created a FAQ page to talk about the facts.
- [Side-by-Side of the BLM’s Plan for Western Oregon](https://amforest.org/side-by-side-of-the-blms-plan-for-western-oregon/) - Breaking down the BLM’s plan in numbers. Spoiler alert: it’s not pretty.
- [BLM Resource Management Planning](https://amforest.org/blm-resource-management-planning/) - Read AFRC’s comments on the BLM proposed planning rule.
- [AFRC Letter to State/Feds on Good Neighbor Authority](https://amforest.org/afrc-letter-to-statefeds-on-good-neighbor-authority/) - Read AFRC’s suggestions for how the GNA can be used to improve forest management in Oregon.
- [BLM Proposed Resource Management Plan Protest](https://amforest.org/blm-proposed-resource-management-plan-protest/) - Read AFRC’s protest against BLM’s flawed management plans for the statutorily unique O&C Lands.
- [Mill Closure Information](https://amforest.org/mill-closure-information/) - The impacts of the Northwest Forest Plan, Eastside Screens, Sierra Nevada Framework and other landscape management plans that have been implemented during the past 20 years on federal timber lands have severely impacted the number of sawmills that remain in the west and those employed by the forest products industry.
- [Existing Opportunities to Increase Efficiencies in the Timber Sale Process](https://amforest.org/existing-opportunities-to-increase/) - The following is a compilation of existing tools to increase efficiencies in the timber sale process.
- [2004 Sierra Framework ROD](https://amforest.org/2004-sierra-framework-rod/) - This decision adopts an integrated strategy for vegetation management that is aggressive enough to reduce the risk of wildfire to communities in the urban-wildland interface while modifying fire behavior over the broader landscape. With the careful placement of thinning projects, we can make significant progress in reducing the threat of catastrophic fires to wildlife and
- [Uncontrolled Litigation and Fires](https://amforest.org/uncontrolled-litigation-and-fires/) - Uncontrolled Litigation, Uncontrolled Fires: A Case Study: 2012 is shaping up to be yet another big year for wildfires. As of August 30, over 44,000 fires have scorched more than 7.2 million acres. While only 1.8 million acres of these fires have burned on Forest Service lands, several fires demonstrate that badly needed forest health
- [Forest Planning Rule](https://amforest.org/forest-planning-rule/) - Forest Service Planning Rule On January 26, 2012, the Forest Service released the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) containing as the Preferred Alternative a new Forest Planning Rule. AFRC submitted detailed comments on the Draft Rule, issued February 14, 2011, expressing its members’ concerns about the policy direction the rule takes, the cost in taxpayer
- [Judging the Effectiveness of the Northwest Forest Plan: Year Eighteen](https://amforest.org/judging-the-effectiveness-of-the-northwest-forest-plan-year-eighteen/) - Ann Forest Burns, Scott Horngren, Ross Mickey, and Tom Partin1, American Forest Resource Council We have been asked to share the timber industry's perspective on how effective the Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP) has been since its implementation and whether changes are need to ensure that its original conservation, social and economic objectives are met in
- [Forest Roads](https://amforest.org/forest-roads/) - Since 1976, forest roads have been regulated as nonpoint sources of pollution under the federal Clean Water Act. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit recently overturned 35 years of precedent by ruling that forest roads and associated stormwater ditches are point sources subject to National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits, the
- [Growing the Rural Economy](https://amforest.org/growing-the-rural-economy/) - Now or Never: Growing the Rural Economy and Protecting Forests While Reducing Costs: Investing in Federal Forest Management is a win-win Extreme forest health problems plague the National Forest System The Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manage over 190 million acres of forest lands. By some estimates, more than 73 million acres
- [The Northwest Forest Plan](https://amforest.org/the-northwest-forest-plan/) - The goal of the 1994 Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP) was to move past the controversy surrounding timber harvesting in Washington and Oregon following the 1990 listing of the northern spotted owl (NSO) as an endangered species. Its purpose was to provide a vision for forest management in the region. Although the plan was far from
- [Forests and Climate Change Policy](https://amforest.org/forests-and-climate-change-policy/) - Forests cover one third of the land area of the United States and, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, in 2008, offset 13.5 percent of the United States’ greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through the uptake of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2), the release of oxygen and the storage of carbon. This is equivalent to the GHGs
- [Catastrophic Wildfires](https://amforest.org/catastrophic-wildfires/) - Catastrophic wildfires burn vast amounts of our forested resources every year. Between 2001 and 2010, an average of 78,072 forest fires were reported each year; average yearly acres burned were 7,282,33. Moreover, catastrophic wildfires emit vast amounts of greenhouse gases (GHGs). Wildfires account for one-fifth of global carbon dioxide emissions released into the atmosphere. Catastrophic
- [Forest Management and Carbon Storage](https://amforest.org/carbon-storage/) - In the Inland Northwest, where the forest land base is dominated by federal ownership and the forests are managed for a multitude of benefits, life cycle analysis suggests that the optimal solution for maximizing carbon gain under both current and future climate conditions is to manage forests to maximize long-lived wood products and to minimize the risk of severe wildfires
- [Injunction Denied on DNR Timber Sales](https://amforest.org/injunction-denied-on-dnr-timber-sales/) - On June 13, 2014 in an oral decision, Judge Harper denied an injunction against DNR timber sales.
