Peter DeFazio criticizes 'radical' environmental groups fighting his Oregon logging bill

Jeff Mapes, The Oregonian
October 2, 2013

WASHINGTON — One day after environmentalists rallied in Portland against his bill to increase timber harvests in Western Oregon, Rep. Peter DeFazio on Wednesday fired back at his one-time allies.

DeFazio, an Oregon Democrat who has closely worked with environmentalists for years, said in an interview that opposition to his bill is coming from "radical groups" that basically want to prevent any logging on western Oregon's Oregon & California grant lands.

"Basically, these guys want zero cut on federal land," charged DeFazio, who added: "They certainly don't care about rural Oregon and 20 percent-plus unemployment" in some areas.

Steve Pedery , conservation director of Portland-based Oregon Wild, one of the groups leading opposition to the bill and a sponsor of Tuesday's rally, disputed DeFazio's criticism.

Pedery said his group has supported timber harvest legislation in eastern Oregon aimed at increasing logging there. And he said his group also doesn't oppose logging on the 2.8 million acres of O&C lands on the west side, as long as it is done in an environmentally sensitive manner.

The rift between DeFazio and the environmental groups has been growing for the last few years as the 26-year veteran for Congress drafted the O&C bill along with Reps. Greg Walden, R-Ore, and Kurt Schrader, D-Ore. The measure passed the Houselast month and was sent to the Senate, where Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., is drafting his own version.

Pedery said conservationists have had numerous discussions with DeFazio to express concerns about the direction he is taking.

"We said, 'Peter we love you, you've been our champion forever, but the environmental community is not going to roll over on this,'" said Pedery. He argued that DeFazio wanted to win points with his rural constituents while hoping environmentalists would stay quiet.

Tuesday's rally and march in Portland was mainly aimed at putting pressure on Wyden to come up with a much different approach to the O&C bill. Wyden, who chairs the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, has indicated it will be one that the Senate can pass and the president can sign into law.

Some of the demonstrators also carried signs criticizing DeFazio. In addition, Oregon Wild and three other groups also recently purchased ads at the Portland and Eugene airports advertising Oregon as "Home of the Clearcuts" and inviting people to go to a website attacking the DeFazio-Walden-Schrader bill. Portland airport officials refused to run the ad and are being sued by the American Civil Liberties Union.

DeFazio noted that the ad featured a clearcut on private land and doesn't accurately represent his bill.

"Their real beef is they are totally opposed to Oregon forest practices" on state and private land, said DeFazio, "which they have never tried to change. ... Our bill goes far beyond Oregon forest practices."

DeFazio said the O&C bill would just allow commercial harvesting on 45 percent of the acreage. And much of that acreage would be logged on a much longer rotation. He said he's using the best work of noted forestry scientists and argued that logging would largely be on lands that don't have high recreational values and that "are not iconic areas."

Pedery argued that environmental activists have indeed sought to change logging rules in Oregon. In recent years, he said, they've concentrated on pushing for more environmentally sensitive timber harvests in the Tillamook State Forest. But he said it's difficult to change the Oregon Forest Practices Act in the Legislature, where Republicans and rural Democrats have defended the current law.

Pedery also disputed DeFazio's characterization of how much land is set aside for environmental protection. The bill would place 1.6 million acres in a trust that would be managed by the state, and that's where most of the timber harvests would take place.

But most of the rest would remain under federal control, which does allow for commercial logging, Pedery said.

DeFazio still has his ties with environmentalists, particularly on national issues.

The congressman recently became the ranking Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee and is working with national environmental groups on several issues, including on wolf recovery.

But the congressman is also known for his combativeness, and in an interview he was soon drawing parallels between his environmental critics and the House Republicans he blamed for shutting down the federal government.

"It's kind of like I'm stuck between a bunch of right-wing nut Republicans," he said, "and a bunch of environmental groups who are no longer willing to compromise on any level."