(Salem, OR) -- The Elliot State Forest on the southern Oregon Coast now has new protections from the state. Governor Kate Brown signed a bill that keeps the forest in state ownership. It includes conservation, economic growth opportunities, recreation, education, and forest research. Money generated by the forest will go toward Oregon's Common School Fund. Brown says the Elliot State Forest will have a lasting legacy as a research forest that will contribute to knowledge of forestry and environmental stewardship.