After putting together one of the best defenses in the country and coming up just short of a spot in the national championship game, the Oregon Ducks have had a shuffle this offseason. While some key contributors are headed to the pros, a decent chunk of depth skipped town through the transfer portal, making for some new faces on the roster going into spring ball.

Perhaps the biggest departure was linebacker Bryce Boettcher, a Eugene native and former walk-on who led the Ducks with 136 tackles last season and became the heartbeat of the defense. Now, after being promoted to defensive coordinator, a big goal for Chris Hampton this spring will be to find out who can step up in Boettcher’s place.

Senior linebacker Jerry Mixon will take the torch after a breakout fall, posting 65 tackles, five for a loss, and two interceptions in 2025. He could be the linebacker to call plays this season, but the biggest question will be who will stand next to him in the middle of the Oregon defense.

The Ducks haven’t had any issues recruiting talent at linebacker, but it’s all about seeing who is ready to step up and take the open spot. Senior Devon Jackson has been slowly climbing the depth chart and saw the most action of his career last season. There’s also a trio of youngsters to consider, which includes sophomores Dylan Williams, Brayden Platt and Gavin Nix.

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.