5:08 PM-Monday-09/25/2023: Doug Robertson Executive Director of the Association of O&C Counties on KWRO

September 25, 2023 Rob Taylor

Association of O&C Counties – Committed to the social and economic well being of our communities, and the health and productivity of federal “O&C” forest lands. (oandc.org)

Bio:

I graduated from Medford Senior High School in 1962, then from the UofO in 1968. I taught and coached at Myrtle Point High School after graduating. I inherited a heck of a strong wrestling team and we won the State Championship my first year.

I served on the Roseburg City Council for five years and was elected to the Douglas County Board of Commissioners in 1980. I served for 33 years before retiring in 2014. During that time I also served as President of the Association of O&C Counties for 25 years. I was selected as the Executive Director of the AOCC in January of this year, replacing Rocky McVay who retired last year.

Who We Are and What We Care About

The Association of O&C Counties (AOCC) is committed to the social and economic well being of our communities, and the health and productivity of federal “O&C” forest lands. AOCC advocates for sustained yield management of the O&C forests, as required by federal law under the O&C Act, to protect and support jobs and local economies, essential public services, and healthy resilient forests.

AOCC represents Counties in western Oregon that host 2.1 million acres of timberlands once privately owned as part of a grant in exchange for construction of a railroad in the late 1800s, but that were returned to federal ownership in 1916. The “O&C” part of our name is a reference to the “Oregon & California Railroad lands” that are, despite the name, located exclusively in 18 Counties in western Oregon.

The AOCC was formed in 1925 as an advocate for the Oregon communities with strong local interest in how the O&C lands are managed. Advocacy by the AOCC resulted in legislation in 1926 and again in 1937 with passage of the O&C Act that is still the governing law guiding management of the O&C lands today. The AOCC has been active in all legislation and all administrative actions regarding the management of these lands for over 95 years—a testament to the importance of these lands to the health and well being of our communities.