Mt. Emily Recreation Area Coalition
View of Mt. Emily
Mt. Emily Photo by Ed Shaul, 2006, Used by Permission
Coalition Acomplishment: Acquired Mt Emily Recreation Area to ensure, for perpetuity, a producer of wildlife, watershed, timber and related natural resources, and a showcase of sustainable resource conservation practices, providing diverse opportunities for public recreation.
Mt. Emily Saved October 31, 2008

Mt. Emily, with its distinctive profile, is the icon of the Grande Ronde Valley.  For generations the mountain's privately-held timberlands (to the left, above) have been made available for public recreation, but in late 2005, it became apparent that this traditional use was at risk.  Boise Cascade was divesting, and the new owner, Forest Capital Partners, thought it's new Mt. Emily holdings might be more valuable as private homesites.  Concerned Union County residents and organizations formed the Mt. Emily Recreation Area Coalition and spent the next three years working to ensure public recreational access to the forest on Mt. Emily, forever.  On October 31st, 2008, FCP's nearly 3700 acres on Mt. Emily was transferred to Union County, and the new Mt. Emily Recreation Area was created. 

What's New

LLC forming to buy trees.  A for-profit LLC is being formed to buy the FCP Trails Unit harvest rights.  Plans are to do some harvest, establish a convervation area, then return to county control.  Investors are needed; contact Mary at mcmcc@uci.net

Save the Trails Unit Trees!  FCP plans to harvest 2/3s of the Trails Unit trees in summer 2010.  We have until Feb. 1st to convince Union County to help save these trees.  To help, contact Mary at mcmcc@uci.net

Opinion Piece: The Mt. Emily Trails Unit Dilemma (PDF document) A fact sheet and discussion of issues related to the Trails Unit tree purchase dilemma.
Proposed Trails Unit Stewardship Plan (Jan. 2010) A Trails Unit Forest Management Plan requested by the Union County commissioners from the group advocating conservation of the Trails unit trees.  (Note: Appendix A and Appendix B are separate documents due to large download size.)  Plan identifies multiple stands within the Trails unit and prescribes differing management treatments based on the unique characteristics of each stand.  Harvest opportunities are identified in some stands, with conservation emphasised in those with more intense recreational use. 
Trails Unit Commissioner's Resolution (Jan. 2010) County Commissioners Resolution in response to Proposed Trails Unit Management Plan and related public comments.
For-profit LLC Questions and AnswersInformation about the for-profit plan to save the Trails unit trees.  In essence a private group (LLC) will buy FCP's harvest rights, do limited harvesting, establish a conservation easement, and return the retained trees to county control with harvest restrictions established.  The expectation is that a reasonable profit can be expected for LLC investors.