Summary
The Oregon Forest Resources Institute (OFRI) is a state agency that according to Oregon Public Broadcasting and The Oregonian operates as the timber industry's de facto lobbying organization in Oregon.
 | |
| Established | 1991 |
|---|---|
| Type | State agency |
| Purpose | Forest management education |
| Headquarters | Portland, Oregon |
| Funding | Forest products harvest tax |
| Website | oregonforests |
History edit
OFRI was created by the Oregon Legislative Assembly in 1991 and is funded by a dedicated forest-products harvest tax.[1][2][3] According the Oregon Public Broadcasting, it was created to "support the timber industry by educating the public about forests and wood products, and by helping private landowners manage their forests in ways that protect the environment".[4] Its Board of Directors consists entirely of representatives from the timber industry.[3]
According to OFRI, its forestry education programs reach more than 100,000 students and more than 1,000 educators annually.[5]
OFRI manages the Rediscovery Forest together with the Oregon Garden, in Silverton. It is a forested area that "educates visitors on the practices and importance of Oregon's forestry industry".[6]
OFRI has purchased several prominent advertising campaigns in the state of Oregon benefiting the timber industry.[4] These campaigns are paid for with taxpayer dollars. In 2015 OFRI spent $1.05 million in taxpayer funds.[7]
Lobbying edit
A 2020 investigation by Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) and The Oregonian revealed that OFRI has acted as "public-relations agency and lobbying arm for Oregon's timber industry." The reporting showed that OFRI promotes the timber industry and suppresses dissemination of legitimate research conducted by reputable scientists including Beverly Law, a professor at Oregon State University.[4]
On August 31, 2020, Gov. Kate Brown requested an audit of OFRI as a result of OPB's investigation. OFRI had not been audited since 1996. Secretary of State Bev Clarno was to conduct the audit.[8] In June 2021, the state house voted to cut the majority of its funding HB 2357 B, reducing it to $1.7 million from a $4 million annual budget.[9] That bill failed in the senate.[10]
The audit was completed by July 2021, finding breaches of authority. OFRI agreed with all audit findings[11] and OFRI's director, Erin Isselmann, agreed to change its practices.[3] In 2022 OFRI announced that they were taking steps to address the issues raised by the audit.[12] As of 2023 they had made several changes[13] and continue to work with state officials while creating a Public Review Process to realign the organization with the will of Oregonians.
See also edit
References edit
- ^ Rob Davis; Tony Schick (8 March 2021). "A timber lobbyist called our investigation 'completely bogus.' We have the receipts to show it's not". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Archived from the original on 12 January 2023. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
- ^ Davis, Rob; Schick, Tony (8 March 2021). "A Timber Lobbyist Called Our Investigation "Completely Bogus." We Have the Receipts to Show It's Not". ProPublica. Archived from the original on 10 January 2023. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
Our investigation said the institute is "tax-funded" because it is. The institute's $4 million annual budget comes from a tax on logging.
- ^ a b c Davis, Rob (21 July 2021). "Tax-funded Oregon Forest Resources Institute misled public, may have broken state law, audit finds". Oregon Live. Archived from the original on 12 January 2023. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
Under state law, timber representatives make up OFRI's board. A lone nonvoting public member is prohibited from having ties to any group or business "known to support or promote environmental or conservation issues." Auditors flagged the prohibition as a credibility risk for the agency and recommended expanding the board's representation.
- ^ a b c Davis, Rob; Schick, Tony (August 4, 2020). "How a public institute in Oregon became a de facto lobbying arm of the timber industry". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Oregon Public Broadcasting and The Oregonian Newspaper. Archived from the original on 1 May 2023. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
- ^ "K-12 EDUCATION FISCAL YEAR 2018-19" (PDF). oregonforests.org. Oregon Forests. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 October 2022. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
- ^ "About The Oregon Garden - 80 acres of botanical gardens". The Oregon Garden. Retrieved 2023-06-09.
- ^ "TAX-DOLLAR TIMBER INDUSTRY ADVERTISING FACES SCRUTINY IN OREGON". Investigate West. 9 September 2015. Archived from the original on 2017-02-19. Retrieved 2017-02-18.
- ^ Schick, Tony (September 2, 2020). "Reporting on timber lobbying prompts Oregon Gov. Kate Brown to call for audit of state institute". Archived from the original on 19 October 2020. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
- ^ Tony Schick; Rob Davis (8 June 2021). "After our investigation, Oregon House moves to curb forest institute's power and budget". opb. Archived from the original on 12 June 2021. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
- ^ "Bills Tracked in 2021-2022: HB 2357". www.olcvscorecard.org. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
- ^ "OFRI will implement state audit operational recommendations". oregonforests.org. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
- ^ Plaven, George (5 December 2022). "OFRI provides update on audit recommendations". capitalpress.com. Capital Press. Archived from the original on 11 January 2023. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
- ^ "Update on OFRI response to state audit". oregonforests.org. Retrieved 2024-02-13.