Support HR 3: Save old-growth and jobs

Governor Should Publicly Support Plan Putting Oregonians Back to Work in Oregon's Federal Forests - House Republicans this week sought to advance a resolution urging the Governor to support and facilitate the speedy implementation of the Bureau of Land Management's Western Oregon Plan Revisions (WOPR). Despite the plan's potential to create 15,000 family wage jobs across rural Oregon, the House narrowly rejected bringing House Resolution 3 to a debate and vote on the House Floor.

"WOPR gives Oregon an opportunity to create jobs in economically-distressed communities- while setting aside over a million acres for old-growth protection and endangered species habitat," said Rep. Sherrie Sprenger (R-Scio), the resolution's chief sponsor. "With the second highest unemployment rate in the nation, the Legislature and Governor can't afford to sit on its hands and allow this opportunity to disappear."

Rep. Sprenger added, "With an unemployment rate of 15.6 percent in Linn County, my district needs WOPR and the new family wage jobs it would provide. Today's vote shows that the Legislature doesn't understand that new jobs create new revenues for funding our shared priorities in the budget."

Republicans said HR 3 is needed because the Governor has aggressively opposed the federal plan to increase sustained yield harvests in Oregon's 2.5 million acres of forest lands. House Republican Leader Bruce Hanna (R-Roseburg) said HR 3 would have sent a strong message to Washington as the new federal administration determines whether to proceed with WOPR implementation.

"With WOPR's future in doubt, the Legislature must send a strong message to state and federal officials that rural Oregonians deserve jobs," Rep. Hanna said. "Rural unemployment is reaching levels not seen since the Depression, and rural Oregonians are losing hope. By rejecting this measure today, the Legislature is sending the wrong message to Washington and is putting special interest politics ahead of jobs for rural Oregonians."