Merkley Statement on Salazar Announcement on Western Oregon Plan Revision and the Spotted Owl Recovery Plan

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Washington, DC – Today, Interior Department Secretary Ken Salazar withdrew the Western Oregon Plan Revision and the Spotted Owl Recovery Plan based on findings that the Bush Administration ignored the law and disregarded science, and a judgment that the WOPR could not stand up in court.  Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley made the following statement about the announcement:

“Secretary Salazar’s finding closes the chapter on the Bush Administration’s forest strategy that manipulated science and flouted the law.  That strategy wasted a lot of time while our timber communities were in desperate need of jobs.  I’m pleased that Secretary Salazar and President Obama are committed to harvesting timber sustainably, restoring forest health and putting together the types of stewardship agreements that will result in less litigation and more jobs.   I look forward to working with them to develop a sustainable long-term policy that creates timber jobs, restores forest health, reduces the threat of wildfire, and harvests biomass to make our timber communities part of our clean energy economy.

“I appreciate that officials from the Interior Department came to Oregon and talked to folks on the ground before reaching this decision and I encourage them to continue those conversations as they revise the policy."