- [DNR Timber Salvage Stay Denied](https://amforest.org/dnr-timber-salvage-stay-denied/) - On April 16, 2015 the Washington Pollution Control Hearings Board denied the Washington Forest Law Center’s request for a stay of the Carlton Complex fire salvage.
- [Circuit Court Decision on Standing](https://amforest.org/circuit-court-decision-on-standing/) - D.C. Circuit Court Opinion on Standing
- [French Fire Project Decision](https://amforest.org/french-fire-project-decision/) - Decision on French Fire Project on the Sierra National Forest
- [Forest Roads Comments](https://amforest.org/forest-roads-comments/) - On February 12, 2016 AFRC submitted comments on the EPA’s existing programs that protect water quality from forest road discharges.
- [Letter to House Appropriations Committee](https://amforest.org/letter-to-house-appropriations-committee/) - On November 19, 43 members of the House sent a letter to the House Appropriations Committee urging them to not address fire borrowing without including forest management reforms.
- [AFRC / Habitat for Humanity Project](https://amforest.org/afrc-habitat-for-humanity-project/) - AFRC has officially launched its partnership with the Eugene/Springfield Habitat for Humanity. To learn how you can donate or volunteer, please read and review our letter and sponsorship.
- [Oregon Wildlands Act/Wild Olympics Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers Act](https://amforest.org/oregon-wildlands-actwild-olympics-wilderness-and-wild-and-scenic-rivers-act/) - On April 15, 2016 AFRC submitted comments to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on the "Oregon Wildlands Act" and the “Wild Olympics Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers Act”
- [Unhealthy Oregon Forests and Continued Rural Poverty Ensured Under BLM’s Latest Plan](https://amforest.org/unhealthy-oregon-forests-and-continued-rural-poverty-ensured-under-blms-latest-plan/) - Today, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released its final proposed Resource Management Plans (RMPs) for 2.5 million acres of forestland in Western Oregon, including over 2 million acres of unique "O&C" lands.
- [Joseph Named Next AFRC President](https://amforest.org/joseph-next-afrc-president/) - The American Forest Resource Council has named Travis Joseph as its next President.
- [Industry Outlines Continued Opposition to Wyden Bill](https://amforest.org/industry-outlines-continued-opposition-to-wyden-bill/) - The Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee today held a hearing on the Oregon and California Land Grant Act of 2015 (S. 132), legislation sponsored by U.S. Senator Ron Wyden to change the management of O&C timberlands administered by the Bureau of Land Management. The committee also held a hearing on the National Forest Ecosystem
- [BLM O&C Timber Sale Case Dismissed on Technicality](https://amforest.org/blm-oc-timber-sale-case-dismissed-on-technicality/) - AFRC expressed frustration at the decision of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals to vacate its 2013 victory over the BLM on a technical issue related to standing.
