The advocacy and government affairs program at Associated Oregon Loggers works to educate legislators, state and federal agencies and other elected officials so they better understand the forest contractor, their work and effects of decisions made for these essential small businesses in Oregon. Staff work to safeguard financially viable and operationally feasible forestry business in Oregon while ensuring certainty and predictability of work and timber supply in the state.

AOL plays an important role in influencing favorable law-making for forest contractors, as well as stopping bad legislation by the Oregon Legislature and U.S. Congress. We provides written and oral testimony on consequential state and federal bills while working with legislators to put forward amendments. AOL also develops legislative concepts, appropriations asks and position authority requests from the state legislature for Oregon Department of Forestry and other key agencies. After the session ends, our work hasn't concluded. We engage in the rulemaking process to implement new policies in a reasonable and business friendly way.

The AOL-sponsored Political Action Committee assists our efforts to elect favorable candidates and encourage responsible legislative voting on matters. 

Program Goals and Deliverables

• Analysis and input on state and federal policy-making for forestry, insurance, and other small business matters.
• Advocate forest contracting issues in state and federal advisory groups.
• Maintain communications with legislative and congressional delegations.
• Assure logger positions are represented on federal legislation in U.S. Congress.
• Sponsor both state and federal Political Action Committees (PAC) that support favorable candidates.
• Champion logger positions at Oregon Board of Forestry meetings and other state boards and commissions.
• Represent Oregon loggers as a founding member of the American Loggers Council and in other member associations and coalitions to which AOL belongs.
• Cooperate with allied forestry associations to influence favorable timber availability and harvest practices.
• Uphold networking with grassroots citizens groups and provide support for their efforts.