Friday, May 24, 2013

Sen. Wyden zeroes in on legislation to boost federal logging revenue for timber counties

Sen. Ron Wyden is zeroing in on his plan for boosting logging on federal lands in Western Oregon and helping rural counties beset by money problems. The Oregon Democrat announced Thursday a more specific framework for legislation to address complaints that so-called O&C lands have not been turning out the level of money for timber counties they did before logging was cut back to protect the northern spotted owl and salmon from extinction. He said he hoped a bill would become law before the end of the year. "We are building the kind of coalition that will navigate Congress and get signed by the White House," Wyden said from Washington, D.C. "It is not going to ignite an ideological war. It will give us a chance to do what we do best in Oregon, which is to find a way for people to get jobs in rural Oregon, boost timber harvest, and respect the treasury." Wyden's proposal differs from another in the House in one key area. Wyden's would give timber counties with below-average tax rates incentives to help themselves. However, it does not spell out what those incentives are...more

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