- [Forest Products Industry Responds to BLM Draft Resource Management Plans](https://amforest.org/forest-products-industry-responds-to-blm-draft-resource-management-plans/) - Tom Partin, President of the American Forest Resource Council issued the following statement on the release of the BLM's draft Resource Management Plans for six districts in Western Oregon encompassing over 2.5 million acres of BLM-managed forestland, including the Oregon & California (O&C) Grant Lands.
- [Flawed O&C Solution Pushed through Senate Committee Markup](https://amforest.org/flawed-oc-solution-pushed-through-senate-committee-markup/) - Senator Wyden’s flawed O&C legislation (S. 1784) is unanimously opposed by Oregon’s forest products industry, opposed by the O&C Counties, and lacks support from Reps. DeFazio, Schrader, and Walden and Governor Kitzhaber
- [Litigation Against Douglas Complex Salvage Disregards Rural Communities, Forest Rehabilitation](https://amforest.org/litigation-against-douglas-complex-salvage-disregards-rural-communities-forest-rehabilitation/) - On September 30, 2014 Tom Partin, President of the American Forest Resource Council, issued a statement regarding the efforts of environmental groups to litigate and halt salvage and reforestation efforts on the site of the 2013 Douglas Complex fires in Southwest Oregon.
- [Timber Industry Won’t Be "Isolated" by Sen. Wyden’s Rhetoric](https://amforest.org/timber-industry-wont-be-isolated-by-sen-wydens-rhetoric/) - On August 26, 2014 groups representing Western Oregon’s timber industry sent a letter to U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, responding to recent comments he has made in relation to legislation he has introduced to dramatically alter management of federal O&C timberlands.
- [Statement on Wild Olympics Proposal](https://amforest.org/statement-on-wild-olympics-proposal/) - The forest products industry comments on the reintroduction of “Wild Olympics” Proposal by Washington Senator Patty Murray and Congressman Derek Kilmer.
- [Industry Responds to Likely Senate Committee Passage of Wyden Eastside Legislation](https://amforest.org/industry-responds-to-likely-senate-committee-passage-of-wyden-eastside-legislation/) - Tom Partin, President of the American Forest Resource Council, issued the following statement regarding the likely passage of the “Oregon Eastside Forest Restoration, Old Growth Protection, and Jobs Act of 2013” (S. 1301) by Senator Ron Wyden’s Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Thursday, December 19.
- [Wyden Bill - Next Step in O&C Land Discussions](https://amforest.org/wyden-bill-next-step-in-oc-land-discussions/) - On November 26, Oregon Senator Ron Wyden released his long-awaited legislative proposal for reforming the management of Western Oregon’s O&C forest lands. It follows the recent passage of the bipartisan O&C Trust, Conservation and Jobs Act resulting from a compromise forged by Congressmen Peter DeFazio, Greg Walden, and Kurt Schrader.
- [Judge Lifts Timber Contract Suspension Order](https://amforest.org/judge-lifts-timber-contract-suspension-order/) - On October 17, 2013 Oregon Federal District Court Judge Panner today a nationwide Order immediately lifting suspensions of all federal timber contacts.
- [Industry Seeks Injunction on Contract Suspensions](https://amforest.org/industry-seeks-injunction-on-contract-suspensions/) - On October 14, purchasers of federal timber sales and stewardship contracts filed suit against the Forest Service and BLM asking the Oregon Federal District Court to enjoin the agencies from suspending timber contracts during the government shutdown.
- [Federal Forest Legislation Passes House](https://amforest.org/federal-forest-legislation-passes-house/) - Tom Partin, AFRC President, issued the following statement regarding House passage of H.R. 1526, the Restoring Healthy Forests for Healthy Communities Act: We commend the House of Representatives, including Natural Resources Chairman Doc Hastings (R-WA), for its leadership in passing the Restoring Healthy Forests for Healthy Communities Act (H.R. 1526). H.R. 1526 represents a long-term,
- [House Natural Resources Committee Hearing](https://amforest.org/house-natural-resources-committee-hearing/) - AFRC praised the House Committee on Natural Resources for advancing significant legislation to improve management of federal forest lands for the benefit of rural, forested communities.
