Our Mission

Bringing people together to embrace sustainable forest habitat management solutions for Oregon’s 2 plus million acres of O&C forest lands.

Tranquil forest stream in autumn forest

Forest Bridges Goals

Diverse, age-distributed forest

Historical habitat patterns created by using distinctive and sustainable moist and dry forest strategies that retain legacy forest.

Climate change mitigation

Reduced total smoke emissions and increased carbon sequestration to achieve historic carbon storage patterns.

Resilient watersheds

Clean water and healthy populations of native forest species (plants, fish and animals) are priorities.

Limited active management

Use of timber harvest and active management to emulate the natural effects of fire, benefiting flora and fauna.

Respect for private holdings

Within the checkerboard of O&C BLM lands, respect for private landowners encourages mutually beneficial outcomes.

Robust economics

Western Oregon counties and rural communities will grow economically from sustainability receipts, O&C county harvest revenues, a diverse forestry workforce, manufacturing infrastructure and career opportunities.

Comprehensive monitoring

Sustainability receipts, a new, reliable source of funding, will support ongoing science-based monitoring and transparent reporting.

Evidence-Based

Forest Bridges relies on consensus,  the preponderance of scientific evidence and professional, site specific practices. Short term risks will be weighed against long term gains.

Quinault Forest

INTELLIGENT FOREST MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES:

Priority will be on rigorous habitat and watershed protection. Management will enhance and diversify habitat of the O&C BLM lands for the well-being of all forest species. This will diminish the need for future listings of forest species under the Endangered Species Act.

There will be no traditional clear-cuts nor large single age plantations on BLM land. Instead, multi-aged management, thinning and variable retention regeneration treatments would be carefully applied and tailored to reflect the different needs of dry and moist forest stands across all ages. Legacy trees would remain, while some older and larger trees would be harvested to make way for younger and smaller trees. The outcomes sought would include fire-resilience, diverse quality habitat, and a healthy progression from early seral to structurally complex stands.

Currently, the forest is out of balance in terms of age classes, fuel loads and tree densities. This is creating the ideal conditions for mega-wildfires, which threaten our valuable ecosystems, economies, human health and communities. The Forest Bridges project will thin dry forests and increase prescribed fire to regain historic conditions that existed for millennia prior to the last 100 years of fire exclusion. The goal is multi-aged mixed conifer stands that are fire resilient.

The natural development of habitat in the context of management on O&C BLM land would take into account the realities presented by the checkerboard ownership of O&C and private lands. Cooperative and voluntary initiatives with private adjacent landowners would be financially supported. Among other goals, cooperation would seek to improve pathways for the movement of forest species. The envisioned road system would be upgraded to minimize erosion, improve groundwater movement, and be adequate for management and public access. Management would also include initiatives to neutralize the effects of BLM actions and forest development on adjacent private lands, such as the use of prescribed fire in both moist and dry forests.

Regular measurement of the outcomes of natural forest development and management will determine if forest planning goals are being met. Reliable funding of ongoing monitoring and adaptive management is essential for demonstrating whether or not the BLM is on track to achieve the long-range outcomes of this vision, and to set the stage for mid-course corrections (adaptive management and planning) as needed. Broad acceptance of the monitoring approach by Forest Bridges Friends is necessary to obtain the dependable source of funding that is required. Please become a Friend today.

Forest Bridges has identified a new and permanent source of funding for forest monitoring and reporting, adaptive management, forest restoration, invasive weed control, and to ultimately support natural ecological function. This will be termed “sustainability receipts” and are the portion of O&C revenues and any other revenues from O&C timber sales that have traditionally gone to the U.S. Treasury. This revenue stream is designated in the Forest Bridges Project to address the requirements of 21st century forestry. Please become a Friend to support this project.

There are three different types of forest habitat, and each one requires a unique approach to intelligent forest management:

Moist Forest

The forest floor often stays moist all summer

Moist Forest

Variable retention harvest treatments mimic historic natural conditions.

Dry Forest

Dry forests are sparse, multi-species and fire-resilient

Dry Forest

Management consists of thinning with skips and gaps.

Mosaic Forest

Intermingling of moist and dry forests require a unique management strategy

Mosaic Forest

A combination of moist and dry forest strategies will be required.

Moist Forest Age Classes 2006

Moist Forest Projected Target

The current approach is leaving millions of acres at risk of megafiresThe Forest Bridges plan will ensure healthy forest habitat, benefiting all

REDUCED RISK OF MEGAFIRE

Management (and lack of management) over decades, along with climate change, has set the stage for megafires. The Forest Bridges approach, based on sound science, with adequate funding, a strong monitoring program and collaboration from industry, conservation groups and the public, can lead to thriving BLM forest lands that mimic historical patterns.

WHAT IS THE O&C?

The Oregon and California Railroad Revested Lands (O&C Lands) are approximately 2,600,000 acres of land located in eighteen counties of western Oregon, currently managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

DOWNLOAD EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

SUSTAINABLE APPROACH

Our plan is multi-generational, conserves legacy trees, and is based on natural ecosystem processes accompanied by restoration and monitoring for a sustainable, long-term approach.

WATERSHED HEALTH

Protecting and monitoring rivers and streams will provide clean drinking supplies for humans, and viable habitat for aquatic species, plants and animals.

DIVERSE SPECIES

We are focused on creating robust, diverse habitats that lead to forest health and allows native species to thrive.

CARBON SEQUESTRATION

Reducing megafires and conserving legacy trees will allow for greater amounts of carbon storage in trees and the forest floor.

Forest Bridges Timeline

Collaboration Begins

In 2015,  conservation and timber interests began meeting to discuss an evidence-based, innovative vision for management of the Western Oregon O&C and BLM forest lands.

Non-Profit Formed

In 2018, Forest Bridges formed and in 2019 became recognized as an official non-profit.

Friends for Forests

Friends are now being sought to support the principles of Forest Bridges.

Forest Bridges Future

Starting in 2020 and for the next 2-5 years, Forest Bridges, with the support of a network of Friends, will continue to refine the plan and increase the network of Friends.

The time is now, and your friendship is critical. Learn how you can become a Friend today.

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