Oregon
BLM Expedites Massive Logging Expansion in Western Oregon
The Trump Administration has tasked the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) with boosting resource extraction from public lands across the U.S. That charge includes everything from establishing new oil and gas leasing in Alaska to expanding lithium mines in Nevada.
Now, Western Oregon is the latest area slated for increased commercial output by the BLM. On Feb. 18, the agency announced plans to increase timber harvesting across nearly 2 million acres. Supporters see the move as an economic necessity, while opponents worry about the environmental impacts.
BLM Oregon Timber Harvest: The Plan
The section of public land in question covers about 2.46 million acres of public land across 18 counties in Western Oregon. About 23% of the land is excluded from the project (including areas with low tree density and areas next to streams). That leaves about 1.9 million acres up for harvest.
In a public notice issued on Feb. 19, the BLM announced its intent to revise the resource management plan (RMP) for this area. An RMP is an expansive document that covers recreation use, regulations, and resource extraction for an area of public land. The last RMP for this area was approved in 2016. The agency stated that this “revision” would entail replacing the 2016 RMP with a new one.
The stated goal of the effort is to “seek an increase in sustained yield of timber harvest that aligns with the historically higher levels of production on BLM-administered public lands,” according to the agency.
The 2016 RMP allowed a total harvest volume of 278 million board feet, of which 9% was from large logs. In 2025, the total harvest measured 275 million board feet. The 2026 RMP aims to increase these numbers, but no document explicitly states the target number.
GearJunkie reached out to the BLM for further information, but did not receive a response.
Based on the language in the notice, it’s possible to approximate the levels that the BLM is aiming for. The document says it wants to return production to “historically higher levels of volume.” Data show that harvests peaked in 1964 at 1.638 billion board feet. From 1960 to 1989, the annual average was 1.078 billion board feet.
If the BLM achieves volume 1 billion board feet, that would be around a 260% increase from 2016’s numbers.
‘Reviving Local Economies’ & Reducing Wildfire Threats
The effort to boost timber production relates to Trump’s March 2025 executive order entitled “Immediate Expansion of American Timber Production.” The order mandated that agencies like the BLM and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) “issue new or updated guidance regarding tools to facilitate increased timber production and sound forest management, reduce time to deliver timber, and decrease timber supply uncertainty.”
“Bringing timber production back to historic levels is essential for reviving local economies and reducing the threat of catastrophic wildfires,” Acting BLM Director Bill Groffy said in a press release. “President Trump has made it clear — enhanced domestic timber production is vital for our national security, economic prosperity, and effective wildfire management.”
The notice of intent also cited local economic impacts. It notes that more timber would deliver more jobs. When timber production decreased in the 1990s, “this revenue collapse triggered mill closures, job losses, and shrinking tax bases, devastating local communities and forcing counties to cut services and raise local taxes,” the BLM claimed.
The agency also connected increased timber harvesting with a reduction in wildfire risk.
“This RMP revision will assist in reducing fuel loads in order to battle these unprecedented and destructive fires and will aid in keeping the American people safe,” it said.
One of the counties in the RMP, Marion, experienced a major wildfire in 2020. The Lionshead Fire burned 192,000 acres and destroyed 264 homes.
BLM Oregon Timber Harvest Plan: The Opposition
Oregon Wild
Opposition to the move comes primarily from environmental groups. Oregon Wild, a conservation nonprofit, objected on several grounds. It’s concerned about the long-term health of these forests. It also fears the impact that increased timber production would have on wildlife such as the coho salmon and the northern spotted owl.
The production levels the BLM aims to return to in the 1960s occurred before these species were listed under the Endangered Species Act.
“It’s safe to assume the Trump administration is going to try to get back to roughly 1 billion board feet. However, that would be nearly impossible to do without logging coho salmon and other endangered species habitat,” Oregon Wild’s Communications Director Arran Robertson said in an email to GJ.
Oregon Wild also rejected claims that upping timber production would reduce wildfire risk.
“Clearcutting and similar forms of logging increase fire hazards for up to 50 years. Despite hotter, drier, and longer fire seasons, the Trump Administration aims to again prioritize this practice on public lands,” it said in a press release.
Sierra Club
The Sierra Club also criticized the move as industry-friendly.
“Opening up millions of acres to logging and supercharging harvest quotas isn’t some minor change — it’s a radical and dangerous departure from decades of careful management for the benefit of logging companies,” Forest Campaign Manager Alex Crave said in an email to GearJunkie. “It aims to take us back to the days of logging old growth across the northwest at a pace that was, quite literally, unsustainable.”
The local Oregon chapter of the Sierra Club was deeply concerned about how this effort would affect outdoor recreation.
“The proposed plan to quadruple logging levels is a threat to the very things that make Oregon Oregon: Forests with clear rivers and streams that provide water for thousands of rural residents and critical habitat for fish and wildlife. Rafting, hiking, mountain biking, hunting, fishing, and other incredible recreation opportunities that Oregonians enjoy and that draw the visitors that rural economies depend on,” it said.
What’s Next
The proposal is open for public comment until March 23. The BLM stated that it does not plan to hold any public meetings about the matter. In accordance with the law, the BLM will consult with Tribal Nations.
“Tribal concerns, including impacts on Indian trust assets and potential impacts to cultural resources, will be given due consideration,” it stated.
The agency will also be required to produce an environmental impact study for its proposed RMP. There is no clear timeline yet; the BLM has stated it wants to complete this process “in an expeditious manner.” Past revisions to RMPs have taken 3 to 4 years, and the BLM aims to finish the process more quickly this time.
Oregon’s juvenile justice system has been reshaped in recent years by a sweeping reform law that changed how the state handles minors accused of serious crimes.
