By Joseph Metzler

The Malheur National Wildlife Refuge occupation is over, but the threats to important lands and waters in Oregon continue. Right now, the state of Oregon is in the process of privatizing the 93,000-acre Elliott State Forest, our first state forest, which provides valuable fish and wildlife habitat and irreplaceable opportunities for hunters, anglers, hikers and other outdoor recreationists.

Established in 1930, the Elliott provided a sustainable source of timber revenue to Oregon schools. Over time, the state was increasingly challenged by new public demands to manage the forest for values besides timber revenue. A portion of the forest was sold in 2014, and at least one of those parcels already is closed to the public. Now, the remainder of the Elliott State Forest is on the auction block.

Without prompt and decisive action, the Elliott's future is bleak.

Fortunately, Oregon's elected officials can help keep the Elliott in public ownership -- or commit to selling the forest to an entity that will fully maintain public access and manage it for fish and wildlife values. The State Land Board -- Gov. Kate Brown, Secretary of State Jeanne Atkins and Treasurer Ted Wheeler -- can ensure that water quality is maintained, habitat is restored, logging and wood processing jobs are created and unparalleled hunting and fishing opportunities are guaranteed.

Without action by Oregon's leaders, however, hunters and anglers could be met with "no trespassing" signs the next time we visit the Elliott. Behind the locked gates, the forest could face liquidation -- and the prospect of becoming another industrial fiber farm, like most of the rest of the Coast Range.

Oregonians deserve better.

I grew up hunting and fishing in the Elliott State Forest. The elk and deer hunting, along with opportunities for mountain quail, ruffed grouse and band-tailed pigeon, are among the best in the Coast Range. The West Fork Millicoma River and its tributaries offer excellent cutthroat trout and steelhead fishing and encompass some of our best spawning habitat for endangered coho salmon and steelhead. They also clear up faster than other area watersheds after winter storms due to their intact stream buffers.

The Elliott is unique -- not least because of the public access it provides. Many hunting hotspots are located on large tracts of private forestlands, which are closed to the public or require permits too expensive for most hunters to buy. Sportsmen like me are committed to keeping public lands in public hands so that places like the Elliott are both accessible and sustained.

We united in support of our public lands during the Malheur occupation. Unfortunately, the Elliott today stands as an example of what can happen when states take on management of public lands.

Brown, Atkins and Wheeler understand what makes Oregon great -- and what moves sportsmen and other public lands patriots to join together over a shared set of values. Their leadership is vital if the Elliott is to remain in public ownership and accessible for us and our kids and grandkids to enjoy.

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Joseph Metzler, of Coos Bay, is a retired U.S. Coast Guard helicopter rescue swimmer and now works for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. He is a member of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, a national sportsmen's group focused on public lands conservation.