Dear legislator,
As an Oregonian who values our wild and natural landscapes, I urge the members of the Oregon Legislature to protect the Elliott State Forest by authorizing the required $100 million in bonding.
As Oregon's first state forest, the Elliott has become a symbol of both our enduring commitment to public lands, and the need to decouple our treasured wild spaces from logging required for Common School Fund lands. There has been, and will continue to be, ongoing conflict between the need to preserve our environmental legacy and the need to fully fund our schools – unless we take action now to create an alternative to the current system.
Please protect the stands of century-old trees, which serve as habitat for threatened wildlife. Please preserve the clean waterways, which sustain wild coho salmon and provide drinking water.These old-growth trees capture and store vast amounts of carbon dioxide and are important tools in the fight against climate change. These trees – and all of the Elliott – ought to remain publicly owned.
At a time when intense interests are working nationally to privatize public lands, it is even more important to keep the Elliott State Forest public. The forest is an incredible stronghold for endangered species, clean water, and carbon storage, and I urge you to vote to approve the $100 million in bonding this legislative session.
The bonding money will ensure the Elliott is successfully decoupled from the Common School Fund, and it will ensure the state is able to develop a Habitat Conservation Plan to allow sustainable long-term harvest in the Elliott. Bond funds will be invested in order to produce revenue for Oregon's schools, providing a win-win for both of our state's important resources.
[Your Comment]
Thank you in advance for your leadership in protecting the Elliott State Forest.
[Your Name]