- [Court’s Ruling in O&C Case a Victory](https://amforest.org/courts-ruling-in-oc-case-a-victory/) - On June 26, a federal district court in Washington, D.C. handed down a key victory for Southwest Oregon communities that are entitled to sustained yield timber harvests from Oregon and California Railroad Grant Lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
- [New Oregon Wilderness Designations Disappoint Forest Industry](https://amforest.org/new-oregon-wilderness-designations-disappoint-forest-industry/) - A group of forest products industry associations today expressed their disappointment that new Wilderness legislation from Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley has cleared a key Senate Committee without a meaningful legislative resolution to the paralysis affecting federal forest management and rural communities in Western Oregon.
- [Senator Wyden’s Framework for O&C Legislation](https://amforest.org/senator-wydens-framework-for-oc-legislation/) - The Framework released by Senator Wyden acknowledges the need to pass legislation that “will create jobs in the woods. . .and establish a permanent and stable source of revenue for O&C counties.” We appreciate his interest in finding a lasting solution for the O&C lands that will resolve the forest and community health crisis that
- [Forest Industry Urges Comprehensive Solution for Federal Forests](https://amforest.org/forest-industry-urges-comprehensive-solution-for-federal-forests/) - A group of forest products industry associations sent a letter to Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley urging enactment of a meaningful legislative resolution to the paralysis affecting federal forest management in Western Oregon.
- [Lawsuit Filed on Owl Critical Habitat](https://amforest.org/lawsuit-filed-on-owl-critical-habitat/) - On March 21, the American Forest Resource Council joined the Carpenters Industrial Council, Siskiyou County, California, and a group of forest products manufacturers and private forest landowners in a lawsuit to overturn the latest Northern Spotted Owl critical habitat designation. The case was filed in federal District Court in Washington, D.C., against the Secretary of
- [Industry Comments on Senate County Payments Hearing](https://amforest.org/industry-comments-on-senate-county-payments-hearing/) - On March 19, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a hearing entitled “Keeping the Commitment to Rural Communities” to review the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act (SRS) and Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) county payment programs.
- [Timber Industry Withdraws Protest](https://amforest.org/timber-industry-withdraws-protest/) - Today, AFRC withdrew its protest of the Friese Camp Project on the Medford BLM District.
- [Forest Planning Rule Lawsuit](https://amforest.org/forest-planning-rule-lawsuit/) - Today, AFRC and a broad group of national and regional interests filed suit in Washington, D.C. to overturn the new Forest Service Planning Rule adopted last April.
- [Supreme Ct. Forest Roads](https://amforest.org/supreme-ct-forest-roads/) - The timber industry is pleased that the U.S. Supreme Court today announced it will review a 2010 Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision requiring National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits for forest roads.
- [Congressional hearing releaes](https://amforest.org/congressional-hearing-releaes/) - The timber industry joined those testifying at today’s Congressional field hearing in Longview, Washington, in calling on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to reconsider its flawed draft rule to nearly triple the amount of land arbitrarily set aside for the threatened northern spotted owl.
- [Statement on Rogue Wilderness Expansion](https://amforest.org/statement-on-rogue-wilderness-expansion/) - Today, AFRC sent a letter to Sen. Wyden and Merkley expressing the opposition of the timber industry to S. 2001 which would expand the Rogue Wilderness.
- [Draft Spotted Owl Critical Habitat Rule](https://amforest.org/draft-spotted-owl-critical-habitat-rule/) - The timber industry is unimpressed with the Obama Administration’s latest efforts to cloak its failed forest policies in the rhetoric of forest restoration, jobs and old growth protection. In a press conference, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and other Administration officials sought to downplay the impact of a new Northern Spotted Owl critical habitat proposal on
- [Secretary Salazar’s Failed Timber Policies Bad for Rural Oregon](https://amforest.org/secretary-salazars-failed-timber-policies-bad-for-rural-oregon/) - Ken Salazar, President Obama’s Secretary of the Interior, was in Medford, Oregon today to tour the “Pilot Joe” demonstration project and hold a Town Hall meeting where he sought to downplay the impact of a new Northern Spotted Owl critical habitat designation and announced yet another lengthy administrative forest planning process for 2.5 million acres
- [O&C Land Legislation](https://amforest.org/oc-land-legislation/) - Today, Oregon U.S. Representatives Peter DeFazio, Greg Walden and Kurt Schrader released a discussion draft of bipartisan legislation aimed at resolving the forest management and county revenue crisis facing much of western Oregon. The legislative proposal comes after months of effort by the offices to consider the needs of the forests, communities and local governments
- [Forest Planning Rule Statement](https://amforest.org/forest-planning-rule-statement/) - The National Forest Planning process has a significant impact on the members of AFRC and their employees who live and work in the remote communities of the West where timber jobs and forest health are important to everyday life.
