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Rockaway Beach council adopts forest stewardship plan required for state watershed funding
Summary
The council unanimously adopted a Forest Resources Stewardship Plan the city must sign to secure $1.4 million in Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board funding toward acquisition and stewardship of roughly 800 acres in the lower Jeredy/Jetty Creek watershed.
The Rockaway Beach City Council unanimously approved Resolution 2026-17 on April 8 to adopt a Forest Resources Stewardship Plan for the Jay Creek watershed, a policy document city staff and consultants say is required to secure $1.4 million from the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board for a proposed acquisition of about 800 acres in the lower watershed.
Ben Hayes, a forester with Springboard Forestry, presented the plan and described its five core goals: protect reliable, high-quality drinking water; build long-term forest resilience; foster community engagement and stewardship; support habitat consistent with water objectives; and ensure long-term financial sustainability. "So I'm Ben Hayes, forester with Springboard Forestry," he told the council, summarizing recommendations that limit commercial timber harvest and emphasize young-stand thinning, road maintenance, invasive-species control (including Scotch broom), monitoring and trail access planning.
Hayes said the plan was revised with feedback from the city advisory committee and has received acceptance from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board; city adoption will complete the local step before final agency sign-off. City staff noted the plan includes a 10-year management horizon, GIS maps and a stewardship budget outlining expected costs for thinning, monitoring and road maintenance.
The council voted without discussion. The resolution record shows the city expects to proceed next with due diligence and, if appropriate, return with recommendations on purchase and use of state Clean Water State Revolving Fund loan authority discussed later in the meeting. The adoption completes a procedural requirement tied to the OWEB funding the city cited when presenting the plan.
