Press Releases

Rule has limited access and proactive forest management as wildfire risk and forest mortality have increased across the West The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) welcomes the U.S. Forest Service’s proposed rescission of the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule, saying the action would give professional land managers greater flexibility to...

Recommendation comes weeks after the Grasshopper Fire underscored the cost of delaying collaborative forest management A federal magistrate judge has recommended dismissing legal challenges to one of Oregon’s largest collaborative forest management projects, marking a major legal victory for years of work to reduce wildfire risk, improve forest health, and...

Anti-Forestry Group Collected $55,000 from Taxpayers After Suing to Delay Forest Management The Grasshopper Fire is burning through forests on Oregon’s Mt. Hood National Forest that were identified and prioritized years ago for hazardous fuels reduction through a collaborative effort involving local communities and the U.S. Forest Service. Yet much...

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...

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,...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

  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...

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...

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...

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...

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...