Image provided by: Cape Blanco Heritage Society; Port Orford, OR
About Port Orford news. (Port Orford, Curry County, Oregon) 1958-current | View Entire Issue (March 27, 1969)
The importance o f O & C Lands to Western Oregon Counties : BY FRED W. FLYNN (Form er C urry County Com- Qussioner and form er mem ber of the 0 & C Roads Com mittee) come from the lands would in crease s u f f i c i e n t l y to meet these obligations. All receipts were to be deposited In the O&C Land Grant Fund to re pay the U. S. Treasury under the same formula provided by the Chamberlain-Ferris Act of 1916. the same reasons, the govern ment required the counties to a c c e p t the percentage-of- income formula, and thus share In the management of the lands. This unique arrangement has proven provitable both to the counties and the federal govern ment. Receipts Increased after 1937 and especially after 1950, due in part to increased timber cut, but primarily because of higher prices realized on tim ber saies. The average price per thousand b. f. in 1939 was $1.95, compared to over $70.00 per thousand b. f. in today’s market. By 1952, the counties had reimbursed the U.S. Treas ury the full amount of 10.5 mil lion dollars due the O&C Land Grant Fund, and thereby be came eligible to receive the full 75% of the receipts, as pro vided by the 1937 formula. Be ginning in 1952, the counties be gan expanding the shared-man agement plan by Implementing an arrangement with the BLM which was expensive, daring and forward-looking to a degree un heard of in the investment of county funds. The federal gov ernment was reluctant to appro priate access road funds suf ficient to attain the full sus- talled yield these lands are cap able of producing. The counties therefore volunteered to con tribute 25% of their receipts to finance an adequate road sys tem estimated to cost more than 75 million dollars when com pleted. This program reduces county receipts to 50%, Instead of the 75% they could receive under the 1937 formula. The Bureau of Public Roads con structs the roads under an agreement with the BLM, after the counties have approved the construction plans. To assure continuance of the program, and being mindful of the transitory estate of county officials, an arrangement was made where by Congress each year appro priates a sum equal to 25% of the anticipated receipts for the next fiscal year. This appro priation is reimbursible from the O&C Fund, and is unique in that the counties finance their own appropriation from Con gress. Thus, by plowing back one-third of their receipts in the form of capital investment, the O&C counties are making use of a tremendous asset to the economy of Oregon—the full utilization of 21/2 million acres of timber lands producing an annual allowable cut of about one billion board feet of timber. In late years, realizing the mul tiple-use concept of our forest lands, the counties have con tributed huge sums for re forestation work, in addition to financing an extensive recre ation program designed to ac comodate those of our people who enjoy outdoor activities including hunting, fishing, camping, or simply enjoying the wilderness. We often hear allusions made comparing the management of National forests to the O&C Lands, with a favorable decision being generally bestowed upon O&C as the show-piece of BLM operation. This is an erro r- eous conclusion, since legis lation regulaHng the manage ment and financing of the two services is so different that a fair comparison is difficult if not impossible to conceive. The counties receive 25% of National Forest receipts which is alloc ated to county roads and schools, with the remaining 75% being deposited in the U. S. Treasury, adding to the Gener- ;; ; Every day, we read or hear something about the two and otie-half million acres of land LANDS NOT WELCOME here In Oregon known as the Just what induced this opti **0&C*’ lands. It is safe to mistic outlook to prevail over guess that few people know Congress In 1926 is rather dif what O&C lands are, or how ficult to imagine, since by 1937 they came Into being. They the O&C Land Grant Fund show are the only such lands In the ed the discouraging deficit of United States, and their unique ten million dollars. By that status offers a constant temp time, Congressional optimism tation for Congressional legis envisaging the profitable dis lation designed to place the position of the O&C lands was O&C lands In the same cate definitely lacking, and the lands gory with other Public Lands. were considered a distinct lia The 88th Congress established bility to the federal govern a Public Lands Law Review ment and the O&C counties. Commission which could ser The orphan lands were not wel iously endanger the status of come on any doorstep. Clearly, these