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<p class=MsoNormal>Members of the Private Forests News service:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>The <a name="OLE_LINK19"></a><a name="OLE_LINK20">American
Forest Foundation </a>recently released a report evaluating the success of the
US Department of Agriculture forest conservation programs called “Forest
Conservation in 2009: A Farm Bill Progress Report.” The report
specifically spotlights programs authorized and funded through the 2008 Farm
Bill, which represented the first USDA Farm Bill which fully integrated forestry
into USDA’s conservation programs.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Key findings: <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span
style='font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span
style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></span></span><![endif]>The U.S. has made a significant investment in
the health of its forests by partnering with private landowners.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span
style='font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span
style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></span></span><![endif]>The United States has 751 million acres of
forest, of which 56 percent are privately owned. Of these private owners, 62
percent are “family forest owners.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span
style='font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span
style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></span></span><![endif]>On average, one million acres of private forests
are converted to development every year.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span
style='font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span
style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></span></span><![endif]>More than 25 percent of our fresh water flows
from and is filtered by private forest land.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span
style='font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span
style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></span></span><![endif]>Oregon ranked 14<sup>th</sup> in funding
provided through USDA’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
in 2009.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span
style='font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span
style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></span></span><![endif]>Oregon has the fourth-highest amount of private
land within a state enrolled in the USDA Conservation Stewardship Program.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>The full report can be downloaded from the American Forest
Foundation at:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><a
href="https://ssl.capwiz.com/forestfoundation/attachments/AFF_FarmBill_Report_2010_Final_Proof.pdf">https://ssl.capwiz.com/forestfoundation/attachments/AFF_FarmBill_Report_2010_Final_Proof.pdf</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNoSpacing>Kevin Weeks<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNoSpacing>Oregon Department of Forestry<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNoSpacing>(503) 945-7427<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
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