- [Timber industry challenges marbled murrelet habitat designation](https://amforest.org/timber-industry-challenges-marbled-murrelet-habitat-designation/) - Today, the American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) brought suit against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) claiming the agency violated the Endangered Species Act (ESA) when it designated millions of acres of forest land in Washington, Oregon and California as critical habitat for the marbled murrelet.
- [Roadless Rule Ruling](https://amforest.org/roadless-rule-ruling/) - Today, the Denver-based 10th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned Wyoming Federal District Court Judge Clarence Bremmer’s 2007 ruling that the 2001 Clinton Roadless Rule was illegal.
- [Groups ask Supreme Court to Review Forest Road Case](https://amforest.org/groups-ask-supreme-court-to-review-forest-road-case/) - The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC), together with a 6 other associations representing federal forest and rangeland resource businesses and families, has filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court supporting the requests of Oregon’s State Forester Doug Decker and the forest products industry for review of a decision about forest roads.
- [White House Rural Economic Forum](https://amforest.org/white-house-rural-economic-forum/) - Tom Partin, President of the American Forest Resource Council, participated in President Obama’s August 16 Rural Economic Forum at Northeast Iowa Community College.
- [Recovery Plan Unlikely to Save Spotted Owl](https://amforest.org/recovery-plan-unlikely-to-save-spotted-owl/) - The American Forest Resource Council has serious concerns about the Northern Spotted Owl Final Revised Recovery Plan released today by the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). The Plan fails to meaningfully address the threat posed by the barred owl and will lead to further reductions in sustainable timber harvests from both federal and private
- [Industry Seeks Sustainable Harvest on O&C Lands](https://amforest.org/industry-seeks-sustainable-harvest-on-oc-lands/) - Frustration over the failure of the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to follow the law has lead the forest products industry to once again seek a Court Order directing the agency to sell timber in western Oregon.
- [Congress Criticizes Forest Planning Rule](https://amforest.org/congress-criticizes-forest-planning-rule/) - Portland, OR—Forest industry leaders commented today on the significance of a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack from 59 members of Congress whose districts include over 3⁄4 of the 193 million acres of national forest and grass lands. The members of Congress are expressing concern over a Proposed Forest Planning Rule first issued in February
- [New spotted owl plan would hurt rural economy and ignore real solutions, forestry groups say](https://amforest.org/new-spotted-owl-plan-would-hurt-rural-economy-and-ignore-real-solutions-forestry-groups-say/) - The new spotted owl recovery plan written by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is being rushed to completion without taking into account the best science for how the owl can be saved, a coalition of forestry groups said today. Instead, the recovery plan would hurt forest owners and the rural economy by tying up
- [Labor and Lumber Associations Sue US Fish and Wildlife Service Over Illegal Advisory Group Meetings](https://amforest.org/labor-and-lumber-associations-sue-us-fish-and-wildlife-service-over-illegal-advisory-group-meetings/) - A western lumber producers’ group has joined the Carpenters Industrial Council in suing the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service alleging that the agency conducted secret meetings over the last 2 years as it has worked to rewrite the 2008 northern spotted owl recovery plan and critical habitat designation.
- [Treat the Forests - Save our Communities](https://amforest.org/treat-the-forests-save-our-communities/) - There is a new momentum building across the West that is taking many forms, but has a common theme: ---“Treat the Forests and Save our Communities.” The impetus is coming from rural Americans who have been played like pawns in a chess game over how the federal forests surrounding their communities are being managed. The
- [Time Extension by FWS Insufficient](https://amforest.org/time-extension-by-fws-insufficient/) - The timber industry is expressing frustration over today’s announcement by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) that the comment period on its Northern Spotted Owl Draft Revised Recovery Plan will not be extended beyond December 15. The original comment deadline was next Monday, November 15.
