EcoNews Report

Author: The Green Gang

A weekly environmental news roundup produced in Arcata, California by Tom Wheeler (Environmental Protection Information Center), Alicia Hamann (Friends of the Eel River), Jen Kalt (Humboldt Waterkeeper) and Colin Fiske (Coalition for Responsible Transportation Priorities). 
Be a guest on this podcast

Language: en-us

Genres: Natural Sciences, News, Science

Contact email: Get it

Feed URL: Get it

iTunes ID: Get it

Get all podcast data

Listen Now...

A New Mandate for State-Owned Forests?
Episode 272
Saturday, 18 April, 2026

How should state-owned demonstration forests be managed? For private timber production or for climate, biodiversity, clean water, and other values? That's the question being considered by the California legislature with AB 2494 (Rogers). AB 2494 proposes a virtual reserval of priorities. Currently, state law directs that these public lands be managed for "maximum sustained timber production" while "giving consideration" to other resource management. Under AB 2494, managing for other resources takes top billing while still allowing for commercial timber production where that production is used as a tool to achieve the resource objectives. EPIC staff Melodie Meyer and Josefina Barrantes join environmental attorney Alex Leumer to discuss. Support the show