EUGENE, Oregon - Oregon resident and 4th District Republican Congressional candidate Monique DeSpain today urged fellow Oregonians to submit public comments supporting responsible, sustainable forest management as the Bureau of Land Management considers revisions to Resource Management Plans covering Northwestern and Coastal Oregon.
The public comment period remains open until March 23.
“These forests belong to all of us, and the people who live and work in these communities deserve to have their voices heard,” said Monique DeSpain. “Responsible forest management means growing more than we harvest, reducing wildfire risk, and supporting family-wage jobs that keep rural communities strong.”
The BLM’s planning effort focuses on O&C and Coos Bay Wagon Road lands, which were set aside under federal law for sustained timber production while supporting local communities.
According to the Oregon Forest Resources Institute, the forest sector supports more than 62,000 jobs statewide, representing roughly three percent of Oregon’s total employment. The organization reports that the average annual wage for forest-sector jobs was approximately $71,900 in 2023. Economists also estimate that every one million board feet of timber harvested in Oregon supports about 11 forest-sector jobs.
DeSpain said these numbers highlight how closely healthy forests and healthy communities are connected.
“Humans have always been an important part of our forest ecosystems, and for generations, Oregon families have depended on our forests for their livelihoods,” DeSpain said. “Sustainable harvesting, active management, and responsible stewardship protect our environment while also supporting the jobs, schools, and local services that rural communities rely on.”
Timber revenue from O&C lands is shared with rural counties and helps fund essential services, including schools, road maintenance, and law enforcement, all of which are currently facing a budgetary crisis being foisted upon individuals and our businesses through unreasonable taxation.
DeSpain noted that active forest management plays an important role in reducing wildfire risk by lowering fuel loads and improving overall forest health. She also drew a clear contrast with incumbent Democrat Val Hoyle’s approach to forest management. On April 1, 2024, Hoyle joined dozens of other House Democrats in signing a letter urging the U.S. Forest Service to prioritize expanding the definition of old-growth forests and place ecological considerations ahead of revenue generated from timber harvesting. DeSpain said woke policies written far from Oregon often overlook how forests are actually managed on the ground. “When forests are left overcrowded and unmanaged, fuel builds up and the risk of catastrophic wildfire increases,” DeSpain said. “Those fires destroy habitat, devastate communities, and release massive amounts of carbon into the atmosphere. Responsible forest management – including sustainable harvesting and thinning – keeps forests healthier, reduces wildfire risk, and supports family-wage jobs across Oregon’s Fourth District.”
“We can protect wildlife, maintain strong environmental standards, and still responsibly manage our forests,” DeSpain added. “Those goals are not in conflict.”
DeSpain encouraged residents, workers, small business owners, and community leaders across Oregon to submit their own comments before the March 23rd deadline to ensure local voices are part of the decision-making process.
Public comments can be submitted through the Federal Register notice for the Bureau of Land Management’s Resource Management Plan revision for Northwestern and Coastal Oregon.
DeSpain has also previously spoken out on federal forest policy. Last year she submitted public comments supporting reforms to the federal Roadless Rule to allow greater flexibility for responsible forest management and wildfire prevention in Oregon’s forests. Hoyle did not submit a public comment during that process.
View Monique DeSpain’s public comment below:
Project Number DOI-BLM-ORWA-0000-2026-0001-RMP-EIS
I am submitting this comment as an Oregon resident who cares about our forests and about the people who make a living from them.
I support revising these Resource Management Plans so that we can responsibly increase sustainable timber harvest on O&C and Coos Bay Wagon Road lands. These lands were set aside to produce timber over the long term, and I am confident we can meet that responsibility while still protecting wildlife, water, and the overall health of the forest.
Forestry continues to play a major role in Oregon’s economy. According to data published by the Oregon Forest Resources Institute, more than 62,000 Oregonians worked in forest-related jobs in 2023, including forest management, wood products manufacturing, and distribution. That amounts to roughly 3 percent of total employment statewide. The same source reports that the average annual wage in the forest sector was about $71,900 in 2023. Those are strong, family-supporting jobs, especially in rural parts of our state where comparable wages are hard to find.
The Institute also reports that economists estimate that roughly 11 direct forest-sector jobs are tied to every one million board feet of timber harvested in Oregon. That shows how closely harvest levels are connected to employment in our communities.
History also matters here. As reported by the Oregon Forest Resources Institute, timber harvest on federal lands dropped dramatically between 1989 and 1995, by about 90 percent, largely because of environmental litigation and endangered species listings, including the northern spotted owl. During that same period, private forest harvest levels remained relatively steady, except during the housing market crash in 2007 – 2009. By 2013, private harvest volumes had recovered to around 4.2 billion board feet, close to pre-recession levels.
The takeaway is not that we should ignore environmental concerns. It is that active management continued on private lands while federal harvest levels stayed far below historical norms. If we want stable rural economies, federal lands need a predictable and lawful management framework as well.
At the same time, sustainability must be the standard. Oregon forests grow more wood each year than is currently harvested. A sustained-yield approach means setting harvest levels based on long-term growth and productive capacity, not short-term demand. Thoughtful thinning and planned harvests improve forest resilience, reduce overcrowding, and lower the risk of catastrophic wildfire. In a state that regularly experiences large fires, proactive management is an essential part of responsible stewardship.
Revenue from timber sales on O&C lands is shared with rural counties and helps fund essential services like schools, roads, and law enforcement. When harvest levels were slashed in the 1990s, county revenues plummeted. A stable, sustainable program would help bring predictability back to those budgets and end the current funding crisis facing O&C counties.
We can and should value species protection, healthy watersheds, and working forests at the same time. Using current science-based methods, including careful planning, it is possible to grow more than we harvest while supporting Oregon families and reducing wildfire risk.
I encourage the BLM to adopt a revised plan that restores sustainable timber production, strengthens forest health, and provides stability for rural communities across Northwestern and Coastal Oregon.
Thank you for considering my comment.
DeSpain launched her campaign for Congress in OR-04 on October 1st, setting up a rematch with scandal-plagued incumbent Val Hoyle in November 2026. Her launch announcement featured the following video: https://tinyurl.com/MoniqueCongressLaunchVideo2025
Monique DeSpain is a retired U.S. Air Force Colonel, mother of twin boys, and public policy advocate who resides in Eugene, Oregon. She was the 2024 Republican nominee for Oregon’s 4th Congressional District, running to unseat incumbent Congresswoman Val Hoyle to bring about a safer, more prosperous Oregon. Her campaign website is www.MoniqueForCongress.com, or follow her on Facebook @MoniqueforCongress, X @MoniqueforOR, Instagram @monique4congress, Truth Social @moniqueforcongress, or YouTube @MoniqueDeSpain.
To arrange a candidate interview or obtain additional information about her campaign, please contact Communications Director Ryan Saylor at press@moniqueforcongress.com or call (202) 642-5366.