- [Draft Spotted Owl Recovery Plan:  Another Obama Administration Plan Devoid of Reality](https://amforest.org/draft-spotted-owl-recovery-plan/) - Today, the Obama Administration released a revised Northern Spotted Owl Recovery Plan.
- [Obama Administration Forest Report an Insult to Oregon](https://amforest.org/obama-administration-forest-report-an-insult-to-oregon/) - Today, the Obama Administration is expected to release the findings of the Western Oregon Task Force. The Task Force, a special interdisciplinary team, was announced by Interior Secretary Salazar on October 14, 2009 following the Administration’s decision to scrap the Western Oregon Plan Revisions (WOPR).
- [One year after WOPR withdrawal, Southwest Oregon clearly a sacrifice zone for Obama Administration](https://amforest.org/one-year-after-wopr-withdrawal/) - Portland, Or – July 16 marks the one year anniversary of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and the Obama Administration’s withdrawal of the Bureau of Land Management’s Western Oregon Plan Revisions (WOPR). The six plans, adopted December 30, 2008, provided a template for managing Oregon’s 2.1 million acre O&C lands. If managed for responsible, sustained timber
- [Beyond the spotted owl: It's time for a new approach in our federal forests](https://amforest.org/beyond-the-spotted-owl/) - The Oregonian's recent article commemorating the 20th anniversary of the listing of the northern spotted owl on the endangered species list exposed the personal, largely hidden agendas of those who have advocated for the owl over the years.
- [Carbon Storage](https://amforest.org/carbon-storage-2/) - In the Inland Northwest, where the forest land base is dominated by federal ownership and the forests are managed for a multitude of benefits, life cycle analysis suggests that the optimal solution for maximizing carbon gain under both current and future climate conditions is to manage forests to maximize long-lived wood products and to minimize the risk of severe wildfires.
- [Old Growth](https://amforest.org/old-growth/) - The amount of old growth on federal lands increases every year. Wildfire is by far the major threat contributing 87% (102,500 acres) of what was lost in the first ten years of the Northwest Forest Plan.

## Pages

- [Home](https://amforest.org/)
- [Annual Meeting](https://amforest.org/annual-meeting/) - Annual Meeting AFRC Annual MeetingApril 7-9, 2026Skamania LodgeStevenson, WashingtonClick here for 2026 registration, lodging and agenda informationThe AFRC Annual Meeting brings together leaders in industry and government for focused discussions and interactive panels on public lands management. Join us for unique opportunities to network with colleagues in the industry, learn about key issues and policy innovations affecting
- [About AFRC](https://amforest.org/about/) - About AFRC A Message from the President At AFRC, we are passionate about what we do – which is advocate for responsible management of our public forestlands. We strongly believe that active management of our public forests is the right thing to do – for the environment, for the economy, and for the future. Our
- [Programs / Legal](https://amforest.org/legal/) - AFRC Legal Program AFRC’s Legal Program advocates for our members inside and outside the courtroom. Our program often intervenes in defense of forest management projects. The program also engages in federal regulatory rulemaking and other legal matters affecting our members’ ability to operate throughout the West. Legal Program Staff Sara Ghafouri, General Counsel Selected Key
- [Solutions](https://amforest.org/solutions/) - Solutions Climate Change Climate change is contributing to extreme conditions that are impacting our forests and communities. As temperatures rise, wildfire seasons are growing longer, snowpack is melting sooner, and we are experiencing extended periods of drought throughout the West.Active forest management helps make our forests more resilient to these threats and provides natural wood
- [Contact](https://amforest.org/contact/) - Our offices and consultants span across Oregon, Washington, California and Idaho. All press and media inquiries can be directed to Nick Smith at nsmith@amforest.org.
