Readout of Secretary Salazar's Meeting on Western Oregon Forest Issues

WASHINGTON, DC -- Today Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and other senior Interior Department officials met with representatives from Western Oregon to discuss management of forests in the Pacific Northwest.

The meeting included a review of two pilot projects that are to be carried out in the Bureau of Land Management's Medford and Roseburg Districts. The projects, to be undertaken with the input and leadership of Professors Norman Johnson and Jerry Franklin, seek to demonstrate a landscape level approach to forest ecosystem restoration through active management. Such an approach is intended to help the Bureau's efforts to restore more functional and sustainable ecological conditions in Federal forests; conserve old-growth forests and trees; recover threatened species; sustain local communities; and maintain a highly skilled workforce and milling infrastructure.

At today's meeting, the state and Departmental representatives renewed their commitment to a strong working partnership with open lines of communication in order to tackle the long-standing challenges.

###