Scott Swanson
What organizers are calling “one of its most important milestones” will take place for the South Santiam Community Forest Corridor project on Monday, March 10 when individuals and representatives of some three dozen agencies will gather to sign a declaration of cooperation on the project.
The event will take place from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Jim Riggs Community Center. The public is encouraged to attend.
The declaration will mark the end of the Oregon Solutions Team process toward establishing a community forest project that began in November of 2012. That was when Gov. John Kitzhaber designated the Oregon Solutions Team to bring together interested and affected parties representing local, state and federal interests, to work to cut through red tape and other hindrances to the establishment of a forest of public and private lands between Sweet Home and Cascadia – and possibly beyond.
According to Cindy Glick, who heads the Sweet Home Ranger District, the goals of establishing the forest include establishing a trail along the South Santiam River, developing a “working community forest” that will provide jobs, and transferring ownership and protection of Cascadia Cave from private to federal.
She said the signing ceremony is “an agreement to cooperate toward a common vision.”
Expected to participate are representatives of more than 30 federal, state and local agencies, and at least two Indian tribes.
“I’m still not sure about the Siletz,” Glick said late last week. “I think the buy-in has been really great. It’s really exciting to get something in writing that says we agree to do some stuff and now we want to get going on it. Implementation. Action.”
The team has produced a vision statement that identifies achievable long-term goals for the corridor along the river between Sweet Home and the west edge of the Willamette National Forest. It also includes specific plans for the Working Forest, tourism and recreation, and Cascadia Cave.
Organizers say that new collaborative partnerships have been established between various public and private agencies and stakeholders that will help project team members progress toward the completion of projects. One proposal is to include nearby portions of the Willamette National Forest in a new Institute for Working Forest Landscapes being developed by Oregon State University.
The corridor project will be directed by the Sweet Home All-Lands Collaborative, a private-public cooperative effort developed several years ago. The effort will be headed by Goodrich, a graduate planning student intern based in Sweet Home.
Glick said the forest can provide jobs and boost Sweet Home’s economy, as well as provide increased recreational opportunities and that’s the point of this effort.
“The fun thing about this is we’re all working together,” she said. “We all have a vision, but we’re not sure what the outcomes are going to be. That’s the beauty of having a bigger group. Not everybody is interested in the same thing.
“It’s exciting and it could help Sweet Home’s livability.”