Subcommittee advances Department of State Lands budget, including funding for Elliott Research Forest and Portland Harbor work

The Joint Ways and Means Subcommittee on Natural Resources voted to advance the Legislative Fiscal Office recommendation on Senate Bill 5539, the Department of State Lands budget bill, sending the measure to the full committee with a due-pass recommendation.

The subcommittee’s adopted dash-1 amendment and the LFO recommendation together reflect a recommended budget of $117,096,881, comprised of $91,904,429 other funds, $4,442,918 federal funds expenditure limitation, and $20,749,534 other funds (nonlimited). The recommendation authorizes 42 positions equal to 36.9 full-time equivalents (FTE).

The dash-1 package includes 16 policy packages and 34 new or continued positions (30.4 FTE) that LFO said drive a roughly 78.3% increase over current service level and a 9.2% increase over the 2023–25 legislatively approved budget. LFO told the subcommittee the largest drivers are work on the Elliott State Research Forest and an investment to study geological carbon sequestration.

Major items included in the LFO recommendation: a wetlands and waterways staffing package (Package 201) providing $3,140,261 other funds limitation and establishing 13 permanent positions (11.32 FTE) to support permitting and compliance; a $3,486,589 other funds one-time package to complete the land administration system replacement; a GIS team funded with $809,716 other funds and four…