You have until Monday to provide input on the Trump administration’s plan to dramatically increase logging in western Oregon forests.
Last month, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management announced its plans to quadruple the amount of logging that could happen in the forests it manages. Specifically, the agency aims to revise management plans for areas designated as O&C Lands, named after the Oregon and California Railroad company that once owned them.
BLM is eyeing 2.5 million acres of forests spanning 17 counties across Oregon. They include mature and old-growth forests treasured by recreationists, hunters, conservationists and tourism businesses who now worry about Oregon’s remaining old trees that are on the chopping block.
Timber industry representatives welcomed the news, celebrating a potential return to 20th-century logging levels that once supported rural economies.
But, as it stands now, the BLM’s plan remains a basic outline. Many key details have yet to be ironed out, like the exact areas that will be logged, when those areas would be logged, and whether the agency can legally raze trees in areas long protected by decades of environmental policies.
People can review the agency’s notice of intent in the Federal Register, where they can also find instructions for providing input by Monday, March 23. The agency doesn’t list an exact time. Public comments can be mailed to an address in Portland, or emailed to BLM_OR_Revision_Scoping@blm.gov.
Related: BLM proposes quadrupling allowed logging on millions of acres in western Oregon
George Sexton, conservation director at KS Wild — an environmental nonprofit in Ashland, Oregon — worries that quadrupling BLM’s current logging levels will require the agency to cut down ancient trees. That could have cascading effects on the endangered species that need those habitats to avoid mass extinction, as well as the streams and rivers that provide drinking water to nearby communities, he said.
“The idea is to strip away environmental protections for salmon and drinking water and fire and fuels, and to maximize timber extraction across public lands in western Oregon,” said Sexton.
Though BLM announced it will reconsider protections for areas with massive, old trees, including the Valley of the Giants, local officials say those areas will likely remain untouched.
“The old-growth grove at Valley of the Giants, which is already designated as an Outstanding Natural Area, is extremely unlikely to be considered for harvest,” Polk County Commissioner Jeremy Gordon said in a statement.
In this undated photo, a stream runs through the ancient Douglas fir and hemlock trees that have been standing in Oregon for more than 400 years. This area, called the Valley of the Giants, is among areas being considered under the Trump administration's plans to increase logging in Western Oregon.
Photo courtesy of Scott Hopkins | U.S. Bureau of Land Management
The Valley of the Giants is a 51-acre preserve of old-growth trees that are between 400 to 500 years old. The site often draws tourists to Polk County, but public access has been closed since January 2025 due to a landslide. Gordon said he is working with other local officials to regain that access.
Milling infrastructure has also changed a lot since the 1990s, when the nation ushered in environmental protections that caused logging levels to plummet. Nowadays, most mills aren’t equipped to handle large-diameter trees. Even if BLM listed those trees up for sale, it might not get any buyers.
“I can say unequivocally that forest operators and loggers are not interested in removing large trees from areas like the Valley of the Giants,” said Amanda Sullivan-Astor, forest policy manager with the Associated Oregon Loggers. “Our technology, our operating configurations, our equipment has shifted away from large logs to a small and moderately sized material.”
Related: BLM increases timber sales in Oregon, triples nationwide mandated increase
Sullivan-Astor said small, rural mills rely on timber supply from federal lands in order to compete with large timber corporations that can source logs from private lands.
In order to increase logging in western Oregon forests, BLM will need to revise its management plans that govern those forests. Issuing a notice of intent is just the first step in what could be a yearslong process, one that could outlast the Trump administration.
