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.

PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — Crude oil prices surged after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and stalled tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, pushing gas prices sharply higher across the country, though Oregon and Washington are seeing smaller increases than many other states.

The national average price for regular gasoline jumped 43 cents over the past week to $3.54 a gallon.

Oregon’s average rose 31 cents to $4.26 a gallon, the 42nd-largest week-over-week increase among states.

Washington also increased 31 cents, ranking 44th-largest.

READ ALSO | Oil prices spike amid Iran war; Oregon gas remains above national average

The current national average is at its highest price since July 2024. Oregon’s average is at its highest since Sept. 2025.

“When crude oil prices shoot up, pump prices follow suit because crude oil is the basic ingredient in gasoline and diesel. It’s impossible to predict how high prices might go, but expect elevated oil and gas prices as long as the conflict in Iran continues and tankers are stalled in the Strait of Hormuz,” said Marie Dodds, public affairs director for AAA Oregon/Idaho.

AAA notes that, in general, every $1 increase in the price of crude oil leads to a 2.4- to 2.5-cent increase in the price of gasoline.

Crude oil typically accounts for about 47% of the cost of a gallon of gasoline, with refining at 16%, distribution and marketing at 20%, and taxes at 17%, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

About 20% of the world’s oil and refined products flow through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passageway of the Persian Gulf bordered by Iran.

Tankers traveling through the strait carry oil from major producers including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, the UAE, Qatar, Iraq and Iran. Any disruption can affect global oil supplies. While the U.S. does not rely on Iranian oil, China and India do.

Seasonal factors are also adding upward pressure. Gas prices typically rise starting in mid-to-late winter and early spring as refineries undergo maintenance ahead of the switch to summer-blend fuel, which is more expensive to produce and less likely to evaporate in warmer temperatures.

Most areas have a May 1 compliance date for refiners and terminals, while most gas stations have a June 1 deadline to switch to selling summer-blend. Some refineries begin maintenance and the switchover in February.

In Oregon, the average price for regular gas began 2026 at $3.42 a gallon. The highest price of the year so far is today’s $4.26, and the lowest was $3.33 on Jan. 20. Nationally, the average began 2026 at $2.83 a gallon. The highest price of the year so far is today’s $3.54, and the lowest was $2.795 on Jan. 11.

AAA reported that U.S. gasoline demand decreased from 8.73 million barrels per day to 8.29 million for the week ending Feb. 27, compared with 8.88 million a year ago.

Total domestic gasoline supply decreased from 254.8 million barrels to 253.1 million. Gasoline production increased last week, averaging 9.3 million barrels per day compared with 9.2 million barrels per day the previous week.

Crude oil prices have been volatile. West Texas Intermediate surged to near four-year highs around $95 per barrel this week but fell to the $80s today as President Trump signaled the conflict with Iran may end soon.

On the West Coast, all seven states remain in the top 10 for the most expensive pump prices nationally.

California has the highest average for the fifth week in a row at $5.29 a gallon and is the only state at or above $5.

Washington is second at $4.69, Hawaii third at $4.59, Nevada fourth at $4.30 and Oregon fifth at $4.26. Arizona averages $3.97 and Alaska $3.95.

All 50 states and the District of Columbia saw week-over-week increases. California had the largest jump at 62 cents, while Hawaii had the smallest at 19 cents. AAA said Oregon and Washington prices also rose last month after an outage of the Olympic pipeline.

The cheapest gas in the nation is in Kansas at $2.96 a gallon and Oklahoma at $3.01. Kansas is the only state with an average in the $2 range this week. The gap between the most expensive and least expensive states is $2.33 this week, up from $2.05 a week ago.

Compared with a month ago, prices are higher everywhere: the national average is up 62 cents and Oregon’s average is up 68 cents.

Compared with a year ago, the national average is up 45 cents and Oregon’s average is up 53 cents.

Diesel prices also spiked. The national average for diesel rose 89 cents over the week to $4.78 a gallon, while Oregon’s average jumped 72 cents to $5.02.

A year ago, the national average for diesel was $3.63 and Oregon’s average was $3.86.