Governor's staff lobbies treasurer on Elliott Forest proposal

The governor has proposed an alternative to selling the forest, but her plan would require approval by the Legislature.

SALEM — Oregon Gov. Kate Brown's staff met with members of the Oregon Treasurer's Office Wednesday as part of the governor's efforts to get traction for her plan to avoid selling the Elliott State Forest.

About 82,500 acres of the forest in Coos and Douglas counties is up for sale to a private partnership between a timber company, Lone Rock Resources, and the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians.

The land is currently required to provide revenues for the Common School Fund, which is basically an endowment for public education.

Treasurer Tobias Read and Secretary of State Dennis Richardson serve alongside the governor as part of the State Land Board, the governing body for Common School Fund trust lands such as the Elliott. Read and Richardson voted in favor of continuing with the privatization proposal last month.

The governor has proposed an alternative using the state's bond capacity to pay for a portion of the forest, which would require approval by the Legislature.

Brown cannot lobby either Read or Richardson directly because their meeting on board business would constitute a quorum of the board, and would be subject to Oregon's open meetings law.

Brown told reporters at a press conference Wednesday that she was hopeful her office could put together a public ownership plan for the Elliott State Forest that a majority of state legislators would approve.

The EO Media Group/Pamplin Media Group Capital Bureau requested a copy of Brown's plan, but her office has yet to respond.

Read's office did not respond to a request for comment by deadline.

Claire Withycombe is a reporter for the EO Media Group/Pamplin Media Group Capital Bureau. She can be reached at 503-363-0888, or at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .