Ted Kulongoski / Oregon Forest Industries Council / Kate Brown

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Gov. Kulongoski

BY WW EDITORIAL STAFF | newsdesk at wweek dot com

[March 16th, 2005] In the recent brouhaha over the flubbed appointment of former U.S. Rep. Les AuCoin to the state Board of Forestry, the Rogue Desk finds itself in what military types call a target-rich environment: rogues everywhere, as far as the eye can see.

The forestry board, which oversees logging on private lands and state forests, has been a festering nest of controversy. Under state law, no more than three members of the seven-member body may have a financial interest in logging. But records show that five members have timber ties. Last fall, worried that the board was too pro-timber, enviros proposed the ill-fated Measure 34, which would have tightened protections on state forests.

In this highly charged environment, Gov. Ted Kulongoski 's nomination of AuCoin was inspired. A knowledgeable moderate, AuCoin has a record of backing both logging and the environment. He would have lifted the board's profile simply by being there.

Then came the problems. The timber industry, led by the Oregon Forest Industries Council , mounted a furious campaign to kill the nomination by seizing upon some of AuCoin's blunt statements, including one email labeling his opponents "timber toads."

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The Senate Democratic leadership, namely Portland Sen. Kate Brown, told Kulongoski they had the votes to confirm AuCoin. But when the smoke cleared last week, she was wrong-an embarrassing defeat for the Dems that reflects poorly on Sen. Brown's arithmetic and Gov. Kulongoski's ability to keep his own troops in line.

Part of the problem is that last year Kulongoski gave Republicans a slate of pro-timber board appointments as part of a backroom deal to grease the way for ex-guv Neil Goldschmidt to run the state Board of Higher Education.

In other words, the problem the governor was trying to fix with AuCoin's appointment-an unbalanced timber board-was partly of his own making. As a result, enviros could file a lawsuit any day.