About Sustainable Forestry Network

Our History

Sustainable Forestry Network was founded as a grass-roots, non-profit political action campaign in Oregon. From our beginnings as a small group of concerned citizens in Eugene, we have grown into an organization dedicated to educating the public about the ecological, spiritual, and commercial values of our forestlands.

Our founding mission centers on ensuring that the legacy of our natural heritage is passed on to future generations through the implementation of sustainable, non-destructive forest use policies. We believe that forests can provide both economic value and ecological services when managed responsibly.

What We Stand For

We advocate for a fundamental shift in how forests are managed on both private and state lands. Our core positions include:

• Selective Logging Over Clearcutting: We promote timber harvesting methods that maintain forest canopy cover, protect wildlife habitat, and preserve soil health. Selective logging allows continued timber production while maintaining the ecological integrity of the forest.
• Old Growth Protection: Oregon's remaining old growth forests represent less than 4% of their original extent. These irreplaceable ecosystems support unique biodiversity and must be permanently protected from commercial logging.
• Organic Forest Management: We advocate for the elimination of chemical herbicides and pesticides on forest lands, promoting organically certified alternatives that protect water quality, wildlife, and human health.
• Watershed Protection: Healthy forests are essential for clean water. We support policies that maintain forested buffer zones along streams and rivers to protect aquatic ecosystems and drinking water supplies.
• Climate Action: Forests are critical carbon sinks. Our sustainable forestry practices help maximize the carbon sequestration potential of managed forests while reducing emissions from destructive harvesting practices.

Oregon's Forest Diversity

Oregon boasts an extraordinary diversity of forest ecosystems. From the coastal forests that blanket the rocky cliffs rising from the Pacific Ocean and cascade over the Coast Range mountains, to the towering Douglas fir and Western red cedar forests of the Cascade Range, to the Ponderosa pine woodlands of Eastern Oregon's high desert, each forest type supports unique communities of plants, animals, and fungi.

This diversity is threatened by industrial forestry practices that prioritize short-term timber production over long-term ecological health. Clearcutting, in particular, has devastated watersheds, eliminated wildlife habitat, and degraded soil quality across millions of acres of Oregon forestland.

Our Team

Our organization is staffed by dedicated volunteers and professionals with backgrounds in forestry science, ecology, environmental law, and community organizing. We work alongside university researchers, land managers, tribal nations, and community members who share our vision of forests managed for the benefit of all.