Senate Bill 1008, which took effect in 2020, ended automatic transfers of juveniles into adult court and eliminated life without parole sentences for juveniles. The law also created “second-look” hearings and established parole eligibility after 15 years for certain offenders who committed crimes before turning 18.
To help explain the law and its impact, KVAL’s Frannie Pedersen put together a timeline video tracing the history of Senate Bill 1008, from the passage of Measure 11 in 1994 to the reforms that later reshaped Oregon’s juvenile justice system.
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The video breaks down how the law changed, why lawmakers pushed for reform, and how SB 1008 continues to influence Oregon’s justice system today. Viewers can watch the full video for a detailed timeline and explanation of the changes.
PORTLAND, Ore. — A New Jersey man was sentenced to federal prison last Friday for conspiring to distribute fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon.
Mark T. Eager, 34, was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release.
“This defendant showed a blatant disregard for human life by trafficking fentanyl across the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Bradford. “My office will continue to pursue those who profit from poisoning our communities, and we will use every available resource and partnership to combat fentanyl trafficking and keep Oregonians safe.”
“This investigation brought together law enforcement agencies from across the nation,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Seattle acting Special Agent in Charge April Miller. “Homeland Security Investigations special agents from Portland, Newark, and Houston contributed to the case, along with the Portland Police Bureau and HIDTA HIT officers, who were instrumental in identifying Eager. His 11-year sentence sends a clear message: no matter where you are in the country or the world, if you attempt to sell narcotics online to Americans, we will find you.”
“Fentanyl trafficking poses a grave threat to communities across the United States, and Homeland Security Investigations is committed to working with our partners to disrupt and dismantle the criminal networks responsible,” said HSI Houston Special Agent in Charge Lucia Cabral-DeArmas. “This case demonstrates the power of interagency collaboration under the Homeland Security Task Force initiative, leveraging resources from across the country to hold traffickers accountable and protect the American people. We will continue to pursue those who endanger lives through the distribution of dangerous synthetic opioids, and we remain steadfast in our mission to safeguard our communities from the violence and instability caused by transnational criminal organizations.”
“By following this offender’s digital trail, Homeland Security Investigations and our law enforcement partners nationwide executed federal search warrants, dismantled an active dark web fentanyl packaging operation and recovered deadly amounts of fentanyl, thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency, and a trove of electronic devices and packaging materials,” said HSI Newark Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas. “This case is a powerful example of how coordinated, data-driven investigations can disrupt dangerous networks and help protect our communities from lethal synthetic opioids.”
According to court documents, from November 2023 through June 2024, Eager and his co-conspirator sold fentanyl on the Dark Net and Telegram. Eager operated as the vendor WRSEH10 and marketed the fentanyl as “China White Synthetic Heroin.”
In June 2024, HSI agents executed search warrants on two residences associated with Eager in Kearny, New Jersey, and seized over 360 grams of powdered fentanyl, counterfeit M30 pills, drug ledgers, cellular phones, two computers, and drug packaging consistent with three deliveries that were sent to Oregon.
On September 4, 2024, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a four-count indictment charging Eager with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl.
On February 4, 2026, Eager pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
HSI Portland and HSI Houston investigated this case with assistance from HSI Newark, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Interdiction Task Force (HIT). Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Kerin prosecuted the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey assisted the U.S. Attorney’s in Oregon in obtaining the search warrants that were executed in Kearny.
Oregon State’s season came to an end in Eugene on Sunday evening, after a rocky 7th inning doomed them against the 11th-ranked Oregon Ducks. The Beavers put up a valiant effort to try and fight their way back from the loser’s bracket, but they couldn’t accomplish this incredible feat that they pulled off in 2025.
A Bad Start Changed Everything
Winning the first game of a regional is almost a must if you want to advance, and this is where things started to go south.
After a nearly two-week layoff (since they didn’t have a conference tournament), OSU’s bats were rusty against a very solid left-hander in WSU’s Nick Lewis. Though the Beavers were able to put up a run early on, Lewis rolled with the punches and ended up throwing a complete game against the country’s seventh-ranked team. Though their bats came to life the next day, the uphill climb proved to be too much.
Pitching Wasn’t the Issue
Oregon State came into this tournament with the nation’s best ERA, and their starting rotation was exactly as advertised.
After a good outing from Kleinschmit on Friday afternoon, Eric Segura threw a 6.2 inning gem in an elimination game against Yale. True freshman Trey Morris threw 117 pitches in the rout of WSU early Saturday, and Wyatt Queen was excellent against the Ducks off of short rest later that evening.
The Power Just Wasn’t There
In today’s era of baseball where starting pitchers are so talented, it’s crucial to have guys that can get you runs with just one swing of the bat, especially when the man on the hill is striking a lot of people out.
Throughout the entirety of this season, the Beavers have not been a club that hits for much power, and this makes things difficult in the postseason. In four games across the Eugene regional, Oregon State didn’t hit a single ball out of the park. In 2026 they only hit a total of 55 homers, a stark contrast from the 107 of 2025’s Omaha year.
They Ran into a Good Team With a Deep Pitching Staff
In Mark Wasikowski’s tenure with the Ducks, his team’s pitching has often been a crutch that holds them back from big postseason runs. This certainly doesn’t seem to be the case this year.
Throughout the regional that they hosted, Oregon starters looked nearly untouchable. Will Sanford struck out 14 batters and didn’t allow a run against Washington State. Yesterday against the Beavers, left-hander Miles Gosztola was phenomenal, bouncing back after allowing a run in the second inning. The Ducks also have great relievers in guys like Tanner Bradley and Devin Bell. With a lot of reliable arms to go to, it would’ve been difficult to beat Oregon twice.
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