| Oregon Forest Practices |
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Oregon FOrest Practices
Comprehensive.Sustainable.Effective
Oregon adopted the Oregon Forest Conservation Act to address reforestation and fire protection in 1941 and was among the first in the nation to pass a law focused on forest protections of this nature. Thirty years later, in 1971, Oregon became the FIRST state in the U.S. to pass a comprehensive forest practice package. The Oregon Forest Practices Act (OFPA) was instituted in collaboration with Industry, Government and Environmental entities working in tandem. The OFPA provides regulations overseeing management activities on Oregon's non-federal lands. There have been updates and changes through the years to the OFPA that have all stemmed from an adaptive management approach as new research and practices have required updates to ensure adequate protections of watersheds and the forest resource in the state. Find out more about the benefits of working forests by visiting our Forestry Facts page! Forest Regulation Resources
Operator Of The Year
Oregon Department of Forestry has three Regional Forest Practice Committees (FRPC) that advise the Oregon Board of Forestry on current forestry issues and forest management approaches. They serve the Northwest, Southwest and Eastern regions of the state and were created by the 1971 Oregon Forest Practices Act. Under Oregon law, a majority of RFPC members must be private forest landowners and logging or forest operations companies. Every year, they review nominations for exceptional operators and choose the operator of the year for each region. When additional outstanding operators are nominated, they may also give out merit awards. Forest Resources Division
Oregon Department of Forestry has three operational divisions: Forest Resources, State Forests and Fire Protection. The Forest Resources Division is responsible for technical assistance, compliance and monitoring of the Oregon Forest Practices Act; industrial landowner, small forestland owner and forest operator engagement; federal initiatives and other financial incentive programs; as well as shared stewardship and restoration of federal lands. This program helps forest landowners manage their lands to meet their objectives. The division is responsible for ensuring forest management activities are consistent with conservation and environmental protection. Stewardship Foresters
AOL partners with ODF to ensure a well-reasoned approach to forest management and regulation are applied equitably throughout the state. ODF's Stewardship Foresters engage with forest operators and are the compliance arm of the Department. They also offer support and guidance to small woodland owners and other timber managers to solve problems and come up with creative solutions to resource challenges and operational difficulties. Forests are innately complex and ODF works with landowners and operators to help them achieve their objectives while also obeying forest regulations and protecting our resources. Changes To The OFPA
The Oregon Forest Practices Act has undergone several changes over the years and was designed to be adapted as new scientific findings and monitoring determined different practices should be used to protect environmental resources. Changes can also be made as new technology is available and new techniques are developed. In the end, every forest professional seeks to ensure our forest resources are properly protected. In 2022, the OFPA received its largest update in decades through mediated negotiations between forest professionals and environmental advocates. These changes were comprehensive and sought balance by each side. Educating Forest Operators
Associated Oregon Loggers along with the Oregon Department of Forestry, educate forest operators through the Oregon Professional Loggers (OPL) Program about forest practice laws and regulations. The OPL Program qualifies these professional stewards as having the most up-to-date knowledge of harvest requirements as required by certain third party landowner certification entities.
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