Sponsored by: Stephanie Hampton and Justin Brice, Benton County Approved: 03/26/2017
A RESOLUTION OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF OREGON
WHEREAS, ARTICLE 6 TRANSPORTATION, ENERGY & THE ENVIRONMENT Plank 6 of the 2016 Democratic Party of Oregon Platform states:
“We oppose the wholesale conversion of public lands to private ownership and support the protection of state and federally designated parks, wilderness areas, recreation areas, and other resource lands.”
WHEREAS, Public land is under siege as the present White House administration adopts an agenda of privatizing both public lands and education.
WHEREAS, Democratic Governor Kate Brown has directed the state lands director to present a public ownership option at the May meeting of the State Land Board,
NOW, THEREFORE, THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF OREGON RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Urges the State Land Board to be cognizant of the Democratic Party of Oregon 2016 Platform and Planks concerning opposition to “the wholesale conversion of public lands to private ownership”.
Section 2. Further urges the State Land Board to partner with Governor Brown on the public ownership option which the state lands director has been directed to present or any legislative option which may present to ensure that the Oregon public may continue to own this rare and irreplaceable temperate coastal rainforest–home of ten endangered species and more than seventy species of concern–in order to protect old growth forests and sustainable habitat for the Elliott State Forest, which will only become more valuable in the future to maintain sustainable public funding of education.
