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Oregon forestry officials brief legislature on Private Forest Accord HCP progress
Summary
Oregon Department of Forestry officials told the Natural Resources Subcommittee they have completed most state tasks from the 2022 Private Forest Accord but still need federal approval of a habitat conservation plan (HCP) and incidental‑take permits; ODF submitted a revised HCP to federal services on Dec. 30, 2025, and work on monitoring, grants, and research continues.
Josh Bernard, Forest Resources Division chief for the Oregon Department of Forestry, and Jason Minor, the division's HCP project lead, told the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Feb. 11 that Oregon has implemented most state requirements from the 2022 Private Forest Accord but still must obtain federal incidental‑take permits for the plan to remain in effect.
The HCP, required by the 2022 legislation enacted as part of the Private Forest Accord package, is the federal application that would allow some otherwise lawful forest management activities that may incidentally ‘take’ threatened or endangered species. "Without an approved habitat conservation plan and subsequent incidental take permits, all the changes made in the March 2022 legislation revert," Jason Minor told the committee, describing why federal approval is critical.
Minor said ODF submitted a preliminary HCP in 2022, an updated plan in July 2024, and most recently…
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