- [Programs / Monitoring Program](https://amforest.org/monitoring-program/) - AFRC Monitoring Program AFRC’s monitoring team is focused on assisting federal land managers with development of economically viable timber sales that provide local purchasers with the raw material they need to manufacture wood products and support the rural communities they operate in. In addition to helping shape timber projects from the ground up, the monitoring
- [Press Releases](https://amforest.org/press-releases/) - Press Releases AFRC Supports O&C Renewal Act to Restore Management of Western Oregon BLM TimberlandsFebruary 24, 2026 The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) today announced strong support for legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Cliff Bentz (R-Oregon) to reaffirm the original intent of the federal O&C Act and restore responsible, sustainable management of more than two
- [Newsletter](https://amforest.org/newsletter/) - Newsletter March 2026 NewsletterMarch 6, 2026 Washington, DC Update Farm Bill Fix our Forests Act, Permitting Reform Montana’s Daines and Zinke Announce Retirements National Industry Leaders Launch the Federal Timber Purchasers Coalition (FTPC) The AFRC Podcast Episode 54: OSU’s John Bailey talks climate, carbon and sustainable forestry Forest Service Proposes Rule to Amend the Objection
- [Programs / Washington State Program](https://amforest.org/programs-washington-state-program/) - AFRC Washington State Program AFRC’s Washington State Program advocates for sustainable timber production and active forest management on the state’s public timberlands. These include working forests managed by the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) as state trust lands, the nine national forests managed by the U.S. Forest Service, and to a lesser extent lands
- [Programs / Government Affairs](https://amforest.org/government-affairs/) - AFRC Government and Public Affairs Program AFRC’s robust Government and Public Affairs Program provides members with high level and bipartisan political access and solutions to public policy challenges, offering a strong record of positive policy, communications, and legislative accomplishments. We advocate for our members’ interests in Washington DC, state capitols, and at the local level,
- [Press Releases](https://amforest.org/press-releases-2/)
- [AFRC Staff](https://amforest.org/staff/) - Soon to be filled with staff biographies
- [COVID-19 Resources](https://amforest.org/covid-19-resources/) - AFRC is taking action on multiple fronts to ensure the forest products industry and its employees can continue to operate and help meet the nation’s needs as local, state and federal governments respond to the global COVID-19 epidemic. This page serves as a resource for updates and information for our members, partners and friends: During
- [AFRC: Benefits of Membership](https://amforest.org/afrc-benefits-of-membership/) - Power in Numbers AFRC leverages the collective power and influence of the forest products industry to develop, design, and defend federal and state policy impacting public timber in the West. The “One Voice” strategy of AFRC replaces the “each company for its own” approach that proved ineffective and devastating to federal and state public timber
- [Resources](https://amforest.org/resources/)

## My Templates

- [Page Headers](https://amforest.org/?elementor_library=page-headers) - About AFRC
- [Default Kit](https://amforest.org/?elementor_library=default-kit)

## Staff

- [Greg Hibbard](https://amforest.org/staff/greg-hibbard/) - Greg Hibbard serves as Staff Attorney, where he contributes to AFRC’s legal program in both state and federal courts and provides support to the organization’s policy and advocacy work. Greg previously clerked with AFRC from 2018–2019 before embarking on a legal career focused on natural resources and timber law. He worked as a judicial clerk
- [Sara Ghafouri](https://amforest.org/staff/sara-ghafouri/) - Sara Ghafouri is the General Counsel for the American Forest Resource Council. She oversees AFRC’s legal program and litigates on behalf of AFRC and its members, helping advance the goal of consistent and sustainable timber harvest from public forests throughout the West. Sara began her legal career as an appellate clerk for the Honorable Lynn
- [Steve Brink](https://amforest.org/staff/steve-brink/) - Steve Brink is an experienced and well-known leader in our industry and has extensive experience in forestry, public lands management and wood products. Steve was born and raised in Placerville, California and received his Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering, at U.C. Davis in 1971. He went on to study Forest and Logging Engineering at Oregon
