Former Oregon state governor John Kitzhaber wants to help end logging arguments in the US Northwest by setting up a natural resources policy institute.
The centre, planned in Portland, is designed to resolve a row which had been simmering even before the Northwest Forest Plan was drawn up 10 years ago.
Mr Kitzhaber said the Kitzhaber Centre would focus on developing a new set of governance management tools for natural resources and evaluate conflicting forest management research.
However, his idea has received criticism from Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics, which said it is impossible to be politically objective about science.
The Northwest Forest Plan was designed to balance northern spotted owl and salmon habitats with logging. Many think it has not delivered enough timber production, while conservationists continue to try and save old growth forests from the chainsaw.