lands by reviewing and a new approach to the problem codifying about 5000 laws and was imperative. A number of r e g u l a t i o n s affecting Public civic leaders and government Lands. It Is most important officials realized the utter folly to note that Curry County re of deliberately destroying these ceived over $326,000 of O&C vast timber resources as abar funds In 1963, over $600,000 ren effort to derive non-exis in 1964, about $999,000 In 1965, tent farm land from the rugged $984,000 in 1966, $801,000 in mountains. Their petition to 1967, and 940,000 In 1968,which Congress resulted in the enact Is an Imperative reason why ment of theO&CSustalned Yield we should maintain the present Act of 1937, which placed the character and payment formula lands under permanent forest McKAY’S FEATURED SPECIAL of the O&C lands. management on a sustained- In 1886, the U. S. Congress yield basis designed to guaran gave to the Oregon and Calif tee a permanent supply of for ornia Railroad Company a land est products. This was the grant to aid in the construction first Sustained Yield Act of of a railroad from Portland to Congress, introducing into of the California border. That ficial language the system of railroad is now the Southern forest management we take for Pacific R. R. The grant con- granted today. The Act also s is te d of odd-numbered sec provided a new financial for tions of land in a 40-to-60- mula which is still in effect mile-wide belt, containing ap and is of such vital importance proximately 3,728,000 acres. to the 18 western Oregon coun The greatest concentration of ties: 0 ), 50% of revenue to high-value virgin timber re the 18 counties in lieu of taxes; maining in America can be (2), 25% for administration and found in the 18 western Ore management; and (3), 25% to re gon counties comprising the imburse the U. S. Treasury for O&C lands today. The Act acquisition costs and tax pay contained three restrictions on ments. After defraying thede- the sale of the Grant land by ficit of the O&C Land Grant the company: (1), land could be Fund, this 25% to be paid to sold only to actual settlers; the counties. It is important (2), not more than 160 acres to point out here that under could be sold to any one set the terms of this formula, the tler; and (3), no land could counties were actually buying be sold for more than $2.50 back the lands revested from the per acre. The railroad was railroad by the Act of 1916. built, the company became en titled to the Grant and receiv BLM CREATED IN 1946 ed patents to the land. It In 1946, the Bureau of Land was clearly the intention of Con Management was created with gress that the railroad should in the Department of Interior sell the land to bona-fide set and was delegated to assume the tlers, and as large portions of management of the O&C lands. the Grant lying on the valley One of the most confusing as floors were suitable for agri pects of O&C lands is the term, culture, much of land was sold "Controverted Lands’’. News to actual settlers in accordance paper stories generally dispose with the terms of the Grant. of them as “ the so-called con- IN SAVINGS FOR THE F R E E Z E R U However, a great deal of the torverted lands’’, the quotation land was mountainous, cover marks usually indicating an BANQUET CHICKEN OR TURKEY ed with dense timber, and un easy solution to a bewildered suitable for agriculture. The r e p o r t e r . The Controverted railroad violated the Grant by Lands owe their title to a dis selling timber to buyers in pute between the Secretary of tracts of more than 160 acres, the Interior and the Secretary RHODES 24 SIZE and for more than $2.50 per of Agriculture over the juris acre. As a result of these diction of 468,000 acres of land violations, the government in which the Forest Service claim 1913 brought suit to cancel the ed were not a part of the orig Grant. Upon appeal, the U. S. inal land Grant. The Interior PERCH or HADDOCK Supreme Court suggested that Department insisted that the Congress should pay the rail railroad company had been paid road $2.50 per acre for the re $2.50 per acre for the lands, maining unsold lands patented and therefore they had been in DE LUXE ' .