- [Nick Smith](https://amforest.org/staff/nick-smith/) - As a member of multi-generation farming family, Nick has a passion for natural resources and rural communities. Nick has a background in public policy and communications, having worked in the Oregon Legislature in various capacities and having served several members of leadership in the House of Representatives. He founded Healthy Forests, Healthy Communities in 2013,
- [Jake Blaufuss](https://amforest.org/staff/jake-blaufuss/) - Jake Blaufuss brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to AFRC through his work for the Collins Pine Company and Sierra Pacific Industries. Jake received a B.S in forestry resources management from The University of Montana in 2005. He is also a California Registered Professional Forester. During his time with Collins Pine Company, Jake was
- [Tom Partin](https://amforest.org/staff/tom-partin/) - Tom is a native Oregonian and grew up in a logging family in Prineville, Oregon. His love of the outdoors led him to studying forestry at Oregon State University and then to a career with the Forest Service in 1968. Tom has a diverse work background having been a forester for the Forest Service, timberlands
- [Corey Bingaman](https://amforest.org/staff/corey-bingaman/) - Corey grew up in Portland, and his family has been in Western Oregon for over one hundred years. He graduated from Oregon State University with a B.S. in Forest Operations Management in 2010. Upon graduating, Corey worked as a consulting forester for several companies throughout Oregon, California, and Montana. As a consultant Corey worked with
- [Cindi Kaneshige](https://amforest.org/staff/cindi-kaneshige/) - Cindi grew up in Portland and is a third generation Oregonian. She began working for AFRC’s predecessor, the Northwest Forestry Association, in 1987 as the corporate secretary and is now the Association’s Office Manager. Cindi manages day-to-day office procedures, provides administrative and legal support, develops the budget and financial reports, and plans and coordinates AFRC’s
- [Andy Geissler](https://amforest.org/staff/andy-geissler/) - Andy moved to Oregon to join AFRC as its field forester from Washington state, where he worked for six years in the woods of Lewis County.
- [Irene Jerome](https://amforest.org/staff/irene-jerome/) - Irene grew up on the family homestead west of Maupin, Oregon. Her ancestors traveled the Oregon Trail in the 1840s originally settling in the Willamette Valley. In 1879 her great-great grandfather moved east of the Cascade Mountains where he established a donation land claim and raised livestock and grain. The ranch remains in the family
- [Heath Heikkila](https://amforest.org/staff/heath-heikkila/) - Heath works at the intersection of government, policy, and communications advocating for solutions to some of the Pacific Northwest’s most challenging natural resource issues. Heath is passionate about the things that make the Northwest a great place to live, work, and play – and working with AFRC to promote ideas and policies to make it
- [Travis Joseph](https://amforest.org/staff/travis-joseph/) - Travis was born and raised in Springfield, Oregon but spent eight years in Washington D.C. working for the U.S. House of Representatives. He was a senior legislative aide to an Oregon congressman, a senior policy advisor on the House Natural Resources Committee, and the Director of Northwest Policy for the House Committee on Transportation and
- [Matt Comisky](https://amforest.org/staff/matt-comisky/) - Matt was born and raised in Seattle but enjoyed the woods from an early age through camping, hiking, and eventually exploring the backroads of western Washington in his Toyota Land Cruiser. The love of the outdoors led him to a B.S. in Forest Engineering from the University of Washington. He spent the first 15 years

## Categories

- [Uncategorized](https://amforest.org/uncategorized/)
- [Press Releases](https://amforest.org/news/press-releases/)
- [Newsletters](https://amforest.org/news/newsletters/)
- [Resources](https://amforest.org/resources/) - Anything related to resources
- [Hot Topics](https://amforest.org/resources/hot_topics/) - AFRC prides itself on being proactive and engaged. Learn about what AFRC is currently doing to achieve its mission.
- [Facts & Research](https://amforest.org/resources/facts_research/) - Forest policy should be based on facts and science, not ideology and fear-mongering. Learn the truth about our forests and our incredible industry.
- [Solutions](https://amforest.org/resources/solutions/) - AFRC is always looking for creative solutions to complex problems. Learn how we are contributing to the conversation.
- [Legal Program](https://amforest.org/resources/legal_program/) - AFRC plays offense and defense in the courtroom. Learn how legal decisions and precedents are shaping public forest policy.
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