The Oregon Department of State Lands is developing a Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) for the Elliott State Forest in Oregon’s Coos and Douglas Counties. The plan will balance forest research and management activities with the conservation of rare species and their habitat on the Elliott State Forest. The Service prepared a draft Environmental Impact Statement to analyze the potential effects of issuing an incidental take permit and approving the plan. Species that will likely be covered under the plan include the northern spotted owl, marbled murrelet, and Oregon Coast coho.



Draft Environmental Impact Statement --- Extended Public Comment Period Closed January 10, 2023.

Public comment period extension (published Dec. 20)

Recording of the DEIS public meeting

Draft Habitat Conservation Plan

Draft EIS

Federal Register notice for the draft EIS (published Nov. 18)

News release for the draft EIS

Public Meeting for the draft EIS

The Service held a virtual public meeting on December 13, 2022, from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Pacific time. The meeting included presentation on the proposed HCP and draft EIS, followed by an opportunity for questions and discussion. Public comments were not taken at this meeting. We encourage you to submit your written comments using one of the methods described above. 

Additional Information

The Service also held a public comment period during scoping that closed June 6, 2022. We encouraged the public and stakeholders to help identify issues and alternatives for the plan. The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Office and NOAA Fisheries West Coast, a cooperating agency, held a virtual public meeting on May 16, 2022 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. PT. A closed captioned recording of the meeting is available.



Federal Register notice for the public scoping period

News release for the public scoping period

Habitat Conservation Plan factsheet

Frequently asked questions about the National Environmental Policy Act



More information on the Elliott State Research Forest Habitat Conservation Plan is available the Oregon Department of State Lands website.

Documents

Public Draft ESRF_HCP_ADA_10.20.22.pdf

Pre-Release Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Elliott State Research Forest Habitat Conservation Plan

ESRF_HCP_Public_Draft_DEIS_Nov2022_ADA.pdf

Pre-Release Draft of Elliott State Research Forest Habitat Conservation Plan

Facilities

Trees and lupine at Metolius Preserve in Oregon by Bonnie Moreland
The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Office is part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Ecological Services program. We work closely with partners to conserve fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats throughout Oregon for future generations.