-GALLON or entitled to patent. The cluded in the Revestment Act federal government recaptured of 1916. An Act of Congress the unsold portions of the Grant in 1954 (Public Law #426) de by passage of the Chamber clared the lands to be O&C lain-Ferris Act of 1916. The lands, but ruled that they were revestment Act provided for to be administered by the For administration of these lands by est Service. The receipts from N o L im its the General Land Office of the the Controverted Lands are dis Department of Interior. Con bursed to the counties under the gress anticipated speedy liquid same forumla decided by the EFFECTIVE: THURS., FRI., SAT. ation of the Grant by sale, with O&C Act of 1937. There the exception of power sites and are about 173,000 acres of Con timber. After the timber had troverted Lands in the Siskiyou been sold and removed, the log National Forest, a large portion ged-off land was to be sold to of which lies in Curry County. settlers at $2.50 per acre, thus In framing the O&C Act of returning the lands to the tax 1937, the counties, generally rolls. The revestment Act re speaking, would have been quired that income from the agreeable to accept ln-lieu tax O&C lands be deposited in a on the lands. This feeling re special Treasury Fund to be sulted from the poor Income re known as "The O&C Land Grant cord dating from revestment in Fund". F irst priority on the 1916, and from the fact that in fund was to pay the railroad 1937 very few people visualized about four million dollars for the potential timber values to the recaptured lands. Next be derived from the lands. For priority was to reimburse the U. S. Treasury $1,600,000 for money paid to the counties for the 1913, 1914 and 1915 taxes which the railroad had not paid at the time of revestment This plan failed to solve the problem, since receipts accruing to the O&C Fund were far below the anticipated amount, and very little Grant land was added to the tax rolls by sales to set tlers. The counties now faced a serious financial problem. Hew High Is In some counties, up to 25% of real estate taxes was as Your Community sessed against O&C lands. In addition, the f e d e r a l govern Credit Reputation? ment already owned an average of 60% of the land in seven n A U . Uba to b a counties, mostly in National Forests, upon which no taxes looked up to. were paid. Adding the O&C TOOT lands to the tax-exempt federal to be proud ur billa properties created a dismal or financial prospect. The coun ties received nothing from O&C MOT. lands between 1916 and 1926, TODAY*» TBS DAT so they again looked to Congress TO TATI for relief. Consequently the Let*« start bulldlae < federal government devised credit record today, i another plan designed to assist can charge tomorrow. the counties, and in addition, protect any federal money ad vanced to the counties in lieu of taxes. This was the Stan or ooquilli field Act of 1926. It also pro •ereta» the vided for continued payments North Curry Aiea of in-1 leu taxes, but failed to appropriate the n e c e s s a r y funds perhaps assuming that ln- **1’ Port Orford News, Thursday, March 27, 1969—3 be ever watchful, remaining alert to tlie acquisitive policies al Fund. The Forest Service identified with a sometimes must then rely entirely on fed capricious Congress. The O&C eral appropriation for timber counties must continue to re management, which includes sist any proposal intended to r o a d and trail construction. change the unique county-gov These a p p r o p r i a t i o n s en ernment arrangement whereby joy little relationship to the the counties now share the re timber revenue-producing sponsibility for the proper man areas in the United States. For agement of the O&C Lands. est Service personnel arededi- It is important that the people cated people, doing splendid of Western Oregon keep them work with the limited funds selves informed on matters appropriated for managing the pertaining to O&C Lands, and enormous acreage involved in to resist any efforts whichwould result in changing their unique National Forest operations. status. Source material for the fore PROUD TO PARTICIPATE To conclude, the O&C Lands going article: BLM and Forest are without doubt the most in Service publications; Univer Bureau of tensely managed public forest sity of Oregon: lands in America, and we should M u n ic ip a l Research, O&C O&C Lands, Russell be proud to participate in the Counties; E. Getty, BLM. outstanding administration of these lands, and tlie manage When there is disagreement ment of which depends upon in the family about the adjust leadership at the county level ment of a color TV set, some Instead of federal governmen one may be color deficient and tal levels. As long as tlie chances are it is one of tlie O&C Lands retain the ex men in the family, says the clusive and unique status which Oregon Optometric Associa sets them apart from all other tion. Color blindness in wo Public Lands in the U n ite d men is extremely rare, while States, we must anticipate re an estimated five to 10 per mitting efforts to reclassify cent of the men are markedly them. The O&C counties must deficient at seeing color. AL,, Afa,, Afa,, i Afa,. BOARD MEETING The Port Orford-Langlois Lions A u x ilia r y held their Board meeting at Maud Weir’s home Tuesday morning. 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