The long-running battle between the State of Oregon and several of its counties over timber revenue came to an end last month. In the 1930s and 1940s, those counties donated land to the state “so as to secure the greatest permanent value of those lands.” In exchange, they received a cut of the state’s logging profits, which bolstered local budgets. In 2019, those same counties sued the state, saying they were being shortchanged. A Linn County judge ruled in favor of the counties and ordered the state to pay $1 billion plus interest in damages. Earlier this year, the Oregon Court of Appeals reversed that verdict, saying the State of Oregon can manage forests for a range of values that include recreation, water quality, and wildlife habitat, in addition to logging revenue. The Oregon Supreme Court decision to deny the petition for appeal means that the lower court ruling from April will stand. Read more HERE.