The town of Butte Falls in Oregon’s Jackson County is working on a project to bring in the forested land surrounding the town, including Butte Falls, into the city. The town sees an “opportunity to develop an innovative approach to stewardship of forest lands that will become a model for how small remote communities can use their forests to develop sustainable economies.” They want to support the following values: 1) creating economic opportunity and promoting the health of the forest; 2) increasing the town’s residential areas, urban growth boundary and enterprise zone; and 3) supporting education and research in forestry stewardship. Oregon Solutions conducted an assessment of the project to identify opportunities for collaboration. The governor designated the project an official Oregon Solutions project. The US Forest Service provided a grant for half of the purchase price of the land, and the 2021 Oregon Legislature matched the funds to cover the full purchase price.
Meeting information:
10-23-2020 Meeting Summary (PDF)
8-10-2020 Meeting Summary (PDF)
7-9-2020 Meeting Summary (PDF)