AFRC President Testifies before Congress, Highlights the Importance of the Forest Products Industry to Managing National Forests Washington, DC Update Farm Bill Fix Our Forests Act Appropriations The AFRC Podcast Episode 58: Dr. Norm Johnson and the Northwest Forest Plan, Lessons Learned and the Future Forest Service 3rd Quarter Accomplishments Forest Service Releases Nationwide Post-Fire […]
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New Lawsuit Threatens Forest Management as Oregon Faces Another Summer of Wildfire and Smoke
A new lawsuit seeking to invalidate the Bureau of Land Management’s Northwestern and Coastal Oregon Resource Management Plan for western Oregon’s O&C lands threatens to delay active forest management across 1.3 million acres just as Oregon enters another dangerous wildfire season, the American Forest Resource Council said today. The lawsuit asks a federal court to […]
June 2026 Newsletter
Washington, DC Update Forest Service Oversight hearings, Reorganization Interior Appropriations Pearce Confirmed as BLM Director AFRC Joins Markets Matter Convening in Madison, Wisconsin The AFRC Podcast Episode 57: Is Federal Timber Turning a Corner? Northwest Forest Plan 30-year Socioeconomic Report Published District Court Vacates the Bureau of Land Management’s Blue and Gold Harvest Plan Bitterroot […]
Starwagon Timber Sale Shows How Washington DNR Is Reducing Revenue for Public Schools and Community Services
Agency’s Fiscal Crisis Deepens As Campgrounds Close, Public and Private Sector Jobs Put at Risk For Immediate Release: June 4, 2026 Contact: Nick Smith The Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is on track to sell the lowest volume of timber in 26 years, reducing revenue to schools, counties, universities, and other trust beneficiaries while […]
May 2026 Newsletter
Washington, DC Update Key Interior Appropriations Updates Farm Bill Passes; Woody Biomass in RFS Amendment Fails The AFRC Podcast Episode 56: Chief Schultz Takes Us Inside the Forest Service Reorganization AFRC Goes to Washington, DC on Earth Day AFRC Completes Record-Breaking 2026 Annual Meeting, “Transformational and Durable” Forest Service 1st Half Accomplishments Western Oregon BLM […]
April 2026 Newsletter
Washington, DC Update God Squad Forest Service Announces Agency Reorganization Forest Service Updates Timeline for Northwest Forest Plan Amendment and USDA Finalizes NEPA Regulations The AFRC Podcast Episode 55: Travis Joseph; A Reset for Western Oregon’s BLM O&C Timberlands BLM Proposes New Categorical Exclusions Tri-Forest Proposal Aims to Strengthen Timber Supply in Eastern Montana Oregon […]
New Tool Shows How Upthegrove’s 80,000-Acre Trust Land Layoff Disproportionately Impacts Rural Washington Communities
The American Forest Resource Council today announced the availability of a new public on-line tool, the “77,000 Acre Commissioner Order – Community Impact Calculator,” providing Washington communities and trust beneficiaries with a detailed look at the impacts of Commissioner Dave Upthegrove’s order to layoff nearly 80,000 acres of state trust lands from working status. The […]
Joint Statement on the Passing of Jim Dudley
The members of the Douglas Timber Operators (DTO), the American Forest Resource Council (AFRC), and the Oregon Forest Industries Council (OFIC) mourn the tragic passing of our dear friend and colleague, Jim Dudley. We extend our deepest sympathies and heartfelt condolences to his devoted wife, Michelle, and their sons, Cody and Jackson. Jim was a […]
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
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 […]