Linn County Commissioners filed a $1.4 billion class action lawsuit against the State of Oregon and the State Forestry Department on March 10 for failure to properly manage forest policy and promote timber harvests on forest trust land.
The class consists of 15 forest trust land counties and at least 130 other government entities that share or receive revenue from the Forest Trust lands, according to the document.
The suit alleges a breach of contract on the part of the state by their adoption of the Greatest Permanent Value Rule and that they did not manage the forest trust lands in “a manner consistent with the parties’ understanding when they contracted.”
The $1.4 billion includes $528,6000,000 for revenues that would have been distributed to the class members if the forestlands were managed with best management practices required of private landowners (while honoring all federal regulatory requirements) and the amount of revenues that have actually been distributed. It also includes $25,564,000 in pre-judgement interest and $881,000,000 in future damages.
In addition, the county is asking for attorney fees, costs, disbursements and “any other relief that the court deems just and equitable.”
Linn County is being represented by John DiLorenzo, Jr.
DiLorenzo sent a letter to Gov. Kate Brown and Doug Decker, State Forester, on Jan. 13, 2016 to notify them of the suit and demand correction. The defendants “failed to respond on the merits of either Linn County’s claims, or the claims of any class member.”
At press time, the state had not filed a response to claim.
– Audrey Gomez