Note: There is a maximum of 200 words per comment. If you wish to post more, please visit our forum.
Gov. picks moderate for forest board
Monday, December 01, 2008 | No comments posted.
SALEM (AP) — Gov. Ted Kulongoski has nominated the founding president of the World Forestry Center in Portland to lead the Oregon Board of Forestry.
John Blackwell is a former state forester and former chairman of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Commission. He is viewed as a moderate in a state with strong and split views on logging.
“I think the Board of Forestry can be brought together over time,” Blackwell said.
The board faces hard questions about how much logging to permit in the Tillamook and Clatsop state forests, and it has been operating short-handed.
Kulongoski also nominated Steve Wilson, secretary-treasurer of the major woodworkers union in the Northwest.
He nominated Jennifer Phillippi, business manager of Rough and Ready Lumber in Cave Junction, for a second term.
The nominations are subject to approval by the state Senate.
Conservation groups have pressed for a stronger environmental voice on the board. They say it is dominated by the timber industry.
When Kulongoski nominated an environmentalist, former U.S. Rep. Les AuCoin, there was a bitter split in the Legislature.
Blackwell is more moderate and built alliances with groups on all sides of forestry issues while at the World Forestry Center.
Kulongoski has urged the board to take a leadership role in pushing for sustainable forest management in Oregon and has pressed members to deal with the troubled strategy for managing state forests in northwest Oregon.
The board adopted the strategy in 2001, but it has fallen short of logging targets that coastal counties were expecting to generate millions of dollars in new revenue.
The counties now want the strategy revised to increase logging, while environmental groups say that would sacrifice vital fish and wildlife habitat.
Spokeswoman Jillian Schoene said Friday that Kulongoski hopes the appointments will create a balanced board that represents the diverse interests in Oregon forests.
As chairman of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Commission, Blackwell was widely recognized for steering state parks through difficult budget times with passage of a ballot measure allowing lottery money to be dedicated to parks.
He said he admires what he called a kinder, gentler forestry practiced in Europe, which manages forests in concert with recreational activities as well as the needs of local economies.
John Blackwell is a former state forester and former chairman of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Commission. He is viewed as a moderate in a state with strong and split views on logging.
“I think the Board of Forestry can be brought together over time,” Blackwell said.
The board faces hard questions about how much logging to permit in the Tillamook and Clatsop state forests, and it has been operating short-handed.
Kulongoski also nominated Steve Wilson, secretary-treasurer of the major woodworkers union in the Northwest.
He nominated Jennifer Phillippi, business manager of Rough and Ready Lumber in Cave Junction, for a second term.
The nominations are subject to approval by the state Senate.
Conservation groups have pressed for a stronger environmental voice on the board. They say it is dominated by the timber industry.
When Kulongoski nominated an environmentalist, former U.S. Rep. Les AuCoin, there was a bitter split in the Legislature.
Blackwell is more moderate and built alliances with groups on all sides of forestry issues while at the World Forestry Center.
Kulongoski has urged the board to take a leadership role in pushing for sustainable forest management in Oregon and has pressed members to deal with the troubled strategy for managing state forests in northwest Oregon.
The board adopted the strategy in 2001, but it has fallen short of logging targets that coastal counties were expecting to generate millions of dollars in new revenue.
The counties now want the strategy revised to increase logging, while environmental groups say that would sacrifice vital fish and wildlife habitat.
Spokeswoman Jillian Schoene said Friday that Kulongoski hopes the appointments will create a balanced board that represents the diverse interests in Oregon forests.
As chairman of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Commission, Blackwell was widely recognized for steering state parks through difficult budget times with passage of a ballot measure allowing lottery money to be dedicated to parks.
He said he admires what he called a kinder, gentler forestry practiced in Europe, which manages forests in concert with recreational activities as well as the needs of local economies.
The comments below are from users of theworldlink.com and do not necessarily represent the views of The World or Lee Enterprises. Participation Guidelines
Note: There is a maximum of 200 words per comment. If you wish to post more, please visit our forum.
Note: There is a maximum of 200 words per comment. If you wish to post more, please visit our forum.
Not already registered?
The World welcomes your comments about stories, and we encourage a robust dialogue on this site. All comments must meet reasonable standards of decency and civility.
Please follow these basic rules:
- No defamatory comments about individuals or businesses.
- No deliberately false information.
- No obscenity or racially offensive language.
- No harassment, verbal abuse, threats or personal attacks.
- No information that invades another person's privacy.
- No business solicitations or charitable solicitations.
Comments that violate these standards will not be posted. Users with repeated violations may be banned from future posting.Comments will be approved throughout the day during business hours. After hours and weekend comments may not appear until the following business day. It may take a couple of hours before comments are approved.
The World generally does not edit comments, but we reserve the right to edit any comment that does not meet our standards.
Close Guidelines