The 93,000-acre Elliott State Forest, just northeast of Coos Bay, Oregon, is made up primarily of state-owned lands dedicated to Oregon’s Common School Fund under the authority of the State Land Board. Since the forest was established in 1930, timber harvest has served as the primary source of revenue. In 2017, due to declining timber revenue and rising management costs, the State Land Board directed the Department of State Lands (DSL) to decouple the Elliott State Forest from the Common School Fund under a framework established by the State Land Board to meet public values.
OC provided project management and facilitation services and worked with the DSL director and Land Board to establish principles and a broad architecture for decoupling, including identification of assessment interviewees. Interviews explored desired outcomes, information needs, and resources that could support a solution. OC provided assessment results and input on a DSL advisory group process.