Press Releases

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...